Is Halloween something big where you live? It is unheard of here.

Bubble, Halloween is a really big thing in my block, because someone in the next block is a theater lighting professional, and he has fun by setting up his front yard and that of the willing next door neighbor with special effects, lighting, spooky creatures, a raised dance floor, music, etc.  People come from all over to look and dance.  In my very short block the neighbors put an elevated fire pit in the middle of the street to keep warm, and sit around eating and talking, and the trick or treaters have to get their treats at that one station.

But it's big everywhere.

From the quiz before last:

4: In the 1980 Chopin Piano Festival a very famous pianist resigned from the panel of judges because of what she claimed to be an unfair and biased decision when the panel awarded the first prize to someone she deemed unworthy over whom she reckoned was superior to anyone in the competition.  Name the judge who resigned and pianist whom she felt should have been the winner.

The answer was Martha Argerich, and Wednesday I was lucky enough to hear her perform.  No personnel dramatics here, but with the help of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia â€" Rome, she brought great dramatics to Prokofieff's 3rd piano concerto.  It's not a familiar piece to me; it makes huge demands on both pianist and orchestra, and is very impressive when, as here, they rise to the challenge.  For encore she played a four hand piece from Ravel's Mother Goose Suite, with music director Antonio Pappano as partner.

I hadn't heard of the orchestra before, but they're very good indeed.  After intermission they did a great job on Respighi's Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome, then several short encores, ending up with the rousing end to Rossini's William Tell Overture to send us off into the night.

That sounds like a real treat, Pat.

Please do take some pictures of your neighbor's front yard, I am most interested to see that art work.  If you have a problem posting them, I am more than willing to resize and post for you.

Is there any specific Halloween music?  Dance Macabre... lol

Don't miss this one!

https://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=80.msg107088#msg107088

One of the many pieces I used to play on my show on Halloween was  the FUNERAL MARCH OF A MARIONETTE"
by Charles Gounod. It also served as the signature tune for Alfred Hitchcock's Sunday night show.

Bubble, your Ghosts put a smile on my face.

Don, I loved the Funeral March - and I also enjoyed a couple of pieces after that.  Some people are very clever!

I think Bubble has had more fun with Halloween than anyone else.  Very cute creations!

Mary Ann

I save the Funeral March for Aviv, I am sure he will love it and thus acquire some taste for classical music.

Chopin's Funeral March played by the Polish Army Orchestra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NKMk8IpcV8

Edward Greig composed this Funeral March in honor of the death of his friend, Rikard Nordraak.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJi_rb9D8I4

Otto Nicolai composed this on the death of Bellini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_srQ2z_oo0

None of the above are spooky, but in keeping with All Hallows Eve (All Saints Day) for remembering the dead.

Then there is Bach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnuq9PXbywA Always a favorite this time of year along with

A Night on Bald Mountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5pnoSgIuVo

Ahhhhhhhhhh such great music.  The Bach especially.  I put its short cut on my desktop.  I miss the Sunday's concert.

MarsGal there were a couple of works that were unknown to me: Grieg and Nicolai.  Excellent choices.

Bubble I miss my Sunday show as well.

I love that Bach, never get tired of it.

Don, those were the only two unfamiliar pieces for me too.

We were discussing magpies on the Wildlife photos site, and this led to Angelface describing the thieving habits of their relatives, the ravens, to Rossini's Thieving Magpie overture, so since I posted the overture there, I thought I'd share it here too.  Nice rousing piece for the gloomy rainy evening here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYfaKAIf-SU

wow, that conductor is really expressive!
Fantastic music for starting the day here. Thanks!

Rossini: scintillating as always.
Here's another quiz for you.
NOV 8 2017

1: Verdi’s opera Aida is set in Egypt, but Aida is not Egyptian.  What is her nationality? 

2: Still on the subject of Verdi, in what opera of his does the main character proclaim himself to be a god and then is promptly struck down by a thunderbolt and rendered senseless?

3: In what cities were the following operas set: (a) TOSCA,  SICILIAN VESPERS  (C) GIANNI SCHICCHI   

4: What famous conductor who spoke against fascism was beaten up my Mussolini’s thugs?   

5: Donizetti composed an opera about the daughter of Pope Alexander vi.  What was the name of the opera. 

6:  NAME THIS TUNE:  https://www.normalesup.org/~glafon/musique/extraits/extrait17.mp3

1. Ethiopian

#5 Lucretia Borgia

#4 Arturo Toscanini

Don..If it is o.k. to answer another question, #6 that had  been driving me crazy all afternoon, suddenly came to mind.

Chia, I prefer this composition to other Romeo and Juliet compositions. Is this what you came up with?

6. Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy-Overture

I don't know the rest.

Marsgal..I would rather  have an  o.k. from Don rather then post the answer I came up with for #6

#2: Nabucco

That's a fantastic response; well done!


1: Verdi’s opera Aida is set in Egypt, but Aida is not Egyptian.  What is her nationality? 1: Ethiopian: Bubble

2: Still on the subject of Verdi, in what opera of his does the main character proclaim himself to be a god and then is promptly struck down by a thunderbolt and rendered senseless? 2: Nabucco,
  PatH
   

4: What famous conductor who spoke against fascism was beaten up my Mussolini’s thugs?   
  Toscanini Chya
5: Donizetti composed an opera about the daughter of Pope Alexander vi.  What was the name of the opera. Lucrezia Borgia: Tomereader

6: Name this tune (and composer) https://www.normalesup.org/~glafon/musique/extraits/extrait17.mp3 # Romeo and Juliette: Tchailovsky MarsGal

Only #3 left. The only clue I can give you is that they are all Italian cities.  It's open now so answer if you know it.

Question 3

a Rome
b.Palermo
c. Florence

The final answer was correct and the quiz is complete.  Good job everyone!  Here's a recap.

1: Verdi’s opera Aida is set in Egypt, but Aida is not Egyptian.  What is her nationality?  Ethiopian: Bubble

2: Still on the subject of Verdi, in what opera of his does the main character proclaim himself to be a god and then is promptly struck down by a thunderbolt and rendered senseless? 2: Nabucco,
Nabucco: PatH

3: In what cities were the following operas set: (a) TOSCA,  SICILIAN VESPERS  (C) GIANNI SCHICCHI    (a) Rome, (b) Palermo(c) Florence,   BUBBLE


4: What famous conductor who spoke against fascism was beaten up my Mussolini’s thugs?   
Toscanini: Chya

5: Donizetti composed an opera about the daughter of Pope Alexander vi.  What was the name of the opera.  Lucrezia Borgia: Tomereader

6: Name this tune (and composer) https://www.normalesup.org/~glafon/musique/extraits/extrait17.mp3 #6 Romeo and Juliette: Tchaikovsky: MarsGal

Good quiz, Don, thank you.

Yes, a very good quiz and perhaps next time I will know an answer or two   

Thanks! For once I was not totally ignorant

I am trying to find some modern classical Thanksgiving compositions and found these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14GCvbINy4Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA05aiIvl20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFpOjYEUTnE

I am not sure if they are composed for Thanksgiving Day or just thanksgiving compositions. None of them seem to fit the day, to my thinking.