This month the Boston Symphony Orchestra will be celebrating its 75th anniversary of concerts at Tanglewood. And as you can imagine, some legendary artists have turned in extraordinary performances over the years.
The Boston Symphony is making available 75 audio streams of Tanglewood concert archives from 1939-2009. For a limited time, listeners can access these streams for free. Our theme this month is to celebrate with the Boston Symphony this remarkable anniversary.
The Tanglewood Audio Stream Schedule
Simply listen to any Boston Symphony recording (of any era). And you can also simply enjoy the streams from Tanglewood. But be sure to share on Twitter what you're listening to, and what you think of it!
#TanglewoodaDay
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
#SovietaDay May, 2012
But there are many more to choose from, such as Denisov, Artyomov, Miaskovsky, and Weinberg. And there are many, many more.
And if you want a real challenge, try listening to Soviet composers performed by Soviet groups.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
#FoolsaDay April, 2012
Classic jokes by classical composers
An obvious choice would be Mozart's >Ein musikalischer Spaß (A Musical Joke). But there is also Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony (#94) and his "Farewell" Symphony (#45).
And there's Beethoven's Rondo alla ingharese quasi un capriccio in G major, Op. 129, "Rage Over a Lost Penny" (they can't all be LOL). Malcolm Arnold's Grand, Grand Overture, and many more.
Comic operas and other amusing entertainment
Pergolesi's La Serva Padrona was composed to get the laughs. Ditto with Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, the output of Gilbert and Sullivan, and countless other operas and operettas throughout the centuries. You can also add J.S. Bach's Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (The Coffee Cantata), as well as Henry Purcell's naughty rounds and canons.
Humor in a classical music context
Victor Borge would be a good choice for this category. As would Peter Schickle, writing as PDQ Bach. And there's Anna Russell, Dudley Moore, and the newer classical music comedy team of Igudesman & Joo.
Hoaxes and Spurious Works
April Fool's Day usually involves pranks and tricks. So in honor of the holiday's emphasis on misdirection, let's also include spurious works. That wonderful adagio you thought was written by Albinoni? April Fool's!
There are plenty of spurious works to choose from, too. Haydn has a fair number, as does Handel and Bach. And don't forget all of the Baroque works "discovered" by Fritz Kreisler.
So share your favorite musical jokes with us on Twitter, and remember to use the hashtag #FoolsaDay.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
#88aDay Classical Pianists March 2012
The theme for March is classical pianists. It's a theme that's as broad as you care to make it.
Pianists as Soloists
There are plenty of recordings capturing the mastery of 20th and 21st Century artists. You could listen to Glenn Gould, Lang Lang, Murray Perhia, Emmanual Ax, and many other of the modern era. Or you could go back to the dawn of recording and listen to George Gershwin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Godowsky or other artists from the 1920's.
Many of the virtuoso pianists of the day made their own piano rolls, so they're recordings of a sort. Listen to (and share your experience) with those, if you wish.
Pianists as Ensemble Players
Also, there's no restriction on the type of work the artist performs. Solo piano music instantly springs to mind, but there are also piano concertos, piano trios, instrumental sonatas (for a solo instrument plus piano) and other types of chamber music that could be included.
Pianists as Conductors
Some pianists, like Daniel Barenboim, has a second career as a conductor. You could listen to those recordings too. Not everyone may be familiar with Murray Perahia's efforts on the podium. And if they're conducting a work that features a piano, that's even better.
Pianists as Composers
The virtuoso pianist as composer goes back to the introduction of the piano. Mozart was one. So was Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Prokfiev, Busoni, and many others. Listening to works composed by a pianist would be within the theme (although it should have a prominent keyboard part -- a Rachmaninoff symphony, as opposed to a piano concerto, seems a bit outside the bounds).
So start listening, and sharing your discoveries on Twitter. Use the hashtag #88aDay
Pianists as Soloists
There are plenty of recordings capturing the mastery of 20th and 21st Century artists. You could listen to Glenn Gould, Lang Lang, Murray Perhia, Emmanual Ax, and many other of the modern era. Or you could go back to the dawn of recording and listen to George Gershwin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Godowsky or other artists from the 1920's.
Pianists as Ensemble Players
Also, there's no restriction on the type of work the artist performs. Solo piano music instantly springs to mind, but there are also piano concertos, piano trios, instrumental sonatas (for a solo instrument plus piano) and other types of chamber music that could be included.
Pianists as Conductors
Some pianists, like Daniel Barenboim, has a second career as a conductor. You could listen to those recordings too. Not everyone may be familiar with Murray Perahia's efforts on the podium. And if they're conducting a work that features a piano, that's even better.
Pianists as Composers
The virtuoso pianist as composer goes back to the introduction of the piano. Mozart was one. So was Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Prokfiev, Busoni, and many others. Listening to works composed by a pianist would be within the theme (although it should have a prominent keyboard part -- a Rachmaninoff symphony, as opposed to a piano concerto, seems a bit outside the bounds).
So start listening, and sharing your discoveries on Twitter. Use the hashtag #88aDay
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
#SQaDay February, 2012
And there's certainly a lot to chose from. In the classical period alone, there are quartets by Haydn (68), Mozart (23), and Beethoven (16), most of which are considered masterworks
The romantic period begins with Schubert (15), then moves to Mendelssohn (6), Spohr (36) and Brahms (3).
20th and 21st century composers have also contributed to the genre. Ravel, Debussy, and Faure wrote one each (but they're still in the repertoire). Shostakovitch wrote 15. And then there's Elliot Carter (5), Philip Glass (5) and Benjamin Britten (3).
And many others besides: Bartok, Schumann, Puccini, Verdi, Wolf, Sibelius... and many many others, both major and minor.
You can also explore recordings by the great string quartets, even delve into historic recordings.
There's a lot out there to listen to, a lot for you to discover from others sharing their tweets, and a lot for you to bring to other people's attention with your tweets.
Just remember to include #SQaDay as the hashtag. That way everyone interested will know what your listening to (and most likely be impressed by your good taste).
Sunday, January 1, 2012
#FilmClassicsaDay January, 2012
So what does that mean? Well, it depends on how you define it. Remember, we're using the field of classical music as our starting point.
So you could listen to classical music that's been used in movies -- such as Beethoven ("Clockwork Orange") or Mozart ("Amadeus")
You could listen to film music written by classical composers -- such as Sergei Prokofiev, Eric Wolfgang Korngold, Miklos Rokza, and Bernard Hermann (who all wrote "legitimate" classical works and were classically trained).
You could listen to classical Music written by film composers (yes, there is a difference), such as the "Warsaw Concerto" by Richard Addinsell, or the suite from "Star Wars" by John Williams.
You also might interpret the word "classic" to mean "film classics." So you could listen to classic film scores by James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith, Alfred Newman, and others.
As always, what happens next depends on the participants. Just remember to include #FilmClassicsaDay as the hashtag for your tweets!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
#XmasClassicsaDay December, 2011
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.
Monday, October 31, 2011
#FaustaDay November 2011
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 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
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RT @villa_lobos: #HovhanessADay Duet for violin & harpsichord, op122 - the 27sec 2nd mvt 'Haiku' is a gem-
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