A viola concerto in four movements ... not the usual three.

Georg Phillip Telemann was a prolific composer with a very recognizable style.  In this, his first concerto for viola, he used a traditional style of slow-fast-slow-fast for the four movements, giving the viola a full range of opportunities to show the versatility of the instrument.  A high school orchestra teacher I once knew said that people who played the viola were just a bit different ... independent and willing to buck the system.  Viola rarely takes center stage as it does here.

Viola Concerto in G Major (GP Telemann)


Teleman was in a pretty good job during most of his composing years, holding the position of cantor to the major churches of Hamburg.  During a stint in Frankfurt, he was an officer in the Frauenstein Association, something of a philharmonic society, and they held weekly subscription concerts.  The viola concerto in g major was written for these concerts.

Enjoy the arpeggios and interplay of melody between the orchestra and the viola in this version conducted by Neville Marriner with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

Springtime double take

One of the more interesting pieces I like is Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland.  It opens oh so peacefully, like the opening of spring in an early morning ... then it explodes (just after the three minute mark) with a set of stringed arpeggios in an odd way and then the brass (3 min 40 sec) with a transfer of the melody, counter playing against the continuing arpeggios of the strings, to the low horns.  The odd arpeggios are different in that instead of being fundamental - third - fundamental-third, it is fundamental - one octave down - fundamental - third.  It is a bit surprising and unusual.  The musical fight goes on for a bit, and, just as suddenly, at the 5 min 15 sec point, quiets down again.

Closing your eyes you can see spring unfolding ... flowers blooming, small animals awakening to a new day, imminent danger of the predator world, thunderstorms ... everything you would expect in the spring of year in the rolling Appalachian mountains.  Animals re-emerging after the rage of a storm with the rushing water.  Gentle breezes blow.  Nine min and 20 sec ... little animals bounding all around - bugs, beavers, then ... at 10 min and 20 sec - the bears and big beasties; hawks, eagles then roaming heards.  Finally, the great cacaphony at 12 minutes.  The animals hiding ... maybe a gentle shower?  Alert looks around ... fast running rabbits.  A chase and capture (13 and a half min); an escape.  Hide and seek of the animals.  Birds flitting around above.  Continued chase ... maybe the final kill.  Nature in full glory.  The death of one so that another may live (16 min).  The quiet and calm return; trees bend, animals drink at the brook, all is as it should be.  Then, the approach (18 min) of a gorgeous and fiery sunset.  Animals scurry to find their ways home.  Clouds pass quickly by - pink and red as the sun marches to the earth over the next mountain pass.  The  sky is an explosion or gold, red and purple.  Birds are silhouetted against the darkening sky.  The sun drops below the horizon ... the end of a perfectly splendid spring day.  The moon gently rises as the song fades out.

This has to be the most perfect song description of spring ever written.  The most perfect!  Except ...

The song has nothing to do with spring in the sense of a spring day in the mountains.  It was actually a commissioned piece that Copland wrote to celebrate American Heritage.  It was actually a ballet!  It was not even called Appalachian Spring when it was written.  It was about the building of a farm house in the 19th century.  There were 8 parts to the ballet and much choreography, as one might expect in a ballet.  Much of that part of the score was removed when Copland re-issued the piece as we most often hear it played.  The 8 parts are very logical ... introductions of key players, love song for the bride and groom, country preacher and his "flock", scenes of daily life - this is the part where the Shaker song "The Gift to be Simple" is "borrowed" in full (also the theme song for "On the Road with Charles Kuralt", a popular tv magazine of the late 20th century), and, finally, the couple left alone in their new home.

Copland often chuckled whenever anyone remarked to him that the song was such a "perfect description of spring in the mountains".

Enjoy Appalachian Spring (Aaron Copland)

Fireworks - the American passion needs a bit of British flair

Give an American an excuse for fireworks and they will spend a lot of money just to watch it go up in glorious smoke ... and light!  New Year's, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, numerous baseball games throughout the summer, Labor Day, Halloween, numerous football games ...  you get the picture.  I like to shoot them whenever I am at the beach for vacation.  Luckily, living near the South Carolina border, I can get my hands on pretty much any kind of fireworks available, notwithstanding the North Carolina ban on things that fly.

If you go to any of the really good city-sponsored fireworks displays in the US, there is usually musical accompaniment.  Unfortunately, the displays last, for the most part, less than 15 minutes, with the possible exception of New Year's and Independence Days.

The music composed by Handel for the Royal Fireworks celebrating the end of the War of Austrian Succession is rarely heard, but it would add quite a nice flair to any fireworks celebration.  Maybe the US sesquicentennial in 2026 would be a good spot for this ... a a nice touch since we broke from Great Britain.

For your listening enjoyment, the Neville Marriner version of Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks

Music for the Royal Fireworks (Complete; Marriner)

First performed in 1749 (ten years prior to Handel's death at age 74) ... the pomp rings through nearly 300 years later.

No fancy title ... just a beautiful piece of music

Work travel has increased and my posts have decreased ... good example of cause and effect.  Modern classical music in the form of movie themes.  This particular on sets the perfect mood of peace and solitude, of being close to nature and experiencing natural beauty:

Opening Theme for "On Golden Pond" (Dave Grusin)

Is't not rock .... it's Rachmaninoff!

When I took piano lessons early in life I was not exposed to some of the piano masters and Rachmaninoff was one of these.  In fact I did not really know any of his music until my son played a killer rendition of Rachmaninoff's piano Prelude Opus 3 Number 2 in C# minor.

Written at the age of 19, just out of the conservatory, it was Rachmaninoff's first composition as a free artist.

When my son played this, at 18, in his last recital, it was on a grand piano in a church and he played with such vigor that the piano was shaking and the volume of the music in the chapel was deafening.

Enjoy this piece as I have referenced here three different renditions ... all different interpretations and all powerful.

Kissen version

Barton version  (this one has a great view from above the hands of the musician)

Asai version

All very good ... all awesome to listen to and NONE as good as what my son did!

Back to Bach

The second of four Bach Orchestral Suites was written to highlight the flute.  Bach actually called these pieces "Overtures" and that was the opening for each of the four suites ... an overture, followed by a formulaic group of songs ... usually including several dances.  Suite 2, in d minor (BWV 1067) ends with what is perhaps the most challenging flute piece and no one delivers this better than Neville Marriner's Academy of St. Martin in the Fields:

Bach Orchestral Suite #2 in d Minor (Marrier)

When Opera Isn't Opera

Until I stumbled across the video that is included below, I had no idea that one of my more favorite classical pieces was actually part of an opera.  I heard the Monteverdi piece on an LP many years ago and just loved the way that the song played out (the piece was also on one of Wendy Carlos' electronic interpretations of classical music on the Moog synthesizer).

L'Orfeo was written in 1607 by Claudio Monteverdi (Libretto - the words of a musical piece of work that are to be sung - by Alessandro Strigil).  As I said, I had only heard the overture, so I had no idea until doing some research on the piece, that it was actually part of an opera.

The opera is based on the Greek legend of Orpheus, in particular, his descent into hades to bring his bride back into the world.  The libretto was based on books 10 and 11 of Ovid's Metamorphoses among many varied sources.

The version that follows is footage from the Opera as presented in Spain.  The dramatic entry of the conductor heightens the overture.  I just love the drummer - he could make a nice Dumbledore or Gandolf!  Placing the trumpets and drums in the alcove boxes on the sides of the stage was a very neat touch, adding drama and flair to the opening.

I will watch the entire two hours at some point soon, but for now, just enjoy the 2-3 minutes of the overture:

L'Orfeo - Monteverdi