A collaboration of: “The Classic Music Mafia”
nkit, 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.
Steve C.
André Rieu Das große Konzert 2016 MDR 15 10 2016
Sorry there’s no translations for Andre’s Dutch to English, but this is a wonderful performance by his great collection of terrific musicians and unlike so many other collections, this time you get the whole thing…
Falling In Love In Maastricht, Netherlands.
From October 15th, 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-OU5CxKSG0
The Following Comes To Us Thanks To ursel doran.
Eugen D’Albert, Piano Concerto No. 1
THANKS very much as always for this most anticipated and marvelous efforts by you gentlemen!!
Here are a couple of submittals.
A note in the comments of interest for this little-known composer’s work.
“And this work was completed by age 20, a teen composition! Inspired by the Liszt B Minor sonata, it adds a fugue and “big tune” coda and curiously anticipates how Rachmaninoff would conclude his 2nd and 3rd piano concertos Rachmaninoff must have known this work.
When will conductors and pianists discover it?”
The Next Piece Comes To Us Thanks To “m”
Chaconne from Partita in D minor for solo violin
I had seen Ray Chen play Bach’s Chaconne in SF Symphony’s Davies Hall, a mind-blowing experience
(audio only):
The Following Piece Comes To Us Thanks To Anthony Aaron.
Varujan Kojian – HECTOR BERLIOZ: SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE
A composer I don’t recall seeing on the Sunday Morning Classics page … Hector Berlioz and Symphonie Fantastique performed by the Utah Symphony Orchestra under Varujan Kojian. This is a 45-rpm recording on the Reference Recordings label — one of the premier high quality recording labels (at least at the time) …
If you can find the vinyl of it, do so …
This Next One Comes To Us Thanks To Archaeopteryx Phoenix.
Limp Bizkit – Behind Blue Eyes
This One Also Comes To Us Thanks To Anthony Aaron.
Behind Blue Eyes (Richie Kotzen Version)
Here’s a different version of the same tune …
The Next Three Come To Us Thanks To Amb. Cornholio
Siihnii honh – Bayad dance tune
The lovely and talented Bouzhigmaa Santaro shares folk songs from her native Mongolia.
First, the Bayad dance tune siihnii honh:
TRANSLATION in English
The bells of our earrings ring as we dance
The beautiful kerchiefs float about as we dance
Oh, how wonderful! Come on over
Let’s play simply
Oh, how wonderful! Come on over
Let’s play simply
The tails of our hats sway as we dance
The fringes below our hair ornaments fly about as we dance
Oh, how wonderful! Come on over
Let’s play simply
Oh, how wonderful! Come on over
Let’s play simply
Bayad dance tune – Lyrics explained
Second, she explains the meaning of the lyrics:
Ayalguu – E.Choidog
Next, Ayalguu with pianist Viviane Bruneau-Shen:
nkit
Introducing the Baroque Trumpet with Alison Balsom
Today, and for another week or two, I want to concentrate on the talent of Alison Balsom. She is considered to be one of the world’s great classical musicians. Having managed to break through to the mainstream without abandoning her musical integrity, she continues to draw ever-wider audiences for her performances and recordings of diverse repertoire.
Born October 7, 1978, in England, her musical career began at the age of seven playing the trumpet. Her list of accomplishments and highly sought after awards is extensive and exhaustive. She is particularly accomplished playing the “old” trumpet, sometimes referred to as the “King Herald” trumpet, but universally known as the Baroque Trumpet.
I’m going to start with an educational piece that I hope most of you will listen to, and then we’ll move on to the lovely Ms. Balsom in action. She is highly educated, very intelligent, extremely talented, and as I hinted, exceedingly pretty.
So let’s begin with Alison giving a short tutorial on the various types of trumpets that she plays.
ALISON BALSOM – Sound the Trumpet (Royal Music of Purcell & Handel)
Next, we’ll move on to Alison in action with her regal trumpet that was popular in the days of Handel, Bach, Purcell and Telemann for starters.
Joining forces with Trevor Pinnock, harpsichordist, conductor and pioneer of historical performance, and with the English Concert orchestra that he founded, Balsom demonstrates the versatility and expressive power of her valve-less instrument in original works and new arrangements.
These include Purcell’s Sound the trumpet and Handel’s Eternal Source of light divine in duet with countertenor Iestyn Davies and Purcell’s The Plaint from The Fairy Queen in duet with soprano Lucy Crowe. Further repertoire includes suites from Purcell’s semi-operas King Arthur (1691) and The Fairy Queen (1692) in new arrangements by Balsom and Pinnock, Handel’s Water Piece in D Major HWV 341 and his Oboe Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Major HWV 301 transposed into C Major.
The voice of countertenor Lestyn Davies in this video is particularly beautiful, effortless and without the slightest error.
Alison Balsom reveals the Top 5 Trumpet Concertos of all time!
Next, Alison reveals her favorite five trumpet concertos and plays a bit of each.
J. Haydn: Concerto para Trompete e orquestra em Mi bemol maior
Finally, we will hear Alison play the great Austrian composer Joseph Haydn’s trumpet concerto in E Flat.
Enjoy, and have a great Sunday.
Steve C.
And Now For Some Flashmobs.
ShowMustGoOn – Flashmob pour la culture à l’Odéon (Paris)
THE SOUND OF SILENCE / Simon & Garfunkel
MOURIR SUR SCENE / Dalida (M. Jouveaux / J. Barnel
THE SHOW MUST GO ON / Queen
Flash Mob “Viva la Vida” con Alice Paba
Apertura XXV Festa della Musica Allumiere
Flashmob Stockholm Arlanda Airport – I Believe I Can Fly
Flygplatsanställda på Stockholm Arlanda Airport och delar av A-kören (Knutby) överraskade tidiga morgonresenärer med R.Kellys I Believe I Can Fly.
Med bland andra: Daniel Bromander.
Orchestra flash mob in shibuya hachiko Japan
Flashmob Kekumka 2020
Hong Kong Festival Orchestra Flash Mob 2013: Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”
Hong Kong Festival Orchestra Flash Mob 2013:
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony – “Ode to Joy”
The Classic Music Mafia – Adding some class to this joint one Sunday at a time.
Heaven help us…
Haunting 1st track, to some who were young audience members
when The Exorcist was playing in theaters some 45-50 years ago.
Except of course, for the skeptics who dismissed it as a fictional story.
Understandable, but old memories die hard.
Excellent … an amazing album that I used to have on vinyl decades ago …
Here’s a live version of it — both tracks of the album …
Anthony –
I sent an email to admin last Monday that I asked him to forward to you for me.
I haven’t yet received an answer so I don’t know if you got it.
Here is what I sent.
From: SATURN INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT
To: Jim Quinn
Sent: Monday, January 9, 2023 at 07:33:26 AM CST
Subject: Please Forward To Anthony Aaron For Me
Jim,
Please forward the email below to Anthony Aaron for me.
I would like to invite him to join us in our Sunday Morning Classics On TBP.
Many thanks,
Steve C.
Anthony,
It’s Steve C. from Sunday Morning Classics on TBP.
Taken from yours and nkit’s conversation last night, I would like to invite you to join us in our weekly offerings.
We will start our fourth year on TBP the first Sunday in February.
We started with three of us, then added a fourth (SMC), then SMC dropped our shortly thereafter. Austrian Peter stayed with us until October of 2021. It’s just been nkit and I since then.
With your love of classical music you seem to be perfect fit for us.
Basically, I put together the whole thing each week.
I start with a featured classical piece that can be as long as it is. Usually an hour or so.
Then I feature each of the submissions from contributors about six weeks after they post them in our comments.
That’s followed by nkit’s ‘short’ offerings that he has sent to me. Then I post my own ‘shorts’.
I then follow that up by submitting it to TBP and getting that all sorted out and submit on Sunday morning at 7:45AM Central time on Sunday morning.
In all, it’s a lot of work.
nkit is only responsible for submitting his ‘shorts’ to me each week and that’s all that you would be required to do. We try to keep them to one’s that show the actual orchestra playing as opposed to just an album cover or something, but sometimes we stray a little.
If you are interested in doing more, like submitting the weekly feature you would be more than welcome to do so and I would credit you for it.
I would need your offerings at least by Wednesday before the weekend.
Last night nkit (Alex) sent me his offering for the next three weeks. What a godsend!
Please advise me at my email: [email protected] and I will get back to you with further instructions and information.
At any rate, I want to thank for your submissions and comments so far. We appreciate your contributions.
Many thanks,
Steve C.
I’m honored … separate reply coming to your account …
AP, I like LB’s version of the Who classic.
Nkit, IMHO, the research and revelations of the trumpet pieces and respectable talents of Alison is exactly one of the best examples of what Sunday Morning Classics
strives to provide…educational, entertaining pieces to the ears of those who can appreciate this genre of music. Bravo, good man. Well done.
Steven, a hat tip salute to you, kind Sir, for your tireless dedication to keep this
noble undertaking moving forward, and growing more and more popular.
Kudos also, to all contributors here today, and throughout SMC’s history, especially within
the last year, but even going back to it’s origins.
One last nod of appreciation to Admin, for providing the platform, and giving it the green light each week, as a soothing balm to the otherwise gloomy storm clouds that seem to constantly surround us all, in wave after wave.
Be aware of the bad – but seek and find all that is good, being diligent to put the focus where it can best uplift you, which undoubtedly is in all things good to be enjoyed by men and women of character and integrity.
~Enjoy the rest of your journeys, and all the best, to you and yours, readers.
SMC
Thank you much, sir.
SMC,
Thanks for your kind words and support.
And I second your thanks to Admin. for putting up with us…
This is an old quote that is always worth repeating for this sacred Sunday venue, THANKS to all who contribute!
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This piece is a worthwhile classic!
Yuja Wang performs a well-known piece but the difference is the time and effort made at the venue to enhance the video!!
ursel,
Thanks for your contributions.
The first one we just featured so we really can’t use it again, but the Yuja Wang one we will use in six weeks and credit you for it.
MUCH THANKS and much appreciation for all your guy’s SUPERB work here!!
I put a cassette tape of Fats Dominio in the car this morning. Wish I could’ve seen him in person.
Thank you, nkit, for shining a bright light on Alison Balsom … and not just her trumpet but her music with The English Concert. I’ve listened to their music when Trevor Pinnock was the leader … somehow that period of ‘royal music’ feels like it — it ‘elevates’ the listener — only word I can think of at the moment …
Her sampling of performances is a real pleasure to enjoy …
• • •
Thank you, Steve C., for the flash mob performances — how magnificent to experience such beautiful music at unexpected moments in unexpected locales and places … how enriching for those present …
• • •
Amb. Cornholio — thank you, again, for the ‘exotic’ music of Mongolia … and for including the beautiful lyrics in the first selection. The music itself isn’t always to my ‘ear’, so to speak — but, still, there are qualities to it that I find seriously worthwhile … especially the times that you’ve included the lyrics.
• • •
Ursel Doran — a special thanks to you for your prodigious offerings spanning the whole time I’ve been here for SMC.
• • •
Another relative unknown here is C P E Bach — Carl Philippe Emanuel Bach … “considered in his generation as the most successful composer of the Bach family, spent most of his life in Berlin at the court of Frederic the Great. His fame already during his life resided mainly in that he was considered a great teacher, author of the famous book „Versuch über die wahre Art Clavier zu spielen“ („Essay on the True Way to play the Piano“). Beyond that he was famed to be an outstanding improviser, surpassing all rivals. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was especially esteemed by great composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert who all confessed to have learned from him. Yet he never founded any school. His way of composing is singular, intelectual, often somewhat hard edged, always stern, even when he was being witty. It‘s music for intelligent listeners and outstanding musicians because, very much like Beethoven, he never had any regards for the instrument he was writing for.”
I’ve got an album of his oboe concertos … here is one …
Even though it says that the video is unavailable, that merely means that they don’t want it embedded here … you can just hit the link to YT …
A.A., I’m glad that you enjoyed Alison, Trevor, Lysten and the gang. You are correct about the regal music that they play. More of them to follow in the next 2 weeks. Thanks, and thanks for your contributions.
Back at ya’ …
Thanks Anthony, I’ll be posting more from time to time. Oh, and your humble Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary appreciates all of the selections posted by you and AP, Steve, nkit, ursel, very good stuff folks!
Thanks for all the submissions. Andre evokes pure joy in the language of music. The joy is contagious. He’s coming to USA in September 2023. Yay! Loved the flash mobs too.