I was lucky enough to sing in a high school concert choir at Central High School, Phoenix, Arizona in 1966-67. We performed a lot of Randall Thompson compositions but this was one of my fav's. I guess because I was a tenor and we had that held note at the end it made the piece that much more special. I do love this presentation with the orchestra. So well done.
Speaking of the 6th, to me it is the journey of the notes from that perfect first. He takes them everywhere until you feel there can't be any more, then proceeds exquisitely to capture you again. My favorite, with the ninth just behind.
Sweet Lenny, how I wished you put those cigarettes down. I was too young to understand your concerts for young people. 72 is a fine age to achieve, yet I feel you had so much more to teach and achieve. You remind me of my brother who passed two years ago and who introduced me to your instruction into Wonderful music and appreciation.
My absolute favorite symphony from Beethoven is his 6th. I know his others are absolutely amazing but there’s just something about the 6th that I love absolutely every bar of it and I think Liszts piano transcription of it is very well done
Why is this guy pretending to be The owner of The Knowledge about Beethoven. Who is he? What a narcist it takes to have the guts to call Beethoven 'not a great melodist'. Let's remember that every day this poor melodist is being played by tens of thousands amateur and professional musicians all over the world while his music is not less 200 (!) years old. Cut the crap and just listen to what Beethoven wrote rather than to talk BS
Richard Wagner would like to have a word... upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/A_pilgrimage_to_Beethoven%3B_a_novel_%28IA_cu31924022158822%29.pdf
@@stevowilliams8279 You might start with the very popular Piano Sonata #15 in A Major, D664. It starts right off with a wonderfully lyrical melody. The great, late piano sonatas (including another in A Major) also have wonderful melodies. For shorter works, the Moments Musicaux and the Impromptus are among his most familiar. Of course, a virtually inexhaustible trove of melodies are in his vast output of songs. I'd say go right to the song cycle Die Schöne Müllerin. It's a torrent of one beautiful melody after another; you'll have difficulty picking a favorite.
@@stevowilliams8279 "Best" is of course subjective; some people would even quarrel (especially online) about what a "melody" is. But in my opinion, a good starter list of Schubert's most lyrical compositions includes: Impromptu in G-Flat, Op. 90 Three Pieces in E-Flat, Op. Post. Andante from String Quartet 13 in A Minor, D. 804 The entire "Wanderer" Fantasy The "Unfinished" Symphony (usually paired with the C Major Symphony, which I prefer) Not to mention the hundreds of lieder
"...trying to achieve this inevitability." THAT might be the story of all of our lives---what, for us as a community of artists, is inevitable? What MUST be, rather than what WILL be? How can we choreograph or compose the line of our lives rather than fall victim to circles of chaos and dismay? How can your project be the score, the science, of how we gather and decide and do?
I love this song. We sang, "The Last Words of David" when I was a member of the Mormon Youth Chorus and Symphony, way back in the 1970's. Oh how we loved this powerful, yet reverent song. This choir and orchestra are perfect, in my heart
I sang this my sophomore year under conductor Lee Kjelson, Director of Choral Activities at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Dr. Kjelson was one of the kindest and most competent directors of dozens and dozens I have been directed by. He was truly a prince of a man, a beautiful human being. This Randall Thompson setting of these verses was one of his selections for our repertoire. I came to love its beauty then, and though his interpretation was somewhat different than the way it is performed here, I am very pleased and impressed by the beauty and power of this interpretation and performance. I’m also pleased to see that there is another generation of students who are having this music made part of their hearts and souls and who will carry it with them for the rest of their lives.
