Schoenberg: Vocal and Orchestral Works

Advantages: You will hear a landmark in music history
Disadvantages: Can be frightening for those only used to Bach

...Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), is best known for his ground-breaking and hugely influential music for ballet. Indeed, 'The Rite of Spring' or 'Le Sacre du Printemps' is perhaps the best example of Stravinsky's challenging and provocative interpretation of the 'Brave New World'. 'The Rite' was premiered in the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris (1913), and it all started well as a seemingly innocent bassoon melody floated out from the orchestral pit. What was to follow, however, was to shock and enrage the unprepared Parisian audience: pagan content, ritual sacrifice, wild choreography, savage and hugely unconventional music. This moment is a milestone in music history, and heralded (along with Schoenberg) a transformation in music: whilst once thought of as horrific, Stravinsky's music is now admired and is still perpetually influential... Read review

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Advantages: Great debut album, set the tone for all their later work
Disadvantages: Some people may not have understood it in 1973

...Queen's 1973 debut album, Queen, was the first in a long line of successful albums that these innovative musicians produced. Listening to the tracks on this album reveal the formulas that this band would build upon to churn out good, solid rock 'n roll over what would turn out to be a twenty year career as a group. Queen took the glam rock motif that was in vogue at the time and applied formal musical training to it, creating lush chorale harmonies and beautiful guitar orchestrations. Classical musical instruments, such as the piano and the harp, were utilized by this band to create their own peculiar style of music, and their arrangements were vast and complicated. The players are: Freddie Mercury, vocals, piano Brian May, vocals, guitar John Deacon, vocals, bass guitar Roger Taylor, vocals, drums The tracks on the album and my... Read review

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Advantages: Intelligent, beautiful, unique
Disadvantages: Zero publicity

...and overpowering that it takes away from the effect, it's a very soothing vocally layered melancholic track with pounding drums and guitars. HIGHLIGHTS: "Tired" is the track that begins to see the progerssion and evolution on the album. It's a track that combines subtle orchestral backing with the screams of "I am so tired. I am so sore". "Facepaint" is an amazingly bold track. Again, we have layered operatic screaming rock vocals combined with the signature pounding drums and increasing guitar riffs. "Meantime" begins as a standard rock song, hitting hard and heavy, but then drops off towards the end into a beautiful piano and electric guitar driven angsty love song; "Where are you now?!". "Closure" is a backing synthesised operatic scream against the soul. With the lyrics "Let me out" hauntingly sung over and over. All in all, these tracks... Read review

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