One of my dreams is to see the entire Ring Cycle. Yeah, that'd take an extremely long time, but what a worthwhile experience.

I'd prefer to see Tristan just because I like it more (though I haven't listened to the ring cycle more than once, I don't think, maybe I've listened to the first opera twice), but honestly I'd go to any Wagner opera I could.

Also Tannhauser is pretty great.

I listen to the Ring cycle very slowly because I have these books with the text in German next to the translated text + all where all the leitmotivs are and what they go like so I pay attention to the alliteration, what the words mean and which leitmotiv(s) is (are) playing, and then I listen again. It's slow but it's worth it.

Absolutely sublime George.

Holy shit yes! That movie may have had a weak third act but that sequence was incredible and that piece of music was absolutely incredible.

meow!

The first ten seconds alone had me on the ground.

Bliss. No, not Arthur Bliss (more from him another time), but that old chestnut, Gerald Finzi.

I've been listening to tons of Debussy. Lots of his solo piano work (Images, Suite Bergamasque, both books of Preludes), but also some orchestral work, and I'm just now checking out his (lovely) opera, Pelleas et Melisande. There's a beauty to all of his work that I don't hear anywhere else, and I love it.

Your opinion is correct.

I'm back on my Puccini kick.

I'm feeling this week will be a Stravinsky week. Finally going to look into him beyond The Rite of Spring. Today I've listened to that and his Symphony of Psalms. On tap are Petrouchka, maybe The Firebird if the version I want will download, The Rake's Progress, and Oedipus Rex.

I've never listened to Rake's Progress, let me know what you think.

I have also been digging on Stravinsky lately, though I'm just revisiting The Rite. I thought I liked it before, but only now do I really appreciate it. What a frightening and colorful and weird experience it is.

Also, I don't remember why I was turned on to this or how it got on my iPod, but it's been there for awhile so I decided to listen to it tonight and I was blown away.

<3

I started by revisiting The Rite of Spring. I love how there's the one quiet section in the first half, which lasts for all of 20 seconds or so, but because of the surrounding context it's just so full of dread, and it becomes maybe the most intense movement of the piece, or at least the first half. And then the second half's buildup to the insanity of Sacrificial Dance: The Chosen One is also brilliant.

edit: I'm listening to Petrouchka now, and it's excellent. Less in-your-face than The Rite of Spring but that only frees up room for other virtues, like genuine beauty at times. Beauty that isn't obscured by dread, I mean.

edit edit: Now I'm listening to the Violin Concerto and really enjoying it. It's a bit less jumpy than his ballets, but has a lot of the same rhythmic techniques (at least to my naive ears).

edit edit edit: ok the Violin Concerto is totally brilliant and amazing and even if it's not quite as good as The Rite of Spring it's certainly establishing itself as his clear #2 in my eyes.