For the month of September, the Classics a Day team chose a controversial theme. There is a small subset of symphonic works within the classical repertoire that appear misnamed. Most composers choose their titles carefully. But when the title runs counter to expectations, disagreements arise. What does the title “symphony” mean? Can a composition be […]
Maurice Ravel
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalTimeMachine Week 2
For the month of October, the Classics a Day team turned nostalgic. Classical musicians have been making recordings since the 1890s. So we all have over 130 years of documented performance practices. And we can judge first-hand the artistry of legendary performers. The challenge is to post classical recordings made before 1949 (pre-LP era). Here […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ArmisticeClassics Week 1
November 19, 2018, is the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended the First World War. The #ClassicaDay team asked participants to post classical works related to the conflict. For my part, I tried to find examples from both sides of the war, and from as many different countries as possible. Here are my […]
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Moments of Love – Labelle and Wyner show real chemistry
Dominique Labelle and Yehudi Wyner have put together an engaging program with “Moments of Love.” Labelle’s voice has a warm lower register and a very clean upper register that she uses to great effect in this musical examination of love’s multiplicity. There’s a real chemistry between singer and accompanist that makes the listening experience even […]
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“French Impressions” Impresses
Good chamber music is a conversation – and French Impressions is just that. A conversation between two old friends enjoying themselves. It’s no accident that both violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Jeremy Denk get equal billing. In the three works presented both artists contribute equally to the performance. The album beings with Camille Saint-Saens’ Sonata […]