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Sarah Canice Funke
- Favorites
Do you have any favorite Classical composers? Or do your favorites tend to change depending on what stage of life you happen to occupy at the moment? I find that I've had many favorites. The 19th-century, Romantic era attracted me in high school, especially the poignant and melodious Chopin. This Polish-born composer’s stretched out, soaring melodies resembled the operatic singing of his day, and his lush harmonies supported those melodies with a full-bodied resonance. In my early undergraduate days, I became interested in Bach and Baroque contrapuntal techniques. Bach’s early 18th-century pedagogical works (such as “The Well-Tempered Clavier,” his collection of preludes and fugues written in every single key available for the Western keyboard) employed mathematical patterns that anticipated 20th-century techniques used by twelve-tone composers. Later in my undergraduate experience, I became enthralled with Stravinsky’s unusual and complex rhythmic patterns. Instead of following common symmetrical patterns which resemble normal walking strides, Stravinsky would upset the listener’s sense of balance by arranging beats in asymmetrical groups (such as five or seven) and placing emphasis on beats other than the first or third in a bar (the traditional and typical placement of emphasis). Finally, overlapping the last part of undergraduate experience and the beginning of my graduate studies was my interest in Philip Glass and Steve Reich, minimalist composers. You can review the articles on the main Classical Music page for further information regarding minimalism and some specific works by these composers. This progression of tastes doesn’t mean I have left my old favorites behind. Rather, I gather more and more “friends” in my aural world of listening enjoyment. And I always appreciate any suggestions for future experiences.
