jmc's classics
Every two years there are a lot of commercials for political candidates. Most of them are stupid. 99% of the people who are voting know who they are voting for. I only like funny commercials. There are a lot of commercials that do use Classical Music in the background.
Personally, I hate commercials unless they are funny or have some good music in them. There are a lot of commercials that use Classical Music. Most commercials are stupid. Especially political commercials. That said, most people have made up their minds. so these commercials are a wast of money.
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They Have started the renovations on Powell Hall. Unfortunately, they have tore down the historic Culver House. I wish that it could have been saved. It would cost over $3 million to move it. I hope that the new renovations is worth the destruction of the Culver House.
Powell Hall was originally a move theatre and the SLSO aquired the building in 1968. It had to undergo a lot of renovations. This will be the first renovations since 1968 to Powell Hall I don't think that the SLSO will be displaced but if they would the Touhill center at UMSL (University of Missouri St. Louis) would be an excellent place to go to for temporary use. Also, the Sheldon Hall would be a good venue. The cable music channel is having "Christmas in July" They appear to be playing the secular Christmas songs.
July 9 is the Birthday of Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936). He was An Italian composer. Unlike many of the other Italian composers, He did write some operas. He wrote several operas. he is remembered for his tome pome trilogy: Fountains of Rome, The Pines of Rome and the Festivals of Rome. None of his operas are popular today. Italians are credited for operas. It seems to me that most of the important Italian composers of the 19th and early 20th centuries wrote mostly opera. He wrote several string quartets, concertos for violin and for piano. Both Verdi and Puccini also wrote string quartets.
The trilogy is his most famous they were The Fountains of Rome 1916, The Pines of Rome 1924 and Roman Festivals 1928. all three works are in four movements, and they are around 12-22 minutes in length. The Fountains depicts a differnt fountain in Rome at a different time of day. The Pines depicts different areas of Rome with Pine trees. Festivals is the longest and most demanding. The first movement depicts ancient circuses and gladiators. The next three movements depict Christian festivals. the second depicts the 50-year Papal Jubilee and has themes from the German Easter hymn Christ ist erstanden". The third depicts the harvest and the fourth depicts Epiphany which falls on January 6. The version that I have is of Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra. It is an older recording, but I like it. There are many excellent newer digital versions of these works. He also wrote Ancient Aries and Dances which is a set of Italian music for lute from the 16th to the 18th Centuries. They were composed in 1917, 1923 and 1931. He wrote several other pieces for orchestra. He wrote five ballets. The Italians are not known for Ballets. the Russians are known for Ballets. His wife Elsa who was 15 years younger outlived him by 60 years dying at the age of 102. Arturo Toscanini (who was the father-in-law of Vladimir Horowitz) championed the music of Italian composers. Respighi was one of the leading Italian composers of the early 20th century. he broke the stereotypical mode of Italian Composers being mainly associated with opera. His music is still relevant today. With July 4th behind us, some stations are having a "Christmas in July" theme playing Christmas Music. Most of what I here is modern not the traditional.
What we here now on the radio is more patriotic music. Such as marches and military band music. Jazz, Country and of course Rock and Roll were invented in America. Classical comes from Europe. There have been great American Classical composers. Some of them are Roger Sessions, Howard Hanson, Walter Piston and George Gershwin to name a few. I do like a lot of the patriotic American Music. |
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