Classical - Blog Posts

Queer Composers

For Pride Month, I would like to share a list of some of my favorite queer composers. Being queer doesn’t matter when talking about the music, and there is no other commonality that pairs these composers together. The point isn’t to say that queerness makes their music more valuable or influences their music, rather the point is to recognize diversity, and to acknowledge queer visibility. I understand the people who scratch their heads or roll their eyes at the idea of bringing up queer composers, and to them I say the point is simply to recognize their existence, because prejudices and biases through time have worked on erasing or revising history in order to keep hidden this aspect of the human condition. You could shrug and say “Who cares if Tchaikovsky was gay?” and I would say, “You’re right, it doesn’t matter much outside of biographies, but if you acknowledged Tchaikovsky’s homosexuality in Russia you could be arrested for “promoting gay propaganda”. I am also motivated by a comment from a friend who admitted they think the concept of “Pride” for anything you cannot control is “idiotic”. My response can be summed up as, when a group has been shamed for years for their identity, they will be ready to sing about it from the mountaintops when it is accepted. In other words, it is not about who is better or worse, rather it is the opposite of shame, and hopefully putting a human face on something that a lot of people only consider in the abstract.

In no particular order, here is some cool music by some queer people;

Tchaikovsky: Possibly the greatest composer in Russian history, and one of the greatest composers in general. Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky wrote in multiple genre, from symphonies to concertos to ballets, chamber music, opera…and while he can be criticized for the way he develops themes, his music is melodic and passionate and brimming with life. Among my favorites are his fourth symphony, the second piano concerto, the first orchestral suite, his piano trio, and his concert fantasy.

Poulenc: One of the members of Les Six, a group of Modernist French composers who were reacting against “overblown” Post-Romantic music, and methodical 12-tone serialism, Francis Poulenc can be described as a “neo-classicist”, sometimes his music resembles Stravinsky. The music tends to mix two unlikely moods: goofy, fun melodies and rhythms, and solemn religious contemplation. Cosmopolitan and Catholic, Poulenc was able to juxtapose opposite ends of the spectrum of the human condition; our vulgarity and profanity, and our spirituality and the desire for divine connection. My favorite works by him are his Organ Concerto, his harpsichord concerto “Concert-champêtre”, the concerto for two pianos, the cello sonata, and his Gloria.

Smyth: An English composer and an important figure in the Woman’s Suffrage movement, Ethel Smyth was a Post-Romantic who wrote powerful music lively with the British sense of nobility and strength. In the same ironic tragedy Beethoven went through, Smyth started to lose her hearing from 1913 onward, and so she gave up composing in favor of writing. While that is a shame, she left behind a good handful of orchestral and chamber music. My favorites by her are the overture to one of her operas, The Wreckers, her serenade which is kind of evocative of Brahms, and her gargantuan Mass in D Major.

Szymanowski: A Polish composer from the first half of the 20th century whose life can be seen as a narrative of seeking identity. Karol Szymanowski started out writing in the Post Romantic German style, with dense textures and a lot of chromatic modulation, but he was losing interest in this idiom quickly. He was inspired by Persian poetry he came across, and started writing in an Impressionistic way focusing on Mediterranean cultures, influenced by Greek and Roman mythology, Middle Eastern poetry, and the atmosphere of the Mediterranean as being a diverse mixing of cultures. Later in his life, he decided to look back at Poland for inspiration and finally found his “authentic” Polish identity in music inspired by the folk stories and Catholicism of Poland. My favorite works by him are his nocturne and tarantella for violin and piano, his song cycle the Love Songs of Hafiz, the third symphony, and his Stabat Mater.

Barber: It’s possible to say that Samuel Barber’s music is a good representative of American culture…a diverse mix of differences that complement each other. He took after jazz and blues, and after experiments in tonality heard in Europe and other American composers like Charles Ives, and he took after Romanticism with deep and powerful music. My favorite works by him are the Adagio for Strings which is heavily inspired by Mahler, his piano concerto, and Knoxville: Summer of 1915.

Copland: Another great portrait of America, Aaron Copland was considered one of the quintessential “American” composers of the 20th century, despite the combined factors of being gay, Jewish, leftist, and inspired by Russian and French modernism. All of those were seen as outsiders of the general American public. Even so, taking after Stravinsky, Copland’s music is full of spaciousness and open chords, melodies that range from longing to folksy and fun. My favorite works by him are his clarinet concerto, violin sonata, fanfare for the common man, and his ballet Appalachian Spring.

And if you reblog this list, feel free to add any of your favorite queer composers and share their music, their names, their faces.

MOODBOARDS FOR FUN🎭

ASK ME ANYTHING AND I SHALL REPLY THROUGH MOODBOARDS.

Psyche Weeping, Kinuko Y. Craft I Ophelia, Friedrich Wilhelm Theodor Heyser

non Eurocentric cottagecore moodboard [3/? ] for:@ya-boi-leto

Some people who might like this one:@suvarnarekha @the-stars-love-us @seekerbrave @strawberryphrogg @psycho-mocha @kajukatliontop @wowyoufeelorphic @edeneko @hoziestgf @smr-the-tired-crackhead @metalvenomludens7 @cipher-dorito @sukiwaterhousegf @bookishmuggleborn @tonicaballos @curious-fruitcake @shirodumbclownwolf @justalonelywriter @chaoticaindica @nikkixravenclaw @book-dragon-not-worm @adoginthemanger @crazy-beautiful @shilabalika @elentiyathemoonelf @ya-boi-leto @paadhee @silky-moon @balladofableedingpoet @rainbowsnowflake @leenkiyakepapahihihi @chandanbala @rasikata @one-happy-silent-geek-girl @fuckthepatriarchytv @yathamanasam @gulab-ja-moon

Kahaniyaaañ khti haiñ kalakariyañ

Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

Éfeso, Turquía

Game Room - Family Room Example of a large, elaborate, open-concept game room with green walls, travertine flooring, a stone fireplace, and no television.

Enclosed DC Metro Huge elegant u-shaped enclosed kitchen photo with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, black appliances and two islands

music 🙂↕️

(PersianPolaris)

“The Carnival of the Animals: XIII The Swan” - Princess Tutu - BGM

feeling very b major today.

There's no such thing as too much of Emily Dickinson's poems! #poem #poetry #poemsofig #poemsofinstagram #poet #poetryisnotdead #emilydickinson #classical #success #life #hope #successful #thinking #wish

Basement Detroit

An illustration of a sizable traditional walk-out basement with a light wood floor and green walls.

Outdoor Kitchen in Los Angeles Mid-sized trendy stone porch idea

An illustration of a medium-sized red, three-story townhouse

Austin Powder Room Bathroom Example of a small classic travertine floor and beige floor powder room design with furniture-like cabinets, distressed cabinets, a one-piece toilet, purple walls, a vessel sink and wood countertops

Best dance ever, I think I'm going to die from laughing!

📌 #design #designer #toptags @top.tags #designed #designs #fashiondesign #interiordesign #architecture #architect #artist #classical #clean #beautiful #perfect #shiny #amazing #best #hairdesign #craft #antique #vintage #retro #line #linedesign #homestyling #styling #style #stylist #good #artwork

Ha📌 #design #designer #toptags @top.tags #designed #designs #fashiondesign #interiordesign #architecture #architect #artist #classical #clean #beautiful #perfect #shiny #amazing #best #hairdesign #craft #antique #vintage #retro #line #linedesign #homestyling #styling #style #stylist #good #artwork

So what 📌 #design #designer #toptags @top.tags #designed #designs #fashiondesign #interiordesign #architecture #architect #artist #classical #clean #beautiful #perfect #shiny #amazing #best #hairdesign #craft #antique #vintage #retro #line #linedesign #homestyling #styling #style #stylist #good #artwork

📌 #design #designer #toptags @top.tags #designed #designs #fashiondesign #interiordesign #architecture #architect #artist #classical #clean #beautiful #perfect #shiny #amazing #best #hairdesign #craft #antique #vintage #retro #line #linedesign #homestyling #styling #style #stylist #good #artwork

Midon 😂📌 #design #designer #toptags @top.tags #designed #designs #fashiondesign #interiordesign #architecture #architect #artist #classical #clean #beautiful #perfect #shiny #amazing #best #hairdesign #craft #antique #vintage #retro #line #linedesign #homestyling #styling #style #stylist #good #artwork

😂😂😂📌 #design #designer #toptags @top.tags #designed #designs #fashiondesign #interiordesign #architecture #architect #artist #classical #clean #beautiful #perfect #shiny #amazing #best #hairdesign #craft #antique #vintage #retro #line #linedesign #homestyling #styling #style #stylist #good #artwork

You’ve captured my heart with a gaze that belies the spell you have cast

tragedy

Sound I like (also known as music)

Before you start to read this post, listen to this music as you read through.

My taste in music is “eclectic”*. I like all of the music I listen to, so obviously I have really good taste in music.

There is nothing quite so magical or moving as an powerful orchestral piece played by a full symphony orchestra. I have nothing against poppy music, nor do I have anything against wild bashing and screaming music (except that I mostly hate it), but if I were stuck in Antarctic for the rest of my life, I would die quickly of Hypothermia listen to epic soundtracks like:

“Imagine the Fire”, Hans Zimmer, The Dark Knight Rises

“The Promise”, Michael Nyman

“Extraction Point” , Hans Zimmer, Modern Warfare 2 (a video game with epic score?)

“Escape”, Craig Armstrong

 London Philharmonic’s finest.

 Or simply instrumental.

If you’re still listening to the music, I hope so, right? Imagine you’re sitting in that room, as a group of 50 people playing a song – using violins, bass drums, cellos, and a touch of piano – it precisely melds together into a beautiful, powerful, multifaceted sound…  and it’s just magical as the conductor keeps the whole thing together..  

As you might have seen in movies (like Harry Potter), a wand is portrayed as an instrument for magical occurrence. If you realize, a conductor’s baton (wand) also produces magical waves. I mean, with the flick of a wrist, a conductor can shape music like a painter with his paint brush. He can create striking thunders from the bass drums to the electrifying sharp pitch of the violins.

*I really do have a weird (wide spectrum) taste in music.

By the time I finished writing this, I realized that music is an expression, as it can only be played or heard (its really hard to ‘talk’ about music).

This week's Band Of The Week comes from the cold lands of Norway. Gazpacho's music has been described as "classical post ambient nocturnal atmospheric neo-progressive folk world rock". With that said, it's just a matter of listening their music to really understand their world and be a part of it.

This song, 'Black Lily', comes from the band's latest album, March Of Ghosts.

Enjoy.