Baroque Multiculturalism, or Everybody Loves Italian

Music that is, and probably Italian food as well. But in the 18th century, it was easier for travelers to bring back musical scores from countries that they visited than it was to bring food home with them. Bach not only spoke fairly good Italian, but he was quite a fan of Italian composers, such as Vivaldi, Corelli and Torelli, and adopted many of their stylistic devices, such as their dramatic openings and sunny, pleasant melodies.

His influence is still strong, but the final product is more sensual and less impressive for its elegance than it is for its pastoral and emotional tone. Hearing the two styles blend is quite an experience for Bach fans. So listen to J.S. Bach - Transcriptions of Italian Music for free and get a new take on an old master.

Update:  I've had a ton of hits from people visiting from their email accounts, so I'm guessing that this post got mentioned on some list serve or email newsletter relating to classical music.  Would someone be kind enough to leave a comment letting me know where it was mentioned?

Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed the post.

Richard

Going Medieval on Your Heart

Le Souvenir De Vous Me Tue

Robert Morton (~1430-1476)


The memory of you kills me,
My one treasure, when I cannot see you.
Because I swear to you upon my honor,
Without you my joy is lost.

When you are out of my sight,
I lament and cry out to myself;
Alone I remain, bereft of soul,
Receiving no comfort
And so I shall suffer in silence
Until your return.


It's easy to think of people in the late middle ages as uncultured, ignorant and almost proto-human, simply because they lived in the dark ages.  But they were people too, subject to the same heartaches and hopes that we all have, that have always characterized the human condition.

That song was one of the many to come from the court of Phillip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.  And he was good, a noted patron of the arts, music and culture.  Burgundy prospered under his leadership because it was seen as a leading center of innovation and learning.

I have never been much of a fan of medieval music because the idiom is so limited.  It tends to be simplistic and monochromatic,  so I don't actively seek it out.  But sometimes I happen across a recording like this, and it fairly takes my breath away with it's beauty, intimacy and gentleness.  It's a fine reminder that love transcends the ages and that we have more in common with the people of those distant times than we normally would imagine.

Listen to it for free or download it for a farthing or two from magnatune.com

So listen, enjoy and be transported.






 

Sometimes there's a message.

I did a post on Haydn a couple of weeks ago, then happened to hear one of my favorite compositions of his on the radio the other night. It's the Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor, commonly known known as the "Farewell" Symphony. There are three things that make this symphony memorable. First, it's just a lovely piece for a small orchestra. Second, it was written in a minor key, which was considered quite daring and controversial at the time (1772). Finally, what really makes this piece memorable is the backstory.

Haydn's job at the time was running the orchestra of the Austrian royal court. As wikipedia so nicely sums it up:

It was written for Haydn's patron, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, while he, Haydn and the court orchestra were at the Prince's summer palace in Eszterhaza. The stay there had been longer than expected, and most of the musicians had been forced to leave their wives back at home in Eisenstadt, so in the last movement of the symphony, Haydn subtly hinted to his patron that perhaps he might like to allow the musicians to return home: during the final adagio each musician stops playing, snuffs out the candle on his music stand, and leaves in turn, so that at the end, there are just two muted violins left (played by Haydn himself and the concertmaster, Alois Luigi Tomasini). Esterházy apparently got the message: the court returned to Eisenstadt the day following the performance.

I really enjoy this story because it shows a part of Haydn's character that's hard to see purely from his music. He was clever, diplomatic and not above tweaking the Prince when he was being a royal PITA. I alway smile when I hear this music. And I'm sorry, but I can't find a free download of the music. I did find this really cute CD and children's book combination at amazon that I'm going to order for my kids.

Another old favorite that I heard recently was J.S. Bach's "Wachet Auf!" (Sleepers, Awake!). This is such a joyous piece of music that it's commonly played at weddings. In fact, if you heard it, you'd immediately think "wedding music". Like this. This is miserable, but here's a download of a RM file with the melody, just so that you know what I'm talking about.

Why then, the odd title for such a happy piece of music? Knowing that Bach was quite the devout Lutheran, and knowing that he composed lots of liturgical music, one could speculate that the music is an attempt to capture the joy of the second coming of Christ, and the fulfillment of the promise of the resurrection for all of his followers who sleep.

So listen, enjoy and be enlightened.

Small Is Beautiful.

At least it is in music. 

Steve Reich, who recently turned 70, is one of the most influential composers that you've probably never heard of.  A new Yorker (go team!), he pioneered the minimalist movement in classical music.  Minimalism is many things, but what stands out about Reich's music is the way he'll take one small musical idea and unfold it, repeat it and explore it.  Ideas from earlier works are introduced again in new works.  The arrangments tend to be simple, with only a handful of instruments and are highly rhythmic.  This is his personal website.

His innovative style has not only effected other modern classical composers like John Adams and Phillip Glass, but also shows up in the work of popular musicians like Brian Eno.

NPR has this free one hour download of Three Movements for Orchestra, and Tehillim, his classic setting of Hebrew psalms, performed by the L.A. Philharmonic at the Disney Concert Hall.

Both the works and the performances are challenging, innovative and invigorating.  So listen, enjoy and be opened to new possibilities musically.