Music or ? What did you listen to when shaving today?

Beethoven’s 5th Symphony - Bernstein Weiner Philharmoniker

Received so poor an education that this work was stated to be a critical reaction to the hope embodied in the French Revolution and disillusionment with the outcome.  Were it but true it would be as much a critique on Western impatience as a reflection on reality. Truth told, the French Revolution was not really resolved in any lasting way until post WWII but that another story, eh?

While many don't care for the Bernstein Weiner Beethoven Symphony compendium, am quite partial to it

https://youtu.be/UEcmVWfnlNE

Hey, it's Beethoven; it's Bernstein.  Enough said.

I honestly think there are no more immediately recognized opening four notes than the start of Beethoven's Fifth.

Concurred. Amazingly brilliant in concept and execution. Apparently, using period instruments and period conducting philosophy, the effect quite different- even given Beethoven conducted the premiere. Imagine being present as this and the famous ( and charming) Pastoral symphony were presented together with a concerto played by Beethoven personally!

Beethoven’s 6th Symphony - Bernstein Weiner Philharmoniker

Being of the country and a simple uneducated peasant, this symphony evokes childhood, where as far as one could look in any direction dad owned, the honesty of man living in harmony with nature, the integrity of producing tangible goods of real value to mankind versus manipulation, gambling and subterfuge and knowing there were huge swaths of stand alone virgin woodland belonging to no man and not planned for paving into a dystopian Hell.  What a fool I was to ever leave that paradise!

While many don't care for the Bernstein Weiner Beethoven Symphony compendium, am quite partial to it

https://youtu.be/iPd4jc-c_qY

Dvořák Symphony No. 9 ('From the New World'), another one that was a lot of fun to play in orchestras. A recording of it was taken to the moon on Apollo 11 by Neil Armstrong, and I think it sounds a note of hope in these tough times.

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony - Bernstein Weiner Philharmoniker

Imagine this and portions of the Missa Solemnis being conducted by the master personally, virtually completely deaf, ”leading” a massive compilation orchestra in a packed concert hall in Wien! Such is the greatness of Western Civilization under threat and likely to end; what a reign it was elevating man to his zenith.

While many don't care for the Bernstein Weiner Beethoven Symphony compendium, am quite partial to it

https://youtu.be/9dwNRpqcIEc

This is a 'Request Friday' on our local classical music station, so I heard a somewhat strange but interesting combination of pieces this morning, reflecting the diversity of our people:

Richard Wagner: Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries
Aaron Copland: The Tender Land: The Promise of Living
John Philip Sousa: Semper Fidelis
Dietrich Buxtehude: Fugue in C
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No.3 in F, Op.90

Diverse yet beautiful pieces all

Beethoven’s 8th Symphony - Bernstein Weiner Philharmoniker

Have never come to complete resolution with this particular symphony; perhaps am too dour to appreciate the lightness. Irrespective, yet a masterpiece.

While many don't care for the Bernstein Weiner Beethoven Symphony compendium, am quite partial to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRjf6AJCz84

I listened to Sunday Baroque on the PBS radio station, with Telemann and J.S. Bach and others. I have mixed feelings about a lot of Baroque music. I really like some of the harmonies and the strong undercurrent of spiritual devotion, but the simple chord progressions sometimes make it sound to me like music written specifically for practice on an instrument - those hated assigned practice pieces. And I am well aware of the controversies about vibrato, but many of the recent Baroque performances that feature attempts to get back to the 'original sound' with just straight tones sound cold and unexpressive to me. Maybe that's just my bias for vibrato as a former oboist.

Concurred on all counts but wife well and truly loves all music  baroque including period instruments and interpretations.  Suspect most of public in accord.  Unlike you, am caught in the low mid brow where unable to appreciate the genius of atonality and such, yet enjoy the various schools and genre of the classical period upto and including Brahms.  There are some modern composers my limited mind can grasp such as Gershwin and Kreisler but for most part simply too obtuse to harbour hope of getting the majority of post 19th century composers, especially post War