Four Centuries of Great Music June 18, 2023 Full Body Orgasmic Scream Episode 3

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music is the third episode of Full Body Orgasmic Scream.  As described previously at a concert in April of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, during a performance of Tchaikovsky’s 5th symphony during the second movement, there was what was described as a “full body orgasmic scream”.  But as I describe last week later reports from around where the scream arose, it was probably a woman waking up from being asleep and not a reaction to the music.  But it is an interesting concept.  Well maybe we don’t have an orgasm when we listen to music, but I am sure that there are classical music pieces that give you that “tingle all over your body”.  Those are the works that we will be playing during this series of Four Centuries of Great Music episodes.  These episodes will be posted on Facebook after each show with the music on each episode.  I encourage you to make suggestions for each future episode about those classical music works that make you “tingle all over”.

One of those works is the first movement of Mendelssohn’s Symphony #4 In A, Op. 90, “Italian”.  I am envigorated and tingle all over when I hear those opening bars of the first movement.  It is in 4 movements:
I. Allegro Vivace
II. Andante Con Moto
III. Con Moto Moderato
IV. Saltarello: Presto


Next this hour is Mozart: Symphony #40 In G Minor, K 550     and specifically the recording of Bruno Walter conducting the New York Philharmonic.  Not only is it this work but this recording that give me such fond memories as this was one of the first recordings that I bought as a LP back - I don’t want to remember how many years.  But I get a tingle every time I listen to it. It is in 4 movements:
I. Molto Allegro
II. Andante
III. Menuetto: Allegretto, Trio
IV. Finale: Allegro Assai


For me a real ear opening experience was when I heard this Pulitzer prize awarded work by Caroline Shaw, the Partita for 8 Voices as performed by the 8 member vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth.  Orgasmic maybe not but it still gives me tingles every time I listen to it.  It isin 4 movements    I. Allemande;  II. Sarabande;   IiI. Courante and  IV. Passacaglia


And yes I realize that we had two pieces by Ravel last week, but one of my favorite string quartets is the Ravel String Quartet In F Major.  Although it is modeled after the Debussy String Quartet it still gives me chills and tingles when I listen to it, particularly the second movement.  There are 4 movements:
I.  Allegro moderato - Très doux
II. Assez vif - Très rythmé
III. Très lent
IV. Vif et agité