tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883Sat, 12 Oct 2024 21:51:55 +0000classicalbachHector BerliozMax Bruchbach choirbrahmsoperapianoAaron CoplandBeethovenCDsCharles MunchDmitri ShostakovitchFelix MendelssohnFrederic ChopinFrederick DeliusGeorge GershwinGioachino RossiniIvry GitlisLeonard BernsteinLincoln CenterLuciano PavarottiMaurice RavelParis Conservatory OrchestraSamuel Barberalbumsconcertodvdguitarjohann straussmanuel barruecomozartpittsburgh symphony orchestrasalessymphonyvilla-lobosvinylvivaldiwaltzCheap thrills for lovers of lost classical music.http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)Blogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-8267864095047897895Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:19:00 +00002013-04-23T21:19:48.800-04:00Welcome. It's been two years since my last post, so I'm way overdue for an update. Although I have stopped posting for a while, I haven't stopped buying -- or listening to -- classical music on records. I'll resume posting here shortly, but first, an update for anyone who recently visited. Because of technical problems, I had to remove all the audio clips from the earlier posts. They'll come http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2013/04/return-of-classical-vinylist.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-4037003123007979758Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:04:00 +00002013-04-23T20:51:27.533-04:00Frederick DeliusSamuel BarberAt last, an absurd album cover from the 1970s that kind of makes sense: Get it? It's a violin! With shaving cream! Because the composer's last name is Barber! I'm really starting to love the folks at Westminster Gold. Pity the label isn't around anymore. Anyway, Happy New Year. In order to post delightful albums more frequently I'm dispensing with lengthy commentary (yay!) and giving you http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2011/01/samuel-barber-concerto-for-violin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-7902313556595720317Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:09:00 +00002010-10-27T08:09:00.289-04:00brahmsCall it a bit of shameless self-promotion, but I might as well come clean: This ain't my only writing gig. I also write about music, classical and otherwise, for The Express-Times, a newspaper in Easton, Pa. If you happen to live in the Lehigh Valley and need something non-Halloweeny to do this weekend, the following article might interest you. The Lehigh Choral Union will perform -- TWICE! -- "http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/10/brahms-ein-deutsches-requiem-to-be.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-1321854198395695904Tue, 26 Oct 2010 04:22:00 +00002013-04-23T20:53:25.831-04:00Dmitri Shostakovitch Anyone who really believes that "hope springs eternal …" ought to become a Seattle Mariners fan. Or, if that's too painful, listen to Dmitri Shostakovitch's Symphony No. 8. From the first notes you can tell that this won't end with any sunny, upbeat "Ode to Joy"-type finale. To be fair, Shostakovitch wrote his eighth symphony while (a) in the middle of World War II; and  (b) under the http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/10/dmitri-shostakovitch-symphony-no-8.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-7902037158486738508Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:54:00 +00002010-10-04T20:54:42.142-04:00BeethovenWell, that's it for summer. The temperature dropped, the skies turned gray and the time for wool socks has arrived. Fall is here and I'm in need of some good classical music to get me in the mood. Besides the obvious -- "Autumn" in Vivvaldi's "Four Seasons" -- anyone have any suggestions? For starters, this guitar adaptation of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" makes for good rainy day weather. http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/10/in-search-of-good-autumn-classical.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-2387005101633342020Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:25:00 +00002010-09-28T11:25:57.695-04:00bachdvdIt may be suicidal to say this, but if you want to learn about composers, ask a musician, not a music critic. Often people who make music can talk about it in ways that nonmusicians can understand without resorting to jargon. That's what makes "Bach and Friends," a two-hour documentary by Michael Lawrence, so enjoyable. The film explores the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach not through http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/09/review-bach-and-friends-on-dvd.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-5249007300986990903Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:04:00 +00002013-04-23T20:54:59.783-04:00Aaron CoplandLeonard Bernstein Call it predictable, but I like Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" above all his other works. "Billy The Kid" never held my interest much; same with "Rodeo." The latter piece is also the unfortunate victim of over-exposure, as the "Hoe Down" bit has been used ad nauseum in those "Beef: It's What's For Dinner" commercials. Not Copland's fault, I know. But the damage is done. So I was http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/09/aaron-copland-copland-album-leonard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-2803449972190319549Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:20:00 +00002010-08-19T13:20:24.462-04:00Max BruchSadly, I don't own a copy of this recording (yet). But I had Max Bruch on the brain after listening to his first violin concerto and found this clip of "Kol Nidrei" while searching the Internets for other works by him. It still has that melancholy air of the piece I wrote about before, but this time, thankfully, no visions of "Young Frankenstein" danced through my head. What do you think is an http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/08/more-mad-max-bruch-kol-nidrei.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-1070207608460456845Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:43:00 +00002013-04-23T20:56:51.601-04:00Felix MendelssohnIvry GitlisMax Bruch You ever watch a movie and see an actor whose name you forget, but whose face you recognize? Then when you spot the actor you think, “Oh yeah; I forgot I like him/her.” Actually, if your thoughts really use the phrase “him/her,” get your vision checked. But I go through that same kind of recogition every time I listen to the works of Felix Mendelssohn. He’s not someone I listen to often, http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/08/mendelssohn-violin-concerto-no-1-ivry.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-5122750756199867273Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:30:00 +00002013-04-23T20:57:40.133-04:00Gioachino Rossiniopera Certain types of well-established music I simply don't get. I admit it. Jazz is one. Opera is another, although I'm starting to appreciate it some more. The Luciano Pavarotti album I wrote about a while back certainly helped. (Maybe one of you opera lovers can enlighten me.) But one entry-level way to learn to appreciate the art form is through overtures (classic Looney Toons work just as wellhttp://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/08/easing-into-opera-with-rossini.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-7926310154522057910Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:15:00 +00002010-07-28T01:15:50.341-04:00I started looking back on the works that I've written about here and I'm starting to doubt this whole experiment. Maybe it's where I find the albums, but with few exceptions, I don't think anything that I've found would make it on a Top 10 list. I mean, there is Luciano Pavarotti's quasi- "Greatest Hits" album, which is a fun record. And the "Strauss Waltzes" has some classics on there. But the http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-do-you-consider-your-favorite.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-8276437512520272339Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:17:00 +00002010-07-26T16:17:43.669-04:00Hector BerliozI am not an expert on the "fair use" doctrine in copyright law. That's why I only post snippets of the recordings I write about here. I don't believe in giving away music, but I would like to provide you, the reader, a chance to hear the records I find. So barring the risk of a lawsuit, I figure I'll just post YouTube videos every now and then of pieces that I like. I couldn't find any videos ofhttp://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/07/full-listen-to-benvenuto-cellini.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-2148281122780329022Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:48:00 +00002013-04-23T20:59:22.074-04:00classical You're looking at $3 worth of music right here.  The whole basis for this blog is the contention – supported by lots of inexpensive evidence – that it is possible to amass a respectable collection of classical music without going broke. Vinyl these days is inexpensive, if you know where to look. I’m not talking about the 180g records that new artists now release alongside their CDs. http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-are-classical-albums-so-cheap.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-8321325236002462347Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:56:00 +00002010-07-22T01:56:14.717-04:00Charles MunchHector BerliozMaurice RavelParis Conservatory Orchestra Like the music or not, you have to admit the album cover's got style. Proper classical critics never ask the juicy questions, like: Who was a better French composer: Maurice Ravel or Hector Berlioz? Luckily, I am not a proper classical critic and thus have no qualms about comparing the two composers, whose lives never overlapped. Berlioz, of course, is most famous for his “Symphonie http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/07/charles-munch-and-paris-conservatory.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-3249521855769682603Fri, 14 May 2010 16:47:00 +00002010-05-14T12:47:42.508-04:00bachbach choirIf you happen to be in the Bethlehem, Pa., area this weekend, be sure to check out the 103rd Bach Festival, held at various locations. The Bach Choir of Bethlehem is the oldest Bach choir in the United States, according to its website. This is the last weekend of the spring celebration of all things Bach and Baroque. The centerpiece of the weekend is Saturday's Mass in B Minor, but there are http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/05/103rd-bach-festival-continues-this.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-3872963856328815657Thu, 13 May 2010 17:23:00 +00002013-04-23T21:00:34.478-04:00Lincoln CenterLuciano Pavarottiopera Opera can be a tricky business. In college we learned that it’s considered the highest of high art; the first genre that required actors who could sing, or singers who could act, or something like that. Really, it’s a good excuse to step out in a tux. But such lofty stature also makes opera hard to swallow for those of us who aren’t classical experts. The singing, most of the time, is in a http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/05/luciano-pavarotti-at-lincoln-center.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-3858444748382884495Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:35:00 +00002013-04-23T21:03:09.823-04:00johann strausswaltz The waltz could well be the perfect form of classical music for those who grew up on rock ’n’ roll. Waltzes are short, danceable – in their way – and engaging. They’re also short. Did I mention that? Probably most importantly, waltzes translate easily into soundtracks of short animated films. I’m pretty sure I first became aware of Johann Strauss not through some cultural program at http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/04/andre-kostelanetz-and-his-orchestra.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-510393575699548235Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:19:00 +00002013-04-23T21:04:00.855-04:00George Gershwinpiano Know what I like the most about listening to classical music on vinyl? Sure, it’s cheap – most of the albums I listen to (and write about here) cost a buck. But more importantly, I like the fact that the record itself is a medium that’s nearly, but not completely, obsolete. You want obsolete? Try the piano roll. (No relation to the California roll or the lobster roll.) That’s what George http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/04/listening-to-george-gershwin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-6478894968332340187Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:38:00 +00002013-04-23T21:04:28.840-04:00Frederic Chopinpiano ... Or, at least, he would have, if he lived that long. In any event, today, March 1, is the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth in Poland. His baptismal certificate says he was born Feb. 22, 1810, but whom are you going to believe? So if you have any Chopin recordings, feel free to talk about them in the comments section. Meanwhile, I found this YouTube clip for your listening http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/03/frederic-chopin-turns-200-today.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-3564834124662907644Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:44:00 +00002013-04-23T21:05:04.157-04:00concertovivaldiI love the versatility of classical music. Just as the plays of William Shakespeare don't all have to be set in the Renaissance, nor does a violin concerto, say, need to be played with violins. The blizzard that dumped more than a foot of snow in the last two days on the East Coast got me thinking of Antonio Vivaldi's “Four Seasons.” (I haven't found a $1 copy of it yet, but give me time. I http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/02/some-different-takes-on-familiar-theme.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-2540819808064075738Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:20:00 +00002013-04-23T21:06:15.660-04:00brahmspittsburgh symphony orchestrasymphonyIf you like classical music, you must like Brahms. That’s not a presumption. It’s a requirement. Kind of like, if you drive, you must wear a seat belt, or if you are a cast member of “Jersey Shore,” you must act like a jackass. Same thing with classical music: Love the strings, love the dead German composer. There’s no better place to start with ol’ J.B. than with his Symphony No. 1 in C Minor.http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/02/pittsburgh-symphony-orchestra-brahms.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-7111366110279746134Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:38:00 +00002010-01-28T10:38:55.623-05:00bachbach choirclassicalmozart (Full disclosure: I wrote about this concert for The Express-Times, the newspaper where I work.) As proof that classical music isn't just the legacy of a bunch of dead white guys, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem this weekend will have its 11th annual Family Concert, featuring school-age performers and composers. Alongside the works of Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach will be new pieces by two highhttp://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/01/young-composers-performers-featured-at.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-9038617192838590031Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:21:00 +00002010-01-27T23:21:52.915-05:00CDsclassicalvinyl I have long been a fan of the long-playing record, as many of my friends who've been unlucky enough to help me move them can attest. Is it the portability? The ease of use? The compatibility with other listening devices? Sadly, none of those things. I simply prefer vinyl -- classical or not -- because I think it sounds better. On CD, the music feels muted. More so with mp3 players, but I have http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-records-are-better-to-listen-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-8693064911558320015Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:14:00 +00002010-01-25T12:15:00.946-05:00albumsclassicalsalesHow do you like to listen to music? Take the poll at the left. If you, like me, prefer the LP to the CD, check out some of these sales on classical records: In Minneapolis, someone's selling Telarc records for $10 each. This person in Oklahoma City has a long list of box sets and individual LPs available, but still higher than my own $1 threshold. Of course, on eBay, a search for "classical http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-do-you-like-to-listen-to-music-take.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882544100076430883.post-2391610836684452048Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:17:00 +00002013-04-23T21:07:29.067-04:00guitarmanuel barruecovilla-lobosWhen I think of classical guitar, Manuel Barrueco’s name does not immediately come to mind It’s nothing against him, of course. The Cuban-born guitarist has a well-earned reputation as one of the finest musicians in the world. He has performed with Steve Morse, the guitarist for Deep Purple, and Andy Summers from the Police. Barrueco recorded an album of Lennon-McCartney songs. His 2005 CD, "http://classicalvinylist.blogspot.com/2010/01/manuel-barrueco-works-for-guitar-villa.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Richter)0