Cacophony

Forgive me - this is the first introduction where I forget to mention the name of the piece! It's the Mother Goose Suite, by Ravel and I love it.  The music's here:  https://youtu.be/o3rir1bWTyI  or here on Spotify: https://bit.ly/CiLRavelMG  

Time to get all deep and meaningful?  Maybe not too much. Here's my intro to Haydn's wonderfully entertaining 22nd Symphony. And the music is here: On Spotify: https://bit.ly/CiLHaydn22 and here with video: https://youtu.be/D8h3nT3F_V0

An exhilarating and punchy fusion from the brilliant Leonard Bernstein. Music here on Spotify: https://bit.ly/BernsteinPFR and also here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-__U4tP7SeA  

A simply stunning, jazzy Clarinet Concerto Music here on Spotify: https://bit.ly/CoplandClar or here, with video: https://youtu.be/9GnJBLwOjFo Both performances with the wonderful Martin Fröst on Clarinet

Evocative, moving and reflective. Listen here: https://bit.ly/CiL3Quietcity or here: https://youtu.be/QhEuqY00d-s No video today - this feels like an eyes closed kinda piece!

Four much loved pieces giving us bright mornings, quiet mourning, exotic love interest and mountain trolls! What's not to love? Here are the links to the music:  https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2v0oad and on Spotify: https://bit.ly/lockdownmusic2Grieg Enjoy and please comment, rate, share, so I can see whether you like it!

Six pieces in as few minutes, full of energy and joy.

Each month Cacophony brings you a major work to make you happy – there aren’t many symphonies more cheery and life-affirming than the 8thsymphony by Dvorak, a man who great tunes poured out from. [4 parts]  

Each month Cacophony brings you a major work to make you happy – there aren’t many symphonies more cheery and life-affirming than the 8thsymphony by Dvorak, a man who great tunes poured out from. [4 parts]  

Each month Cacophony brings you a major work to make you happy – there aren’t many symphonies more cheery and life-affirming than the 8thsymphony by Dvorak, a man who great tunes poured out from. [4 parts]

Each month Cacophony brings you a major work to make you happy – there aren’t many symphonies more cheery and life-affirming than the 8thsymphony by Dvorak, a man who great tunes poured out from. [4 parts]

Five pieces (six actually) inspired and influenced by nature and the East.  When the organisers of the Paris Universal Exposition in 1889 invited gamelan players from Indonesia they introduced French composers to a whole world of new and exciting possibilities and a new direction in music.  Amazing grown-up music for children. Ravel’s Mother Goose brings us gongs and pagodas and the view of the Fairy Garden blows your heart wide open.

Five pieces (six actually) inspired and influenced by nature and the East. When the organisers of the Paris Universal Exposition in 1889 invited gamelan players from Indonesia they introduced French composers to a whole world of new and exciting possibilities and a new direction in music.  Messiaen's Jardín du sommeil d'amour, (Garden of love's sleep) is otherworldly, dreamy and intoxicating as a whole new world emerges from a pair of entwined sleeping lovers.

Five pieces (six actually) inspired and influenced by nature and the East. When the organisers of the Paris Universal Exposition in 1889 invited gamelan players from Indonesia they introduced French composers to a whole world of new and exciting possibilities and a new direction in music. Japanese composer Toro Takemitsu was inspired by the French composers who were inspired by Eastern culture. Spirit Garden is a meditation on the sacred spaces that are Japanese gardens.  

Five pieces (six actually) inspired and influenced by nature and the East. When the organisers of the Paris Universal Exposition in 1889 invited gamelan players from Indonesia they introduced French composers to a whole world of new and exciting possibilities and a new direction in music.  Languorous, sensual, dreamy, Debussy’s Prelude a l’apres midi d’un faun bends and stretches the 19thcentury western sound world.

Five pieces (six actually) inspired and influenced by nature and the East. When the organisers of the Paris Universal Exposition in 1889 invited gamelan players from Indonesia they introduced French composers to a whole world of new and exciting possibilities and a new direction in music.  Debussy led the way and his piano pieces Pagodas and Gardens in the rain are fabulous pieces of aural picture painting.

Dmitri Shostakovich tries to speak the truth about the grim reality of life in 1930s Russia, whilst at the same time giving the authorities the upbeat, cheery music they wanted.  An impossible task? [3 parts]

Dmitri Shostakovich tries to speak the truth about the grim reality of life in 1930s Russia, whilst at the same time giving the authorities the upbeat, cheery music they wanted.  An impossible task? [3 parts]

Dmitri Shostakovich tries to speak the truth about the grim reality of life in 1930s Russia, whilst at the same time giving the authorities the upbeat, cheery music they wanted.  An impossible task? [3 parts]

Schubert wrote some great music that hardly any of us know. In his penultimate Piano Sonata we eavesdrop on his search for answers and acceptance. [4 Parts]