Kickass Classical Forums

zerock069 wrote:why dont you make a compilation ... full tracks.. sell this.. or put in rapidshare.. why do i have to buy from amazon..

i love this site... but not here... your youtube pages... everyday listenin 20 minutes all parts

There are at least a couple of compilations worth getting on CD
classical thunder from time life and heavy classix on the angel records label.Downloads are a fine thing but I prefer to have the discs on hand

I had to register here to tell you how much I love this site!! It's absolutely amazing! It's at the top of my bookmarks right now.

Great job!! I LOVE the work you've put into this! Fantastic!

-Jelly

I too enjoyed the site, many of the tunes I've heard before but wouldn't know its name.

Your omission of Dvorak should send you to the naughty step though!

Thanks

Great site, I love the opportunity to preview the music.

I'd like to add something, however. The description for Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture says it has a theme from the French anthem "La Marseillaise" (which is true) against the Russian anthem of the time "God Save the Czar" (which is not true).

For one, "God Save the Czar" wasn't the Russian national anthem "at the time" (by "the time" meaning the 1812 war, because I assume Tchaikovsky wouldn't incorporate in his piece dedicated to 1812 an anthem of 1882). It became the Russian anthem in 1833. But you can argue the description's wording.

More importantly, "God Save the Czar" use is really marginal in the piece. The main theme, which is prominent in the climax and obviously opposed to "La Marseillaise", is in fact a much more ancient Orthodox hymn "Troparion to the Cross". If you listen to the recordings of the Soviet times, the "God Save the Czar" is edited out whatsoever and replaced by Glinka's "Slavsya" from "Ivan Susanin" (which should rather be called "Life for the Czar").

Crimzon,

Thank you for the kind words. We're glad you enjoyed the site.

Regarding the "1812 Overture," one need only listen to a few bars of both "La Marseillaise" and "God Save The Czar" to understand Tchaikovsky's nationalist motifs.

"La Marseillaise" represents Napoleon's invading French army:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K1q9Ntcr5g#t=0m30s

"God Save The Czar" represents the ultimately victorious Russian forces:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWY-9UihgYg

We're happy to make it clear that "God Save The Czar" was the Russian national anthem at the time... of Tchaikovsky's composition.

"God Save The Czar" became Russia's anthem in 1833. Tchaikovsky was born in 1840. He composed the overture in 1880. Since "God Save The Czar" was the Russian anthem for the whole of Tchaikovsky's life, we imagine he felt the tune was entirely appropriate to represent Russia.

Interestingly enough, "La Marseillaise," the French national anthem since 1795, was banned by Napoleon in 1805, so it wouldn't have been heard during the time of the battle either! But it was reinstated in 1879, the year before Tchaikovsky composed his overture.

You are correct that "God Preserve Thy People" (a Russian Orthodox Troparion of the Holy Cross) is used a couple of times in the 1812 Overture, but it is "God Save The Czar" that represents opposing forces.

And yes, while the Soviets were in power they altered Tchaikovsky's music, substituting other patriotic melodies for "God Save The Tsar." So everybody involved is guilty of a little revisionist history :)

hey, I listened on youtube and brought back memories of listening to certain songs on lps when I was little. I was wondering if you can make these songs available on cds (all hundred) or if there is a similiar compilation cd you would recommend. thanx, a newbie

This site is awesome. The previews are handy for not just finding pieces that you've heard before, but also for finding new music to enjoy.

I'm doing an arrangement for my music class this semester, and I've chosen The Aquarium by Saint-Saens. It's perfect.

Thanks for this excellent service. I was able to identify a Bach melody that I had been searching for . . . Sleepers Awake.
Also like the Top 100 . . . thanks for the Preview function.

Hi everybody! Nice to be here! I like your site, this is great you give people opportunity to find the name of music pieces and even have a special thread for this! But what about your top 100 I was surprised not seing any composition of Faure or Schnittke ... I think they totally worth being there! But the good thing is that you have lots of Beethoven I adore his compositions!