Question by Alberich: Military, armed conflict in classical music: what examples represent successful depictions: battles, duels?
I’m watching a DVD set of NBC’s production of “Victory at Sea”: a documentary of WW II naval battles.
Military conflcts, duels, armed mayhem are not a common topic in classical music. There are only a few that I can think of, some successful depictions, others, not so much so: Beethoven’s “Wellington’s Victory”(pretty second rate I think); von Weber’s “Der Freischutz”(top notch).
What examples can you cite, which best illustrates the more succesfull in their dipiction, the least successful: symphonic, operatic, instrumental, whatever?
Alberich
“hfrankm”: Didn’t know you were a pacifist; I’m certainly not a “war monger”, but I whole-heartedly disapprove of the two major war efforts that this country is presently engaged in.
Handel’s “Giulio Cesare”: not at all familiar with this work; will try to locate a “listen to/view” website.
Alberich
Best answer:
Answer by hfrankmann
Well Ride of the Valkyrie is certainly martial and I know you appreciate it as I do. Handel’s Giulio Cesare has its very strong war moments.
As a pacifist I’m better with the anti-war operas like Berg’s Wozzeck and Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s Die Soldaten.
Edit:
Here are a bunch of excerpts, but I don’t know how many are war like since You Tube is blocked at worked.
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu5bLFVxI.awA9bBXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTBzcWI3N252BHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0Y2NTRfODM-?p=Handel%27s+%22Giulio+Cesare&fr2=sc-sb&fr=ffds1&vs=youtube.com&ei=UTF-8
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