Has there been a piece that has changed your life?

It's got to be Einaudi, he spawned my love for classical music.

Or not.

Ah, then you should find Schoenberg and Webern to be most amazing!

And Bach ;)

Has a piece of music changed my life?

When I was a baby, a Bach 2-part invention ran into a burning building and saved my life, pulling me to safety.

I found this one funny..too bad he was being sarcastic :angry:

One of the pieces that really has changed my life is Sibelius' 5th symphony. After all, it was one of the first works that got me interested into classical/orchestral music in the first place, several years ago. I still hold it very dear to my heart. Other works that have had a big impact on me are Sibelius' 2nd, Mahler's 1st, the "Titan," Mahler's 6th, the "Tragic," Mahler's 7th, Walton's 1st, Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" from "Turandot," and Tchaikovsky's 6th, the "Pathetique."

A mix CD that I listened to at some point in middle school. I don't really know what was on it, other than that it was some sort of trance music. I was listening to it in a friend's CD player, which I had borrowed, and I remember walking around just completely tripped out, totally lost in this new, alien world of sound, hypnotized by the pounding rhythms and the dancing, wiggling synth lines. It was definitely an epiphany for me. In any case, whatever this CD was, it sparked my interest in electronic music, and certainly led me to where I am today, in terms of taste.

Barber's Adagio for strings op. 11 certainly springs to mind.

I have to say though that actually composing in music for my A levels really hit home to me how important music was for me. Up until that point, I was planning on doing Accountancy at University - how different can you get!

Sibelius' seventh symphony and Tapiola are so central to my compositional thought. The themes are so addictive, the development so suspenseful, and the whole piece just evolves and grows inexorably and in such a logical, beautiful way. I couldn't help listening to them over and over again in my Sibelius phase a couple of months ago, and I still listen to them when I feel like it.

Mahler's second symphony is pure revelation and absolute inspiration. This is what music is for; the entire last movement had me almost in tears as it spiraled to its overwhelming climax and conclusion.

Brahms' first was the first symphony I really sat down and listened to. It's amazing drama and controlled intensity make the brass chorale at the end overwhelming in a totally different way than anything by Mahler; the whole symphony was going right to that moment, whereas Mahler's seem to reel and sprint into oblivion.

Rachmaninoff's C-sharp minor prelude (yeah yeah, overplayed, I know) and his second piano sonata (B-flat minor) gave me a different way of looking at tonality, as the music of Rachmaninoff is quite apt to do. He used the Romantic style of composing, but he also had a very unique palette of colors to utilize. He's definitely changed my life in several ways.

Finally, Scriabin's D-sharp minor etude (solo piano) was what brought me to solo piano literature in the first place. I've never regretted it.

I wouldn't say there has been a piece that has "changed my life". Despite the large extent that listening to music plays in my life, no single piece could be held responsible for "changing" it in any noteworthy way.

Nevertheless, a few pieces (but merely a selection) that remain highly important for me are:

Beethoven Symphony No. 5

At the age of 10, this was the first major work I ever listened to in its entirety and it convinced me that sometimes music needs to last longer than 5 minutes.

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

The first symphony I ever heard performed live, beginning a love of live classical music performance. It was also the major piece I performed in the orchestra I play in when we went on an overseas tour last year - the first time I had left the country since I was 11, and the largest musical event I had ever participated in.

The Rite of Spring

Made me believe, for the first time, in "modern" music, and the progressive nature of music today.

Finlandia

Sibelius would be my favourite composer today, and it was thanks to this piece that I discovered him.

Mahler Symphony No. 9

I heard this live, and while it was the longest piece I have ever heard live, it was also one of the most captivating. An absolutely incredible concert - I couldn't listen to any music for a week afterwards. My first experience with the power of "slow" music.

Cesar Franck's Symphony and Beethoven's Eroica were the two pieces that most roped me into classical music. The Franck was the first "real" piece of large scale I played and the Beethoven, well, started my Beethoven obsession.

Klonos by Piet Swerts for saxophone and piano made me change the way i approach the saxophone and music in general. It made me really appreciate atonal music and understand the concepts behind it. I listen to it whenever I'm feeling down or need a confidence boost. I dont know why but I feel calm listening to it. It's weird because most people would probably be confused or freaked out listening to it and think I'm psychotic. lol

Le Tombeau de Couperin by Ravel.

Yes, to such an extend!

- ALL compositions of John Williams changed me!!! Especially Star Wars. Original ideas galore!!!

- Ravel's Piano Concerto and Czigane for Violin. Amazing!

- Paganini!!! All his works changed my composing style 100%

My Benediction :thumbsup:

Mahler's Second Symphony, one of the most spiritual endings ever written.

The first piece I consciously remember liking was Pop goes the weasel, which I would listen to endlessly as a toddler. The first pieces of real music I enjoyed were: The Sourcerer's Apprentice, Ravel's Bolero, The Planet's Suite, Handel's water music and one of Dire Straights albums. Tubular Bells as well.

The Rite of Spring in particular changed my life, as it actually gave me a slight volcano phobia, due to its use in fantasia, which as a four year old scared the living crap out of me. I'll bet there are many other's who had similar experiences.

Last year, the 2nd movement of Shostakovich's Symphony no. 10 has completely and utterly changed the way I think about composition, and has opened my ears to greater levels of dissonance.

Most importantly, the music from Star Wars made me realise early on in my composing career (not that long ago really), that orchestral music had far more weight than the new breed of electronic/orchestral hybrid film scores.

I think the piece that has moved me the most, despite it's age is Mozart's Andante from the 21'st piano concerto. It's the one pieces where despite it's subtlety and simplicity, remains to be in my view, a masterpiece.

Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op.95[/Quote] Forgot this one too! It's a shame that part of it is hard to listen to without the image of a piece of bread being sliced in slow motion coming to mind. Thank you Hovis..!

BWV 543.

I wouldn't say a piece of music changed my life. I remember as a 5-6 year banging on the piano and telling my parents I'd write music for them!

But below are the works which still move me and , as a result, influenced my writing (though I don't listen to them that much):

Stravinsky's "Les Noces"

Brahms 3rd symphony, esp the 1st and 2nd movements.

Beethoven's 8th , first movement, and the entire 3rd Symphony.

Schumann - Quintet or Piano and String Op 44

Brian Eno - much of his rock albums from the early seventies

As for more recently I'd say:

Ligeti's Ramifications

Bach's Organ Mass

Feldman's Flute Concerto

Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto (really a concerto for clarinet and snare drum)

Bach's E minor Fugue (the Wedge) -- just an amazing piece.

Schoenberg's Pierrot -- especially "Der Mondfleck".

Lastly, learning the organ and a improvisation from a well trained musician and writing music on deadline. These two probably had the greatest effect on my musicianship and composition than any particular work.

I guess that the piece that inspired me the most would be Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Before i listend to that, i was a very heavily influence classical man, my music did not spread beyond Puccini. Then i heard this piece, and i was lovestruck. Now i write very modern music, and i am a heavy promoter of creating your own original techniques to include in a piece. I love dissonance so much, just because of this piece.

Beethoven's 9th symphony was my first time hearing Classical music live. I was only 15 and I was amazed and blown away by the music. That is when i deiced I wanted to be a serious musician.

Mozart's Requiem is another. I actually sang bass in the Choir and preforming this really changed how i perceived music, because I didn't know music could contain such raw emotion until I sang the Requiem.

Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up

This has definitely changed my way of life. Now I always look at links before clicking them.

Clarinet concerto in A major by Mozart.

it proved to me that classical music can be amazing not only when it comes to piano and violin.

Symphony no 3 in c minor by Prokofiev

not exactly the most famous symphony ever, i know. but changed my whole point of view on 20th century music. it allowed me to truly feel 20th century music for the first time.

Piano concerto no 20 in d minor by Mozart

it made me feel that Mozart was more than he seemed.

music changed my life a lot when i was young. now, i just enjoy music more and more, its not really changing my life.

Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor

This was one of the first concertos that I heard where the orchestra and the piano seemed to work together.

Beethoven's 9th symphony

A little cliche I guess, but performing in it changed how I looked at the way the orchestra worked.

Beethoven's Grosso Fugue

Don't really know why it changed me...It just did

Great question... The Nutcracker Suite was what made me really start liking classical music... that was back when I was 12.. and I had just come back from my first summer of band camp Mahler's 1st Symphony really changed my perspective in orchestral music... I first played it when I was 15. It was brand new to me and really opened me up to a wider range of composers. I'm deep into the romantic period and music that has deep meaning. The second movement of Beethoven's 7th has brought me to tears on more than one ocassion and, although cliche, his 9th symphony is the most intense piece of music ever written. And I think Tchaik's 6th Symphony is a piece of brilliance. He is probably the best in capturing a mood. And the story behind this symphony makes it that much more intense to listen to. It's safe to say he's my favorite composer.

Mahler kicks donkey... you should check out his 1st-5th too. He is a beast.

Largo movement of Chopin's 1st piano concerto - before i listened to this i could only listen to chamber music or solo instrumental pieces, but after this i took an interest in full orchestral music :)

Man... that's said that Chopin did that for you... let alone his piano concerto.

My teacher always says that the writing in the piece is quite poor (except for the piano) - I must admit i've heard better concerto's since then but that piece was my starting point :) - the only classical music i really listened to was chopin's piano pieces to begin with, but after hearing the concerto I wanted to listen to more orchestral stuff which meant listening to different composers. I'm quite a fan of chopin in general still though ^.^ each to their own i guess :)

There was a piece of music that changed tons of things for me, but most people probably have never heard of it...It's a piece by Gary P. Gildroy. It was written specifically for my band in memory of a dear friend's death. It was really what got me into the entire idea of composition.