Nature and Music

[Calaf32]

Is it just me or has any one else noticed just how well some forms of music goes so well with nature..One of my fave things to do is to watch the snow fall and listen to some baroque music ( Vivaldi, or Bach). What would a thunderstorm be with out a little Beethoven or Tchiakovsky in the back ground. the fall season would not feel like fall to me with out walking in the woods with my radio and listeing to (Pictures at An Exhibition) by Mussorgsky. Any other great music nature combose?? I would love to try them

[EricMichaels]

I always think of gentle rain when I hear Satie's Gymnopedies. For some reason, I recall hearing someone read a somber poem to one of the pieces, with images of rain in the background. PBS televison program? Arthouse documentary? Student film project? The details have been lost in the catacombs of my mind...

[barfle]

The opening of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (the part from 2001) is called "Sunrise." I don't have any problem seeing a glorious sunrise on a summer day while I'm hearing that. In spite of Strauss's bragging about being able to describe a fork in his music, that's about the only part of the piece I can actually see without being told.<P>"Winter" from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" is real good at the shivering and stomping of feet to keep warm in one passage.<P>And then, there's "Moldau" from Smetna's "My Fatherland" I had a little help with this one, because I have a video of the entire work that illustrates everything in the music quite well. The light winds at the beginning of the piece describe the spring and babbling brook at the river's head, and as we move downstream, the music gets bigger, slower, and heavier, just like the river.<P>Grofe wrote several suites about natural places. Of course, his most famous "Grand Canyon Suite" has a sunrise, a cloudburst, and other quite descriptive pieces that are very easy to close your eyes and imagine the scene being described to you by the orchestra.

[Bones]

I won't take the obvious course and discuss the Sixth Symphony.<P>Debussy was great at giving impressions of nature. La Mer comes to mind.

[DavidEB310]

Speaking of Nature -- let's mention the primeval forces of nature when I hear "Bolero" and think of Bo Derek in "10."

[Calaf32]

Thank you all for your response/ It is just fascinating to me how strongly music can effect us.. just as a force of nature!

[BenMurphy6]

you should also check out grieg's peer gynt...also his piano concerto seems to represent primal nature rather well, to me.

[Brodie]

Yea, I guess so. There's nothing like the crashing sounds of the Ninth when lightning is all around. Or the mellow and intricate sound of A Brandenberg Concerto ehen the rains a pourin'....<P>-Brodie

[Nicole Marie]

OK here's tragic irony for ya...<P>Beethoven was a huge fan of nature and his Pastoral Symphony No 6 is all about nature. Beethoven was often found taking long walks in fields and forests. One of his favorite paths was the same area his nephew tried to commit suicide on. His nephew attempted to shoot himself I believe he missed or the gun jammed and left him wounded but not dead.

[dkm32]

Interesting. Yes, nature and music do work with each other...<P>A couple of years ago, I was sitting in the park where the Strauss Frestival of Elk Grove would be taking place in several hours. I was listening to a CD of Josef Strauss. Rather suddenly, a swarm of dragonflys decended on me. What was playing? "Die Libelle" (DragonFly). <P>Ok., sound interesting. However, this has happened several times, several places. Apparently, dragonflys are greatful that someone thought so highly of them that he wrote a beautiful piece of music about them!

[EJA]

Oh great full dragonflies! What had they been eating to be so full? We would all be grateful to be enlightedned, as would the dragonflies, no doubt. Really, I can't be too critical; I spelled "duct" as "duck" in another post. I'm sure duct tape would work for patching up leaky ducks, though. (Note: not a single Strauss jab. ) That is interesting, though, that the dragonflies seemed attracted to music about them. <P>There was apparently not enough powder in the pistol Karl Beethoven used, for, though both barrels fired, the bullets bounced of his head. He <I>was</I>, knocked unconscious and had a substantial flesh wound. Of course, the alternate explanation is the comparative hardness of his German head.

[lew]

Hi folks,<BR>I like Beethoven's Pastoral symphony as well, although many people may consider it trite. Also, barfle, could you tell me more about your video of Smetana's "Fatherland? I would love to know where to get it in the Boston area.<BR>Thanks in advance.<BR>Elly

[shostakovich]

Oh, shameless Donna! Dragonfly Josef Strauss fans???? Who will you claim listens to his Music of the Spheres?<BR>Skeptic

[barfle]

Hi, Ellie. My video copy of Smetna's <I>Ma Vlast</I> is actually on a laser disk, which, if you aren't familiar with the format, is an obsolete form of DVD. The disks are 12" in diameter, the same as an old vinyl LP. In the late '70s, when they came out, they were supposedly the greatest thing since sliced bread. Unfortunately, they were competing with the newly available VCRs, and since they couldn't record, many people thought they were less useful than tape. The picture is as good as an analog signal can be, though, and I treasure the collection I have, although I'm working on a DVD collection as well.<P>The performance is by the Czech Philharmonic, conducted by Vaclav Neumann, who is pretty much regarded as the world's authority on Smetna. If you can play laser disks, you might try eBay, or sometimes used record and CD stores might have some used ones.

[lew]

Hi Barfle,<BR>Thank you so much!<BR>Elly