Alexander Street: Music

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Wagner's Siegfried Idyll

Wagner, grateful for the birth of his son Siegfried, wrote the lyrical Siegfried Idyll as a 33rd birthday present for his wife, Cosima. It was first performed outside her bedroom on Christmas morning 1870 by a group of fifteen musicians.

The Siegfried Idyll was a private gift that was never intended for publication. Its themes are derived from the opera Siegfried, a String Quartet that Wagner had been writing when he met Cosima in 1864, and a lullaby, "Schlaf, kindlein, schlaf". Wagner, however, was compelled to sell the manuscript in 1877 due to financial hardship.

This recording is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Vernon Handley, conductor.

Download this work through March 28, 2008.

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

The first Vaughan Williams masterpiece, the Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis for double string orchestra and string quartet shows clearly for the first time the composer's distinctive voice. Written in 1910 and subsequently revised in 1919, it has become one of  Vaughan Williams' most popular works outside his native England.

Vaughan Williams was working on an edition of the English Hymnal when he came across Tallis' tune, written in 1567 for Archbishop Parker's Psalter. He became fascinated with the psalm tune, which seems to have triggered a leap forward in his compositional style, and used it as the basis for the Fantasia commissioned by the Gloucester Festival.

This recording is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Christopher Seaman, conductor.

Download this work through March 13th, 2008.

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23

In November 1874 Tchaikovsky embarked on his first attempt at a concerto. Surviving a notorious critical attack by Rubinstein, the work was duly finished in 1875. An appreciative Hans von Bülow then gave the first performance of the Piano Concerto No. 1 in October. Rubinstein later recanted his view that the concerto was unplayable, badly composed and plagiarized; he helped it achieve major success at the Paris World Exhibition of 1878 and it has enjoyed popularity ever since.

The piece does indeed borrow from other sources; the first movement's theme is based on the Ukranian folk melody 'Song of the Blind'; the Prestissimo of the second movement quotes from a popular Waltz, and another folk song provides the basis for the Finale. The concerto's legendary difficulty has acquired it the nickname 'Hymn of the Virtuosi'.

This recording is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Ronan O'Hora, piano; James Judd, conductor.

Download this work through February 28th, 2008.

Island-Style Valentine's Day

For those of us in the mid-winter lull, when the ice and snow seems never-ending, take a musical vacation to Tahiti this Valentine's Day.  When I first listened to these recordings, I was infected with their spirit and enthusiasm.  Its almost as if the sun and fresh air speaks directly through the music.  Hopefully it will tide you over long enough until we can have some warm, sunny days of our own!

Check out: the following (institutional access required):

Himene: Polyphonies Polynésiennes (Buda, 92689-2)
http://womu.alexanderstreet.com/View/314141

Spirit of Polynesia, (Saydisc,CD-SDL 403)
- recorded and produced by ethnomusicologist David Fanshawe
http://womu.alexanderstreet.com/View/363261

If you like these, stay tuned for more to come, including
Music of the South Pacific (ARC, EUCD 1709), also by David Fanshawe

and

Recordings from the "Belle Epoque" collection, from Manuiti Records, including  Tahitian artists and groups such as Emma Terangi,  Joel Avaeoru, and Coco's Temaeva.   

EMI comes to ASP

A few months ago, ASP acquired a contract with the EMI label for 55,000 CD tracks from their Classical Music library.  We are, needless to say, very excited about this addition to our Classical Music database.

There are a few more logistical procedures that remain to be sorted through, but be sure to keep an eye out in the coming months for the inclusion of these spectacular recordings!

-Dave Vaughn, Music Indexer

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Strauss' Don Juan, Op. 20

Richard Strauss' masterpiece Don Juan, based on Nikolaus Lenau's fragmentary verse-drama, was composed in 1888 and first performed on 11 November 1889 with Strauss conducting. Marking the emergence of Strauss the composer, this orchestral piece of virtuosity has found a permanent and popular position in the repertoire.

The work established Strauss' international reputation and its immediate appeal is still infectious today. The dynamic hero is wonderfully conjured by the fireworks of the orchestral writing, and portraits of three of his ladies form the basis for three contrasting episodes.

This recording is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Sir Charles Mackerras, conductor.

Download this work through February 14, 2008.

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Ravel's String Quartet in F

Ravel's sole String Quartet was written in 1902-3 and dedicated to his teacher at the Conservatoire, Faure. Its similarity to Debussy's String Quartet has ensured frequent pairings with that work in recordings, though others have seen the influence of Puccini in the first movement.

Debussy was certainly impressed by the Quartet, remarking:

"In the name of the gods of music, and in mine, do not touch a single note of what you have written"

Like Debussy's example written a decade before, Ravel's String Quartet pushes the boundaries of the genre further than ever before. Using all the expressive powers and sonorities of the String Quartet to their full potential, he creates a taughtly constructed work. The opening theme of the Quartet returns at several points thoughout the work, unifying the four disparate movements into a single conception.

The remarkable pizzicato sonorities of the Assez vif - tres rythme, the lyrical intensity of the opening Allegro moderato, the beautiful Tres Lent, and the vivacity of the concluding Vif et agite combine to create one of the greatest of 20th century quartets

This recording is performed by: Constantin Bogdanas (Violin); Florin Szigeti (Violin); Liviu Stanese (Viola); Dorel Fodoreanu (Cello).

Download this work through January 31st, 2008.

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Tchaikovsky's The Seasons, Op. 37b

Nikolai Bernard, editor of the periodical Nouvelliste had already commissioned vocal works from Tchaikovsky for publication. In late 1875, however, he approached Tchaikovsky again with an unusual request; twelve piano miniatures, each based on a seasonal text, to be published monthly in Nouvelliste. Tchaikovsky accepted the challenge and, over twelve months, produced his best known piano work, The Seasons.

This recording is performed by Ronan O'Hora, piano.

Download this work through January 3rd, 2008.

Free access to Contemporary World Music

Alexander Street Press is pleased to announce that our newest database of streaming music, Contemporary World Music, is now live!  To celebrate, we're offering free access to this database for the rest of the year.  Register now and you'll be able to stream thousands of tracks of the most interesting music being recorded around the world today.

The recordings in Contemporary World Music come from renowned labels. The entire catalogs of Topic, Playasound, Budamusique, Air Mail Music, Manuiti, Crossing Records, Lyrichord World Music, Navras Records, and other recording companies are included. Ali Jihad Racy, Adama Dramé, Carlos Do Carmo, Parisa, Tran Quang Haï, Katrien Delavier, Hussein El Masry, Rassegna, Oedo Sukeroku Taiko, El Son Entero, Simon Shaneem, I Wayan Sadra, and Fawzy Al-Aiedy are just a few of the artists and ensembles contributing to the collection.

Check out this collection for yourself and start enjoying a new world of music today!

Classical Music Library's Free Download of the Week: Prokofiev's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1, Op. 80

Written mainly in 1946, with some material dating back to 1938, the First Violin Sonata is a gloomy and intense work. Prokofiev worked closely with its dedicatee David Oistrakh on the violin part, and the result is a work that exploits the range and qualities of the instruments to their fullest potential. Oistrakh gave its first performance with Lev Oborin on 23 October 1946.

An impassioned and anguish-filled first movement contains some remarkable passages including what the composer described as "wind in a graveyard" (rapid violin scales over a piano chorale). The second movement, by way of contrast, is an exuberant and violent Allegro brusco. A colorful Andante follows before the finale, with its remarkable and mercurial cross-rhythms and gentle epilogue.

This recording is performed by Gaëtane Prouvost (Violin), Abdel Rahman El Bacha (Piano).

Download this work through Dec 13, 2007.