Beethoven and Built to Spill

This piece defined the genre for me when I first began listening to classical. My 16 year old self found it lively and vivid, and my 22 year old self rediscovered it in the same condition. 6 years and it hasn't lost its luster.

It's weird to listen to songs I first heard so long ago, and finding new sources of interest while again appreciating parts that I liked before. When I go back to an old rock song, I find myself connecting with, or at least trying to interpret, more lyrics than I used to. I've also learned to understand the instruments a lot better. This is a perfect example:



I just began listening to this song again because someone mentioned a lyric, "No one cares what you dreamt about, unless you dreamt about them." I had heard it a ton of times, but had never really interpreted too deeply. At this point, I have not been able to figure out how I feel about it. Guess that's part of what I find interesting. I hadn't even realized it was present until he mentioned it, because it's lost among spacy 6-8 minute narratives.

Anyway, I was brought back to this song randomly, and have appreciated it a lot more than I used to. I think that has been my experience with classical as a whole, but this Beethoven piece really reminds me of my early dabbles with classical, and how I immediately knew that I was going to enjoy exploring the genre.

Oh, and the reason I picked that video for the performance is because of the conductor. The sound quality is pretty good, but that guy is FEELING IT. I guess you have to be if you're going to try to shape the music of a madman, but he is fully immersed in it. I respect that he conveys the energy of the piece in a way most other conductors don't dare. The full-body motions are greatly appreciated.

Haydn Piano Sonata in Eb

My history of music professor was self-admittedly "obsessed" with Haydn, and I have always been able to see why. Haydn is one of those composers who I talked about in my last post - he excels in both technical skill and dramatic sensitivity, and combines them flawlessly. This piano sonata represents that mix. It may not have the depth of an orchestra, but it is still able to tell a complex story. Haydn varied dynamics and pacing for depth. Listen for the elegant mood changes that maintain suspense throughout - those are what really stand out to me.

It has been one of my favorite piano pieces for a long time. It represents just one section of Haydn's total ability, but I think it is one of his best.

Context and motivation

The reason this blog is called Bach is a Rockstar is shown through pieces like this one. Frankly, it kicks ass. Musicians like Bach were so talented, I wonder what kind of music they could have created today with so many new sounds and instruments that now exist. Bach with an electric guitar would have been magic. Alas, his talent and passion live in an older sound.

This blog is also going to include rock music that is resonating with me, because it surely will. I enjoy any song in these two genres that I think has both technical and emotional force. There are a ton of artists out there who are capable of it. Some of them wrote for violin, and others for guitar. To me they are all rockstars.

Basically, if it sounds good to me, I'll have it stuck in my head for days, and eventually it will be here on this very blog! But for now...

Bach is a Rockstar

I started this blog because I have recently rekindled my love for classical music, and I now appreciate both the technical and emotional aspects more than ever. So much so that I feel the need to share.

I've been hooked on rock music since junior year of high school, and have throughout the years merely dabbled in classical stuff. I even took a history of music class in college, but I wasn't in the right mindset at the time to truly appreciate what I was learning. I just wasn't receptive to classical at that time.

Last month, I saw Black Swan, and would have paid the $12 just to hear Tchaikovsky's brilliance. The entire film itself was riveting; but it was the sounds of the orchestra which reminded me of the ageless musical expanse I was ready to explore.

So I've been listening. I've taken to so many artists and styles of classical in the past two weeks, I need to be able to keep track of it all. This blog is going to be a chronicle of songs that are resonating with me at the time I post about it. It will sort of be a journal, told through the music. Awesome. Hope you enjoy it, or at the very least, want to discover a new source of audio stimulation like I have.