What Are You Listening To?

[JonG]

Ólafur Arnalds - Raein from Found Songs [Erased Tapes Records, 2009]

[Music Head]

from my library



Boston Symphony Orchestra

from wikipedia

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born, and generally known in English-speaking countries, as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3, 1809 – November 4, 1847) was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period.

The grandson of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, he was born into a notable Jewish family, although he himself was brought up initially without religion, and later as a Lutheran. He was recognized early as a musical prodigy, but his parents were cautious and did not seek to capitalise on his abilities. Indeed his father was disinclined to allow Felix to follow a musical career until it became clear that he intended to seriously dedicate himself to it.

Early success in Germany was followed by travel throughout Europe; Mendelssohn was particularly well received in England as a composer, conductor and soloist, and his ten visits there, during which many of his major works were premiered, form an important part of his adult career. His essentially conservative musical tastes however set him apart from many of his more adventurous musical contemporaries such as Liszt, Wagner and Berlioz. The Conservatory he founded at Leipzig became a bastion of this anti-radical outlook.

Mendelssohn's work includes symphonies, concerti, oratorios, piano and chamber music. He also had an important role in the revival of interest in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. After a long period of relative denigration due to changing musical tastes and antisemitism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his creative originality is now being recognized and re-evaluated. He is now among the most popular composers of the Romantic era.

THERE ARE NO BAD MENDELSSOHN COMPOSITIONS

[JonG]

I'm not sure if this belongs here but it doesn't fit anywhere else either. It is piano accompanied by violin, whistling, guitar, accordion and Dobro.

Musette - 10 Juli from Datum [Tona Serenad, 2009]

Musette is a little combo centered around pianist Joel Danell...Datum is Swedish for dates, and the album's presented as a musical diary. Sweet little instrumentals, each entitled by the date it was written, that appear to be the soundtracks of Joel's daydreams. And what nice daydreams he has! Halfway through the first track you're off on your bicycle, crossing meadows, heading for Paris and back. Then you realize you're through the whole record and have fallen asleep with a big smile on your face, so you put on the kettle and press play again. Off you go, again and again!

- Rickard Jäverling on Textura.org describing Datum as one of his favorite albums of 2009

[JonG]

Yuki Murata - Under the Deep Sea from Films [Ricco, 2009]

[Music Head]

Commisioned in 1880 to write a piece to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon, this marvelous work was the result. First performed in 1882.

THERE ARE NO BAD TCHAIKOVSKY COMPOSITIONS

[Music Head]

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)



Two of my favorites here of The Nutcracker Suite and Romeo & Juliet, performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

THERE ARE NO BAD TCHAIKOVSKY COMPOSITIONS

[gryphon]

I like the Nutcraker Suite!!

[OperaticSarah]

Away from the usual opera and classical that I listen to I'm becoming addicted to the soundtrack for the icelandic documentary Draumalandið, by Valgeir Sigurðsson. It's orchestral and beautiful!

[Music Head]

Austrian born (1756-1791)

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan



THERE ARE NO BAD MOZART COMPOSITIONS

[JonG]

Giacinto Scelsi - Quattro Pezzi III from Quattro Pezzi/Anahit/Uaxuctum [1959]