A few weeks back, I was tweeting and talking on the podcast about how much I enjoyed the third book in Tessa Dare's Spindle Cove series, A Lady By Midnight (A | BN | K | S). Avon kindly offered up 5 digital ARCs to help me soothe my feelings of guilt for talking about a book so far before the on-sale date. Super easy and quick giveaway ahoy!
If you'd like to win a digital ARC of A Lady By Midnight, leave a comment below and tell me your favorite piece of classical music (the heroine, Kate, is a music teacher in Spindle Cove).
I'll share one of mine: one of my absolute favorites is the second movement to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, which you can hear (and watch from a 1952 Carnegie Hall performance) on YouTube. The first movement of the 5th is pretty bad ass, but the second movement is my favorite.
And if you don't like classical music, you can still enter! TV themes, jazz, instrumental interstitials to commercials, they all totally count. Feel free to post a link to the piece of music you're suggesting, too. This will be one loud entry when I figure out how to make them auto play all at once.
There are no restrictions geographically for this giveaway but please know that winners will need an account with Edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com. The eARCs expire on the book’s on sale date, which is 28 August 2012.
If you're confused about what devices you can use, your questions may be answered at the Edelweiss site.
Standard disclaimers apply: I'm not being compensated for this giveaway, except that I read an ARC a week or so ago. Void where prohibited. Must be over 18 years of age and driving a wagon in order to win. Your mileage may vary. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Never sass a librarian or a music teacher.
You've got until 11:59pm ET Saturday 16 June, and I'll be picking the winners at random from all your musical suggestions. Ready, set, go!
Recently I’ve been using classical music to de-stress. I bought a calming CD for my dog and have been using it for me. It’s called Through a Dog’s Ear. The music is minimal and slowly paced and just encourages people (and yes, dogs) to breathe deeper and slower. It sounds kind of silly, I’m sure, but I think it’s relaxing.
Uh, to sound more knowledgable, I’ll say I really like the 3rd track Chopin’s Sonata in B flat minor.
Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man”. I listen to it when I set up for massive study sessions to feel like a badass.
The “Lacrimosa” from Mozart’s Requiem gives me chills every time. It’s my absolute favorite classical piece.
Mine are Bach’s Air on a G String, Mozart’s Der Holle Rache, Tchaikovsky’s June – Barcarole, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody (doesn’t that count?) and, because they’re about the only classical pieces I ever learned to play on the piano in 8 years of lessons, Beethoven’s Fur Elise and Mozart’s Turkish March. Though it’s not technically classical, I’m also a sucker for Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever.
Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. It’s feature in the movie “Somewhere in Time” starring the late Christopher Reeve with Jane Seymour. It is just about the MOST romantic movie ever. I have a friend who tells people his favorite movie is some sales training film. I take great pride in cancelling his man card by revealing that it is in fact this one.
I listen to classical almost exclusively while I work. I want background noise, but I don’t want any words that may distract me. My absolute favorite is Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suite 1 in G Major, BWV 1007, Prelude, which I can listen to on repeat for hours. It’s the first two and a half minutes of the YouTube video. A very close second is Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings.
Bach –
Barber –
A big thank you to Sarah and Avon and everyone commenting! What an awesome playlist this is turning out to be.
It’s also making me realize how little I know of orchestral music. I can’t say I have a favorite symphony, though I am sure I have enjoyed several. My high school/college music experience was all vocal. (This will shock anyone who’s heard me do karaoke, I’m sure.)
The tunes that still run through my head are madrigal/RenFaire leftovers featuring Allan-a-Dale and boar’s heads, arias and art songs I learned (+1 to those who mentioned O mio babbino, and adding Voi che sapete and Non so pio).
I will also add thumbs up for the 2005 Pride and Prejudice soundtrack! So much love for that, for so many reasons.
Now I am kicking myself for not trying classical when my kids were fitful babies. However, we discovered my son would always chill out immediately for Green Day.
OMG! I would desperately love to win this after all the people on Twitter kept going on about its awesomeness! (Not just you!)
My favorite is probably a bit overused, but I love “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from the Peer Gynt Suite by Edvard Grieg. If ever there is music to plot by…
The Red Poppy (Ballet), by Reinhold GLiere:
‘m afraid that I don’t like classical music. I don’t mind reading about it, however.
I’m brazilian, and I really like what we call “choro” or “chorinho”. When I was taking piano classes, there where these musics that always made me almost dance together while playing 😛 They are not exactly “classical”; let’s say they were popular here a while ago.
One of them is “Odeon” (
, which people tend to call “brazilian tango” but I don’t think that’s really correct; and the other is “Pintinhos no Terreiro” (
, something like “chicks in the yard” (you can quite imagine little chicks going around like crazy in some parts of the music).
They really helped me in my studies, and everytime I listen to them, I miss playing the piano so much.
Beethoven’s Romance No. 2 in F major. Sigh.
Für Elise. It’s the only piano piece I still sort of know how to play.
Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. So hauntingly beautiful!!
Johann Sebastian Bach has written some of my favourite classical music! I love his “Coffee Cantata”.
I’m a big fan of the Baroque period in general, but I absolutely adore Canon in D by Pachelbel. Beethoven and Debussy also rock my socks, as it were, though they’re not necessarily Baroque.
The most fun instrumental music to play in orchestra form is The Planets. Mars is the loudest and most enjoyable due to its driving progression.
Also, I love Tessa Dare, Avon Books, and the Smart Bitches site. Just sayin’. 🙂
Elisa
what_ever_for(at)cox(dot)net
I LOVE aaron copelands work. I always have a little ‘proud to be american’ moment when i’m listening to his work. When his music plays I can SEE the american landscapes.
ALSO Gershwin’s Thapsody in blue….I’m loving this comment subject!
I’m another one who loves Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Such a gorgeously moody piece. I like to play it (albeit poorly) and pretend that I’m some tortured pianist. Also, it makes me think of Lucy Honeychurch playing it in the movie version of A Room With a View as a prelude to her adventures.
Lucy Honeychurch: Mother doesn’t like me playing Beethoven. She says I’m always peevish afterwards.
Reverend Beebe: Naturally one would be… stirred up.
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy) is one of my favorites. I also enjoy Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
‘If Miss Honeychurch ever takes to live as she plays, it will be very exciting—both for us and for her.’
That’s it. Between O Mio Babbino and these lines, I must rewatch at once.
Definitely Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor.
Beethoven’s Symphony 3 & anything by Enya. Her voice is so soothing.
Thank you for providing this giveaway!
I played Violin in the high school orchestra and fell in love with so much. But Vivaldi is a top pick and Telemann’s Concerto Grosso may be my all time favorite classical piece ever.
On a side note, I’ve waited for this pairing with a voracious hunger ever since Thorne got mad at Kate in One Night to Surrender about the actions she took to drum in the militia.
Pictures from an Exhibition – because my little brother’s orchestra used to play this and it is now very recognizable to me. (Plus it makes sense in a way that people describe with other works that I don’t get with the other works)
Night Music – just so pretty
Anything John Williams! John Williams writes emotional and exciting music (George Lucas and Steven Speilberg’s movies wouldn’t be the same without him).
‘Carmina Burana’ by Carl Orff is one a little bit different than mentioned as I also love Balero and Moonlight Sonata.
I would love to read early the next Spindle Cove
My favorite is definitely Ravel’s Bolero. The piece starts out with the iconic drum beat and marches steadily on towards the end, building momentum as instruments are added and volume is increased. This piece gives me a feel of inevitability. I know more or less how it’s going to end but DAMN do I enjoy the ride. (I also get a kick out of identifying the different instruments as they’re added) (It also doesn’t hurt that my favorite episode of Doctor Who featured this piece…)
Carmen is traditionally sung by a mezzo soprano, though she needs to have a good range.
My daughter was a dancer and I loved it when she was in this variation. She stopped dancing before she got to be in Waltz, which kind of broke my heart.
My favorite classical piece is Moonlight Sonata by Beethovan. So calming and peaceful.
Serenade for Strings…the professional arm of my daughter’s ballet company did it many times over the years and I still blast it in my car quite often. Another piece (along with Waltz from the NC) that she never got to perform, since she stopped dancing shortly before she was old enough to be cast in those roles. Ah, the lure of high school and cheerleading….
Only one favorite? Sigh. I have one that stands above the rest, but not far: The Blue Danube by Strauss. If I start listing runners up, we’ll be here all day. While I’m not a music afficionado and don’t know all the terms, I listen to a lot of classical music while I write. Often, I’m not even aware of the name of the song or composer, but I know I love the tune. 🙂
Nooooo, you can’t make me pick only one Chopin waltz! *bangs on piano keys* Nope, can’t decide.
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, otherwise known as “Moonlight Sonata,” is my favorite classical piece. It’s just such an emotional piece when played properly—and such a range of emotion. I’m also really fond of Waldesrauschen by Franz Liszt, another piano piece, which is playful and often runs through my head when I’m reading historical novels.
I’m a pianist, so naturally I adore Chopin, especially Nocturne No.1 in B flat minor, Op.9 No.1. Here’s a gorgeous live performance by Yundi Li:
My favorite is probably Barber’s Adagio for Strings. So awesome!
The third movement of Moonlight is my favorite part of the music! So brilliant to see/hear performed live!
Wow, what a question! Love Canon in D by Pachelbel, Clair de Lune by Debussy, Handel’s Water Music, Beethoven’s 5th and 9th symphonies and Rachmaninoff’s Theme on Paganini (used in the movie Somewhere in Time). But these are just a few.
Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major