#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalDistancing Week 2

Normally the Classics a Day theme for May involved May Day (#SovietaDay). Having a theme centered around social distancing/self-quarantine seemed more appropriate. The challenge for May is post works for unusual solo instruments or works about solitude.

Here are my selections for the second week of #ClassicalDistancing

05/11/20 Eric Homour - Devil's Branch

According to the composer, this work was inspired by a creek he crosses on his walks to town. In this work, he equates his crossing Devil's Branch with Orpheus crossing the Styx.

05/12/20 Steven Paulus (1940-2014) - Pilgrim's Chorus (The Three Hermits)

Paulus' opera is based on a Tolstoy short story. "The Three Hermits" are self-isolated monks on a remote island, devoted to meditation and prayer. Until the bishop comes calling.

05/13/20 Wu Man - White Snow in the Spring

This traditional Chinese piece dates to the early Ming dynasty (14th C.). It's part of the standard repertoire for the pipa, an instrument that dates back to the 2nd Century.

05/14/20 Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987) - Serenade no. 12 for solo tuba

Persichetti's 15 Serenades were mainly for unusual instruments and combinations. No. 6 is for trombone, cello, and viola; No. 9 for solo recorder and No. 13 for two clarinets are just a few examples.

05/15/20 Carl Friedrich Abel - Prelude, WKO 205

This work is part of the Drexel Collection of the NY Public Library. It contains 27 manuscript works for solo viola da gamba by Abel.

#ClassicsaDay #WomansHistoryMonth 2019 Week 4

For the third year in a row, the #ClassicsaDay theme for March is women composers. As I've done before, my post includes not just contemporary composers, but creative women from the Middle Ages on up. 

As an additional challenge, I made sure I hadn't duplicated any of my selections from previous years.

Below are my posts for the fourth and final week of #WomensHistoryMonth

3/25 Wilhelmine of Prussia, Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (1709-1758) - Keyboard Concerto in G minor

Wilhelmine was the older sister of Frederick the Great. In addition to composing, she also played the harpsichord and studied lute with Sylvius Leopold Weiss.

3/26 Cacilda Campos Borges Barbosa (1914-2010) - Estudos Brasileiros No. 3

Brazilian composer Barbosa was a colleague of Heitor Villa-Lobos. She taught at the University of Brazil and was one of the first Brazilian composers of electronic music.

3/27 Marianne von Martinez (1744-1812) - Harpsichord Concerto in E Major

Martinez enjoyed a successful career as a singer, keyboardist, and composer. She often appeared on stage in Italy and Austria. Her works include

3/28 Elsa Barraine (1910-1999) - Symphony No. 2

French composer Barraine won the Prix de Rome in 1929. During WWII she served in the French Resistance. Barraine studied with Paul Dukas and wrote in an accessible neoclassical style.

3/29 Judith Lang Zaimont (1945 - ) - Elegy for Symphonic Strings

American composer Zaimont is a well-known pianist, educator, and composer. Although a champion of women composers, she does not like the term. She wrote, "I'd never thought of myself as any kind of adjective composer."

#ClassicsaDay #NAFTAclassics Week 4

We have an international mix of contributors to the #ClassicsaDay feed. July has significant holidays for two of the three countries in North America. So, at the suggestion of a Canadian contributor, July became #NAFTAclassics, marking Canada Day (July 1) and Independence Day (July 4). Mexico doesn't have a July holiday, but we decided to be inclusive rather than exclusive.

For the month, I alternated between the three countries. Here are my posts for the fourth and fifth week of #NAFTAclassics.

Rui Shi Zhuo (Canadian, 1956 - ) - Symphonic Poem The Night of Ancient Kingdom Shu

Rui Shi Zhuo was born in China and emigrated to Canada in his thirties. He's active both as a conductor and composer and has written for film as well. His music draws on the instruments and traditions of his Chinese heritage, reinterpreted through Western classical music.

Victor Rasgado (Mexican, 1959 - ) - Quetzaltepec

Rasgado is one of the most prominent Mexican composers of his generation. His music is performed extensively both in Mexico and abroad. He's best known for his operas, which tend to feature Mexican stories and fables.

Mohammed Fairouz (American, 1985 - ) - The Named Angels

Fairouz often uses his Middle Eastern heritage as a starting point for his music. His first opera was based on an Egyptian play, his current opera has a Pakistani libretto. "The Named Angels" depict the angels of Persian mythology.

Linda Catlin Smith (Canadian, 1957 - ) - thought and Desire

Smith was born in New York City and moved to Toronto in 1981. Smith's primarily inspired by painters and writers. In addition to a catalog of music for modern ensembles, Smith has also written works for early instruments.

Javier Álvarez (Mexican, 1956 - ) - Metro Chabacano

While Alvarez incorporates native musical traditions into his music, he also draws from other cultures. Alvarez sometimes uses non-traditional instruments, like the Korean kayagum and Caribbean steel pans, in his work. He also has a large catalog of electroacoustic music, and an award-winning film score for "Cronos."

Kamran Ince (American, 1960 - ) - Concerto for Orchestra, Turkish Instruments, and Voices

Turkish-American composer Kamran Ince was born in Montana and studied in Turkey with Muammer Sun. After returning to the states, he studied with Joseph Schwantner and Christopher Rouse, among others. Ince's music combines Persian musical traditions with Western forms. His catalog currently includes five symphonies and a piano concerto.

https://youtu.be/Ls5ibZNpmew

Harry Somers (Canadian, 1925–1999) - Lyric

Smith was a founding member of the Canadian League of Composers and was committed to developing a national style of classical music. Several of his works are considered standard repertoire for Canadian ensembles. He greatly influenced the development of Canadian music through his work as an educator, broadcaster, and composer.

#ClassicsaDay #SovietaDay Week 5

For May 2018, some of us contributing to #ClassicsaDay decided to mark May Day. Reason enough to post works by Soviet composers. I decided to go a little farther with my #SovietaDay posts and concentrate on Soviet prize winners.

Here are the posts I shared for week 5. 

Jovdat Hajiyev (1917-2002): For Peace, symphonic poem

Hajiyev was a student of Shostakovich and has the distinction of being the first Azerbaijani to write a symphony. Primarily known for his large orchestral works, his symphonic poem "For Peace" garnered his second Stalin Prize in 1952.

Dmitri Kabalevsky (1900-1987): Violin Concerto in C major, Op. 48

Kabalevsky wrote three concertos dedicated to Soviet Youth. This concerto was the first of that series. It was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1949.

Gavriil Nikolayevich Popov (1904-1972): Symphony No. 2, Op. 39 "Motherland"

In 1936 Popov's First Symphony was banned before it could be performed. Popov wrote his second symphony to embody "the people’s soul" and to get back into the good graces of the authorities. It succeeded on both counts. It won the Stalin Prize in 1946.

Nikolai Myaskovsky (1880-1950) - String Quartet No. 13 in A minor, Op. 86

Myaskovsky was one of the composers who was called out by the 1947 Zhdanov Decree for writing anti-Soviet formalist music. He refused to be a part of the proceedings, or issue any statement of repentance. Mysaskovsky died of cancer in 1950. He was rehabilitated posthumously. His final string quartet and symphony were awarded Stalin Prizes in 1951.