A New Feature

Oftentimes we see something or hear something but lack a forum for sharing that information.  For example, this weekend I attended the symphony here in Helena and saw two pieces, one I had never heard and one I was only vaguely familiar with.

The first piece was Schwanter's Percussion Concerto and featured some fancy pants percussionist (whose name escapes me).  The second movement of this is stellar and can be viewed in various fashions on YouTube.  I believe there were 17 different percussion instruments played, from the ordinary (xylophones, triangles, and bass drums), to the extraordinary (water gongs, tuned cowbells, and bow played chimes).  Since I know the usher, I was in the front row a mere fifteen from the percussionist despite my nosebleed ticket.  While this seat is usually not ideal for listening, for watching it was actually pretty awesome.

The other piece was Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.  The piece focuses on just about every instrument at various times, but failed to grab my attention.  I reckon that had more to do with the rendition and orchestra than the actual piece, but cannot confirm.  However, as an introductory piece to orchestral sounds, it actually fits in well to the January theme of discovery.  I mean really, when was the last time you heard a double bassoon solo, followed by a thirty second interlude of violas, and then rounded off with a tuba and trombone duet (the former fitted with a mute)?

Anyhow, if you are listening to NPR and hear something, or attend a show and want to share, please do.  Not only are we learning from the music, but also from each other.  May the force be with us.

Thoughts?

After a couple of weeks of listening, we are entering our first sign post.  I am not sure how to engage this music in a meaningful way.

Most of the chant just rolls around anonymously in my head, and it's only through the instruments that distinctions arise.  I have recognized a few notes here and there, but that is hardly an acceptance of the music.

That said, the Machaut has been surprisingly engrossing.  I think I'm going to spend the final week of the middle ages listening to that.  The Messe de Notre Dame is pretty sweet, but some of the other stuff is fantastic as well.  Since returning home tonight I've been listening to Les Motets and have been generally enchanted.  My cats don't care for the random percussive elements of it, but alas.

When I put Machaut into Spotify, Christobal de Morales came up as well.  His Missa Pro Defunctis is pretty sweet. Haven't looked to see if it's on our list, but I may do a little independent research (beyond Wiki).

It's On: Middle Ages, ca. pre-1430

January 6 –31: Machaut, Chants

            The Vintage Guide to Classical Music [VGCM] by Jan Swafford p4-17

ANONYMOUS

Liturgical drama: The Play of Daniel

GREGORIAN CHANT

Easter chants: Alleluia and Victimae Paschali laudes, Veni sancti spiritus

ADAM DE LA HALLE

Secular songs including Jeu de Robin et Marion

PEROTIN

Sederunt Principes

GUILLAUME DE LA MACHAUT

La Messe de Notre Dame

Secular songs

RECORDED COLLECTIONS MEDIEVAL MUSIC

The Garden of Zephirus: Courtly Songs of the Early Fifteenth Century [Gothic Voices, Hyperion]

The Castle of Fair Welcome: Courtly Songs of the Later Fifteenth Century [Gothic Voices, Hyperion]

Aida

As most of you know, the Met simulcasts operas on big screens around the nation (and in Canada) on a regular basis.  On Wednesday, January 16, there will be an encore performance of Aida.  For the following reasons, I think we should all make the effort to go and see it:

1. It is one of the most popular operas of all time
2. It is one of the few performances we can all enjoy together
3. It is significantly cheaper than flying to New York to see it live

The Met in HD website and schedule can be found here.  The performance will be broadcast at 6:30 local time, so we should all be home from work by then.  The last Met in HD I saw, Nixon in China, cost $20.

Getting started

Hello everyone!  I'm super psyched that you are joining the journey to broaden our exposure to classical music.

How we got here...
Simply - I realized that my exposure to classical music was extremely narrow; essentially focusing on the symphonic form since Beethoven.   I want to appreciate more.

What to expect...
The goal is more pleasure from music - through exposure to new music and developing a deeper understanding of the musical and political context in which each composer created.

We are going to walk through "classical" Western music from the middle ages to the present.   We will take the journey in chronological order through written text and more importantly by listening.

The pace will be slow, allowing time to steep ourselves in the music of the time.   How much you choose to isolate yourself to the music of the period is your choice - and probably a great first topic for discussion.

How it works...
I'll publish a bite-sized timeline to provide guidance for reading and listening.  For each block, there will be a discussion forum to enable discussion: what you liked, what you didn't, your insights, thoughts on additional listening/reading etc.

What you need...
We will use The Vintage Guide to Classical Music by Jan Swafford.   It is available at Amazon through this link.

The music list is quite extensive.  Given the amount of music, a free or paid subscription to Spotify could easily pay off.

Invite others
The more the merrier!   Invite you friends.