There are no doubt all sorts of works which have the effect of lifting one's mood on account of the sheer joy that they seem to exude. One such for me is Lars-Erik Larsson's 1st Symphony. No doubt very conservative-sounding even when it was written in 1927-8, it just leaps out of the speakers and clasps you in its post-Sibelian embrace.
Do forum members experience other pieces of post-1900 music in this particular way? If so, which ones?
I think the Takashi Yoshimatsu Fifth Symphony is uplifting. The opening bars of the 4th movement are a hint as to what is going to follow and the ending is glorious.
The 4th movement of Imants Kalnins 5th Symphony (in the Latvian downloads) was intended to be a ray of hope for the Russian dominated people of Latvia.
I somehow doubt if many others will agree, but the moment I read Alan's question what immediately sprang up in my mind were the final pages of Michael Tippett's 'Midsummer Marriage'. Strange, I haven't listened to it for a couple of years. But it is one of those pieces of music where I am utterly incapable of remaining in my chair.
I'm now - with imagination whirring away - trying to summon up a picture of Alan being clasped in a post-Sibelian embrace by Larsson's 1st Symphony as it leaps from the speakers! The mind boggles!
You see what poetic flight of fancy the Larsson inspired in me....
Pretentious, moi? ;)
Since Gershwin's
Rhapsody in Blue entranced and uplifted me from the time I pulled it out my father's stereogram around age 4, I'd be remiss to put it anywhere but in first place.
More recently
- Ross Edwards: Maninyas (violin concerto)
- Zdenek Lukas: various choral music
- Arvo Pärt: several pieces
- Rachmaninov: Vespers
- Dawid Kusz: Piesn o nadziei
- Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium which I first encountered live in a Mexican hall, the only (accidental) audience
I'm actually struck by the amount of choral music I've listed, which is not music I seek out. The composers listed indicate I have a slavic soul that needs uplifting. :D
Quote from: MikeW on Wednesday 02 May 2012, 19:01
Since Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue entranced and uplifted me from the time I pulled it out my father's stereogram around age 4, I'd be remiss to put it anywhere but in first place.
More recently
- Ross Edwards: Maninyas (violin concerto)
- Zdenek Lukas: various choral music
- Arvo Pärt: several pieces
- Rachmaninov: Vespers
- Dawid Kusz: Piesn o nadziei
- Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium which I first encountered live in a Mexican hall, the only (accidental) audience
I'm actually struck by the amount of choral music I've listed, which is not music I seek out. The composers listed indicate I have a slavic soul that needs uplifting. :D
How marvellous to see a Ross Edwards composition here!
Maninyas is an irresistible celebration of life which I would have as my number one "uplifter". Although not by an Unsung, my next choice would be
American in Paris - it's just so full of
joie de vivre - it surely brightens the most miserable day! :)
Leroy Anderson Piano Concerto, upbeat and fulfilling all the way through
Tatiana Sergeyeva Piano Concerto No. 3, Delightfully off the wall.
The Israeli composer, Gil Shohat, comes to mind. Brilliant, uplifting compositions can be heard in their entirety at his website:
www.gilshohat.com (http://www.gilshohat.com)
Truly Neo-romantic in style and scope. An extraordinary Viola Concerto that took my breath away and a gorgeous Cello Concerto are a few examples you must hear. Well worth checking out. Enjoy
Moncayo Huapango
Galindo Sones de Mariachi
John Adams Fearful Symmetries
Martinu Symphony n.4
Two uplifting works that readily come to mind are Joonas Kokkonen's Cello Concerto (1969) and Vagn Holmboe's Symphony no. 1 (1935)
Anything by George Lloyd, particularly the fourth and fifth symphonies
As I assume that Mahler, Sibelius, Vaughan Williams and Walton are "out of bounds" in this context, I think I would go for William Hurlstone's Piano Trio, but I'm sure there are lots of other 20th works I have found impressive. Havergal Brian's Gothic Symphony and Malcolm Arnold's 2nd symphony now spring to mind , as do a number of joyful works by Don Gillis. This just goes to show that the "Romantic Muse " has at least survived the 20th Century.
By the way, I think we should all be grateful to the Albany Records Company for championing the works of Gillis, Lloyd and other 20th Century unsungs.
Rutland Boughton's Symphony No.3 and Oboe Concerto (yes, that Hyperion disc)
I'm a little bothered that as a piano geek, I can't really think of any piano works in the classical fold from this time period. Some Debussy and Medtner works are borderline, but I can't bring myself to say they're uplifting.
EDIT: I think I'd have to cite a bunch of Cuban composers like Lecuona, Saumell Robredo, Cervantes.. to stir the blood in a rousing fashion.
In some ways any piece, no matter how grim or dissonant, is uplifting, in that it represents an act of hope in a world which seems to value greed, destruction, and death so much more than the arts or any other civilized values. So it is that I find Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, written in a P.O.W. camp, uplifting despite not sharing his own religious faith.
At the same time, though, there are definitely pieces which, while not necessarily 'happy', are more conducive to post-listening optimism than others. Someone already mentioned Martinu; I agree heartily, and would add his second symphony and sixth string quartet in particular. Also the Nonet, written while he was dying of cancer, but which shows no sign of exhaustion, musically, emotionally, or physically; there are momemts of absolutely poignant beauty, as well as Martinu's trademark energy.
Some find the last movement of Copland's Symphony 3 uplifting. (Despite obvious differences, some interesting parallels exist between Copland and Larsson, including their mix of serial and popular outputs, their single full operas, their three numbered symphonies -- written about the same times, their economy of means...)
I've highlighted these two works on this forum before:
Erland von Koch - Nordic Capriccio (1943)
Eivind Groven - Hjalar-ljod Overture (1950)
It's difficult not to get in a better mood hearing these very jolly compositions! :D
Morten
in my honest opinion (and probably not widely-shared) Nicolai Medtner's 2nd violin sonata and piano quintet (at least as performed in the recording with Svetlanov). Not just because of the catchy secondary themes in the finales of each though I admit those don't hurt, either.
Quote from: M. Henriksen on Tuesday 08 May 2012, 17:14
I've highlighted these two works on this forum before:
Erland von Koch - Nordic Capriccio (1943)
Eivind Groven - Hjalar-ljod Overture (1950)
It's difficult not to get in a better mood hearing these very jolly compositions! :D
Morten
Interesting choices, Morten. I don't suppose you would have uploadable versions of these? ;)
I would love to share your pleasure, and I am always keen to hear music that's "jolly". My frame of mind is such that I need plenty of this alongside the Mahler and Pettersson!! ;D ;D
Quote from: semloh on Wednesday 09 May 2012, 08:04
Quote from: M. Henriksen on Tuesday 08 May 2012, 17:14
Erland von Koch - Nordic Capriccio (http://open.spotify.com/track/4WqPRXAzbY3qBSFC4fk4XO) (1943)
Eivind Groven - Hjalar-ljod Overture (http://open.spotify.com/track/25gB4hxTPjZ6HNluerGDcV) (1950)
Interesting choices, Morten. I don't suppose you would have uploadable versions of these? ;)
I found both on Spotify (links embedded above). YMMV with country access. The first one seemed like a Scandelgarian overture, the second was very filmic.
I'm sorry, I don't have uploadable versions, but surely others have. Make a request at the Download forum!
A couple of details about Hjalar-ljod: It was composed for the 900th anniversary of the city of Oslo in 1950. It's title comes from the Norwegian word hjale/hjaling which is a mix of shouting and singing often used by herders in the Norwegian mountains. Hjaling was often used to get in contact with other herders within hearing distance but out of sight.
Ljod means 'sound'. So the title can be translated to "The sound of hjaling".
Groven also uses a typical herder-song from the area Gudbrandsdalen in this overture, and the rhythm of the work is based on a type of folk dance called gangar.
It may be filmic, but I think it's very much Eivind Groven. A composer with a very distinct sound in my point of view.
Morten
Levenszomer. Summer of Life, a fantasy for orchestra, op. 21 by Johan Wagenaar (1903, according to cpo booklet notes 1902). A most enthusiastic, positive and memorable piece of music, beautifully orchestrated and lasting nearly a quarter of an hour. To be found on Etcetera (2008) and cpo (2009).
The first movement of Vittorio Giannini's Divertimento #2 always lifts my spirits. Pure joy! I believe the only available recording is on the Louisville Orchestra LP #642.
Welcome to UC, reiger.
"Unsung": Ludolf Nielsen's Second Symphony...the "Symphony of Joy"
"Sung": The final bars of Janacek's "The Cunning Little Vixen" and his "Sinfonietta".
Strauss's "Sinfonia Domestica".
...and hundreds of others because I spend so much of my life listening to music precisely because I find so much of it uplifting.
The answer for me is still "quite a few", but I had to add Dohnanyi's Sextet for winds, strings and piano to my list :)... (it may be just a simple technical device that does it - the big odd arpeggio for the entire ensemble at a certain point in the outer movements - but if it's simple it's still effective.)
Quote from: Alan Howe on Wednesday 02 May 2012, 07:37
You see what poetic flight of fancy the Larsson inspired in me....
Pretentious, moi? ;)
Pretentious, nu!
Quote from: Revilod on Sunday 13 May 2012, 06:54
"Unsung": Ludolf Nielsen's Second Symphony...the "Symphony of Joy"
"Sung": The final bars of Janacek's "The Cunning Little Vixen" and his "Sinfonietta".
Strauss's "Sinfonia Domestica".
...and hundreds of others because I spend so much of my life listening to music precisely because I find so much of it uplifting.
The end of Cunning Little Vixen (always check spelling on this one) is a joy.
Quote from: Alan Howe on Tuesday 01 May 2012, 22:10. . . Do forum members experience other pieces of post-1900 music in this particular way? If so, which ones?
Delius's Violoncello Concerto is second to none in that regard, through the sheer power of melody.
for sheer joy I'd slap on Cage's Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano and soon be dancing round the room. Cage wrote so much music and much of it is really rather jolly.
For uplifting it has to be Mahler 2 or to keep in the unsung spirit (if six or so performances is unsung) Brian's Gothic.
In Symphonies 2 and 3, L Nielsen set his sights on an unmistakable point of epiphany or catharsis (though "unmistakable" may go too far, considering how Mahler felt it necessary to mark the high point of a movement in his Symphony 5 as "high point" so that conductors wouldn't miss it).
With respect to this thread, is genuine catharsis/epiphany anything else but joyous? Or is it merely "limbic"?
Be that as it may, while the architecture of movements differ considerably in L Nielsen's and Larsson's symphonies 2, there is something about the latter's sound world that reminds me strongly of the earlier work.
Glad to see someone shares my liking for Ludolf Nielsen's symphonies. They may not be "great" in the manner of his famous namesake Carl (I remember Robert Layton called the themes of the second "trite and Edwardian" when the dacapo cd came out), but I for one find them - especially the second - uplifting.