Fantasies Through Composure

Fantasies Through Composure

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Last week in my ballet classes we danced to a lot of famous classical music, so today I thought I would share some of my favorites with you.  I have decided that I must like pieces that seem to relay a story, since those are the ones I tend to play on my own.

Der Erlkoning is frightened boy riding home with his father on horseback.  During the frantic ride, the son hears and sees creatures his father does not - the Elfking is after him.  The father write off these fantasies, claiming them to be mere fog, rustling leaves, or the willow trees.  At length, the child shriek and is attacked, prompting the father to hurry the horse. He discovers his son is dead.

One of my other favorite pieces is Gabriel Faure's Pavane For a Dead Princess. I do not think there is an official backstory, but it's about/written for a dead princess, so I always want to imagine a gentle, beloved female breathing her last with the sun shining through the window.

What is your favorite classical piece? Do you have favorite eras?