h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The BBC Radio 3 programme "Essential classics" has an interesting questionnaire on its website. I shan't quote it verbatim, but it can be seen here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014r87y

Some things to think about. Well, I found it thought-provoking anyway, as I never really bother to get my thoughts on this sort of thing in order.

Here are a couple of the sort of questions:

1 - What was the first piece of classical music you can remember hearing?
3 - What was the first classical record/CD you bought yourself?
10 - What piece of music would you listen to on a journey (car/train/plane)?
18 - If you could step back in time to hear a great performer who’s no longer with us, who would it be, and what piece would you choose to hear?

And a classic h2g2 sort of question:

20 - What piece of music do you want played at your funeral/to be remembered by?



I'm sure I'm not the only one who has absolutely no idea which was the first record I bought.

It was most probably bought from the world-famous Andy's record stall on Cambridge Market in 1975. (Vinyl, of course).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andys_Records

I never bought records as a child or teenager, but I remember being given an LP of Schubert's Trout Quintet, at some age between eight and twelve. No subsequent performance came close to it -- for many years, anyway.

1 - What was the first piece of classical music you can remember hearing?
Ravel's Bolera, courtesy of Reader's Digest. Fav until a certain duo danced it to death.

3 - What was the first classical record/CD you bought yourself?
The Devil's Trill - Tartini, also known as the Violin Sonata in G minor.

10 - What piece of music would you listen to on a journey (car/train/plane)?
Classically, anything by Tchaikovsky or Beethoven. Staid? Sad? Probably.

18 - If you could step back in time to hear a great performer who’s no longer with us, who would it be, and what piece would you choose to hear?
Paganini. As MazinMadFiddler, who else?

And a classic h2g2 sort of question:

20 - What piece of music do you want played at your funeral/to be remembered by?
Death of Aase - Peer Gynt - Edvard Grieg. Not because it's a funeral, although appropriate, but because I love the piece, and few people know it. They know the Hall of the Mountain King but please listen to it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxjw6ZsHjNU

MMF

1 - What was the first piece of classical music you can remember hearing?
Well, I did ballet from an early age, so probably something hammered out on an ancient upright in the upstairs lounge at Miss Watsons.

3 - What was the first classical record/CD you bought yourself?
I think it was Deliebes Coppelia. or esle Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. See ballet-related reason above.

10 - What piece of music would you listen to on a journey (car/train/plane)?
If I wanted to relax and sleep, Clair de Lune, or some Satie. If I was driving, something more lively that I could sing along to - Tosca, probly. Or Carmina Burana.

18 - If you could step back in time to hear a great performer who’s no longer with us, who would it be, and what piece would you choose to hear?
Shostakovich performing any of his own works. Oh, OK the 7th symphony.


20 - What piece of music do you want played at your funeral/to be remembered by?
Spem in Alium

>anything by Tchaikovsky or Beethoven. Staid? Sad? Probably.

To me, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven are the Barnum and Bailey of music. Yep, I'm a viol player.

(Funny thing about Pliny, I clicked to reply to Post 3, yet I am apparently replying to Post 4.)

1 - What was the first piece of classical music you can remember hearing?

Probably "Mise Eire", an arrangement of a traditional Irish tune for orchestra by Sean O'Riada. We had it on a 45, and we used to jump off the arms of the couch when the cymbals crashed.

3 - What was the first classical record/CD you bought yourself?

Scheherezade by Rimsky Korsakoff, when I was 14. I liked it at the time, but grew to detest that piece later on.

10 - What piece of music would you listen to on a journey (car/train/plane)?

Depends on whether I was on my own or not. If I wanted to be able to talk during the music, it would have to be something with an even dynamic (all the same volume), so Mozart or Haydn would be best. If I was on my own, I could afford to play it really loud so it would have to be Richard Strauss - probably Eine Alpensinfonie followed by Don Quixote.

18 - If you could step back in time to hear a great performer who’s no longer with us, who would it be, and what piece would you choose to hear?

JS Bach improvising on harspichord.

20 - What piece of music do you want played at your funeral/to be remembered by?

If there was time, I'd like Media Vita by Sheppard. We sang it a couple of years ago, and it is beautiful and hypnotic.