A collaboration of: “The Classic Music Mafia”
SMC, nkit, Austrian Peter, and Steve C.
Every Sunday morning we present selections for our TBP family to enjoy.
We present symphonies, ensembles, quartets, octets, etc.
Not all of our music is strictly ‘classical’. We may stray a little, but we strive to make all of our selections ‘classy’.
We offer tips on proper ‘symphony etiquette’ and even some selections that are a bit light-hearted and fun aimed at a younger audience. Those pieces will be so designated, and might be a good way to introduce kids to a world of music that they might not have been exposed to or think of as old and ‘stuffy’.
A full symphony will run as long as it will. We don’t want to cut a symphony short. However, we also include some shorter pieces that we try to keep under fifteen minutes in length. You can sample each and hopefully find one or more that pleases you.
We hope that you enjoy our Sunday selections.
Holst Op. 32, “The Planets”
Performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1977 and conducted by Eugene Ormandy.
A seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, it was written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the solar system and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst.
Compare this full orchestral version with the saxophone ensemble below performing the ‘Mars’ movement that this piece starts with and the ‘Jupiter’ movement that begins at 20:30 on this one.
Mars – 01:20
Venus – 08:12
Mercury – 16:14
Jupiter – 20:30
Saturn – 28:51
Uranus – 37:19
Neptune – 42:53
The Magnificent Seven
Composed and conducted by Elmer Bernstein.
The theme song to the 1960 movie of the same name.
Starting in 1963, the theme was used in commercials in the U.S. for Marlboro cigarettes for many years.
It was also included in a scene of the James Bond film ‘Moonraker.’
The William Tell Overture by Giachino Rossini
I guess you can trace my love of this music back to my youth watching The Lone Ranger and Tonto.
Rossini’s William Tell Overture is a classic in the true sense of the word.
This particular version I find fantastic mostly due to the frenetic pace, and the sense of accomplishment by the musicians as witnessed by their smiles at the end.
This is the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of the popular conductor Myung-Whun Chung who is, himself, quite a show – nearly dancing at one point.
Please enjoy…
Dave Brubeck Take Five, Original Video
One of the foremost exponents of cool jazz, David Warren Brubeck. He wrote a number of jazz standards, including “In Your Own Sweet Way” and “The Duke”.
Brubeck’s style ranged from refined to bombastic, reflecting both his mother’s attempts at classical training and his own improvisational skills. His music is known for employing unusual time signatures as well as superimposing contrasting rhythms, meters, and tonalities.
The saxophone melody “Take Five” was written for the Dave Brubeck Quartet by Brubeck’s long-time musical partner, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond. Appearing on one of the top-selling jazz albums, “Take Five” has endured as a jazz classic associated with Brubeck.
Brubeck experimented with time signatures throughout his career, recording “Pick Up Sticks”, “Unsquare Dance”, “World’s Fair”, and “Blue Rondo à la Turk“. He was also a composer of orchestral and sacred music and wrote soundtracks for television, such as Mr. Broadway and the animated miniseries This Is America, Charlie Brown.
Dave Brubeck and the LSO Unsquare Dance 2001
From Rediscovering Brubeck broadcast on PBS in 2001, live with the London Symphony Orchestra. Both Chris and Bobby shukle in true jazz style…
Holst Op. 32, “The Planets”
Japan Large Saxophone Ensemble.
The Japanese have really recognized the versatility of Alolphe Sax’s marvelous invention of the saxophone. You just don’t see ensembles like these anywhere else.
They are magnificent.
From Holst’s ‘The Planets’.
The Classic Music Mafia – Adding some class to this joint one Sunday at a time.
Heaven help us…
Small nuggets of brilliance that always please the audience and therefore are worth their weight in gold……
THX
Went with my father and grandfather to see Brubeck at McCarter theater in Princeton a couple of weeks before Desmond passed away. One of the best live performances I have ever seen.
Dave Brubeck is the mad note yo!
Superb selections today Sir. Brubeck was a staple with my room mates in school in the early sixties, and the William Tell overture is without a doubt one of the most recognized pieces in the world. Glenn Campbell shredding it on guitar is worthwhile.
My Sunday morning staple of classics is the superbly talented and marvelously beautiful Khatia. A feast for the eyes and ears. Collection of her work in here, with a great rousing start.