[hugz]

I would like some stringed music please. I have bits and peices of violin music, but would like some more general stringed music.

For reference of what i'm thinking, i've been quite enjoying the music from the beatles song "eleanor rigby" (from revolver, but there's a more suitable "strings only" version of it available on the anthology 2 cd).

A quick google shows that eleanor rigby has "4 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos". I love the choppy violins/violas (i think), the nice dark cellos and the beautiful smooth violin bits.

Of course, it's only intended as background music for this song, so i'd expect there'd be better stuff available.

Any suggestions?

 

[Ferbose]

First if all there are lots of string quartets in the classical reportoire.
You can start with Beethoven or Mozart.
For multiple string instruments I believe this CD is worth checking out:
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/...&album_id=2817

 

[hugz]

Thanks for the recommendations. Just for clarification, i'm looking for something with the same feel as eleanor rigby. I'm not sure that beethoven or mozart will be quite the same, but i'll check it out.

(eleanor rigby is said to be inspired by both vivaldi and the score from farenheit 451)

 

[Bolt San]

Definitely the Kronos Quartet's work on the Requiem for a Dream soundtrack.

 

[pbalcer]

How about Vivaldi? I like "Four Seasons" performed by ASMF under Marriner and "L'Estro Armonico"/Pinnock. LOTS of strings there!

 

[Bunnyears]

If you like thick cellos, then try Schubert's string quintet in C, D956. Schubert used 2 cellos, which gives it a very lovely dark tone. Emerson quartet and Alban Berg quartet, Melos quartet and Auryn quartett have all done great recordings of this with guest cellists.

For choppy strings, by that I think you mean a more detaché attack, then try the Beethoven early string quartets by the Takasc quartet.

For the greatest violin sonata recording (violin and piano), get Martha Argerich and Itzhak Perlman doing Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata. It's paired with a Bruch violin sonata, and the recording is exceptional -- in a class by itself.

For baroque strings, and I suspect that after Eleanor Rigby, the baroque sound is what you are looking for, try to get a good recording of Bach's Double concerto for violin or any of the Bach violin concertos.

 

[Mark from HFR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hugz Thanks for the recommendations. Just for clarification, i'm looking for something with the same feel as eleanor rigby. I'm not sure that beethoven or mozart will be quite the same, but i'll check it out. (eleanor rigby is said to be inspired by both vivaldi and the score from farenheit 451)

This is not easy, because nothing else has quite the same feel as 'Eleanor Rigby'. Lennon remarked once that he thought the song's string arrangement was "pure Vivaldi" because McCartney had been listening to lots of Vivaldi just before he wrote the song. But it really doesn't sound much like Vivaldi. The song holds very obsessively to it's repeated chords, where Vivaldi seems to get easily bored with each idea and veers off to something new all the time. If it's like anything at all in Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons", it would be the stormy 'Summer' concerto in G minor, possibly also parts of the 'Winter' concerto in F minor.

On the Beethoven front, his String Quartet No. 8 in E minor at times provides a dark, obsessive feel that is in the same neck of the woods as the Beatles song. The first and third movements both tear into it, and the last movement might appeal in terms of its nervously repeated chords. That last part plays its own interesting game though: It starts out in a bright major key, but always ends up turning back to the dark minor.

A simpler, easier to learn piece with the feel of e.r. is "Company" by Philip Glass. It was music for a play, and has been recorded by the Kronos Quartet among others.

Mark

 

[Ttvetjanu]

This might be slightly off-topic, but Apocalyptica has some great 'metallish' Cello tracks.

 

[jigga22]

Saw something I had to respond to....

There is an excellent album called "Strung Out on OK Computer". It's a string quartet's renditions of the entire Radiohead album, OK Computer and it has some excellent stuff. Do a search on Amazon for "strung out" and you will see there are a few albums in this same style done for more modern artists.

 

[hugz]

some wonderful suggestions here! I'll be sure to try hard to check them all out! I've got some vivaldi lying about somewhere so i'll dig it up and give it a listen when i have a chance.

I've been listening to some paganini too lately. while it's certainly not the same as eleanor rigby, it's quite nice. However, i'll try to specifically search for choppy nervous/paranoid sounding strings for the moment

keep them coming, it's really quite addictive.