Hello everyone,
Today, the 25th of September, two great classical composers share a birthday.
One, the great French Baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau, was born in 1673.
More the two centuries later, in 1906, the second, Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the 20th century's most important music figures, was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Do you like Baroque music? Do you like Rameau? What's your favourite of his compositions?
And how about Shostakovich?
🙋♀️ I adore Baroque music. And I think that Rameau's is so graceful and elegant (actually all Baroque music is graceful and elegant, in my humble opinion! ) His motets and cantatas are especially wonderful, but my favourites are his operas, Les Indes Galantes comes to mind!
I'm not very knowledgeable about Shostakovich, but my favourite of his works (that I've listened to so far) is the Gadfly Suite. So so beautiful 👌.
https://app.idagio.com/recordings/35872422
How about you? I'd love to hear your opinions on these two towers of western classical music.
Cheerio 🤗,
Dinah
I didn’t know that Rameau and Shostakovich shared a birthday!
Both would probably feature in a list of my favourite dozen composers, but my favourite works of each: that’s a very tricky question.
Shostakovich, well, the Piano Quintet and the 2nd Piano Trio Here’s a wonderful, spirited performance of the trio:
https://app.idagio.com/recordings/18684822
And then there’s the 10th Symphony, the 1st Violin Concerto, not to mention 24 Preludes & Fugues, op.87, played here by the pianist to whom they were dedicated:
https://app.idagio.com/recordings/15814719
It’s a little easier to choose a selection of works by Rameau. I agree, Dinah, with your choice of Les Indes Galantes… along with the Keyboard Suites (some common ground there!), and the lovely motet, In Convertendo. Now, just to choose my favourite recordings 😆…
Baroque is probably my favourite period for classical music. I've always loved the elegance and graceful structure which is capable of housing music of immense depth.
I love both the birthday boys. 😀 I'm not sure that I have a favourite work of Rameau, but I love the sense of space in the Prelude from the Suite in A minor of the Premier livre de pièces de clavecin.
https://app.idagio.com/recordings/34619358?trackId=34619355&utm_source=pcl
With Shostakovich I, too, am a fan of The Gadfly. I think the 2nd movement of his 2nd piano concerto is completely swoon-worthy. And I love Symphony No. 10, which I first heard at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Proms series around 1970. They removed all the chairs and people stood, sat or lay on the floor. I remember lying down, staring at the amazing ceiling in the Town Hall and feeling the whole place shake with the music.
On my bookshelf, I have multiple copies of Symphony for the City of the Dead, about Shostakovich and the siege of Leningrad. It's a wonderful book, purportedly for young adult readers but a great read for anyone. Highly recommended! I have multipled copies so I can give or lend them to friends. I also lend them a recording of Shostakovich symphonies - a sneaky way to get non-classical listeners interested. 
the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Proms series around 1970. They removed all the chairs and people stood, sat or lay on the floor. I remember lying down, staring at the amazing ceiling in the Town Hall and feeling the whole place shake with the music.
Wow! @capriccio That sounds quite an amazing experience!
Nothing beats the ambience and energy of a live performance, really.
And I like you "sneaky way" of getting people interested in classical music. 👍
Now I'm intrigued about that book, I might look it up very soon.
