Favorite Pieces You've Performed

[TheGSMoeller]

I know we have some current and former performers here, thought it would fun to start a discussion about some of the pieces you've performed that you enjoyed, and why you enjoy them so much.

I played French horn in high school and college, during that time the most memorable moments were...

-Brahms: Symphony 4 - I was playing the third part with the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra, Brahms wrote some wonderful horn parts. I remember trying to play louder than the tbones, which I think I accomplished.

-Beethoven: Symphony 9, mvt. 2 & 4 - this was during my high school years, had a really great orchestra. Brought in some local prof. singers. An amazing experience.

-Dvorak: Symphony 8 - At George Mason U.,  the horn trill in the 4th movement was a bi***. 

-Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms - Also at GMU, good horn lines, but just a cool piece altogether to be a part of.

[TheGSMoeller]

Just asked my brother who is a trombonist, his list...

-Britten: Midsummer Nights Dream- there is only a part for one trombone, so it's very exposed, especially since it performs the humorous audio for the ass.

-Wagner: Lohengrin - this along with the Britten were performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago

-Mahler: No. 9

-Mahler: No. 2

-Strauss: Alpine Symphony

He also said that important honorable mentions must go to Schubert 9th and DSCH 15th. The Schubert was a surprise to me, but he said the trombones have a very expansive role.

[Brian]

He also said that important honorable mentions must go to Schubert 9th and DSCH 15th. The Schubert was a surprise to me, but he said the trombones have a very expansive role.

The trombones supply one of my favorite moments in the symphony. Scroll the video to 5:00.

[TheGSMoeller]

The trombones supply one of my favorite moments in the symphony. Scroll the video to 5:00.

Yes! Thanks for the link, Brian. That was the first part he mentioned.

[Sergeant Rock]

-Dvorak: Symphony 8 - At George Mason U.,  the horn trill in the 4th movement was a bi***. 

That trill is one way I judge recordings of the Eighth. It's surprising how few get it really right or really audible.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Excepting my own works (for good form):

Hindemith, Symphony in B^b for band
Prokofiev, Vn Cto № 2 in g minor
Rakhmaninov, Pf Cto № 2 in c minor
Nielsen, Clarinet Concerto
Copland, Sextet
Shostakovich, Symphony № 5 in d minor
Dvořák, Cello Concerto
Stravinsky, Suite from L'oiseau de feu

[Sergeant Rock]

Classical works my high school band played (badly  ):

Sibelius Finlandia
Grieg Piano Concerto
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
Schubert 5
Dvorak 9 (last movement)
Wagner Siegfried's Funeral Music

The Andante con moto from the Schubert Fifth is still one of my favorite pieces of music.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Ah, and why neglect the choral literature here?

Bach, Magnificat in D
Brahms, Ein deutsches Requiem
Di Lasso, Tristis est anima mea
De Victoria, O quam gloriasum

[Brian]

That trill is one way I judge recordings of the Eighth. It's surprising how few get it really right or really audible.

Sarge

I feel the same way - also the horn trill in Mahler's First, which was written the year before.

[TheGSMoeller]

That trill is one way I judge recordings of the Eighth. It's surprising how few get it really right or really audible.

Sarge

My trill may have not been Sarge approved. 

[Karl Henning]

The facepalm trill

[TheGSMoeller]

I was very fortunate when I was in music school, my degree program was in composition, but there was a requirement for an instrument major as well, and mine was percussion.  A couple of faculty members of the piano department wanted to perform the Bartok Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion and drafted myself and a friend to play the work.  It is one of my favorites, and is an experience I will always treasure.

Besides that, I was also a member of the Shreveport Symphony for a few years, and  we played several works I like, Pictures at an Exhibition sticks out in my mind as fun, especially for the percussion forces, also the Shostakovich 5th - another one that keeps the percussion section busy.

Thanks for sharing, SA. How many percussionists are needed for the Bartok?

[Karl Henning]

Two, I think.

[Karl Henning]

Well, and timpanists are soooo not that other clattery stuff 

[mc ukrneal]

Holst - Military Suites No. 1 and 2 for band
Bach - Bouree I/II from Suite no. 1 (transcribed for saxophone quartet)
Vaughan Williams - English Folk Song Suites
Bizet - L'arlasienne Suites

[Karl Henning]

Which sax(es) do you play, Neal?

[mc ukrneal]

Which sax(es) do you play, Neal?

Alto and Baritone. I particularly like Bach transcribed for saxophone. I think those works works extremely well.

[Superhorn]

   I'm no longer active as a horn player , but I've played a very wide variety of repertoire ,orchestral, opers, you name it .

   In random order , some pieces which were great to play : Haydn's Creation , Hindemith's Symphpnic Metmorphoses on Weber themes,
   
   Suite From Die Frau Ohne Schatten by Richrd Strauss and Don Juan , Mahler synphonies 1 and 4, Berlioz L'Enfance du Christ ,
   Dvorak 6,7,8,9 , Verdi Aida , Puccini's Tosca , Verdi Requiem, Rimsky-Korskov's Scheherezade , Shostkovich symphonies 5,6,
   Smetana's The Moldau ,  Webern 6 Pieces for orchestra , Brahms serenade no 1 , Goldmark Rustic Wedding symphony ,
   Sibelius violin concerto , Beethoven Mass in C , all four Brahms symphonies , Howard Hanson's Romantic symphony ,
   Debussy's La Mer . Beethoven symphony no 4 . 

[DaveF]

Nielsen, Clarinet Concerto

As soloist?  And lived to tell the tale - phew!

In my own sphere of competence, the Mozart (clarinet) trio comes out on top and as singer, can't beat John Browne's Stabat Mater.

DF

[Karl Henning]

As soloist?  And lived to tell the tale - phew!

Yes. As Agent 86 would say, "and loving it!"