Something Interesting for a Wedding Processional?

[Moosbrugger]

Greetings. I'm trying to avoid having to listen to an acoustic guitar playing Here Comes the Sun as my fiance walks down the aisle. I've seen lists of most of the common classical pieces. I thought you all might have some good suggestions. Classical or Jazz. I really don't like the idea of pop or rock.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

(By the way -- this is a great forum.)

[wkhanna]

My suggestion:

 

Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 8 (Pathétique) - Adagio cantabile

 

And only the best to you & your bride.

[wgscott]

Congratulations. I always thought this would be perfect. Sadly, my wife disagreed.

 

[video=youtube;cao6WyF-61s]

[Musicophile]

You have the obvious wedding marches (Wagner and Mendelssohn), however both probably aren't what you'd qualify as interesting. And as a side note, if you know how Lohengrin's marriage ended you really wonder why wedding march from this opera is so extremely popular.

 

But back to your question: would you be looking for a recording or would there be live musicians?

[One and a half]

Best wishes to the new bride!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5R3OcYXy0XU

 

Just the first few minutes of the Promenade.

[One and a half]

From 20:17 Onwards...or the whole lot while the congregation awaits.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=CJYVH_kZkOk

[m&m's]

fwiw,my ex wife and i where both big spaghetti western fans and unannounced our friends changed the typical here comes the bride to "ecstasy of gold"(from the good , the bad and the ugly)there was a lot of confused faces in the crowd and when I looked at my bride coming down the isle I could see she was laughing and the whole wedding party was laughing.it kind of released a lot of anxiety we both had at the moment. a little unconventional but it was fitting for us. although not together any more but still friends we both still talk about that moment

[Snowmonkey]

I recall my aunt wanted Plaisir D'Amour for her wedding, until she learned the English translation of the lyrics - "The joys of love, how soon they pass away...."

 

We used "Never Tear Us Apart", by INXS for my son's wedding. I know they're a rock band, but this song is in slow march time and the lyrics are perfect. Worth checking out.

[Jud]

At this very moment I happen to be listening to "Largo from Concerto for Harpsichord in F Minor" from Ann Akiko Meyers' "Air" album. Sounds like it might work nicely - check it out.

 

And congratulations!

[astrotoy]

You have the obvious wedding marches (Wagner and Mendelssohn), however both probably aren't what you'd qualify as interesting. And as a side note, if you know how Lohengrin's marriage ended you really wonder why wedding march from this opera is so extremely popular.

 

But back to your question: would you be looking for a recording or would there be live musicians?

 

Start with the exciting prelude to the third act of Lohengrin - if it is timed correctly, the bride enters at exactly the right time, and there is a real chorus singing to the entrance of the bride (it is the "Bridal Chorus" after all). We did this with the great Rudoph Kempe recording of Lohengrin for our daughter's wedding.

 

Larry

[Boris75]

You have the obvious wedding marches (Wagner and Mendelssohn), however both probably aren't what you'd qualify as interesting. And as a side note, if you know how Lohengrin's marriage ended you really wonder why wedding march from this opera is so extremely popular.

 

I fully agree. The wedding march from Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night Dream is also an odd -- though very frequent -- choice unless the bridegroom is happy being considered a donkey.

 

Coming back to Moosbrugger's question, I would personally recommend the Toccata from Widor's fifth symphony especially if there is a large pipe organ and a good organist in the church where your wedding is going to take place. Though very well known, this piece is always very cheering, and avoids the tricky subtexts of the above-mentioned Mendelssohn and Wagner pieces. And, above all, congratulations and best wishes.

[woodford]

Siegfrieid's funeral march...

 

but seriously, The Entry of the Guests from Tannhauser is great, and sounds wonderful on the organ:

 

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ermKeQb4X58" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

and something a little more intimate, from Handel's Water Music:

 

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7U8YVsW9I8U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

easily playable on piano or with a single violin.

 

and the arrival of the queen of sheeba makes a great recessional:

 

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-TGKJ9MgCOQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Boris75]

Now that I think again about it, the Toccata that I mentioned is more appropriate for the end of the ceremony.

[LBob]

We did Jesu Joy of Man's Desire at mine. Must have worked. Still hitched after 22 year.

 

Who's Sorry Now would probably be a bad idea. ;-)

[Moosbrugger]

Thank you everybody, these are great suggestions. We've really enjoyed listening to them all! Right now, we're leaning towards "Largo from Concerto for Harpsichord in F Minor", or perhaps one of Bach's concerti for harpsichord. And we have a possibility of cellist who could play some of Bach's suites, but I don't think that would pan out.

 

I tried for "99 Problems But a Bitch Ain't One of Them." I explained that this was actually complimentary of the bitch in question, but I could not win the battle. I also got rejected for the Cracow Klezmer Band or Taraf de Haidoukis.

 

Thanks again.

 

Stone

[mav52]

From what I remember when I got married 32 years ago, I do not remember the song played much less hear it as it must have been my knees shaking or my heart beating loudly.

[Musicophile]

Thank you everybody, these are great suggestions. We've really enjoyed listening to them all! Right now, we're leaning towards "Largo from Concerto for Harpsichord in F Minor", or perhaps one of Bach's concerti for harpsichord. And we have a possibility of cellist who could play some of Bach's suites, but I don't think that would pan out.

A word of caution: BWV1056 that you're probably referring to, is indeed a beautiful concerto. However, it is actually as many other works recycled from other previous oeuvres from JS Bach. The outer movements seem to come from a now lost violin or oboe concerto, but the largo that you're mentioning is actually also the Sinfonia (opening movement) of the cantata BWV156, "Ich steh mit einem Fuss im Grabe" (translating literally to "I am standing with one foot in the grave"). I'm not particularly superstitious, but I'm not sure that is the wording you want to have for your wedding :-)

 

 

Alternative proposal, equally beautiful, but no link to any morbid cantata that I'm aware of:

 

Bach's concerto for two violins in d-minor BWV 1043, e.g. by Hilary Hahn:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fADoPMyBHcw

 

or by Julia Fischer.

 

If you prefer cembalo, the same work has later been converted into a concerto for two harpsichords in c-minor (BWV1062):

 

And I agree, as much as I love the cello suites, I wouldn't use them for a wedding.

[accwai]

A word of caution: BWV1056 that you're probably referring to, is indeed a beautiful concerto. [...] but the largo that you're mentioning is actually also the Sinfonia (opening movement) of the cantata BWV156, "Ich steh mit einem Fuss im Grabe" (translating literally to "I am standing with one foot in the grave").

 

Well, the title of Bach's cantatas are basically the first sentence of the sung words. To put things into the proper context, you have to go through the whole text. Immediately after I stand with one foot in the grave, it says Deal with me,God,according to your kindness, and later on Lord, deal with me as you will, etc... That's the actual theme of the cantata. It's kind of like like taking a leap of faith. Getting married is a little like that too, don't you think?

 

I'm not particularly superstitious, but I'm not sure that is the wording you want to have for your wedding :-)

 

Sure, now that you've planted the seed of doubt

 

Alternative proposal, equally beautiful, but no link to any morbid cantata that I'm aware of: [...]

 

Along the line of concerto movement, how about a beautiful Largo or Adagio by Tomaso Albinoni? From concerto collections Opus 5 or 9, for example. There are a whole lot of them to choose from, so it won't be hard to pick one you like and with exactly the right duration one need.

 

Andy

[Musicophile]

Immediately after I stand with one foot in the grave, it says Deal with me,God,according to your kindness, and later on Lord, deal with me as you will, etc... That's the actual theme of the cantata.

You could argue that this is the actual theme of about every second cantata that Bach has written :-)

 

And while I fully agree that a marriage is a leap of faith I'd just be superstitious enough that I would not want that kind of title associated with my wedding.

 

But then again, actually the Lohengrin wedding march was played at my wedding as well and I only later really considered the context of the opera's libretto, and so far we are still together ;-) Hopefully "La Vie En Rose" which was also played just after that overruled the negative context. (I wonder what an objectivist would say to my rambling here, probably he'd ask for a double-blind confirmation).

[Audio_ELF]

In case you'd like suggestions about what isn't appropriate too...

[video=youtube_share;r_WERPN8KO8]