A Stupendous Performance

I'm a sucker for piano transcriptions, for Berlioz's mad Symphonie Fantastique, and the Dies Irae, so this is right up my alley! Maybe yours too?

01. Reveries, Passions (14:01)
02. A Ball (6:07)
03. Scene in the Country (18:08)
04. March to the Scaffold (5:15) 

05. Dream of a Witches' Sabbath (10:13)

It's MAD, I tell you!

See you on Thursday, fellow madmen and madwomen!

  

Celebrate Spring with a Be-In!

It's an "Environments" release.  The first track is a "field recording" of a bunch of hippies in Central Park.  The second half is a bunch of wild sounds in sylvan Pennsylvania.

01. Be-In, Central Park, April 6, 1969 (33:53)
02. Dusk at New Hope, PA, August 14, 1970 (36:20)

Now you can be, too!

See you on Monday, if you can return to Earth by then.

  

Not Only Galant, But Effete!

I mean, really!  Isn't this guy so cute that he makes you want to puke?  

The selections, however, are topnotch:

01 - Gluck - Ballet Music from “Orfeo ed Euridice” (15:30)
02 - Rameau - Ballet Music from “Les Indes galantes” (3:31)
03 - CPE Bach - Minuets and Trios (5:38)
04 - Rameau - Dances from “Zoroastre” (16:46)
05 - Haydn - Minuet in G Major (2:18)
06 - Haydn - Minuet in E Major (2:09)
07 - Mozart - Five Contredanses (7:53)

Join the Galant Era! 

See you on Thursday.  Until then, please DON'T keep your wrist limp!

  

Ho Hum, Britannia!

A 2007 release.  For some reason this didn’t thrill me at all, although I was enchanted by the silliness of the title “Three Screaming Popes.” The only stuff I was familiar with, the Elgar, seemed not bombastic enough.

01. Elgar: Pomp & Circumstance March #4 In G, Op. 39/4 (4:40)
02. Maxwell Davies: An Orkney Wedding, With Sunrise (13:18)
03. Turnage: 3 Screaming Popes (16:02)
04. MacMillan: Brittania (12:42)
05. Britten: Sinfonia Da Requiem, Op. 20 - Lachrymosa (8:10)
06. Britten: Sinfonia Da Requiem, Op. 20 - Dies Irae (4:59)
07. Britten: Sinfonia Da Requiem, Op. 20 - Requiem Aeternam (6:16) 

08. Elgar: Pomp & Circumstance March #1 In D, Op. 39/1 (5:41)

Go go, Britannia!

See you on Monday.

  

Harp Me, I'm Irish!

It's a 1982 cassette, complete with a "legend" by Miss Woods herself.

01. The Legend (3:05)
02. In the Forest (3:01)
03. Dialogue with a Brook (2:05)
04. Lament (2:05)
05. Gypsy Mirage (2:29)
06. Gourenspur (4:15)
07. The Harper's Vision (4:53)
08. Morning Calm (3:29)
09. Forest March (3:35)
10. Metamorphosis (2:58)
11. Brandiswhiere's Triumphant Return (3:45)

The Harp of Brandiswhiere  

See you on the other side of Saint Paddy's Day!

  

Impressive Mouths

The Swingle Singers are always a worthwhile listen.

Whether or not you are entranced, you're sure to be impressed!

01. Rossini - William Tell Overture (2:59)
02. Henry VIII - Pastime With Good Company (2:21)
03. Debussy - Trois chansons I (1:53)
04. Debussy - Trois chansons II (1:47)
05. Debussy - Trois chansons III (2:06)
06. Lennon & McCartney - Fool on the Hill (4:55)
07. Lennon & McCartney - Lady Madonna (3:33)
08. Lennon & McCartney - Day Tripper (2:22)
09. Lennon & McCartney - Blackbird / I Will (4:50)
10. René, Scott, René - Someone’s Rocking My Dreamboat (2:57)
11. Gershwin - Summertime (3:28)
12. Sondheim - Another Hundred People (2:00)
13. Debussy - Clair de lune (4:41)
14. Mancini - Peter Gunn (2:35)
15. Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture (7:55)

1812

See you on Monday!

 

She's a Snooky One!

I bet Snooky was feisty, back in the day!

01. Listen to the Mockingbird (1:46)
02. Mystery of His Way (1:31)
03. Coming Home (1:25)
04. When It's Springtime in the Rockies (1:41)
05. Snooky's Waltz (2:16)
06. I'll Be There If Ever You Want Me (1:31)
07. Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (2:09)
08. In the Mood / Huckle Buck (1:55)
09. You're the Only Star in My Blue Heaven / Old Faithful / Spinning Wheel (2:53)
10. Under the Double Eagle (2:11)
11. I Saw the Light / He Set Me Free (1:54)
12. Death Valley Waltz (1:36)
13. Las Gaviotes (1:44)
14. Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone (1:39)
15. Tavern in the Town (2:03)
16. The Entertainer (2:05)
17. Play a Simple Melody (1:23)
18. Playmate (1:54)
19. Zacatecas (1:45)
20. Before the Next Teardrop Falls (2:22)
21. Down in the Little Green Valley (1:46)
22. Tight or Wrong (1:29)
23. My Beautiful Annabel Lee (1:52)
24. There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere (1:55)
25. Wreck of Old 97 (1:37)
26. There's a Goldmine in the Sky (2:02)
27. Enjoy Yourself, It's Later than You Think (1:56)
28. Whispering (1:33)
29. Whispering Light (2:37)
30. When the Golden Leaves Begin to Fall (2:01)
31. Spanish Two Step (2:07)
32. Old Love Letters (1:51)
33. Weeping Heart (2:07)
34. Lily Dale (1:55)
35. Chiapanecas (1:34)
36. Harbor Lights (2:27)
37. Johnson Rag (1:35)

38. I Love Little Willy (1:51) 

39. Moonlight on the Colorado (1:53)

It's rollicking, barrelhouse-type stuff.  Have at it!

Snooky Keller - Music Preservation Project

See you on Thursday, snookums!

  

Get Playful with a Dayful

These are fine performances, but I was not impressed with the premiere of the title selection.


01. Dayful of Song (12:22)
02. Cuban Overture (10:36)
03. Promenade (2:49)
04. Rhapsody in Blue (16:58)

05. Lullaby (8:56) 

06. An American in Paris (18:27)

Dayful of Song

Let me know if you like it.

   

You Waltz, I'll Polk!

And-uh-WON-TOO-TREE ...

Ed Peterka died December 27, 2005, he was from Scotland, SD.

Some of these have (almost) pitch-free vocals in an unknown language—it sounds like Yiddish or some such. And some of the music sounds like the stereotypical Mexican oompah-band music that I can sometimes hear from my backyard.


01. In Love - Polka (2:58)
02. Black Gypsy - Waltz (3:49)
03. Hot Stuff - Polka (2:49)
04. Dutch Boy - Waltz (2:47)
05. If I Were a Bird - Polka (2:26)
06. Over Three Hills - Waltz (2:34)
07. Oneta - Polka (1:58)
08. My Dreamboat - Waltz (2:56)
09. Brown Pony - Polka (3:53)
10. Red Handkerchief - Waltz (2:52)
11. Three Yanks - Polka (2:35)
12. Carpenters - Waltz (2:53)

Peterka

See you on Thursday!