I'll start with the basics. I am married with two kids living in Minneapolis after moving here from Northern CA. I work part time as a Piano Instructor at a community college. Since you are now all my captive audience, I've decided to write on my favorite composers and some of their pieces. �� In other words a real snooze fest. BUT as an added bonus I will give you a list of the movies you should see because I like them. It's a Twofer! All the music is on YouTube so please do check it out. Off we go..... Huzzah ��
Dmitri Shostakovich is by far my favorite composer. His music is complicated and intense. That is the beauty in Shostakovich's music in my opinion. His Symphony Number 10, Second Movement is fast, crazy, loud and awesome. He wrote this symphony when Stalin had just died and it is not a homage to Stalin, but a F*ck You to him. Poor Shosty was not well liked in the Party. I would also recommend his Symphony Number 15 (his last one) as well. Some of the very snobby music historians don't think highly of it as he was by then starting to lose it. But check it out just to hear the Factory type sounds he tried to convey. There's tons more of his music but I wanted to start off slowly and you can keep listening.....He is the best.
Okay, I don't have a favorite movie, but wanted to suggest so nicely to either keep watching or start watching the Marx Brothers. The ones that stand out are Duck Soup (Margaret Dumont - so great), A Night at the Opera and Day at the Races. If you have never watched them before and happen upon one, avoid any of the movies newer than say 1941 or so. My other 'likes' with comedies are any Laurel and Hardy or Buster Keaton. BTW, fav recent movie is Eastern Promises. I don't know what one can read into that.
To end, I wanted to say a thank you for the ListServe site for putting this all together. I've had fun reading many of the others and actually had fun with this one. Peace Beth