I dunno how much I'll actually keep up with this blog, but I thought to share my love of classical music and why I love it. I'll begin with baroque. Technically there is a distinction between Baroque and Classical. Classical is the style which Mozart falls under. Most classical music retains strong baroque influences, however.
Baroque music is generally contrapuntal, which means that the focus of the music is on intertwining melodies. Much more is that Baroque follows a very strict logical order, but also manages to convey a lot in the music while sticking to this structure.
My favorite pieces are those which convey a strong emotion. In these pieces there is usually an overarching theme which can be heard without paying close attention to the counterpoint. It's very engaging to hear it a first time, and then go back and listen to the melodies playing against one another.
Here's a choral example from Bach, Mass in B Minor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRqsdRwnqJc
Another example from a choral piece (though this movement is mostly instrumental):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_LLFfFXaUA
St. Matthew Passion was written shortly before Bach died, and is considered to be his most mature composition. The beginning is my favorite, it immediately sets the tone for the entire work (which is quite long).
My next example is opera and isn't strictly baroque, but is Mozart. Mozart falls under the category of classical, but had very strong Baroque influences. I encourage you to listen first, get an idea of what might be going on, then read the subtitles for what's going on:
(the actual aria begins around 1:00)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzTnHblXWR0
The thing I think is interesting about that aria is how conveyed in the music alone is a very imperial tone. You get the impression the person has a very high opinion of himself, and indeed this is true in the story.
Another example from Mozart, the overture to Don Diovanni, another Mozart piece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnbxpvfISkc&feature=related
You get an inkling of what sort of themes might be conveyed in Don Giovanni from the overture alone. I find that fascinating. Don Giovanni was technically a comedy, but also melodramatic in some parts. This is most noticeable in the end, which I'll give you here. Notice how the music underlying the powerful moral pronouncement of the commendatore closely resembles the overture in many parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jATcM8X29zc&feature=related
Finally I'll leave with the fugue. The fugue is a type of composition which was perfected by Baroque composers. A fugue is where a (generally simple) melody is played over itself. It's best conveyed by example, but witness how intricate a fugue becomes once the melody begins playing over itself. Here is a very popular fugue by Bach:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhRa3REdozw&feature=related
That's it for now, I hope you enjoy!
