Monday, August 15, 2016

Music from and about Boston on Spotify

Good opportunity to hear some music about and from Boston! First, a piece about Boston from the Russian, sorry American composer Vernon Duke. Then, music „from” Boston in the form of the Boston Modern orchestra Project. They play Alan Hovhaness pastoral Saxophone concerto and Arthur Berger’s Gorecki like Prelude Aria & Waltz. Except that Gorecki was 12 years old at the time Berger wrote this... Further, a nice pie(r)ce by David Lang called *Pierced* and finally „the other” Boston orchestra, the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the Charismatic Benjamin Zander playing Stravinsky’s Petrushka.


-Vernon Duke, Hommage to Boston (1945). Scott Dunn, Piano
-Alan Hovhaness, Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Strings Op.344 (1980) 
Boston Modern Orchestra Project - Kenneth Radnofsky, soprano saxophone
-Arthur Berger, Prelude Aria & Waltz (1945). Boston Modern orchestra Project, Gil Rose
-David Lang, Pierced! (2008) - Boston Modern orchestra Project, Gil Rose
-Igor Stravinski, Petruska (1911) - Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Benjamin Zander.



Monday, August 1, 2016

Yo Yo Ma asked her if he could marry her... Quirine Viersen plays Bach!

A while ago I posted a playlist with performances by cellist Quirine Viersen. When she played the suites for cello solo before Yo YoMa, he proposed to her… She refused! Well, back then her recordings of the cellosuites was not on Spotify yet, but now they are! Hear for yourself where Ma fell in love with ;-)




(Spotify Webplayer link)