Last month the Classics a Day team made #BlackLivesMatter the theme. Systemic racism in classical music has limited exposure to composers of color. So for August, the team opened up the focus even further. #WeWriteSymphonies is a hashtag used by composers of color, and it seems like a logical extension of #BlackLivesMatter. For my contributions […]
Heitor Villa-Lobos
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalEleven Week 4
Numbers have meaning. But meaning can depend on context. The Classics a Day team made “eleven” the theme for November, the eleventh month. The challenge is to post performances of classical music that involve the number. I chose a mix. Some pieces involve eleven players. Some are the eleventh type of piece by a composer. […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalSchool Week 2
Traditionally, September is the back-to-school month. The Classics a Day team decided to mark the occasion. Classical School is the theme for September 2019. To participate, just post a piece of classical music that’s somehow related to education with the appropriate hashtags. What would count? Any classical work about school, or using themes from schools; […]
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Villa-Lobos Symphonic Cycle Ends at Beginning
Naxos completes their cycle of Villa-Lobos symphonies by starting at the beginning. This final installment features Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2. Both are early works, and both are strongly influenced by Vincent d’Indy. Villa-Lobos studied in France and used d’Indy’s book on composition as a guide. His first symphony, completed in 1916 bears a strong […]
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São Paulo Symphony and Karabtchevsky Deliver with Villa-Lobos Symphonies
Volume five of Naxos’ Villa-Lobos Symphonies features three works written for American premieres. Symphony No. 8 was completed in 1950, No. 9 in 1952, and No. 11 in 1955. Despite the five-year span, the three works share several similarities. All three are relatively short works. Villa-Lobos’ motifs are almost epigrams, and yet these are densely-compact […]
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Villa-Lobos War and Victory Symphonies – Compelling Music
This is the second installment of Villa-Lobos symphonic cycle by Karabtchevsky and the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra. The two symphonies on this release are the surviving parts of a triptych commissioned by the Brazilian government to celebrate the end of the First World War. Symphony No. 3 “War,” and Symphony No. 4 “Victory” are on […]