Classical Music - It's a Knockout (Winner: William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini)

[Corki]

March's music theme for the Band of the Red Hand Social Group is the world of Classical Music. You have spent the first part of the month nominating your pieces of Classical Music to enter the contest and fight for the honour of being DM's and the Band's favourite piece of Classical Music. Now we move into the phase where you pick the winner. Overall, you managed to nominate 27 songs in total, and I am including all of them in the contest. As a result, we are going for a slightly larger than normal contest.

 

Therefore, "It's A Knockout" extends to a slightly larger format this month - and this means there are 32 songs instead of the normal 16!

 

 

"It's a Knockout" - Format

For those of you who have not been involved with a "It's A Knockout" thread before, the rules are quite simple. The Band of the Red Hand is DM's travel, music and eating out Social Group, and "It's a Knockout" is a knock out competition to find out the winner of any chosen category - this time, it is the pieces of music from the world of Classical Music. Each day, 2 ties of 2 nominated/additional pieces will be posted, along with a link so you can listen to the song if you do not know it, and all you have to do is post which of the pieces in each of the ties you prefer. After a day, the votes will be counted, and the winning pieces will progress to the next round, until we only have 1 piece left as the winner at the end of the competition - which will be crowned the Band of the Red Hand's favourite piece of Classical Music! It's very simple, so I look forward to seeing you getting involved!

 

So without further a-do, let the competition begin!

 

Please Note: I believe Americans can't see VEVO videos on YouTube. I will do my best not to post links to these videos on YouTube. If I do accidentally post a VEVO video, please let me know and I will find an alternative video.

[Corki]

RESULTS

 

Please Note: The following songs are seeded, and their seed is in brackets during the tie.

1. Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner

2. Night on a Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky

3. William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini

4. Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel

 

 

Round 1

 

1. Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner (1) beat Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 1 in D by Edward Elgar (6-1)

2. Dies Irae by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart beat Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff (4-3)

3. Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II lost to Piano Concerto #20 In D Minor (1. Allegro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (3-4)

4. Jupiter by Gustav Holst lost to Piano Sonata No. 23 In F Minor (Appassionata: I. Allegro Assai) by Ludwig van Beethoven (2-5)

5. Commendatore Scene (Don Giovanni) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lost to 5th Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven (1-4)

6. Swan Lake Ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky beat Sabre Dance by Aram Khachaturian (4-1)

7. Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy beat Piano Concerto No. 1 1st Movement by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (6-1)

8. Piano Concerto No 15 in B Flat Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart beat (4) Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel (5-2)

9. William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini (3) beat Les Toreadors by Georges Bizet (4-1)

10. The Nutcraker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky lost to 9th Symphony (2nd Movement) by Ludwig van Beethoven (0-5)

11. Concerto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo beat Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber (4-1)

12. The Great Gate of Kiev by Modest Mussorgsky beat Der Holle Rache (The Magic Flute) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (3-2)

13. The Moonlight Sonata (1st and 3rd Movements) by Ludwig van Beethoven lost to In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Greig (2-3)

14. The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky lost to Toccata and Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach (0-5)

15. Piano Concerto #23 In A (3. Allegro Assai) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lost to Aquarium (Carnival Of The Animals) by Camille Saint-Saëns

16. Minute Waltz by Frédéric Chopin lost to (2) Night on a Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky (2-3)

 

 

Round 2

 

1. Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner (1) lost to Dies Irae by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (2-4)

2. Piano Concerto #20 In D Minor (1. Allegro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart beat Piano Sonata No. 23 In F Minor (Appassionata: I. Allegro Assai) by Ludwig van Beethoven (5-1)

3. 5th Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven beat Swan Lake Ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (6-0)

4. Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy beat Piano Concerto No 15 in B Flat Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (4-2)

5. William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini (3) beat 9th Symphony (2nd Movement) by Ludwig van Beethoven (4-2)

6. Concerto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo beat The Great Gate of Kiev by Modest Mussorgsky (5-1)

7. In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Greig lost to Toccata and Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach (2-4)

8. Aquarium (Carnival Of The Animals) by Camille Saint-Saëns beat (2) Night on a Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky (4-2)

 

 

Round 3

 

1. Dies Irae by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lost to Piano Concerto #20 In D Minor (1. Allegro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1-3)

2. 5th Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven lost to Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy (1-3)

3. William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini (3) beat Concerto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo (3-1)

4. Toccata and Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach lost to Aquarium (Carnival Of The Animals) by Camille Saint-Saëns (1-3)

 

 

Semi-Final

 

1. Piano Concerto #20 In D Minor (1. Allegro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lost to Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy (3-4)

2. William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini (3) beat Aquarium (Carnival Of The Animals) by Camille Saint-Saëns (7-0)

 

 

3rd/4th Play-off

 

1. Piano Concerto #20 In D Minor (1. Allegro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart beat Aquarium (Carnival Of The Animals) by Camille Saint-Saëns (4-1)

 

 

Final

 

1. Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy lost to William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini (3) (2-3)

[Corki]

THE CHOSEN PIECES OF MUSIC

 

 

1. Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner (1)

This piece has some pedigree in this competition - winner in 2010 and 3rd in 2009. The Ride of the Valkyries is the name given to the beginning of Act III of Die Walküre, an opera by Wagner. The composer likes to do things on a grand scale - and Die Walküre is no exception! The music is building up for the lifting of the curtain, which reveals a mountain peak where four of the eight Valkyrie sisters of Brünnhilde have gathered in preparation for the transportation of fallen heroes to Valhalla. It is often used for military-like exercises in film and TV, for example, the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. It's universally known - and a classic!

 

 

2. Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 1 in D by Edward Elgar

March No. 1 in D is the first in a series of orchestral marches composed by Edward Elgar. Composed in 1901, Elgar "dedicated to my friend Alfred E. Rodewald and the members of the Liverpool Orchestral Society". Within the piece, there is the well known tune Land of Hope and Glory. The tune was re-used for the 1902 Land of Hope and Glory section of his Coronation Ode for King Edward VII. It has since become a fixture at the Last Night of the Proms, and an English sporting anthem.

 

 

3. Dies Irae by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The piece was chosen by dapianoplay3r, who nominated as follows: "So I always liked the Requiem when I saw Adameus and watched how he wrote it. Then last year for my level three music class we had to rearrange some famous piece. I chose Twinkle Twinkle and overlaid it with the Requiem. I just loved the Requiem even more since then. I studied it so much that now I think I truly appreciate the depth behind it. It made me appreciate Mozart more then I had originally. I like the 3rd Movement the best but I also really like the 1st, and 9th. Anyway enjoy". The piece was left unfinished by Mozart.

 

 

4. Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff

This piece was nominated by Wolf. Composed some time between autumn of 1900 and April 1901, and Rachmaninoff himself played the the solo part when the piece was first premièred. This piece is one of Rachmaninoff's most enduringly popular pieces, and established his fame as a concerto composer. The piece comprises of three movements - Moderato, Adagio sostenuto and Allegro scherzando.

 

 

5. Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II

Johann Strauss II composed the Blue Danube in 1866. The waltz is one of the most popular pieces of classical music with its easy, relaxed feel - as if you were floating down the Danube itself. It is a traditional encore piece at the annual Vienna New Year's Concert. Its fame was enhanced by Stanley Kubrick using the music in his film 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is such a clean and beautiful piece of music.

 

 

6. Piano Concerto #20 In D Minor (1. Allegro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Written by Mozart in 1785, it was first performed at the Mehlgrube Casino in Vienna on February 11, 1785, with the composer as the soloist. The Allegro is the first movement of the concerto, which features 3 movements in all. It is another piece nominated by dapianoplay3r, who says "This is a great piece. I was introduced to it when I played it as part of my orchestra. I really like how it starts so quiet and foreboding. It's one of my all time favourites".

 

 

7. Jupiter by Gustav Holst

Next up is the winning piece from 2009, which crashed out in the second round in 2010. Jupiter comes from Holst's The Planet Suite, which premièred fully for the first time in 1920. Jupiter is known as "The Bringer of Jollity", and is a very rousing and cheerful piece of music. Modern adaptations include for the hymn I Vow To Thee My Country (my favourite hymn) and The World in Union theme for the Rugby Union World Cups.

 

 

8. Piano Sonata No. 23 In F Minor (Appassionata: I. Allegro Assai) by Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed between 1804 and 1806, the sonata is dedicated to Count Franz von Brunswick. The three movements of the Appassionata are the Allegro Assai, Andante con moto and Allegro ma non troppo, and is approximately 23 minutes long in length. The piece was nominated by Krakalakachkn, who states that "[it is] a beautiful and complex work for piano that is a delight to hear".

 

 

9. Commendatore Scene (Don Giovanni) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Time for a bit of opera. The scene comes from the second act of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni. The two scene opera first premièred in the Estates Theatre in Prague on 29th October 1787. Chosen by dapianoplay3r, he says he picked it because "I really likes listening to it and I normally hate opera. The string accompaniment is great and the tension of the scene is so well done in the music. I just love it".

 

 

10. 5th Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven

Again, another one of those well known pieces of music from the Classical music world. There are so many features that are recognisable, especially the distinctive four-note "short-short-short-long" motif that is used twice. It is interesting to note that the BBC used this motif to introduce their news bulletins, because "short-short-short-long" represented V in morse code - and evoked victory. The "short-short-short-long" motif generates tense moments, but the rest of the piece is smooth, relaxing and also stirring. The piece was nominated by dapianoplay3r, who thinks "it's a great an epic piece of music that really deserves to be in the running".

 

 

11. Swan Lake Ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Composed between 1875 and 1876, the ballet of Swan Lake tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The ballet is over four acts, and fashioned from Russian folk tales. The piece was nominated by dapianoplay3r, who states that "[he] really love this at the moment especially after seeing Black Swan. It's so beautiful really".

 

 

12. Sabre Dance by Aram Khachaturian

This piece comes from Khachaturian's ballet called Gayane. It's extremely frantic to start with, evoking the whirling war dance in an Armenian dance, where the dancers display their skill with sabres. Its excited nature has earmarked it as a common concert piece, and has popularity in modern music as well.

 

 

13. Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy

Claire de lune is the third movement from the Suite bergamasque by Claude Debussy. It is one of his famous piano pieces. He started the suite in 1890, but didn't finish it until 1905. "Claire de lune" means "moonlight" in French, and name of the piece comes from Paul Verlaine's poem of the same name. The piece was nominated by Jeannaisais, who says that though "[she has] never played this song, I listened as my sister practiced it for performance and it is definitely one of Debussy's best pieces in my mind".

 

 

14. Piano Concerto No. 1 1st Movement by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Composed between November 1874 and February 1875, it was also revised in 1879 and 1888. Nikolai Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky's desired pianist, was heavily critical of the piece, but later retracted them and became a fervent champion of the work. The piece has been nominated by dapianoplay3r, who nominated it because "[he] didnt used to like this that much but I played it in the orchestra at the end of last year. It's great to play and now I really like it".

 

 

15. Piano Concerto No 15 in B Flat Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart composed the concerto for performance at a series of concerts in Vienna in the first quarter of 1784, where he was himself the soloist in March 1784. Many pianist consider this concerto to be the most difficult of Mozart's piano concertos because of its many quick scale patterns and its many fast chord patterns moving up and down.Nominated by Ellianora since it is "upbeat, bright with a brilliant violin accompaniment".

 

 

16. Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel (4)

Coming 4th in 2010, Canon in D automatically qualified for the contest. Canon in D is such a beautiful, elegant, yet simple song that tugs at the soul and, I'm sure, conjures up the image of a wedding (for the ladies). It happens to be Pachelbel’s most famous piece of music, and the exact date of composition is unknown, but it was rediscovered in the 20th century. It is one of the greats from the Baroque period.

 

 

17. William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini (3)

It's the Lone Ranger! Yes, this piece of music was used for that classic. Coming from the opera William Tell, Rossini uses the whole orchestra for this wonderful piece of music. It comprises of four parts - The Prelude, The Storm, The Ranz des Vaches and the famous The Finale. Very recognisable and very enjoyable. A great start to the opera! Because of the media link limitations (weird...), I have linked the first half as the second is probably the more famous.

 

 

18. Les Toreadors by Georges Bizet

One of the most famous arias from Bizet's opera Carmen. It is sung by the matador Escamillo, and describes various situations in the ring, the cheering of the crowds and the fame that comes with victory. The piece was nominated by _wolfbrother_, who "love the piece" and "listen to it the whole time". He thinks it is "nice and flowing from start to finish".

 

 

19. The Nutcraker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet composed by Tchaikovsky and premièred in 1892. The original production was not a success, but the twenty minute suite extracted from the ballet was. It features 8 numbers from the ballet. The piece was nominated by Talya, and her sample is the Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy. She "just love this music, mainly from when I was young and ballet took up a lot of my life outside school. It's My favourite Ballet of all time, and the music not only reminds me of that time, but also makes me feel good, it's light and makes me want to dance!"

 

 

20. 9th Symphony (2nd Movement) by Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphony No. 9 in D minor is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven and completed in 1824. It is one of the best known pieces of Classical music, and has been addapted for use as the European Anthem. It is known as the "Choral Symphony" as it the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony. dapianoplay3r has picked the second of the four movements from the Symphony. He says "this piece is great. I listen to it all the time and I like how intricate but simple it is. I posted a video which makes it really clear how everything is moving so you can see how complicated it is but how well it works".

 

 

21. Concerto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo

The Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo is a composition for classical guitar and orchestra. Written in 1939, it is probably's Rodrigo's most famous work. The piece was nominated by Kivam, as it is one of his favourite pieces. He also views it as a "quintessential piece of Spanish classical music" (which I agree with). He thinks it is a "powerful and dramatic without being overwrought (Miles Davis once said that the softer you play it the stronger it gets, and the louder you play it the weaker it gets), subtle and moving". The clip comes from one of his favourite films, Brassed Off.

 

 

22. Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber

Adagio for Strings came fourth in the 2009 contest, but crashed out in the first round in 2010. It is Samuel Barber's most known piece of music. Composed in 1935, it forms part of Barber's String Quartet No. 1, Op. 11. It's a really flowing, easy-going piece of music to listen to - brilliant to relax to. It really does show off string instruments to their best. In recent years, the world of dance music has covered the song, like William Orbit, Armin Van Buuren and Tiësto.

 

 

23. The Great Gate of Kiev by Modest Mussorgsky

This happens to be Corki's favourite piece of classical music, which it has been for quite some time. It has reached the second round in both 2009 and 2010. The Great Gate of Kiev is the rousing finale to Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, where he cleverly depicts various scenes with the music. The Promenade that links each picture (i.e. the walk between the pictures) features prominently. It sounds like a great procession is going through in celebration. A great piece of music to end the musical imagery from Pictures at an Exhibition.

 

 

24. Der Holle Rache (The Magic Flute) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Time for a bit more opera. To give the piece its full name, Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (Hell's vengeance boils in my heart) is the second aria sung by the soprano role Queen of the Night from Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. It is viewed as one of the great opera arias because of it is highly memorable, fast paced and menacingly grandiose. The vengeful Queen puts a knife into the hand of her daughter and orders her to assassinate Sarastro, the Queen's rival, on pain of denying and cursing her if she does not comply. It has been chosen by Ellianora because it is "upbeat, bright with a brilliant violin accompaniment".

 

 

25. The Moonlight Sonata (1st and 3rd Movements) by Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C♯ minor is better known as the The Moonlight Sonata. Completed in 1801, Beethoven dedicated the piece to his 17-year-old pupil, the Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. The name of "Moonlight" Sonata originated in 1832, when the music critic Ludwig Rellstab compared the first movement to moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne. Nominated by dapianoplay3r, he says he has "always loved to play Beethoven on the piano and the 1st movements is something I always go back to. If I could play the 3rd it would be amazing but it's a bit out of my league". Anyway he hopes we enjoy how the pianist plays the piece in his video clip.

 

 

26. In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Greig

This piece of music comes from Greig's piece of work called Peer Gynt, though it was originally written for Henrik Ibsen's play of the same name. The sequence illustrated by the music of In the Hall of the Mountain King is when Peer sneaks into the Mountain King's castle. The piece then describes Peer's attempts to escape from the King and his trolls. For those in the U.K. Alton Towers used the piece on their adverts.

 

 

27. The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky

The music for the 1913 ballet The Rite of Spring was composed by the Russian Igor Stravinsky. It premièred at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The piece is split into two parts - the Adoration of the Earth and The Exalted Sacrifice. It is viewed as a piece of the 20th century because of its innovative complex rhythmic structures, timbres, and use of dissonance. The piece was nominated by AMD44, who views it as "a very revolutionary piece of music. [it is] considered savage by some at the time but definitely full of passion and primitive rhythms". The piece is also featured in Disney's Fantasia.

 

 

28. Toccata and Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach

Time for something different as we now have a bit of organ music - and probably the most famous piece of organ music. Just listening to it shows it is a rather difficult piece to play, but it is a joy to listen to - and shows off how the organ should be played. It has proved to be a popular piece of music to be used by other artists. It is the battle of pieces that have appeared in Fantasia, as Toccata and Fugue, which is the first piece to feature.

 

 

29. Piano Concerto #23 In A (3. Allegro Assai) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart's Piano Concerto #23 In A was finished around 1786, which was around the time when The Marriage of Figaro premièred. The piece comprises of 3 movements, and dapianoplay3r has picked the third movement - Allegro Assai. It is a vigorous and cheerful rondo, which moves through a variety of keys. It has been nominated by dapianoplay3r because "he just likes the song. It's so happy and free". He doesn't have any other reason for liking it!

 

 

30. Aquarium (Carnival Of The Animals) by Camille Saint-Saëns

Camille Saint-Saëns's musical suite of fourteen movements was composed in February 1886 while he was in Austria. It has many famous pieces from it, including the Aquarium. It is a rich piece of music, played mainly by the flute, with support from the strings. Throughout the piece, there is the glissando-like runs in the piano, giving the shimmering effect of water. A beautiful piece of music.

 

 

31. Minute Waltz by Frédéric Chopin

The Polish composer Frédéric Chopin composed Waltz in D flat major in 1847. It is commonly known as the Minute Waltz and is for a solo piano. It is dedicated to the Countess Delfina Potocka. The piece has been nominated by Jeannaisais, who, as a fellow piano player, says "it is one of my favorite pieces to play, and it is also quite impressive when you can get it up to speed, which I never did when I was younger, but it's definitely a life goal".

 

 

32. Night on a Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky (2)

Our runner up from 2010. Mussorgsky composed the piece, but it was arranged and played after his death by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. A witches' sabbath is the theme of the piece. The music definitely gives the feeling something evil is going on - and I think it is one of the best pieces of music to depict wind. The piece has been used many times in popular culture, with Disney's Fantasia the most notable.

[Corki]

Round 1, Tie 1

 

 

 

Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner (1)

This piece has some pedigree in this competition - winner in 2010 and 3rd in 2009. The Ride of the Valkyries is the name given to the beginning of Act III of Die Walküre, an opera by Wagner. The composer likes to do things on a grand scale - and Die Walküre is no exception! The music is building up for the lifting of the curtain, which reveals a mountain peak where four of the eight Valkyrie sisters of Brünnhilde have gathered in preparation for the transportation of fallen heroes to Valhalla. It is often used for military-like exercises in film and TV, for example, the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. It's universally known - and a classic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aKAH_t0aXA

 

 

vs.

 

 

Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 1 in D by Edward Elgar

March No. 1 in D is the first in a series of orchestral marches composed by Edward Elgar. Composed in 1901, Elgar "dedicated to my friend Alfred E. Rodewald and the members of the Liverpool Orchestral Society". Within the piece, there is the well known tune Land of Hope and Glory. The tune was re-used for the 1902 Land of Hope and Glory section of his Coronation Ode for King Edward VII. It has since become a fixture at the Last Night of the Proms, and an English sporting anthem.

 

 

Voting ends Wednesday 16th March 2011 at 11pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Round 1, Tie 2

 

 

 

Dies Irae by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The piece was chosen by dapianoplay3r, who nominated as follows: "So I always liked the Requiem when I saw Adameus and watched how he wrote it. Then last year for my level three music class we had to rearrange some famous piece. I chose Twinkle Twinkle and overlaid it with the Requiem. I just loved the Requiem even more since then. I studied it so much that now I think I truly appreciate the depth behind it. It made me appreciate Mozart more then I had originally. I like the 3rd Movement the best but I also really like the 1st, and 9th. Anyway enjoy". The piece was left unfinished by Mozart.

 

 

vs.

 

 

Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff

This piece was nominated by Wolf. Composed some time between autumn of 1900 and April 1901, and Rachmaninoff himself played the the solo part when the piece was first premièred. This piece is one of Rachmaninoff's most enduringly popular pieces, and established his fame as a concerto composer. The piece comprises of three movements - Moderato, Adagio sostenuto and Allegro scherzando.

 

 

Voting ends Wednesday 16th March 2011 at 11pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Round 1, Tie 3

 

 

 

Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II

Johann Strauss II composed the Blue Danube in 1866. The waltz is one of the most popular pieces of classical music with its easy, relaxed feel - as if you were floating down the Danube itself. It is a traditional encore piece at the annual Vienna New Year's Concert. Its fame was enhanced by Stanley Kubrick using the music in his film 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is such a clean and beautiful piece of music.

 

 

 

vs.

 

 

Piano Concerto #20 In D Minor (1. Allegro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Written by Mozart in 1785, it was first performed at the Mehlgrube Casino in Vienna on February 11, 1785, with the composer as the soloist. The Allegro is the first movement of the concerto, which features 3 movements in all. It is another piece nominated by dapianoplay3r, who says "This is a great piece. I was introduced to it when I played it as part of my orchestra. I really like how it starts so quiet and foreboding. It's one of my all time favourites".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkjRz2Anz6A

 

 

Voting ends Wednesday 16th March 2011 at 11pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Round 1, Tie 4

 

 

 

Jupiter by Gustav Holst

Next up is the winning piece from 2009, which crashed out in the second round in 2010. Jupiter comes from Holst's The Planet Suite, which premièred fully for the first time in 1920. Jupiter is known as "The Bringer of Jollity", and is a very rousing and cheerful piece of music. Modern adaptations include for the hymn I Vow To Thee My Country (my favourite hymn) and The World in Union theme for the Rugby Union World Cups.

 

 

vs.

 

 

Piano Sonata No. 23 In F Minor (Appassionata: I. Allegro Assai) by Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed between 1804 and 1806, the sonata is dedicated to Count Franz von Brunswick. The three movements of the Appassionata are the Allegro Assai, Andante con moto and Allegro ma non troppo, and is approximately 23 minutes long in length. The piece was nominated by Krakalakachkn, who states that "[it is] a beautiful and complex work for piano that is a delight to hear".

 

 

Voting ends Wednesday 16th March 2011 at 11pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Banders, Please Note:

 

Voting in "It's A Knockout" threads counts towards posting in an activity thread for points gained through the roll call. However, in order for that to qualify, you need to post and vote at least 4 times - and sign into the roll call here!.

 

Corki

Marshal-General

Social Group Leader

[Corki]

You will notice that there are 4 ties up until Wednesday evening. This is because I am out tomorrow evening at a gig so will not be around.

[el Nynaeve]

1. Ride of the Valkyries

2. Dies Irae

3. Piano Concerto #20

4. Piano Sonata No 23

[_wolfbrother_]

Ride of the Valkyries

Dies Irae

Piano Concerto #20

Piano Sonata No 23

[Kivam]

Ride of the Valkyries

Deus Irae

Piano Concerto #20

Piano Sonata No 23

[Jeannaisais]

Ride of the Valkyries

Rachminoff

Mozart Concerto #20

Jupiter

[Adrian44]

R1T1: Ride of the Valkyries

R1T2: Concerto No. 2

R1T3: Blue Danube

R1T4: Piano Sonata No. 23

[Kaylen]

1. Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner

2. Dies Irae by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

3. Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II

4. Piano Sonata No. 23 by Ludwig van Beethoven

[Corki]

1. Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 1 in D by Edward Elgar

 

2. Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff

 

3. Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II

 

4. Jupiter by Gustav Holst

[Corki]

Time to wrap up the first four ties!

 

In our first tie, the top seed, Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries won by 6 votes to 1 over Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 1 in D by Edward Elgar.

 

Dies Irae by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart won a narrow tie against Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff by 4 votes to 3.

 

There was another close battle in the third tie, where Piano Concerto #20 In D Minor (1. Allegro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart saw off Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II.

 

And our 2009 winner, Jupiter by Gustav Holst, didn't have enough to see off Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 23 In F Minor (Appassionata: I. Allegro Assai), which eased to a 5-2 victory.

[Corki]

Round 1, Tie 5

 

 

 

Commendatore Scene (Don Giovanni) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Time for a bit of opera. The scene comes from the second act of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni. The two scene opera first premièred in the Estates Theatre in Prague on 29th October 1787. Chosen by dapianoplay3r, he says he picked it because "I really likes listening to it and I normally hate opera. The string accompaniment is great and the tension of the scene is so well done in the music. I just love it".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8uDJXA_aNA

 

 

vs.

 

 

5th Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven

Again, another one of those well known pieces of music from the Classical music world. There are so many features that are recognisable, especially the distinctive four-note "short-short-short-long" motif that is used twice. It is interesting to note that the BBC used this motif to introduce their news bulletins, because "short-short-short-long" represented V in morse code - and evoked victory. The "short-short-short-long" motif generates tense moments, but the rest of the piece is smooth, relaxing and also stirring. The piece was nominated by dapianoplay3r, who thinks "it's a great an epic piece of music that really deserves to be in the running".

 

 

Voting ends Thursday 17th March 2011 at 11pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Round 1, Tie 6

 

 

 

Swan Lake Ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Composed between 1875 and 1876, the ballet of Swan Lake tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The ballet is over four acts, and fashioned from Russian folk tales. The piece was nominated by dapianoplay3r, who states that "[he] really love this at the moment especially after seeing Black Swan. It's so beautiful really".

 

 

vs.

 

 

Sabre Dance by Aram Khachaturian

This piece comes from Khachaturian's ballet called Gayane. It's extremely frantic to start with, evoking the whirling war dance in an Armenian dance, where the dancers display their skill with sabres. Its excited nature has earmarked it as a common concert piece, and has popularity in modern music as well.

 

 

 

Voting ends Thursday 17th March 2011 at 11pm (GMT)

[Kivam]

Beethoven's Fifth

Swan Lake

[_wolfbrother_]

Beethoven's 5th

Swan Lake

[el Nynaeve]

Commendatore Scene (Don Giovanni)

Swan Lake Ballet

[Jeannaisais]

Beethoven's Fifth

Swan Lake

 

agreed

[Corki]

Tie 5: 5th Symphony

 

Tie 6: Sabre Dance

 

Still a few hours left to vote!

[Corki]

Time to wrap up ties 5 and 6.

 

In tie 5, Ludwig van Beethoven's 5th Symphony easily beat the Commendatore Scene from Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by 4 votes to 1.

 

And in tie 6, Swan Lake Ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky also easily defeated Aram Khachaturian's Sabre Dance by 4 votes to 1.

 

Time for the next two ties!