Your favourite musical "Parts"?

Hi TK,

I like your question - and it reassures me that I'm not the only one around here who has "favourite" parts in a particular work!

Well, I'm currently obsessed with Vivaldi's bassoon concertos, and I've been listening to a dozen of them over and over, to the point where I feel like I know every note, every nuance...and yes, there are particular passages that I have a little "crush" on - I always look forward to those little bits!

At the moment, I'm crazy about his bassoon concerto in d minor, RV 481. I wanted to find a YouTube recording of Klaus Thunemann (my super-hero) but sadly I couldn't find one.

But I did find this one of Sergio Azzolini playing it on Baroque bassoon. It's a wonderful meaty interpretation - though not quite as juicy as my beloved Herr Thunemann's - but maybe I'm biased ;o)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0OndptZXQI&feature...

Anyway, my favourite bits in this concerto are:

-The passages from 1:49 - 1:58 (especially the last one, from 1:56 - 1:58.)

-At 2:49, there's an amazing fruity low D...oooh it turns my innards to jelly!

-From 3:06 - 3:08, there's a crazy downward run of 2 octaves.

Enjoy!

Hafwen xoxox

@MissLimLam - you're right, those bassoon bits in the "Nina" Overture are gorgeous! H xox

My first "favorite musical part" is from the iconic recording of "Das Rheingold", by Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic; for which a special "THUNDER" machine was constructed: it is I believe, the loudest single sound ever recorded in the realm of classical music.

It, this recording, was I believe the very first made in what was then at that time referred to as "Stereophonic". The great Kirsten Flagstad came out of retirement to sing the role of "Fricka".

Am posting two links, together which include most of the 4th and final scene, to the end, the curtain drop(it's glorious all the way thru).

The first video(set VIII/IX) begins with Donner's "Heda! Hedo!"; wherein he summons the forces over which he has domain; and orders the gathered clouds to be dispersed. His mallet strikes on a stone at 1:57, and the thunder clap then ensues thru 2:07: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcVjGBNrlCs

The second video concludes the opera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj3wrJmY4EI

My second, a segment of the finale scene from Richard Strauss' "Salome". As she awaits frantically for the head of John the Baptist to be handed up to her on a silver platter, from the cistern in which he's imprisoned, the strings are "pinched": not plucked, but "pinched"(a unique device if I'm not mistaken, not employed by any other composer - please correct me if I'm wrong).

To the best I'm able to determine, in this video, this device is heard intermittently with ever diminishing intervals, during the three following time slots:

(a) 2:25-37; (b) 2:46-57; (c) 3:20-25: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI02Rj5xhFM&feature...

Alberich

From Beethoven's 7th. Symphony, the progressive, then repetitive, then progressive octaves of the Poco Sostenuto, the first movement. In otherwords, the first fifteen or so bars:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptYQLXD8E6g

From La Boheme, the first scene where Mini has lost her keys, Rodolfo finds them but pretends he hasn't, and they introduce themselves.

From Rigoletto, the aria Gualtier Maldè!, where the young and innocent Gilda sings of her love for the poor student Gualtier, not realizing he is really the unscrupulous Duke Of Mantua.

Aaron Copeland's 'Fanfare For The Common Man' - the whole short piece.

Liszt's 'La Campanella' - the whole short work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0wmi0y1Geg

(This version is being played by Alicia De Larrocha, the greatest woman pianist of our time.)

The Scriabin Piano Prelude. Opus 11, No. 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVFp_gT0-dI

(Here is Rachmaninoff playing Sciriabin,)

From Rigoletto again, the famous quartet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhwQ0QoIVGs

EDIT: I could probably go on and on with my list of favorite movents but it would take up a lot of space here. Great question!

Dittersdorf Bass Concerto movement 3 first 10ish bars. I love the double stops.

Dvorak Wind Serenade Op 40 4th movement.

Mussorgsky Pictures At An Exhibition all the movements

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Ah non giunge, from La Sonnambula, Bellini - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXw3cmQ93bk The first few lines... 6.25 - 7.30

Overture to Nina, Paisiello http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfyFP0z5RfQ The clarinet, oboe, and bassoon parts... Especially the bassoon part!

1:11 - 1:40 in the following video ... Mahler had some great brass parts in his mind at that part.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCwSbAjp_dw#movie_p...

The finale of Dvořák's final symphony, specifically the ending of the movement itself (last minute or so).

The "Games of the Rival Tribes" part of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.