Music: Favourite Composer
If I had to choose 5 composers to listen to for the rest of my life, these would be
Bach's repertoire is simply overwhelming. Someone cannot understand but how one person can create so much music and of such a high level. I remember being in the attic of the Church of St. Nicholas in Leipzig, where every Sunday he had to premiere or show a new Cantata. His Cantatas are a true miracle of classical music, all full of life and virtuosity. The voices and music in these works illuminate the soul and comfort the spirit. They are the perfect state of comfort that human beings need. His masses, passions and oratorios are monumental, true hurricanes that leave little space to enjoy other musical genres. I particularly like the Brandenburg Concertos and its many instrumental expressions. My 5 favorite works are
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Mass in B minor
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Passion according to Saint Matthew
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Six Suite for Solo Cello
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The Goldberg Variations
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Brandenburg Concert
The music of Beethoven represents the perfection and the maximum expression of the music reached by a human been until now in this genre. His symphonies set a new standard previously created by Haydn and set a hard-hitting rod to the generations that followed, called by some as the Beethoven Valley. The piano is undoubtedly his favorite instrument, where Beethoven displayed his extraordinary creativity, with 32 Sonatas, and 5 concertos. Nor can one fail to mention his string quartets, particularly those from his later period. My closest experience with this composer was being able to visit his house in Bonn where his pianos and personal belongings are kept. Unfortunately, the foundation that manages this house does not allow taking photos of the interior. My 5 favorite Beethoven works are
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Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"
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Symphony No. 5
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Sonata No. 29
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Sonata No. 8, "Pathetique"
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Concert No. 5 "Emperor"
Unlike Beethoven, Mozart does not represent perfection, but talent. Their music is upbeat, entertaining, and sometimes one thinks it was divinely inspired. His piano concertos, my favorites, are one of his genres chosen for this instrument, particularly highlighting concerto number 20, which in my opinion is one of the most notable pieces of creation in classical music. His musical creation is present in all genres, opera, sacred music, quartets, concerts, etc. The 5 favorite works for me are
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Piano Concerto No. 20
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Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter"
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Clarinet Concert
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Requiem
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Serenade No. 10 "La Gran Partita"
Arvo Pärt is for me a divine gift, he seems to be visiting us from a remote place where everything is better and more serene and that is reflected in his music that is pure and crystalline. With his own style, invented by himself, he displays music that captivates all those who need a refuge from this aggressive and bustling world and are looking for music that accentuates spirituality, simplicity and meaning. His proposal combines old music with contemporary minimalism. His works masterfully handle silence and it seems that each note he writes has been chosen with extreme care. My 5 favorite works of Arvo Pärt
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Te Deum
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Symphony No. 3
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Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
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Magnificat
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Fur Alina
Ralph Vaughan Williams is one of the best known British composers. His compositions cover a wide spectrum of genres within classical music and highly influenced by English music with folk roots. His compositions include 9 symphonies, orchestral music, chamber music, vocal music and operas. What I enjoy the most about his music is the melancholic color of many of his compositions and I cannot avoid to relate it to my English ancestors who came to Chile from Louth, Lincolshire, a rural town deep within the island. The 5 favorite works for me are
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The Lark Ascending
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Tallis
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The wasps
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Symphony No. 5
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English Folk Song Suite