Martinů: Symphonies 3 & 6 - Vaclav Neumann

Martinů left Communist Czechoslovakia and composed his symphonies in the United States. All his symphonies are colorful, melodic, and scored to include piano. You can get an awesome deal on the complete set performed by Bryden Thomson and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra at Amazon (click for link). Meanwhile, Vaclav Neumann does really beautiful work in this out-of-print recording, which features the third and sixth symphonies:























Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?g2yje1q5wku3nmw

Happy New Year!

Cheers,
Angus

My Favorite Card This Season

Inside says "Season's Greetings." Cute, right?

Cheers,
Angus

Pour Forth Thy Spirit

I posted a holiday song - a hymn by Thomas Tallis that I orchestrated using GarageBand.

Download the mp3 here:
[gone gone gone]

The above link no longer works. See this updated post, which has more of my music.

All the best this season and next!

Cheers,
Angus

Grieg: Peer Gynt, Piano Concerto

This classic is a compilation of various performers, conductors, and orchestras. Ormandy does good work on Peer Gynt, as does Judith Blegen. Kjaell Baekkelund is great, and what a great concerto! If you've never heard it, this recording is a gem.









































Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?5cuykzexcgqxg63

Cheers,
Angus

Santa Loves You

That's right: never forget Santa's love.


















My grandfather's favorite bird was a cardinal, so I scanned this card. Actually I dig the whole gathering of forest animals. My aunt sent it.

Cheers,
Angus

Lou Monte: Pepino the Italian Mouse

Here's a real treat for the holidays. Out of print still (probably forever), yet available here in mp3 format, an album my grandmother and grandfather loved.

Pepino the Italian Mouse & Other Italian Fun Songs (1962) Reprise R-6058 LP

1. Pepino, the Italian Mouse
2. Calypso Italiano
3. Oh Tessie
4. Tici Ti-Tica To-Tici Ta
5. Show Me the Way to Go Home
6. What did Washington Say (When He Crossed The Delaware)
7. Please Mr. Columbus (Turn The Ship Around)
8. A Good Man is Hard to Find
9. Eh Marie, Eh Marie
10. Sixteen Tons
11. Mala Femmena
12. Twist Italiano

I grew up with Lou Monte... fun songs for all ages, especially the title track and "Please Mr. Columbus." Really they're all good. Hope you like!

Download here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?c4zm755j5d93ta6

Cheers,
Angus

My Refrigerator

A stunning, yet brief documentary of my refrigerator:




Cheers,
Angus

Mahler: Symphony No. 7 - James Levine

The first in the series of out-of-print classics:

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 7
"Song of the Night"

James Levine conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

1. Langsam; Allegro
2. Nachtmusik I: Allegro moderato; Andante
3. Scherzo: Schattenhaft
4. Nachtmusick II: Andante amoroso
5. Finale: Rondo

You've landed here because Google is an amazing search engine and this is precisely the recording you want. Or perhaps you're experiencing Mahler for the first time. Either way, there is plenty to listen to here, and it's quite a well-crafted performance.

I never listen to Mahler all in one sitting. Perhaps you might do the same: take it slowly to hear how the thematic material in each movement develops. You'll be greatly rewarded.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?fd4w5y5677ubgd7

I especially appreciate Levine's interpretation of the Scherzo and the Finale.

Cheers,
Angus

Ed Luhrs - Digital Compositions (My Music)

My alter ego, Ed Luhrs, has compiled some music he wishes to share here. Ed put these pieces together using both Windows software and GarageBand, a nifty program for OS X users. They are a combination of his own compositions and digital orchestrations of other composers. He thanks the South Huntington library for use of their Mac computer.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?7b8av6iu8d94or4


Ed wants you to know he is, in fact, Angus De Graosta, in case you didn't know what alter ego means.

Cheers,
Angus

P.S.: The pieces written by other composers are in parentheses in the metadata; when you open the tracks in Media Player, iTunes etc. they'll appear. Some of the songs are also on Myspace Music -
https://myspace.com/edluhrs/music/songs

The Copernican System

My first blog. We'll begin with a good old poem:

The Copernican System

Thomas Chatterton

The Sun revolving on his axis turns,

And with creative fire intensely burns;

Impell'd by forcive air, our Earth supreme,

Rolls with the planets round the solar gleam.

First Mercury completes his transient year,

Glowing, refulgent, with reflected glare;

Bright Venus occupies a wider way,

The early harbinger of night and day;

More distant still our globe terraqueous turns,

Nor chills intense, nor fiercely heated burns;

Around her rolls the lunar orb of light,

Trailing her silver glories through the night:

On the Earth's orbit see the various signs,

Mark where the Sun our year completing shines;

First the bright Ram his languid ray improves;

Next glaring watry thro' the Bull he moves;

The am'rous Twins admit his genial ray;

Now burning thro' the Crab he takes his way;

The Lion flaming bears the solar power;

The Virgin faints beneath the sultry show'r,

Now the just Balance weighs his equal force,

The slimy Serpent swelters in his course;

The sabled Archer clouds his languid face;

The Goat, with tempests, urges on his race;

Now in the Wat'rer his faint beams appear,

And the cold Fishes end the circling year.

Beyond our globe the sanguine Mars displays

A strong reflection of primoeval rays;

Next belted Jupiter far distant gleams,

Scarcely enlighten'd with the solar beams,

With four unfix'd receptacles of light,

He tours majestic thro' the spacious height:

But farther yet the tardy Saturn lags,

And five attendant Luminaries drags,

Investing with a double ring his pace,

He circles thro' immensity of space.

These are thy wondrous works, first source of Good!

Now more admir'd in being understood.

I'll post some of my own work as well, no doubt. For now, look you well upon how the author is in awe of the universe. That's the way I feel sometimes.