This month the challenge is to listen to music of the holiday season -- but not the same tired old tunes that we always here this time of year. The hashtag may read "Xmas Classics a Day," but we mean classical, not necessarily classic.
So Ralph Vaughan Williams' Hodie - yes. Steve Laurence and Edi Gorme's "Happy Holidays" - no.
Although the theme is classical, we're keeping the definition of Christmas loose. It includes any liturgical music written for use during Advent or Christmas (don't forget all those Magnificats, too).
There are also orchestral works written for the season, and many piano works, too. And there are ballets and dramatic works that have a scene or two (or perhaps the entire story) taking place around Christmas. Also remember works that involve the seasons or the months of the year -- the December portions of those compositions work, too!
You can select anything from medieval chants to modern choral works. So start listening, and be sure to share with your fellow Twitterers using the #XmasClassicsaDay hashtag. There's a very good chance that you'll be turning others on to some great music they might not otherwise discover.
Compiling the collective wisdom and lively conversations of the #classicsaday Twitterers.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
#FaustaDay November 2011
This month's theme is an interesting challenge. The goal is to listen to at least one classical work inspired by the story of Faust, the doctor who sold his soul to Mephistopheles in exchange for immortality and unlimited pleasure.
Composers have found the legend -- and especially the version by Gothe -- inspirational for centuries.
There's actually quite a lot of classical music to choose from.
You could listen to Charles Gounod's opera "Faust," Franz List's "Faust Symphony," Franz Schubert's lieder "Gretchen am Spinnrade." Alfred Schnittke's "Faust Cantata" -- just to name a few.
It's a great opportunity for us to be adventuresome, have fun, and deepen our shared knowledge of the repertoire!
Composers have found the legend -- and especially the version by Gothe -- inspirational for centuries.
There's actually quite a lot of classical music to choose from.
You could listen to Charles Gounod's opera "Faust," Franz List's "Faust Symphony," Franz Schubert's lieder "Gretchen am Spinnrade." Alfred Schnittke's "Faust Cantata" -- just to name a few.
It's a great opportunity for us to be adventuresome, have fun, and deepen our shared knowledge of the repertoire!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
#HovhanessaDay September 21-30, 2011
September 29, 2011
#HovhanessADay I'm fresh out of symphonies, so today it's Mountains & Rivers Without End and Prelude & Quadruple Fugue. Awesome stuff. #HovhanessADay Symphonies 50 & 53 yesterday (forgot to tweet about them). Two of Hovhaness's most charming works.
September 28, 2011 #HovhanessADay Symphony 49. Pleasant, but uneventful. Sounds like a combination of Sibelius and Henry Cowell. @villa_lobos Even the mediocre ones have at least one interesting movement. #HovhanessADay @Tom_Godell I agree - most of his symphonies bring something special; nearly all have *character* #HovhanessADay @villa_lobos I've listened to about 20 of his symphonies. Only a tiny handful are inferior. #HovhanessADay #HovhanessADay Guitar sonata no2, op329 - Owes a lot to Villa-Lobos, with different harmonies. The 2nd mvt Jahla reminds me of VL's Etudes @Tom_Godell #HovhanessADay "Only 1 in 5 symphonies is any good." - "That means he wrote 12 good symphonies." classical.net/music/recs/rev… #HovhanessADay Symphony 49. Possibly the most "American" of the H Symphonies in my collection. Sounds like Henry Cowell. #HovhanessADay Symphony 39: boring, interminable, rambling. Symphony 46: utterly enchanting. Go figure. #Classicsaday #Hovhanessaday So what should the theme be for *October* #Classicsaday #Hovhanessaday Say, gang, what should the theme for September be? Any suggestions? #HovhanessADay Concerto for Orchestra no7, op116. Another in the great pioneering @LouOrchestra series of new works, cond. Robert S. Whitney @tom_godell After listening to Symphony 50 again, I have to agree that "Spirit Lake" is wonderful. #Hovhanessaday #HovhanessADay Fanfare for a New Atlantis op281 (1975), from a 2007 Naxos CD w/Royal Scottish NO cond. by Stewart Robertson @NaxosMusicLib
September 26, 2011 #HovhanessADay Round Two: Symphony 38. Mildly interesting, but soprano solo sung by composer's wife is dreadful.
September 22
#Hovhanessaday Same thing w/"And God Created Great Whales." The whale songs seem tacked on, rather than integrated into the work. #Hovhanessaday Actually, there's only 1 part of Symphony 50 I don't like - the eruption. Seems to literal (and therefore falls short) to me. #Hovhanessaday Giving two works I don't like very much another chance: Symphony No. 50 "Mt. St. Helens" & "And God Created Great Whales." #Hovhanessaday Three Visions of St. Mesrob, Op. 198. Another early work that's very appealing. #classicsaday #Hovhanessaday If you missed the live broadcast, the program will be available for on-demand listening at wtju.net/vault
September 28, 2011
September 26, 2011
RT @Tom_Godell: On vacation last week, so no #HovhanessADay listening. Will make amends this week by doublin… (cont) deck.ly/~0sGEA
On vacation last week, so no #HovhanessADay listening. Will make amends this week by doubling up. On now: Symphony 31. Hauntingly lovely.
September 22
September 21
»
RT @villa_lobos: #HovhanessADay Duet for violin & harpsichord, op122 - the 27sec 2nd mvt 'Haiku' is a gem-
#BachaDay October 1-10
October 9, 2011
October 3, 2011
villa_lobos Oct 03, 1:32pm via HootSuite
Tom_Godell Oct 09, 10:46am via TweetDeck
#BachADay The Kreisler/Zimbalist Bach Double is on YouTube. Here's the link for your enjoyment: http://t.co/lIinN56g
Tom_Godell Oct 09, 10:43am via TweetDeck
#BachADay No SOBs today. Listening to the old man himself--the Concerto for 2 Violins. Fritz Kreisler & Effrem Zimbalist recorded in 1915.
October 7, 2011
Tom_Godell Oct 07, 4:38pm via TweetDeck
@villa_lobos Love Stokowski's glitzy transcriptions, but prefer Stokie's own recordings. #BachADay
villa_lobos Oct 07, 4:37pm via web
I love the Stokowski transcriptions of Bach's music. Listening to Matthias Bamert's recording with the BBC PO on @ChandosRecords #BachADay
Tom_Godell Oct 07, 12:39pm via TweetDeck
#BachADay. Our SOB is C.P.E. Bach (not to be confused with his cousin the accountant CPA Bach): http://t.co/lIyovf1f
Tom_Godell Oct 07, 9:58am via TweetDeck
@RalphGraves Remind me to look up the info on my CD of the duets, played on modern flutes. Yum. #Bachaday
RalphGraves Oct 07, 9:57am via HootSuite
#Bachaday Listening to some wonderful flute duets by WF Bach http://ht.ly/6Qrnh
villa_lobos Oct 06, 4:20pm via web
Too much great music for only 1 #BachADay. Eliane Elias is fine in jazz+ classical. Bach French Suite no5, from her CD On the Classical Side
October 5, 2011
RalphGraves Oct 06, 3:09pm via HootSuite
#BachaDay Anner Bylsma plays CPE Bach cello concerti in this Virgin Classics recording (an oldy but a goody) http://ht.ly/6PIvk
RalphGraves Oct 06, 3:06pm via HootSuite
@villa_lobos That's a great set! I know @Tom_Godell doesn't care for the Hangover Band, but these are very well done. #BachaDay
villa_lobos Oct 06, 11:19am via web
From the cpo set of J.C. (London) Bach's op3 Symphonies, no 6 in G major #BachADay - Anthony Halstead conducts the Hanover Band
Tom_Godell Oct 06, 9:32am via TweetDeck
#BachADay. Today a Grand SOB! Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Bach, grandson of old JS. A charming trio! http://t.co/E5wCDJnZ
WTJUClassical Oct 06, 8:08am via web
#BachADay #WTJU C.P.E. Bach: Flute Concerto in A major; Konrad Hünteler, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra - Koopman. http://t.co/DQlwdJNk
October 5, 2011
villa_lobos Oct 05, 1:53pm via web
#BachADay Lute Suite BWV 996 in e minor, arranged for guitar & beautifully played by Sharon Isbin, on Virgin 0077775950359 @NaxosMusicLib
villa_lobos Oct 05, 1:53pm via web
#BachADay Lute Suite BWV 996 in e minor, arranged for guitar & beautifully played by Sharon Isbin, on Virgin 0077775950359 @NaxosMusicLib
Tom_Godell Oct 05, 11:48am via TweetDeck
@RalphGraves JCF is definitely underrated. Remind me, were there any SOBs who wrote music other than JCF, JC, CPE, WFE & PDQ? #BachaDay
RalphGraves Oct 05, 11:45am via HootSuite
#BachaDay I'm right w/@Tom_Godell and listening to JCF Bach for my SOB. In this case, Pygmaiion, Die Amerikanerin, and Ino -- 3 cantatas!
Tom_Godell Oct 05, 9:55am via TweetDeck
#BachADay Once again JCF Bach is my SOB (Son of Bach). Listening to his A Major Fortepiano Concerto. http://t.co/LXXCkZ5N
RalphGraves Oct 05, 7:17am via HootSuite
#classicsaday I'll follow the Hovhannes with JS Bach's Cantata No. 71, Gotts mein Konig for October's #BachaDay http://t.co/J1xKFsox (3...
October 4, 2011
Tom_Godell Oct 04, 5:51pm via TweetDeck
If I've learned anything from #BachADay it's that we need to know our SOBs (Sons of Bach) better. JS raised some pretty musical sons.
Tom_Godell Oct 04, 5:31pm via TweetDeck
#BachADay Today's SOB is Johann Christoph Friederich Bach & his Harpsichord Concerto in A. http://t.co/I77mQ9ad
villa_lobos Oct 04, 4:03pm via web
The always-reliable Univ. of Southern North Dakota at Hoople Heavy Opera Company RT @RalphGraves #BachaDay "The Stoned Guest" by PDQ Bach
WCPE Oct 04, 11:52am via web
RT @villa_lobos: #BachADay bonus: http://t.co/hPwVEB4C, on the anniversary of Glenn Gould's death in 1982
villa_lobos Oct 04, 10:55am via web
#BachADay bonus: http://t.co/hPwVEB4C, on the anniversary of Glenn Gould's death in 1982
villa_lobos Oct 04, 10:44am via web
#BachADay Bronislaw Gimpel's legendary 1950s recordings of Bach's Unaccompanied Sonatas & Partitas re-released on Cambria - @NaxosMusicLib
October 3, 2011
villa_lobos Oct 03, 1:32pm via HootSuite
RT @DCDRecords: Join us for #ClassicsaDay - October’s theme is #BachaDay http://ht.ly/6K22W That includes JS Bach and all his kin – even PDQ!
DCDRecords Oct 03, 11:35am via HootSuite
Join us for #ClassicsaDay - October’s theme is #BachaDay http://ht.ly/6K22W That includes JS Bach and all his kin – even PDQ!
RalphGraves Oct 03, 11:35am via HootSuite
Join us for #ClassicsaDay - October’s theme is #BachaDay http://ht.ly/6K22Y That includes JS Bach and all his kin – even PDQ!
RalphGraves Oct 03, 11:34am via HootSuite
@villa_lobosI actually have that recording! I'll be sure to give it a spin today. Thanks! #Bachaday
villa_lobos Oct 03, 11:03am via web
My #BachADay for Monday is Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach's D minor Symphony, played by Concerto Köln, on Capriccio - Sturm und Drang!
Tom_Godell Oct 03, 10:01am via TweetDeck
@RalphGraves Isn't there a recording by the Orchestra of St. Lukes? Its quite nice. Lively & spirited. #Classicsaday #BachaDay
RalphGraves Oct 03, 10:00am via HootSuite
#Classicsaday #BachaDay JS Bach: Brandenburg Concerti w/Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Recommendations for a modern version anyone?
DCDRecords Oct 03, 9:30am via HootSuite
If you enjoy classical music, please join the conversation for #ClassicsaDay – details here http://ht.ly/6K1X9 October’s theme is #BachaDay
CornoDiBassetto Oct 03, 9:24am via TweetDeck
RT @Tom_Godell: #BachADay Today's SOB (Son of Bach) is Johann Christian. Better known as John the London Bach & friend of Mozart http://t.co/R7MrOER3
Tom_Godell Oct 03, 9:04am via TweetDeck
#BachADay Today's SOB (Son of Bach) is Johann Christian. Better known as John the London Bach & friend of Mozart http://t.co/R7MrOER3
DCDRecords Oct 03, 8:30am via HootSuite
Join us for #ClassicsaDay - October’s theme is Bach. Details about #BachaDay here http://ht.ly/6K1N5
RalphGraves Oct 03, 8:30am via HootSuite
If you enjoy classical music, please join the conversation for #ClassicsaDay – details here http://ht.ly/6K1UZ October’s theme is #BachaDay
RalphGraves Oct 03, 6:30am via HootSuite
Join us for #ClassicsaDay - October’s theme is Bach. Details about #BachaDay here http://ht.ly/6K1LF
October 3, 2011
October 3, 2011
DCDRecords Oct 02, 5:35pm via HootSuite
Join us for #ClassicsaDay - October’s theme is #BachaDay http://ht.ly/6K21f That includes JS Bach and all his kin – even PDQ!
Tom_Godell Oct 02, 3:47pm via TweetDeck
#BachADay BTW, those Wilhelm Friedmann Bach Flute Duos are lovely. Strongly recommended.
americannanny Oct 02, 3:12pm via TweetDeck
RT @Tom_Godell: #BachADay Next up, flute duos of WF Bach. My goal this month to listen to as many SOBs (sons of Bach) as possible.
Tom_Godell Oct 02, 3:11pm via TweetDeck
#BachADay Next up, flute duos of WF Bach. My goal this month to listen to as many SOBs (sons of Bach) as possible.
DCDRecords Oct 02, 2:30pm via HootSuite
Join us for #ClassicsaDay - October’s theme is Bach. Details about #BachaDay here http://ht.ly/6K1IX
DCDRecords Oct 02, 11:30am via HootSuite
If you enjoy classical music, please join the conversation for #ClassicsaDay – details here http://ht.ly/6K1Tg October’s theme is #BachaDay
October 1, 2011
October 1, 2011
RalphGraves Oct 01, 4:20pm via HootSuite
Join us for #ClassicsaDay - October’s theme is Bach. Details about #BachaDay here http://ht.ly/6K1H4
villa_lobos Oct 01, 1:23pm via web
#BachADay & #HeitorADay Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude 22, arranged for 8 cellos by Villa-Lobos, on a Yale Cellos disc @DelosMusic
RalphGraves Oct 01, 10:30am via HootSuite
If you enjoy classical music, please join the conversation for #ClassicsaDay – details here http://ht.ly/6K1QZ October’s theme is #BachaDay
RalphGraves Oct 01, 7:30am via HootSuite
Join us for #ClassicsaDay - October’s theme is #BachaDay http://ht.ly/6K1ZG That includes JS Bach and all his kin – even PDQ!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)