What the......???? Tchaikovsky?

I was in the car recently, driving home from somewhere, and I turned on satellite radio, Sirius channel 76....the Symphony channel. I intentionally try not to look at the digital readout that shows what piece is playing because I enjoy trying to guess what it is. I'm not sure what my batting average is, but I'm pretty sure is fairly high. But on this evening, the piece playing was not familiar. I was able to identify it as a string quartet....this was obvious, and it was certainly not a Baroque or Classical period work. It sounded like it might have been from the early 20th century.....it was very a fascinating..and it was captivating. The more I listened, the more perplexed I was......I had no idea what it was or who it was written by. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me and I looked at the display. Tchaikovsky.....his string quartet number 3. "This isn't Tchaikovsky" I uttered......."no way". The same composer who wrote the Nutcracker...Swan Lake....1812 Overture? Nope....the music I was hearing sounded nothing like Tchaikovsky. I do confess that I am not a musical historian, scholar, nor expert. As much as I do know about the classical music repertoire, there is far more that I know little to nothing about. Prior to this evening in the car, I had no idea that Tchaikovsky had even written any string quartets.

I had tuned in just as the third movement had begun. It has such an unusual tonal quality. Melodically speaking, it is very bare and sparse......nothing to hint or suggest that a master of melody had written it. But it was so powerful. I almost had to pull the car over because I was so transfixed by what I was hearing for the first time. I arrived home as the fourth movement was beginning, but I stayed in the car to listen to it before I went in the house. I could not wait to explore this piece in its entirety the next day....and to read about Tchaikovsky's string quartets. These moments of exploration are wonderful. It turns out this amazing quartet was written in 1876. You can hear the third movement of his third string quartet here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbAk68gJpEk

Bernstein and Brubeck

Two of my favorite artists are Leonard Bernstein and Dave Brubeck. I was thrilled to discover this recording that brings the two together!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvA0rAfpNnQ

Sources of Classical Music

I had a conversation recently with a friend who does not know much about classical music. She wants to listen to it, and learn about it, but its hard for her to know "where to start" because there is so much of it. And, she said, she does not have a record or CD collection to pull from as I do.
So here are some tips for finding classical music.
I love Spotify. This is a free service (with some advertisements), and it has an amazing depth of music to offer. They have "introductory" playlists for every type of music, including classical. Within the classical folder are thousands of recordings from just about every composer from every period. As you listen to each selection, they provide a picture of the album it was taken from, the title of the work, the composer and the performer. Keep track of what you like. Use Google to learn more about a composer or work, and you will begin to develop a knowledge base in classical music.One of the playlists I have in my folder is the Sunday Playlist by Deutsche Grammophon. Each week they add music to it, some of which is brand new to me. A few weeks ago they added L'enfant et les sortileges by Maurice Ravel. The 2:43 clip was amazing, so I then went to Google to learn what it was, and then back to Spotify to search for the entire album - 4 versions were available. I also searched it on YouTube and found several concert performances of it. What a treat. I was not familiar with either of Ravel's operas....this being his second.
Pandora is also a nice music streaming service. I started with Pandora, and I do like it. You can also learn a great deal about any type of music here, and it is free, (it also has advertisements). They map your interests and make suggestions about other music you might like to try based on what you have chosen.
As I mentioned above, both Spotify and Pandora are free, but they do have advertisements. Personally, I am OK with that, and I don't find them very intrusive. Someone needs to pay for this service and the corresponding licensing fees for the artists. Both services also have paid subscription options as well.
I love YouTube. There is so much music here as well, although it helps to know what you are looking for before searching. And tonight at dinner, my oldest son Jack showed me a new app he was using called iTube-a combination of iTunes and YouTube.
I'm sure most of you use iTunes and have tried iTunes radio. They are both great resources for classical music too.
In the car I listen to Sirius XM radio. I have the Symphony and Pops channels back-to-back saved on my favorites list. They often play music that I am not familiar with. When this happens, I know I won't be able to remember what I heard later on, so I take a picture of the selection guide and look it up later. For example, the other day I heard a wonderful piano piece....reminded me of Scott Joplin. I took a snapshot and later looked it up:

Now I am very familiar with the music of William Bolcom. See what I mean? Like I keep repeating, there is such a vast amount of classical music to explore...but its never been easier.

Playlist Suggestion - Vaughan Williams

Last night was the Heritage Philharmonic's Spring concert. Our feature piece, in addition to the Young Artists soloists (who were wonderful!) was the Vaughan Williams Symphony #5. This is a wonderful symphony, and I was really blown away playing it. I love how Vaughan Williams brings the songs and melodies from his native England into his own compositions. My favorite is called Rhosymedre, a hymn written in the 1800's by John David Edwards, named for the town of Rhosymedre in Wales. VW used this tune in one of his organ compositions, and it was later scored for orchestra. Both versions are wonderful. Here is the orchestral version. Enjoy!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie1nvYkdyig

I Heard Violins

Things changed for me big time in the Spring of 1973. I heard violins....up close. I was in 3rd grade, and a string quartet from the University of Texas String Project came to give a demonstration at Pillow Elementary School. I knew right then and there I wanted to learn to play the violin. And thanks to my parents, I soon began taking lessons....and the rest is history.
I had, of course, "heard" violins on recordings before that fateful day, but it was my fist experience holding one...trying to play one...and most importantly, hearing it right next to my ear as I held it under my chin and scratched the bow across it. I was....and still am...in love.
Violins are everywhere...in every kind of music. Paganini to Charlie Daniels. Brian Eno to Metallica. Sinatra to Stephan Grapellli. You name it.
The versatility of the violin is amazing and very special if you ask me. The best part of the Beethoven Violin Concerto is????.....the violin of course. The best part of Johnny Mathis's classic hit Misty? Well sure, his voice is awesome....but the background strings tie it all together if you ask me. How about the Verve's hit song Bitter Sweet Symphony? Right....the strings steal the show! When Frank Sinatra teamed with the Hollywood String Quartet and arranger Nelson Riddle, they created that amazing sound that became the basis for his legendary Capitol Records recording period.
So I plan to share great examples of violins in all kinds of music as part of this blog. Let's kick things off with Close to You, as recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1943.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxKf2STt-mc

Playlist Suggestion

Ottorino Respighi wrote the Symphonic Poem, The Pines of Rome in 1924. This is part of a "trilogy" of Roman poems along with the Fountains of Rome and Roman Festivals. I recently wrote about certain works and performances that lend themselves to climactic moments when the hair on the back of your neck stands up and your spirit soars with the power and emotion of the piece. This is one such piece. The last 5 1/2 minutes are stunning. Have a listen. This is a very good performance that is available on YouTube.
http://youtu.be/TQwGTe_MueM

As the Beatles proved, it's not about Education.

I spend a lot of time thinking about ways to increase the popularity of classical music in today's world. As I said in one of my earliest posts, it's a fact that very few Americans listen to classical music. Period. And historically, classical music sales are a tiny fraction of the overall pie. Those of us who love classical music have tried to understand and explain this for generations now. What I find to be the most fulfilling and joyous of all musical forms is unknown or unappreciated by most people. I hear most experts and music educators say education is the way to expand the understanding and appreciation of classical music. But they have been saying that forever, and it has not changed a thing. I have made up my mind: loving classical music does NOT require any specific education ....it's not ABOUT education. In some ways, I think this school of thought hurts classical music. Saying you need "education" to enjoy something makes it seem out of reach....exclusive.....cut off. Sadly, classical music has earned this label, at least here in America where many feel it is for the rich....for "snobs". And face it, many of the traditions of classical music put it in this box. (Performance tuxedos are a good example).
Back in February 2014, America celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' performance on the Ed Sullivan show....the beginning of Beatlemania....a revolution in music, style and popular culture. When those 4 young men (or "lads" as they were called) took the stage and played, no one needed any education to love what they heard and have their minds blown. What they were seeing and hearing changed everything! And it just happened.....no explanation, preparation, nor education....just BAM. Pure. Simple. Fun. Amazing. I discovered the Beatles 14 years after that night (also covered in my first blog entry). And for me in 1978, the result was the same.The Beatles blew my mind. BUT, I experienced the SAME profound moment the very first time I heard Vivaldi's Four Seasons....and Beethoven's 5th Symphony....and Bruckner's 8th Symphony, and Mahler's 5th Symphony, and Strauss' Death and Transfiguration, and Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik......etc, etc, etc......they all blew my mind. And education had nothing to do with it. I heard it....and I loved it. WHY? I suppose that's the mystery. A Schubert Piano Sonata or "I Wanna Hold Your Hand"? They are both great in my mind.
Maybe the challenge is to get classical music in our ears without having to look for it. I don't see much, if any, classical music on live TV...or any TV for that matter. (It's there....but you do have to search for it). Please don't tell me I am an education hater! I am not saying education is not important, valuable, fantastic......none of that. I love education. Just like the motto of Faber College in Animal House...."Knowledge is Good".
But classical music can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone, education or not.