Johann Strauss II

Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)

The music of Johann Strauss II is something else. I’ve never heard anybody else whose each and every composition is so damn festive. Waltzes, operettas, polkas – they all pour down upon you like candies and cookies and lemon cup cakes. No wonder he had all of Vienna dancing and dangling to his tunes all this while. I could listen to him and dance around in my mind in some ballroom of Victorian Vienna all day.

PS: Here are some samples:

                          The Emperor Waltz | Johann Strauss II

                          Vienna Bonbons | Johann Strauss II

                          Tritsch Tratsch Polka | Johann Strauss II

                          Blumenfest Polka | Johann Strauss II

Franz Liszt

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Let me begin by saying that I just adore Franz Liszt. He is one of my all-time favourites. I love the way the sudden changes in the pace of his music take place and the way the different tunes conspire to create an eerie environment. The deliberate momentary cacophonies that interrupt the melody occasionally are probably what make his music so special for me. Inspite of being situated in the cultural universe of Hungary, the way he manages to be so very different from the Austro-German tradition on the one hand and the Russian one on the other, is breathtaking. I also find his style quite different from what Bartók, the other great Hungarian composer, created eventually.

I was going through a particularly dense Liszt-phase a couple of months back. It so happened that during this period we produced Ionesco’s Rhinoceros at my university. In charge of direction, I was elated to be able to use a couple pieces of Liszt as background score of the play: Hungarian Rhapsody no. 14 in F minor and no. 3 in B flat major. So happy!

Niccolo Paganini

Niccolo Paganini (1782 - 1840)

I stumbled upon Niccolo Paganini, the Italian violin virtuosi, guitarist and composer of the Romantic era, rather late; a couple of days ago actually. After having read up a little about him, I decided to download his works. Two days of waiting down the line, I am listening to his violin pieces as I write. Played by Maurizio Preda and Luigi Alberto Bianchi, these compositions are tantalizingly beautiful and soulfully melodious. Mostly happy tunes, they flow at a brisk pace, at times quite fast, and create a sweet tuneful world around them. I am just loving Paganini!