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Okay, so I decided to make this topic just so that we don't get other conversations that are not related to the other topics posted here.
I don't know if this'll be successful, but... 'kay

AND you can talk about anything else that is related to classical music or the piano. smile




Okay I'll start off.



Why do you think Ravel makes Bolero so monotonous?

Hmm, I don't know. My conductor said you should never see a Rimsy-Korsakov opera because they're so dull, everything is in four bar phrases.

Try Dvorák, you'll get tired of them.

What do ya'll think of the L'Isle Joyeuse, by Claude Debussy?
I absolutely love that piece.

Yay for Haydn! I love his string quartets too.

I didn't like L'Isle Joyeuse at first, but upon repeated listenings, I've grown to like it a bit more. I still haven't warmed up completely to it yet, for some reason, but it's been a while since I've heard it.

Four bar phrases are very common, especially in Classical music (well, not Haydn).

Haha, my friend showed me this today: http://youtube.com/watch?v=93JiXloIhn4
Very amusing, although you might have seen it before...

Yes, Bach uses four bar phrasing lots, it's only really as you move into the Romantic period that it becomes less common.

Igudesman and Joo are wonderful. I think I showed that one to Septomor once too...and another friend on another guild. I got him addicted. XD

Haydn is the surprising one--I remember working on his Sonata in C major, Hob. 16/50...and there were loads of irregular length phrases in there. The first phrase alone was 6 bars long. I think there was another one that's like around 10 bars--don't remember now, I'll have to look it up if you want details.

You seem to have different chord terminology to us in Britain...I'm doing my Grade 5, and I have never come across those terms.

However, a harmonic minor scale with have a raised 7th on both the ascent and descent, whereas a melodic minor scale will have a raised 6th and 7th on the ascent and will be played without raising notes on the descent. "Natural" are never used in theory tests over here, but they're played exactly as the key signature dictates. A minor has no sharps in the key signature, hence the natural scale will not be played with any sharps.

A minor melodic: A, B, C, D, E, F#, G#, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A.
A minor harmonic: A, B, C, D, E, F, G#, A, G#, F, E, D, C, B, A.
A minor natural: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A.

I think that's it.