I think that for its time, Beethoven's music was very innovative; and it often has an energy which I have usually found lacking in classical music (for example Mozart, who I find perfect but somewhat dull). It's funny how people often agree on what a musician's best pieces are; the famous piano sonatas - the ones on this album - also happen to be my favourites. I probably don't need to describe Beethoven's music for you, as no doubt you've heard it millions of times. For me, much of it is shackled by the courtly constraints of the genre; but with some of the piano sonatas, he managed to burst out, and invest the music with ferocious vigour. Like Blind Willie Johnson, he keeps you on your toes; where you expect a quiet patch, you get a tempestuous flurry instead. At his best, he's very passionate - you can see why performers get into such a sweat playing his music. Some of the slower passages are very fine too - delicate and beautiful.

I know, most people would call Beethoven a genius. I'm just going by how much I like the music.

To buy 'Piano Sonatas - Moonlight, etc.' ($10.49),

Claude Debussy had a very rare gift. Often, music falls into one of two categories: either melodic and predictable (like most classical music), or unpredictable and fairly unmusical (like a lot of contemporary music). Debussy consistently pulled off the unusual feat of combining ear candiness with almost complete unpredictability. He wasn't unconventional for the sake of it; his musical mind, though extremely independent from those of others, had its own coherence; a kind of recipe book for throwing up beautiful things that no-one else could have imagined. This is some of my very favourite music.

To buy 'Piano Music' ($32.37, triple CD, recommended),

I think the Estonian Arvo Part is probably the best of the 'New Minimalist' composers (others of whom are John Tavener and Henryk Gorecki). His music is simple, and often very beautiful. This compilation album brings together some of Part's best work. My favourite track is probably 'Spiegel im Spiegel', which is constructed with the barest of elements - violin and piano - playing an extremely simple and touching tune. It is a difficult feat to pull off, to strip a tune of artifice and still make it compelling; but much of my favourite classical music (including Debussy's piano music) is in precisely this style: where an uncluttered, beautiful melody is all that holds the attention. One of his characteristic tricks (used on 'Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten' and 'Festina Lente') is to have instruments playing the same tune at three different speeds. Sounds like chaos; but it actually works brilliantly here.

So far as I can tell, this CD is no longer available. I recommend that you buy an Arvo Part CD which has 'Fur Alina' or 'Spiegel im Spiegel' - preferably both. Here's a CD that's in that category (((I know the songs on the CD, but I don't know how well or badly they're performed. However, this version of the CD is reviewed very positively here))). 'Fur Alina' (1976) isn't on the 'Tabula Rasa' album; I heard it just recently on MP3. It's a very spare, simple, beautiful and moving piano piece.

You can listen to lots more great (though truncated) Arvo Part clips at Mete's Music Studio.

Here's a collection of Arvo Part links.

This is the music you would least like to have played at your wedding or cocktail party. It was featured extensively in my favourite horror film, 'The Shining', by Stanley Kubrick; it's horribly jerky, intense and cacophonous, with oft-copied shocking violin clashes. You'd probably have to be of peculiar bent (like me) to listen to this on a regular basis - it's powerfully hellish and screechy, and puts the Aphex Twin to shame for sheer brilliant unpleasantness. Strong and disturbing.

To buy 'Anaklasis, Threnody, etc.' ($11.49),


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