nakedBison69 (October 13, 2008 at 3:57 am)

i will admit i have not given classical vocal music that much of a try. but hey, i listened to EIGHTEEN CD's of bach's cantatas, trying so hard to like them because i thought it was good for me, but I just couldnt stand it. nor do i like the freigtening sound of mozart's Don giovanni. you want to hear genuinely pleasant and unpretentious yet beautiful singing? if it is still posted, enter the terms Mary Hopkin and Streets of London on youTube, and listen

havinghehs (October 13, 2008 at 2:55 am)

If you don't like Handel's Messiah or Mozart's requiem...then you have no soul LOL.Usually it's the singers themselves that give opera and song cycles a pretentious feel. You have to find the right one. Folk music is just awesome haha

nakedBison69 (October 13, 2008 at 2:15 am)

well, of course there are exceptions to my general dislike of classical vocal music. i already mentioned how i like the sacred vocal music of the Renaissance. I also enjoy Handel's Messiah and Mozart's Requiem Mass. what i tend to not like is any singing that sounds pretentious and unnatural, opera being the primary example of what i mean. i prefer a folksy, simple, unassuming type of singing

havinghehs (October 13, 2008 at 2:12 am)

Not even Mozart's Magic Flute or Strauss' Die Fledermaus? I'm sorry I love classical vocal music, but I'm getting a grad degree in accompanying and choral conducting, so I'm a bit biased. There is some great vocal music in the solo rep as well, especially in Schumann and Schubert. Not so much in Mozart or Beethoven. I don't know if there is any with Berlioz or not...

nakedBison69 (October 13, 2008 at 1:36 am)

actually, i tend to NOT like vocal classical music, even and especially bach. his cantatas all sound the same, and sound very pretentious and even angry. nor do i like opera, not even when written by mozart. about the only classical vocal music that i like on a consistent basis is from the Renaissance, especially music written for the church, which I guess is an odd position for me to take given that I am Jewish. overall, modern vocal music is to me vastly superior over classical vocal music

havinghehs (October 13, 2008 at 1:32 am)

is Lara Fabian not well-known? I always assume that if I know of someone, then everyone else does too lol. Anyhow, many romantic composers such as Schubert, Schumann and others all have gorgeous vocal music, but you have to seek it out. Elephant Man...never seen it

nakedBison69 (October 13, 2008 at 12:53 am)

the only Humphrey Bogart movie I ever saw was the Treasures of Sierra Madre. I was too young to appreciate whatever value it has. I saw American Beauty, and was amazed that any Hollywood movie could get so deep. Among my favorite movies of all time are Ten Commandments, Fiddler on the Roof, Sound of Music, Elephant Man, Amadeus, and Gandhi

nakedBison69 (October 13, 2008 at 12:52 am)

well, i will say that i have heard various people singing Schubert's Ava Maria, and was simply astounded by its beauty. I especially liked the way it was sung by a little known singer named Lara Fabian. I actually like a lot of modern music, even rock music on rare occasions. I like some of the Beatles, but my favorite group is probably Simon & Garfunkel. I love Karen Carpenter's singing, as well as Mary Hopkin, Celine Dion, Ofra Haza, and some others

havinghehs (October 12, 2008 at 11:32 pm)

Ironically, Casablanca and American Beauty are my favorite movies, which have nothing to do with each other haha

havinghehs (October 12, 2008 at 11:31 pm)

Have you tried Schubert's song cycles, they are crazy but only throught the text (Besides his version of Erlkoning which is CRAZY). And yes, Vaughan Williams is fantastic, especially his "Songs of Travel". You should give Durufle a try if you haven't, his music follows the gregorian chant style! Thats fair to say that you like to be uplifted, I just enjoy being overtaken by the romantic style. It helps me forget the world during the time and only think of what is happening in the piece.