All right, /mu/. I'm feeling unusually amiable and talkative but nobody else is awake yet, so who's up for a classical/Western art music thread? Repertoire recommendations, recording comparisons, composer/period rankings, pointless bickering, whatever anyone wants is fine by me.
I used a portrait of Händel for the OP image because I'm listening to Messiah right now and thought that might be a fun topic to begin with, since oratorios as a genre tend to go overlooked in /mu/ discussions. Do you have a favorite recording? Has anyone here ever performed it, either in whole or excerpts? What was your voice or orchestral part, and what kind of performance was it? I'll share my boring little story about it later in the thread.
If your only exposure to the work is the overplayed-as-fuck "Hallelujah" chorus on Christmastime radio, don't be quick to write off the rest based on that one movement. It's a masterpiece by one of the true masters, but more importantly it's a passionate and genuinely moving piece (and I'm saying this as a non-Christian). Even though the subject matter is sacred, in many ways the presentation feels more philosophical and humanist than religious and mystical, essentially being about the prospect of redemption for mankind and the mending of the divisions among peoples. There are quite a few complete performances to be found on YouTube, I am pleased to report, including my personal favorite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q9MN652_ds
But like I said, that's just one possible topic. Let's see where it goes.