The Common Rede

Einojuhani Rautavaara

2012-02-13T02:24:00.002-05:00

Happy Day Before Valentine's Day! What better way to celebrate than to give homage to Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, whose concertos and symphonies are one-of-a-kind. I'm going to focus on the symphonies here, which is no surprise, considering how that's what I usually do. (I'm trying to change my ways, really.) Anyway, I do have a download to offer, though only a meager 160 bps. Nearly all of Rautavaara's works are all available online in MP3 format, and I recommend them highly.

I'm going to focus first on the Fifth Symphony, which is the first work of his to really grab my interest. This is a symphony in one movement. Sibelius wrote his last symphony in one movement. Whereas the Sibelius flows like an organic process, Rautavaara's symphony is like a communication among aliens on an icy planet, at least in the middle. It is not atonal; there is always melody going on, but the statements made are spontaneous and discrete. The opening builds with a series of ominous crescendos, leading into whirring sounds and the characteristic tympani motifs which surface in many of his later works. Should you be curious about where the final passage begins, it is around -4:21. This is one of the most breathtaking conclusions I've ever heard in a symphony.

Download here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?9o1y30whwsb9wmi

I hope this is a starting point for learning more about Rautavaara. His more recent work sometimes sounds a little similar. There is a nasty Amazon reviewer who points this out in every single one of his reviews, which irritates the daylights out of me. But that particular individual hasn't stopped me from coming back for more. I'm already in too deep. I'm a big fan.

The First Symphony is good stuff. If Sibelius's First sounds a little like Tchaikovsky, then Rautavaara's First sounds at times like Shostakovich. His faster-paced movements are generally shorter than the slower ones. Just an observation. It applies here in the First. The Third is especially engaging: it has the feel of a Bruckner symphony, but with some unusual serial techniques employed. One of my favorites is the Sixth - Rautavaara uses synthesizer sounds to create strikingly ethereal effects.

Rautavaara's most popular pieces are the Seventh (which won a Grammy) and Cantus Arcticus, which features recorded bird song. He wrote an Eighth Symphony in 1999. Whether the world will see another, we don't know. I can tell you he is remarkably prolific in all genres, including opera. He wrote a really nice early piece for string orchestra called The Fiddlers (Pelimannit) in a fairly conventional style. I have heard a number of his concertos, many of which are very enjoyable and have been recorded by Vladimir Ashenazy and Richard Stoltzman, among others. You can find quite a few examples of the composer's work on YouTube, and when you're ready, you can purchase a few of his recordings through Amazon and other online sources. I certainly have.

Cheers,
Angus

The Well-Tempered Synthesizer

2012-02-03T23:02:00.001-05:00

One of the first pioneers of the Moog synthesizer, Wendy Carlos made a famous 1968 album called Switched on Bach, which won three Grammy awards the following year. This was ground-breaking work, as it was among the first recordings to include classical performance on synthesizer. Part of the success of that album had a lot to do with Carlos's skill as a keyboard player, the other part being the wild array of sounds.

Continuing with this success, she released The Well-Tempered Synthesizer in 1969, which I am featuring here. This album features performances of works by Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Handel, and Bach. There are many moments of greatness here, particularly in the Scarlatti sonatas. Some sounds sparkle better than others, but overall the effect is really excellent.

In her own music, Carlos has a knack for making eerie-sounding stuff, as in her film soundtracks for A Clockwork Orange and The Shining. She recorded an ambient album of her own work in 1972 called Sonic Seasonings, which consists of several long pieces named after the seasons. I really enjoy that album - it has many passages of an otherworldly quality blended in with atmospheric and forest sounds. The Well-Tempered Synthesizer, however, is as good a place as any to start if you'd like to better familiarize yourself with her work. There is quite a lot to enjoy on this album. For more information on Wendy Carlos, see here.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?0241clalhpt49ef

Cheers,
Angus

Thank You, Muses...

2012-01-25T00:33:00.000-05:00

The Nine Muses inspiring Arion, Orpheus and Pythagoras under the auspieces of the Personified Air, source of all Harmony, 13th century, Public Library Rheims

Now that Megaupload has fallen, some of my older files are gone. Ask me to share them on Mediafire, and I will. I've been using Mediafire for some time and find them reputable. Whether Big Brother feels the same is another story entirely. I do hope Mediafire weathers the current storm.

I think there is great validity in posting music that is out of circulation and without benefit of the Internet very few people would know about otherwise. Take, for example, Eino Tulikari, whose music I posted in March last year. 112 downloads - that means 112 people now know of the existence of a legendary kantele player from Finland. There are countless great examples of music like this that become lost in time.

I want to share my sense of wonder at the creative spirit here. It happens that music is one of the things I've come to enjoy sharing most, even if I'm more a writer than a musician. (I play ukulele... that counts for something! And I've also shared my musical compositions composed on the computer, to be fair to myself.) At any rate, in the weeks ahead, I'll continue to post, whether it's a YouTube video, an album, some words about a particular artist or style of music, or something completely random, which I've been known to do. I have a separate blog that focuses on writing, though I'm still trying to figure out what to do with that.

I like how the ancients thought about music, which is why I've included the art above. The Greeks and Romans inspired the imaginations of many scribes and artists in Middle Ages, who preserved the image of the Muses and the connection of sounds to the celestial sphere. I think in our own way we're continuing this tradition online. All these great blogs about folk, jazz, rock, and orchestral music help us see a broader horizon of who influenced who, where music comes from, where it is going.

Cheers,
Angus

A Celebration Indeed!

2012-01-09T02:27:00.002-05:00

Nancy Allen - one of New York's own. Great, great selections here. Every moment of this 1990 release is beautifully conceived.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?ryxryju5o7jb0nr

Also, I forgot to post Ottorino Respighi on January 6. I call this my birthday song - "La Befana" (The Epiphany), the conclusion of Feste Romane (Roman Festivals).

What an entertaining roller-coaster! Respighi sometimes sounds a little like Strauss. His orchestrations of Renaissance music are beautiful. But here is something altogether different: a full-blooded Italian musical orgy. This Venezuelan orchestra does a great job with this difficult piece:

If you want to check out an A+ studio recording, look here.

Cheers,
Angus

Little Sister

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

Though it's just the beginning of the year, and my birthday no less, I think we need to pause for a commercial break. Surely this is one of finest fast-food commercials ever made, from the McDonald's & You campaign back in the early 1980s. This still gives me the weepies, and I don't even have a sister! Tender, tender thoughts, connecting generations one French fry at a time.

Cheers,
Angus

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 31 - Claudio Arrau

2011-12-31T13:05:00.003-05:00

I have a strong affinity for Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110. This is his penultimate (second-to-last) sonata. Claudio Arrau captures the spirit of the opening passage beautifully in this 1991 release. I got this CD from the local library a few years ago; unfortunately I only recorded this one sonata from it. This is, you guessed it, out of circulation, but if you go to Amazon and type in Arrau and Beethoven as search terms, you will find plenty more, including several versions of this sonata that he has recorded over the years.

This particular version on the whole is slower and softer around the edges than some others, but it works well for this reflective and at times cerebral music. I'll leave it again to Wikipedia to explain the technical details - see here. I recommend reading the article even if you don't know a great deal about music, since it explains the structure of the movements really well. I really enjoy the fugal passages in the third movement. In many recordings, the third movement is divided into two tracks. Here it is one, with the slow introduction leading into the rest. Other than that, I'll leave you to discover the music on your own.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?10z2svvpbfyj85c

Here's wishing you good things for the new year!

Cheers,
Angus

Nato Canunt Omnia

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

This YouTube poster (RootfrootMatt) has provided the Latin and English translation with this video. Alleluia! This is chant performance at its best, and only one selection from Sarum Chant: Missa in Gallicantu, performed by the Tallis Scholars (MP3 now available here). I'd recommend this 1988 release to anyone who is fascinated by early choral music, particularly the Gregorian chant monophonic sound. This actually is not Gregorian chant, but part of the Sarum Rite used in the 11th century. To explain what that means, I'll point you to this Wikipedia article (click here). One thing I remember from the liner notes when I borrowed this CD from the library in high school is the English branch of the Church pronounced Latin slightly differently, which is reflected in this recording. So "ce" makes a s sound instead of a ch sound, so precelsa sounds like preselsa instead of prechelsa.

I'm sure this information thrills your heart. If not, I'll leave you with a fine pagan song this Winter Solstice:

Thank you, Ian Anderson!!!

Cheers,
Angus

Diminuendo & Crescendo in Blue

2011-12-15T00:24:00.002-05:00

Let's get swinging for the holidays! First, this is a great concert to have in its entirety, so here is an Amazon link. The setting: Newport Jazz Festival, 1956. Duke Ellington and company do fine work all throughout, but there is one segment of this concert that is easily one of my favorite live musical performances of all time, "Diminuendo in Blue and Crescendo in Blue." Ellington's prefatory remarks are integral to the performance. He says the two segments of the piece will include "an interval by Paul Gonsalves." That's a classic understatement. What follows is one of the coolest saxophone solos in history. It gets you dancing on your seat. In fact, that's the story: at one point a striking blonde woman started dancing on her seat, and the crowd went wild. You can hear it happen. When the band kicks in full-force afterward, holy cow. Not to be missed!

I'll provide a link to the song as reference, but as I say, go to Amazon for more. There are also digital versions of the original recording that are much less than the complete performance.

Download MP4 here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?iari3g665syxw3i

Cheers,
Angus

Anne Briggs - The Time Has Come

2011-12-06T23:23:00.001-05:00

Just the name Anne Briggs brings me to tears - not for sadness but for the sheer innocent beauty of her voice. Though Briggs had only a brief stint as far as singers go, her influence will outlast the short years she was in the British folk circuit in the late 60s and early 70s. She's retired and living a quiet family life these days, but a few years ago she participated in a documentary that I'll share below.

First, the music. The Time Has Come is a great album. It is, sadly, out of print. I suggest you give it a listen. If you find yourself weeping uncontrollably and need to hear more, fork over the nine or ten dollars it costs to get Anne Briggs: A Collection here. Just do it: you'll be glad you did. Between Collection and The Time Has Come (which includes some of her originals in addition to traditional music), you'll see why she was a big influence on so many folk musicians. For the album above...

Download here (no password):

http://www.mediafire.com/?k6che550i1dj7vh

So, here is a clip from the documentary:

And here she is singing the title track of the above album (do a YouTube search for more of her):

The gentleman who is standing beside her in that great photo is Bert Jansch. They were friends. Bert Jansch died in October, a sad thing for the folk world. There are also plenty of great music clips of Jansch, including this one of Blackwaterside. Also, click here for the September 2010 post I made about Jansch, including a collection I put together of a few of his songs.

Cheers,

Angus

Jean Sibelius: Luonnotar

2011-11-30T22:53:00.001-05:00

I posted this one on YouTube a while back - best version ever! Here is text and translation:

Luonnotar

Olipa impi, ilman tyttö
- There was a beautiful maiden of the air,
Kave Luonnotar korea.
- Luonnotar, a daughter of nature,
Ouostui elämätään,
- who grew tired of her life,
Aina, yksin ollessansa avaroilla autioilla.
- of always being alone in the vast plains of the sky.
Laskeusi lainehille,
- She descended into the sea,
Aalto impeä ajeli.
- where the waves impregnated her.
Vuotta seitsemän sataa
- For seven hundred years
Vieri impi veen emona
- she drifted about as the water mother,
Uipi luotehet, etelät
- swimming north-west, swimming south,
Uipi kaikki ilman rannat.
- to all the shores under the skies.
Tuli suuri tuulen puuska
- Then a tremendous gust of wind
Meren kouhuille kohotti.
- threw her up on the foamy waves.
Voi, poloinen, päiviäni!
- Oh, poor me, and my life!
Parempi olisi ollut ilman impenä elää.
- It would have been better to remain the Virgin of the Air.
Oi, Ukko, ylijumala, käy tänne
- O, mighty Ukko, supreme god, pass here by the one
kutsuttaissa!
- who implores you!
Tuli sotka, suora lintu,
- A gull appeared, an agile bird.
Lenti kaikki ilman rannat
- It flew to all the shores of the skies,
Lenti luotehet, etelät
- it flew north-west, it flew south,
Ei löyä pesänsioa.
- unable to find a place for nesting.
Ei! Ei! Ei!
- No! No! No!
Teenkö tuulehem tupani, alloillen
- Must I build my house in the wind, my living quarters on
asuinsiani?
- the waves?
Tuuli kaatavi, tuuli kaatavi,
- The wind would knock down my house,
Aalto viepi asuinsiani.
- the waves would carry away my nest.
Niin silloin veen emonen
- At that moment the water mother
Nosti polvea lainehesta.
- lifted her knee out of the waves.
Siihen sorsa laativi pesänsä
- There the gull made its nest,
Alkoi hautoa.
- and started hatching.
Impi tuntevi tulistuvaksi
- The maiden felt an ardent fire
Järkytti jäsenehensä.
- shaking her limbs.
Pesä vierähti vetehen
- the nest fell into the water
Katkieli kappaleiksi
- and broke into pieces.
Muuttuivat munat kaunoisiksi
- But the eggs changed into things of beauty:
Munasen yläinen puoli
- the top of the shell
Yläiseksi taivahaksi,
- became the firmament;
Yläpuoli valkeaista
- the upper part of the egg white
Kuuksi kummottamahan;
- the shining moon;
Mi kirjavaista tähiksi taivaalle,
- and the speckles turned into stars in the sky,
Ne tähiksi taivaalle.
- stars in the sky.

- - - - - -

Hope you enjoy!

Cheers,

Angus

Schumann - Kubelik

2011-11-28T22:12:00.000-05:00

Have no doubt: this is music magic - Rafael Kubelik leading the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks) in Robert Schumann's Third and Fourth symphonies, plus the Manfred Overture. The recording dates from the late 70s and has very good remastered analog sound.

I used to dislike Schumann's piano music, which caused me to hold off on listening to his orchestral music. When I finally gave a listen (recently in fact), I became fascinated with these works. They're bursting with vitality, structurally tight, well-orchestrated... even if the critics say orchestration wasn't one of Schumann's strong points, I can say it all sounds great to me. Give them a try if you haven't heard. I'm starting to get into the piano music as well.

I really like the front cover - found it online. Don't know what specific release it belongs to, but I made sure to include it here in lieu of the more mundane covers floating around out there.

Kubelik is another one of those conductors who never made a bad recording, at least from what I've heard. See Peter's blog here for an amazing live recording of Smetana's Má Vlast with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Wow! As for this recording...

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?aij14a12n773oom

Cheers,
Angus

Ukulele Underground

2011-11-22T12:38:00.001-05:00

My laptop has had a stroke, so I'm relegated to using my touch screen cell phone for making posts until a replacement arrives. Let me share a site I've recently found:

http://ukuleleunderground.com/

I started posting in their forums under angusdegraosta. The ukulele is a ridiculous amount of fun to play. For now I got myself a cheap little red Makala Dolphin soprano - amazing how playable it is for only 35 dollars.

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving! I'll write more once I get a machine with a normal-sized physical keyboard... should be arriving within the week.

Cheers,
Angus

Prokofiev and Shostakovich: Czech Philharmonic

2011-10-29T13:59:00.002-04:00

Here is Prokofiev's Symphony-Concerto, together with Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto, with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under Karel Ančerl. Miloš Sádlo is the cellist. I am guessing the recording dates from the 50s or the 60s, but I'm still trying to verify exactly when.

Supraphon is a solidly good music label from the recordings I've heard. Czech orchestras so often have a great sound, particularly in the woodwinds. I've heard quite a few excellent Mahler recordings on Supraphon. One of my first postings on this site was a Martinu recording with Neumann (see here). I'd eventually like to post Martinu's Fourth, one of my favorites.

Anyway, this recording features excellent cello playing. The sound quality is just fine, including the balance of solo instrument to orchestra. The Prokofiev piece is not too often performed. It was first written around the time the composer was receiving harsh criticism for his compositions; he shelved it and later revised the piece to its present form. It has quite a lot of good passages and is well worth playing a few times to understand it better. Prokofiev has great violin and piano concertos - he is a wizard in this genre in quite a few of his compositions.

The Shostakovich concerto is an especially engaging piece - most of Shostakovich's concertos are. He shows a playfulness with the concerto form that you only see in some of his symphonies. I recommend hearing this along with his concertos for violin and piano. Last year I posted the Fifteenth Symphony in time for Halloween (see here). This year I thought to post the Fourth Symphony, but this recording is a much rarer find.

For more information on the great Karel Ančerl, see here.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?h339pmtyna64998

Cheers,
Angus

The Moontrane

2011-10-24T23:49:00.001-04:00

Hop on "The Moontrane" with Larry Young, Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson, and Elvin Jones! Shaw's own album with the the same title (Moontrane) is a classic.

Cheers,
Angus

Maria Kalaniemi

2011-10-16T13:05:00.000-04:00

Maria Kalaniemi is an extraordinary musician from Finland. She has changed the way I look at the accordion. She plays with grace and a sensitive dynamic range that makes her music engaging and great fun to hear. For the 2001 release Airbow, she teamed with Swedish fiddler Sven Ahlbäck to make a beautiful album that stands among my top Scandinavian folk recordings. If the front cover reminds you of ice and snow, you know a little of what you're in for. This is an excellent album for the colder months ahead, perhaps in ways even a personification of winter itself. Okay, I'm overdoing it a little, even a lot, but let me also say that there is fire in here as well. You'll get a dose of warm, heartfelt musicianship like hot cocoa in sub-zero temperatures. Maybe I better quit with the goofy metaphors.

As far as the style of the music, you will hear quite a few polkas, but not in the way you may be accustomed to hear them. This is elegant music with a sparseness to it that is just breathtaking.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?pcm29rt6ahjy3cz

When this album becomes available in MP3 format, I will definitely point to the link. In the mean time, I'll give a link to Kalaniemi's albums on Amazon here. There are one or two I haven't heard yet, but the ones I've listened to are all fantastic.

Cheers,
Angus

Blodwyn Pig

2011-10-11T12:07:00.003-04:00

When Mick Abrahams left Jethro Tull after their first album This Was, he formed the short-lived Blodwyn Pig, a blues-based band. Ahead Rings Out, released in 1969, has a number of great tunes; some of my favorites include "Dear Jill," "The Change Song," and the brief instrumental "Backwash." The whole album is entertaining. Some songs have good rock energy and will get your feet moving, while others are more reflective and relaxed. Overall, this is a neat slice of vintage music from the late sixties.

Although not on this album, Blodwyn Pig does a very cool version of "Stormy Monday Blues," well worth hearing.

Because there are so many copies of Ahead Rings Out already available on filestube, I'll leave you to choose from the selection. There is also an extended version of the album probably worth finding. Search here.

Meanwhile, I'm searching my archives for some good orchestral music to share this fall.

Cheers,
Angus

Mahatma Shankar

2011-09-29T14:35:00.002-04:00

The name of the post is an amalgamation of Mahatma Gandhi and Ravi Shankar. The image above is all over the net with Gandhi spelled wrong ("Ghandi"). So I fixed it in Photoshop and am posting it here. These are good ideas to keep in mind, especially if I ever win the eighty million in the lottery.

As far as Ravi goes, a few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me to share some of his albums with her on mediafire, so I did. Two of the albums are traditional Hindustani raga, and the third is more like world music, albeit with some cool sounds you might like.

A few weeks ago I went into some depth about a piece I included from the southern Carnatic tradition on a compilation I made of various kinds of instrumental music. Now here is music from the northern (Hindustani) parts of India, with the incomparable Shankar playing his sitar.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?gjkit3x8excqs7p

Cheers,
Angus

So Selfish Runs The Hare

2011-09-24T13:48:00.002-04:00

I was listening to "Morris Medley" by the Albion Country Band, which is mainly instrumental but has a quick little tune called "So Selfish Runs The Hare" in the middle that got into my head:

So selfish runs the hare and so cunning runs the fox,
Who would think that this little calf would grow to a noble ox?
To live among the briars and to run among the thorns,
And die the death that his father did
with a large pair of horns.

Horns, large horns; horns, large horns
And die the death that his father did
with a large pair of horns.

The hunt is up, the hounds are out, the lark's song fills the air.
And we're away to the great green wood
to hunt the buck and hare.
The moon is riding down the sky to usher in the morn.
We'll rouse the town with fanfares blown
on a large pair of horns.

Horns, large horns; horns, large horns
We'll rouse the town with fanfares blown
on a large pair of horns.

So come you jolly fellows, drink your ale and down your beer
To welcome in the harvest and the turning of the year.
We'll drink the season with the blood of old John Barleycorn;
I'll drink to thee and thou to me
from a large pair of horns.

Horns, large horns; horns, large horns
I'll drink to thee and thou to me
from a large pair of horns.

The song on their album only features the first verse, which is traditional, but I found the other two verses above printed here. They were written by Jon Berger and round out the song nicely.

I became so enamored of the tune that I immediately went to figure out the chords on guitar. I suppose when I get a ukulele in a few weeks, I'll try it on that too. Meanwhile, here are professionals. The lyrics begin a few seconds after the three minute mark...

Download "Morris Medley" here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?1dis8mumbbe6e3b

In addition, the whole Albion Country Band album, currently out of print, can be found here at Folk Yourself.

Cheers,
Angus

Frank Rosolino - I Play Trombone

2011-09-16T15:46:00.001-04:00

Frank Rosolino (1926-1978) was a great trombone player. I Play Trombone, released in 1956, is his second album as a leader. Here is a great start if you want to know more about his style or jazz music with trombone. This is good, old-fashioned swing combined with sweet melody - fun fun fun.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?hb1dm1029b4o1fq

Cheers,
Angus

Labor Day, Beer, Norwegian Music

2011-09-03T14:56:00.006-04:00

Labor Day is a good secular holiday in America. It falls around a time of year when the nights get colder, the days slowly get shorter, and summer is at an end. Now is a good time to drink beer. Let me share some of my reviews on

- a totally cool site. No surprise that my user name is angusdegraosta on that site too. I've reviewed twenty-five brews so far, which you can view HERE. Beer makes me very excited. Wine is always good too, but beer is less expensive and less complicated. You should try some.

What else? Oh, yes, I wanted to highlight Nordisk Sang, a great album of musicians from Norway. The album features great instrumentals and a woman with the world's loveliest voice. Again, thanks a million to Folk Yourself, which has plenty of great Scandinavian music as well as other stuff from all over the place. I also really like a folk band called Slinkombas with a similar sound. So, with the inevitable onslaught of autumn and cold, short days ahead, it's a fine time of year to listen to some Hardanger fiddle hoedown music. I eat this stuff for breakfast.

Cheers,

Angus

Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 3 - Paavo Berglund

2011-08-25T23:46:00.017-04:00

I bought my first Nielsen symphony cycle on CD at Tower Records - Herbert Blomstedt with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, which is still among my favorite modern recordings of the symphonies (and the Hymnus Amoris). But it is certainly good to hear more than one version of Nielsen. So here is Paavo Berglund with the Royal Danish Orchestra. Berglund is a very insightful interpreter of Nielsen and Sibelius. Sometimes he plows through gushy, romantic parts of music. For example, in this cycle Berglund does not do a great job on the Fourth's climactic moments. He more than makes up for it in the other symphonies, including the Third, which I'm sharing here.

The first moments of the opening movement of the Third, like those of the First and the Fourth, are a little jarring. Stick it through, though, and you'll understand the logic of it. Each of the movements is tightly constructed in a way that pulls you in. The second movement features the wordless voices of a man and woman carrying a melismatic tune. It's a very sweet sound overall. The third movement has plenty of fine surprises - Nielsen writes very good parts for woodwind.

The finale of the Third is one of my top ten finales of all time. I have about 100 top ten finales; I think I have a serious finale fetish. But seriously, this is just awesome music. If you feel the need to skip ahead to the last movement, don't feel bad. I do it every time. I love it, and I love Berglund's pacing and attention to details...

Download here (no password):

http://www.mediafire.com/?kby9k5dk2mid2kh

For more Nielsen, go to wf's and Peter's blogs. I am a huge fan of the Fourth ("The Inextinguishable") and the Sixth - that last one is really, really wild and bizarre stuff. Can't accuse Nielsen of not being original! The First is great. The Second I'm getting to like. It helps to hear several versions of the Fifth - as with the others, there are many ways to interpret it. If you're new to Nielsen, the best thing I can say is listen to all the stuff he wrote, including concertos, tone poems, choral works... even an opera called Maskarade. Haven't heard that one yet, but the overture is terrific.

Cheers,
Angus

Just One More Thing

2011-08-17T22:37:00.004-04:00

...about Jackie. She is rightfully famous for her Elgar performances, but check this out -

In this recording of the Dvořák concerto with Daniel Barenboim conducting the Chicago Symphony, she absolutely OWNS the last few minutes. Said recording can be referenced here - the whole performance is a gem, and the Haydn ist auch sehr gut.

Prosit,
Angus

Arnold Bax: Tintagel

2011-08-11T12:44:00.005-04:00

A rare thing for a YouTube video to exceed 10 minutes, but here is a remarkable performance of Bax's Tintagel in its entirety...

Let me point to another great website that features an excellent assortment of English music, Scandinavian music, Mahler, and good folk music as well....

http://when-the-musics-over.blogspot.com/.

If you're looking for more Bax and recordings of Tintagel, go here. The Barbirolli recording on the page also features a very good version of Vaughan Williams's Fifth Symphony. Have fun!

Cheers,
Angus

Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 - Carlos Kleiber

2011-08-09T00:12:00.006-04:00

Here is Beethoven's 4th in one big MP3 file. Why is it that way? I can't say rightly, but it's a live performance by Carlos Kleiber from 1982, so it's got to be good. The man never made a bad recording.

Plenty of energy here... enjoy the ride!

Download MP3 here (224bps):

http://www.mediafire.com/?hx67avqxaiujvmj

Cheers,

Angus

Pluck, Volumes 1 & 2

2011-07-27T02:47:00.002-04:00

Here are two compilations of instrumental music that I put together for moonghozt, mainly of acoustic guitar, but I made sure to include some electric sounds as well as other plucked instruments such as the ukulele, bouzouki, mandolin, veena, sitar, harp, and lute... hence the name "Pluck."

Download Vol. 1 here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?myarugpx2qtjl4v

Download Vol. 2 here (still no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?zqd30uxzrhdv96z

Hope you enjoy - a little bit of all styles here, but I made sure the flow is good overall.

Cheers,
Angus

The Grey Funnel Line

2011-07-21T01:11:00.009-04:00

While I am still on the subject of English musicians (and I'm sure I'll return to the subject again soon), let me share a great tune about the sea:

"The Grey Funnel Line" is a song by Cyril Tawney that The Silly Sisters later performed in slightly modified form. The Silly Sisters, by the way, are Maddy Prior and June Tabor, and let me tell you, their version of this tune is one for the ages - uncommonly beautiful. I'll share that song along with another lighthearted surprise by June Tabor...

Download two songs here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?dji7jiim5vjkxit

Let me also mention a blog that has not only plenty of Maddy Prior and June Tabor, but an amazing variety of folk music from around the world - folkyourself.blogspot.com. I'm grateful to the crew there for introducing me to so much music that I truly love and would never have known about otherwise.

Cheers,
Angus

From the Jacqueline du Pré Documentary

2011-07-12T00:53:00.000-04:00

Entertaining clip from the documentary of cellist Jacqueline du Pré. The guy in the beginning is John Barbirolli, responding to comments that du Pré had too much showy energy. He pretty much says you should have that kind of energy when you're young, or else...

Cheers,

Angus

The Third Symphonies of Copland & Harris

2011-07-04T00:01:00.005-04:00

Happy 4th! Here's a good time to write about American music - the third symphonies of Aaron Copland and Roy Harris, two very different works, but both I admire. I've been reading The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century, in which Alex Ross writes how the Copland symphony premiered at a time when twelve-tone music was more the "in" thing. Consequently, it didn't make a splash. I think Copland's symphony is a good contender for the title of Great American Symphony, even if it isn't exactly a perfect composition. I recommend listening to the whole thing, but if you must jump ahead, make sure to listen to the finale. It includes Fanfare for the Common Man. The music builds to one of my favorite conclusions, especially in this recording by Bernstein:

This is one of my favorite recordings that Lenny made. I never got into his Mahler as much, but he shines in this recording, which you can learn more about or download here at Amazon. In addition to the symphony, there is some fantastic trumpet work in Quiet City.

While I'm posting album covers, let me post the Harris recording:

This recording can also be found on Amazon here. I only downloaded the Third Symphony from this recording, since I only wanted to spend 89 cents at the time. That's the good news: you can get all eighteen minutes of this single-movement work for cheap, and it's a great recording. The work requires a good listener; it is far more cerebral and less gushing with emotion than Copland. But it is loaded with musical surprises. I have listened to it a couple of times already and find new things to appreciate each time. I've been meaning to listen to it for years, and when I finally heard it, I thought "This sounds completely different than I thought it would." Maybe that will be your experience too. I recommend it highly, not only because it is famous, but because it's quite an original work. Maybe I'll listen to the Fourth Symphony next.

Cheers,
Angus

Veljo Tormis: Forgotten Peoples - Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

2011-06-24T23:36:00.017-04:00

I mentioned Veljo Tormis in the last post, and this post is long overdue. This is a review of Forgotten Peoples I wrote in 2008:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Inspiration, January 20, 2008

Ed Luhrs (Long Island, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Veljo Tormis: Forgotten Peoples (Audio CD) << Click to see the page<<

I wish a review could do this work justice. I think Tormis has written one of the greatest choral works of all time, without question. The pieces are written in languages similar to Estonian and Finnish. The cultures, along with the languages, are becoming erased by time, hence the bleak front cover with the fence falling into overgrown grass.

On the other hand, the music is playful and filled with variety. Strange? Absolutely, but in a truly warm and inviting way. There are complete lyrics and English translations, so you will understand everything that is going on.

This is one of the greatest musical discoveries I have ever made. No exaggeration. Any work that preserves history so distinctly deserves wide recognition. Spread the word.

...Amazon, where I post some reviews using my other name. Some might even call it my real name. Anyway, I stand by my word. This work is something special, so much so that I believe I'd be doing the composer a disservice by posting the whole thing. Same reason I wouldn't post an album like Penguin Eggs by Nic Jones - respect for living legends who could use the recognition and financial support. Unlike Penguin Eggs, this album by Tormis is harder to find, so let me point to an MP3 download of excerpts on Amazon here. This recording only offers selections of the original work, but it's a good start. I hope they're able to offer the whole album above as an MP3 download for those interested. The only problem is this is one of those works where you'd benefit from having the lyrics and translation in front of you, so having a physical copy is a bonus here. With words and translation in hand, you'll get a glimpse of some of the forgotten music and folklore traditions from the far northern reaches of earth.

Cheers,
Angus

John Adams / Lepo Sumera - Shifting Landscapes

2011-06-21T01:16:00.005-04:00

Happy summer! Let me share a post that appears on a blog called "Welcome to My Spirit World," hosted by a kindhearted fellow from Asia named Peter. The site showcases a good selection of music, including this album featuring works by John Adams and Lepo Sumera. The tracklist is as follows:

1. Fearful Symmetries (Adams)
2-4. Symphony No. 2 (Sumera)
5. The Chairman Dances (Adams)

I've never heard of the Symphony Orchestra of Norrlands Opera before, but they are in top form on this recording. It's a John Adams sandwich, but let's start with the middle. I really admire Lepo Sumera's Second Symphony and think this is a great version to hear. There is something about the original, off-the-beaten-path sound of Estonian composers that consistently captivates my attention. Listening to this symphony is a wonderful experience, with its harp, bells, arresting motifs, and the building and release of energy. I'd pick this symphony and Forgotten Peoples by Veljo Tormis as two of my favorite compositions by Estonian composers, though there are plenty of great works to discover.

I'm not sure why Fearful Symmetries has the title it does - Adams's 1988 composition has plenty of engaging energy, rhythm, and even a little jazz - an uplifting work, and perfect for summer. It's a good introduction to John Adams. Pretty much anything John Adams writes is a good introduction to John Adams. The Chairman Dances are pretty good too. One of my favorite Adams pieces is the Violin Concerto, but that's another recording for another day.

In the mean time, go visit Peter's blog here to see the post, the download information for this recording, and his other posts.

Cheers,

Angus

Thurber - The Last Flower

2011-06-07T02:04:00.000-04:00

Beautiful story - bittersweet, a little silly, and true on so many levels. I found the right kind of music to accompany James Thurber's "parable in pictures."

Cheers,
Angus

Shawn Colvin - Live '88

2011-06-01T00:01:00.002-04:00

Just a singer and her guitar in an excellent live performance. Shawn Colvin keeps her fans happy with well-produced studio recordings, but here she is in 1988, even before the release of her first album. What a sweet voice and fine guitar work. She's got rhythm, subtle phrasing, and a strong emotional appeal. These are not songs that explore world politics and the price of gas, but introspections. She sings about personal relationships and her place in her world. It all about the beautiful delivery and her love of the songwriting craft. She covers Paul Simon's "Kathy's Song" in a way that would melt even the most hard hearted.

I think this performance will win you over. It was released in 1995 by Plump Records and is not in current circulation. I bought this in 1996 or 1997 at a small record store in Binghamton, NY (or was it Burlington, VT? ... I can't remember). Click here for access to other recordings by Shawn Colvin.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?hwd860yf3xn0gz3

Cheers,
Angus

El Cant de la Sibil-la I - Savall and Figueras

2011-05-21T04:11:00.002-04:00

Some of our more extreme brothers and sisters on the good planet Earth believe today is the end of the world. Should we happen to survive any pending catastrophes, I think now is an excellent time to bring you back to the turn of the last millennium and offer you Jordi Savall and Montserrat Figueras with La Capella Reial de Catalunya in El Cant de la Sibil-la I.

Yes, this is apocalyptic music that appeared in its first forms a thousand years ago, as well-represented today as we can possibly get at the beginning of the 21st century. When it comes to early music, Savall is a wizard, and his wife, Figueras, commands the voice of the heavens. This recording is the first of three installments. The Song of the Sibyl (as it's called in English) took many forms in the early Middle Ages and was performed in various interpretations at various sites over several centuries. The performances here feature versions in Latin, Provençal, and Catalan. The second and third recordings are yet other accounts, all equally powerful as the first. See Amazon for links to the other recordings and Wikipedia for links to the texts.

The music is about the end of the world and incorporates various pieces written by Eusebius of Caesarea, Saint Augustine, and troubador poets, depending on which version is being performed. All the texts are similar in nature. I think it is almost better to hear the music first and then look for the lyrics. At any rate, the music itself is chillingly slow and melismatic, meaning several notes are sung with each syllable. It has a very medieval Spanish character, along with a kind of beauty I've never heard before. Despite the apocalyptic Christian thematic material of the words, the title of the music invokes the very pagan muse of the Sibyl, which first appears in Greek mythology. To better explain this, I've included along with the music an excellent historical article about the Song of the Sibyl, published in PDF format by Goldberg Magazine, a now-defunct bilingual English/Spanish magazine that was dedicated to early music.

Perhaps due to the efforts of Savall and Figueras, The Song of the Sibyl has been declared one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010. It is, I believe, worth its title, and as I said before, I've never heard anything quite like it - a very strange and beautiful terror.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?jj5fkdpvd255onh

Cheers,
Angus

Kleiber and Karajan

2011-05-14T01:11:00.000-04:00

I've heard quite a few people say that the conductor has an easy job waving his baton. Others have even questioned why a symphony orchestra needs a conductor. The best way to answer this question is to listen to music - a lot of it. Each conductor has a different interpretation of a musical score, which sometimes is very easy to hear. Case in point: these two interpretations of the Johann Strauss II polka "Unter Donner und Blitz" (Thunder and Lightning) by Carlos Kleiber and Herbert von Karajan.

First, Kleiber:

Now, Karajan:

Huge difference. One YouTuber observing the Kleiber performance writes, "You can see that ALL the work was done in rehearsal. All Kleiber has to do at the performance is inspire and keep time!" Whether the same can be said of Karajan or not, the point is that as a conductor rehearses with the orchestra, he shapes the piece. In performance, we see Kleiber inspiring the Bavarian State Orchestra along the way and even giving them a great giggle at the end. It seems like he was having the time of his life, and he probably was, but Kleiber worked hard during reheasals. Here is an example from 1970. It is a lot of fun to watch Kleiber conduct. I wish he made more recordings!

Karajan, in this performance with the Vienna Philharmonic, is not as fun. More often than not, he was a great interpreter of music, but the sound here is very austere and businesslike. There is a time for work and a time for play. Some conductors, like Fritz Reiner, were sadistically serious, whereas others like Sergiu Celibidache had a more humane, spiritual approach to music (and people). Whatever can be said of Kleiber or Karajan, they have both left a lasting mark on music. But Kleiber did it with a smile.

Cheers,
Angus

Pink Floyd: BBC Radio 1, July 16,1970

2011-05-01T23:06:00.011-04:00

Here is Pink Floyd live from 1970, introduced on BBC Radio 1 by the great John Peel. The track list is as follows:

1. John Peel Intro
2. The Embryo
3. Fat Old Sun
4. Green is the Colour
5. Careful with that Axe, Eugene
6. If
7. Atom Heart Mother

The early Pink Floyd years have always been my favorite - not just the Syd Barrett stuff, of course, but everything from Dark Side of the Moon and before. Meddle is particularly great, and another of my favorites from their early work is Atom Heart Mother. In the live version included here, you have the best possible version of that title track, beating even the studio version. The substitution of a French horn for the cello is a great choice here, and the choral and orchestral parts are right on point.

Throughout the performance, you get stellar guitar work from David Gilmour, especially in "The Embryo" and "Atom Heart Mother." Richard Wright does great spooky organ work on "Careful with that Axe, Eugene." I even like the ballads - the early Pink Floyd ballads have a demented quality that always put me in a relaxed, reflective, slightly existential mood.

This live broadcast recording, not a part of the official catalog, forever destined to be a bootleg, was released (but never sold for profit) by Harvested Records with Mooed Music as the title. I've included the cool artwork from that release. I first heard this recording on the now defunct WNEW in 1986 or 1987. I recorded it on audio cassette and played the tape into the ground in the years since. Luckily I acquired a digital copy and am glad to share it, courtesy of John Peel, the BBC, the good folks at http://www.harvested.org/, and Pink Floyd.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?1o6d1129bz7zwbc

Cheers,
Angus

Myspace Rules!

2011-04-20T23:55:00.013-04:00

I checked my Myspace. You know your day is boring when you do that. I hadn't seen my inbox in maybe a year. It was loaded with hundreds of ads for new albums and music shows, stuff like...

Hi. You might not know me, or care if I live or die, but I am definitely Jasper Jack, the Jukebox Junkie, whoring my services out to you through the once-popular Myspace. If you haven't heard of me, I feel sad for you. I am so incredibly unbelievable - wild, like a force of nature, or a lightning storm, or something really deep and meaningful like that. Anyway, I'm here peddling my new album, "Pimple on a Monkey's Ass," available for $15.99 on iTunes. Don't have an account? No money? No sweat! I'll be writing you again real soon, my friend.

I have some live shows coming up - should be totally sick. You should definitely show up. Bring a hot friend.

Myspace rules!

I can't figure out why I haven't deleted the account yet.
Maybe I'm sentimental.

Cheers,

Angus

Tom Bombadil on deviantART

2011-04-18T23:59:00.009-04:00

http://angusdegraosta.deviantart.com/

I like the deviantART website. You'll find good art to buy, and plenty of great free stuff to put as wallpaper on your cell phone. I uploaded a few pictures on the site, including this fellow, my Photoshopped photo of a wood carving I purchased at Oyster Fest 2008 on Long Island. I call him Tom Bombadil, after the Tolkien character. He's a wild man.

Cheers,
Angus

Brahms: Piano Quintet, op. 34 - Previn

2011-04-08T23:18:00.007-04:00

Mighty out-of-print, and mighty good. I've heard some rather anemic versions of this piece - not this one. The F minor Piano Quintet, op. 34 is one of the first recordings that made me realize chamber music can be great stuff. I haven't up to now seen any reviews of this performance by André Previn and the Musikvereinsquartett, which I think dates from 1984. Not a problem. I'll review it. The first three movements are as grumpy and graceful as you might expect, and the last is all the rip-roaring Brahms you could ask for. Seriously one of the most brilliant finales Brahms ever wrote, up there with his symphonic output. I found this at my local library years ago and have never stopped admiring it.

For a comparison to other recordings, read here. As for the music...

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?7og2l18s3t6q9i2

Cheers,
Angus

Eino Tulikari - Kantele

2011-03-27T23:24:00.005-04:00

Here is one of the really nice folk music discoveries I've made. Eino Tulikari (1905-1977) played the kantele, an instrument that makes a very distinctive bell-like intonation. The kantele is the pride of Finnish culture - not that you hear it played very often, but it is mentioned in the Kalevala, the national epic of Finland, and so has mythic status.

The first time I heard this, I was transported to another time and place - for some reason, these tunes remind me especially of the 19th century. They seem so nostalgic of former times. I have this collection in my iPod shuffle playlist, and it always seems to fit in very well with the other music. So here's thanks to Tulikari, a masterful musician who shaped this music into superlative form.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?yx3a3kz7042j4xz

Cheers,
Angus

Irish Music - YouTube Playlist

2011-03-16T16:40:00.018-04:00

Celebrating Irish music for St. Patrick's Day is fun even for us not-so-Irish folk. O, I may have had a great-grandparent that was partly Irish... good enough. The music is some of my favorite any time of year, so let me share a few tunes from YouTube that I like, in a bunch of different styles.

The songs are set up as a playlist. Press the "Play all" button; then you'll see the advance and go back arrows toward the bottom of the screen on the left, so you can skip through. Here goes:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=C07790AE87ED614C

Have fun!

Cheers,

Angus

P.S.: I found an article by Niall Wall a few years ago that I think sums up why so many people like Irish music; let me share it with you...

Music from the Gods

By Niall Wall

Excerpt from Treoir Magazine

In Celebration of Fleadh 2000

Being surrounded by Traditional Irish Music, Song and Dance never fails to bring to mind, for me, the lines from Nikolai Zabolotsky's poem 'A Walk' -

'A weightless bird circles

In the deserted sky,

Its throat labouring

Over an ancient song.'

Our music is older than humankind. It comes from the Gods and our ancestors learned it not from sheets or manuscripts but from the birds in the trees, the wind whistling through lonely glens; to the beat of rain and with the pace of mountain streams in turn rushing headlong to the sea and swirling lazily over deep river pools. It comes down to us cherished by each generation, not classified and purged of emotion but as a living sense to which we belong more than it belongs to us.

We do not play our music; it pours from us as part of our collective consciousness, both past and present.

Through a sometimes turbulent and difficult history, traditional Irish Music, Song, and Dance have sought refuge in the hearts of the poor and dispossessed. Now, in more prosperous and confident times yes, for other reasons and in other ways no less difficult, the music will repay that trust and, as with previous generations, will fortify, enrich and sustain us.

Naturally occurring, our music does not threaten: it is positive, gentle and benign. Yet it is powerful in that it can arouse, touch and move the very soul. In lands far away, people have listened to this beautiful music, and thus touched, have become some part Irish without having been to Ireland or even having met an Irish native.

This music is our birthright, our heritage.

Good Alternate Chrome Logo

2011-03-11T14:40:00.006-05:00

I have always disliked the original logo for Google's Chrome browser - looks too much like a plastic toy. The above design, which has been slightly modified without reinventing the wheel, can be found here:

http://chromestory.com/2011/03/here-is-how-the-new-google-chrome-logo-may-look-like/

Similar, but much cleaner. I like it this way. They're predicting it may look something like the new logo, as you can see from the URL. Who knows? Anyway, in order to use it in Windows, you'd have to convert it to an .ico file, which you can easily find out how to do online.

I started using Chrome as my default browser because the Firefox on my system got hit with a rerouting virus. So far, Chrome is working well. It's fast and handles most pages well, except for the playlist on this blog (see above). In Firefox, Opera, and Explorer, the playlist looks the way I intended - not so much in Chrome or Safari. Oh, well. Can't figure everything out.

Cheers,

Angus

The Paper Currency of 1896

2011-02-22T19:14:00.004-05:00

Some brilliant artistry on these U.S. bills from 1896, dubbed the "Educational Series" by collectors. The symbolism draws heavily on myth. A wikipedia reference provided some brief background, but I found this article especially informative:

http://flyingmoose.org/truthfic/1896.htm

Currency design is an interest of mine. Thought I'd share.

Cheers,
Angus

J.R.R. Tolkien Sings

2011-02-15T22:38:00.001-05:00

J.R.R. Tolkien was not only a fine reader of his own work, but he could carry a tune as well. The photo above is from an old LP. If you'd like an extensive collection of his reading his work aloud, look here. My favorite passage from the Audio Collection is his reading the "Riddles in the Dark" chapter from The Hobbit.

Meanwhile, here's a tune to whet your appetite.

Download "The Troll Song" here (MP3):
http://www.mediafire.com/?ub63xzhox3r7d81

Namárië,
Angus

Phish: Campus Club, Providence RI - 3/13/92

2011-02-10T23:40:00.010-05:00

Here is Phish in their prime: after the sloppy early days, but still before the huge arena shows. This Providence show is just excellent. They're playing to a college crowd, showing plenty of humor and creativity throughout. The musicianship is rock solid.

Whoever compares Phish to the Grateful Dead is a little off the mark. These guys have always struck me as more of a combination of Zappa and The Talking Heads. At any rate, if you don't think you like them, try again. Listen. I have seen them in concert three times, and I feel blessed by their bizarre, virtuosic style. A salute, then, to the band from Burlington, Vermont!

Download here (courtesy of gstabakman*):
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Y43JZEZI

The above link is included along with a great list of 1992 shows here.*

Cheers,
Angus

Andy Kaufman's Finest

2011-01-19T23:48:00.006-05:00

I just saw Man on the Moon for the first time and immediately went rummaging through YouTube to see Andy Kaufman in action. I fell in love the whole bongo skit.

Here is another version from The Johnny Carson Show, unfortunately only a segment, but a fine one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCdsu0gjZb8

...and a touching number, "I Trusted You":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSYV-nEE300

Oh, Andy! Were he alive today (and some say he is), what other craziness would he come up with?

Cheers,
Angus

Ensemble Micrologus - Cantigas de Santa Maria

2010-12-21T00:04:00.005-05:00

I'm thankful to this recording for opening my eyes to medieval music. Books such as Barbara Tuchman's Through A Distant Mirror may bring your imagination back in time to a good degree, but there is nothing like music to thoroughly immerse yourself in the ethos and aesthetics of a distant past.

These 13th century songs to the Virgin Mary are an excellent escape from the normal musical fare of the Christmas season. They bring you back to the court of Alfonso X of Castile. The language being sung is a mix of medieval Portuguese and Spanish. I included a PDF of the introduction. It gives brief historical background and a description of the wild assortment of wind, string, and percussion instruments used in the recording.

For more information, please see Greg Lindahl's wonderful page, including facsimiles of the original manuscripts as well as dozens of other related links. Lindahl is an active participant in the Society for Creative Anachronism. I've been told many times that I should also be an active member. Maybe one day.

In the meantime, Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year!

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?2jdvnydb6vuvz5h

Cheers,
Angus

Setting New Priorities This Season

2010-12-17T15:10:00.007-05:00

Admit it: you've had enough. Some changes need to be made.

Don't be afraid to reach out for help. Happy holidays!

Cheers,

Angus

Sandy Bull - E Pluribus Unum

2010-12-07T23:55:00.005-05:00

I was looking for something way out of the ordinary to post, and here it is. Sandy Bull's E Pluribus Unum, from 1969, is a wild mix of Americana, blues, and middle-eastern trippiness. The album consists of two long, laid-back instrumental tunes, definitely worth a spin. You can either purchase an Amazon MP3 copy or click here for a slightly lower bit rate from my collection.

Cheers,
Angus

Life in a Northern Town - The Dream Academy

2010-11-25T00:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheers,
Angus

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Trio - To A Brother

2010-11-16T00:33:00.007-05:00

To A Brother is an album well worth knowing, one of many featuring Danish bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (1946-2005). The other two members of the trio are Ulf Wakenius on guitar and Adam Nussbaum on drums. All three worked together brilliantly to produce this recording, released in 1993 and sadly not currently in circulation. You'll hear great variety, reflective and energetic moments side-by-side. When it cooks, it sizzles. Wakenius is a great jazz guitarist. As for Pedersen, he had the rare talent of being able to use all four fingers on his right hand to play the upright bass, a nearly impossible task. And boy, could he play! Listen for yourself...

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?aocqfhzafrb8p9g

One of Pedersen's most legendary musical partnerships was with the great Oscar Peterson. The two were close friends and produced some classic recordings together, available through Amazon. Two I highly recommend are Great Connection and Trio, the latter with Joe Pass.

Cheers,
Angus

1x.com - Great Photography!

2010-11-07T21:43:00.007-05:00

If you're looking for great photography on the web, check out 1x.com. There are several categories of photos for every style and taste, and each of the artists are given recognition for their work. Many of the photos would make great desktop backgrounds, while others are just plain excellent artistic expressions.

You can register and post your own work. I'll have to search through the archives to see if I have photos worth sharing on the site.

Cheers,
Angus

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 - Rostropovich

2010-10-21T00:32:00.007-04:00

I can't think of a better symphony to share for the Halloween season than Shostakovich's Symphony No. 15, a symphony full of pranks and spooks. Written in 1971 and premiered in 1972, it is very different from most his other symphonies. There are a number of musical motifs from various composers that pop up in surprising ways throughout the symphony. The first movement is often likened to a toy shop, humming along in a playful and strange way. If you're patient with the second movement, you'll hear more than a wall of somberness after a few minutes, and also some motifs that reappear in the finale.

Rostropovich whips through the third movement a little fast; it's still an enjoyable listen, though. He also takes the finale at a brisk pace, but the result is excellent. The last few minutes are unlike anything I've ever heard in orchestral music - it's like the toy shop again, but this time you hear the rattling of ghosts and skeletons.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?a0g1a75fpvewba1

Though the Rostropovich recording has not been currently reissued, Kurt Sanderling's recording with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra is available on Amazon. He slows things down, but with amazing effect.

Cheers,
Angus

John Butler - Ocean

2010-10-13T02:36:00.007-04:00

Here is an intense and beautiful piece, performed live at the Fuji Rock Festival 2010:

This is another version of "Ocean," which has over nine million views:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VAkOhXIsI

Both amazing, but check out the Fuji performance first. I watched it in awe. I love it when an audience's enthusiasm and the music have such amazing synergy. Just awesome.

Cheers,
Angus

Brahms/Mozart - Karl Böhm, Bavarian RSO

2010-10-01T00:31:00.016-04:00

I can't recall where online I found this recording, but I think it offers excellent deliveries of both the Brahms Symphony No. 1 and the Ninth Piano Concerto of Mozart. Very good sound quality on this analog recording. I haven't found any instance of this on Amazon and have found only a very few mentions of it on the web.

I'll focus first on Brahms. Böhm gives a thrilling performance with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (i.e. Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks). There's no sluggishness here, so even the grumpy moments in the first movement have plenty of energy. The second movement is lyrical, and the third has all the woodwind charm you'd hope for. The finale: outstanding. This is among my favorite movements of his symphonies. I can't help but think of Brahms's famous quote, "A symphony is no joke," when I listen to this. He put his all into this first finale - keep in mind it took him until his forties when he finally wrote the First Symphony. The wait was well worth it. The last movement has mysterious pizzicato, Alpine French horn, autumnal brilliance, great moments of triumph, Sturm und Drang... all tied together in an exciting way. Listen for the chorale theme that appears around the first horn solo. The theme reappears at the end, all in blazes.

Böhm's Mozart here sounds on par with his famous Beethoven Pastoral recording - graceful, playful, all the things you'd want in a Mozart recording. I'm no expert on this particular concerto, but Friedrich Gulda is a great pianist. He loved Mozart, and it shows.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?e0fmjvimz217546

Cheers,
Angus

Uploading - The Good and the Bad

2010-09-24T03:35:00.014-04:00

There are so many free uploading services available, it's hard to choose which is best. When I started posting uploaded files on this site, I used sharebee, which in turn uploads files to a number of host sites including depositfiles, rapidshare, zshare, and megaupload. The problem is, of those older posts, only the megaupload link still works. So I edited my older posts to point to the megaupload link.

Megaupload has two pluses and one horrific minus. The good news: files tend to last extraordinary lengths of time without being downed. You can download as many files from the site as you like without having to wait fifteen minutes. But the pop-ups are annoying. They seem to sneak past every pop-up blocker in every browser. Worse yet, every so often, you get a nasty Trojan attack from one of the pop-ups. One time I had to spend an hour restoring my computer to a prior state, then using Malwarebytes just to undo the mess I made downloading from megaupload. The same thing happened again recently, only this time my Avast ani-virus caught the bug right away. Sharebee also has pop-ups, but I never see them because I use Firefox and an add-on called Adblock Plus. Side note - I'm a HUGE fan of Firefox. The number of things you can do to customize the browser puts Explorer and Chrome to shame. I use the Opera browser sometimes as well, but that's another story.

Rapidshare must have its pluses, because it is so widely used for music uploads. I'm certainly grateful to the service, but I don't think it is friendly to free users who upload files. They had a thing going called rapidshare points, where you earn enough credits to keep uploading for free. I hear that well is drying up. We'll see.

I started using mediafire; for now, it seems to be a very good option. There are no pop-ups, no limit on downloads, and the download time is quick. I'll probably continue to use mediafire for a while, and when necessary, re-up links that I had previously posted. The list of my mediafire files is in the public domain:

http://www.mediafire.com/angusdegraosta

So far it has the Elgar, Beethoven, and Bert Jansch I posted. I also just uploaded my digital compositions to the folder. I'm not sure what I'm going to upload next. I'll think of something.

Cheers,
Angus

Folk Favorites - YouTube Playlist

2010-09-16T05:27:00.020-04:00

Click here to view my playlist, which consists of British, Irish, & American folk gems and some other surprises. If you've never navigated a YouTube playlist, look at the menu of videos along the bottom of the screen. Right on top of them on the left hand side are forward and backward buttons. You'll get the hang of it. The list is set to autoplay, so if you leave to pour a cup of coffee, the songs will cycle from one to the next on their own.

Cheers,

Angus

The Hendrix of Fingerstyle

2010-09-14T03:31:00.034-04:00

...at least according to Neil Young. If you like acoustic fingerstyle playing, do yourself a favor and learn more about the Bert Jansch discography. This Scotsman has made many fine albums, including the recent Black Swan from 2006, which has a guest appearance from Beth Orton. Among my favorites is Avocet, an instrumental album from 1979. It's one of the guitarist's own favorites as well.

Between Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, I can't say who I like better. Both men were members of the folk rock band called Pentangle, along with singer Jacqui McShee. Renbourn features on two of the selections in the collection I'm posting. These are a few tunes from Bert Jansch's earlier albums that I called "A Collection" - i.e. my personal collection. He sings nicely on a number of these tunes, which are a mix of his originals and traditionals recorded in the 60s and early 70s. The playing speaks for itself. If you listen closely, you will hear where Jimmy Page borrowed some of his acoustic chops.

On Amazon you'll also find MP3 downloads of Jansch's albums. One online reviewer writes: "Bert and his music seem to come from the same place myth and folklore come from." I agree. Here is a small sample of his work.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?uiboci9k5kqld3v

Cheers,
Angus

Primal Alchemy

2010-09-09T01:33:00.004-04:00

Ed Luhrs, the not-so-anonymous alter ego of Angus DeGraosta, wrote this musical number in C-sharp minor, 3/8 time. He asked me to share it with you, and I, being of one mind, heartily agreed.

Composed with Songworks II notation software and GarageBand. I dig the astral video loop. Enjoy!

Cheers,
Angus

Elgar: Symphony No. 1 - James Judd

2010-09-01T22:58:00.005-04:00

This is a gem of a recording that earned a Penguin Rosette and went under along with the record company. James Judd has a keen sense for the mood and subtlety of the score. If you love Elgar, grab it. If you are new to Elgar and are interested in learning more about his symphonies, I heartily recommend this recording and Vernon Handley's recording of Symphony No. 2 (which I posted in April 2009).

I think the cover here perfectly matches the mood of the First Symphony. The opening movement and the finale I find particularly inspirational. Call me crazy. You'll find some reviews on Amazon here.

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?ht4zai3guaah2os

Cheers,
Angus

Easy Drinking Brew

2010-08-27T01:13:00.025-04:00

I read some of Andy Mosher's Radical Brewing: Recipes, Tales and World-Altering Meditations in a Glass sitting in the Barnes & Noble Café today. The topic: how to brew your own beer. I'm not prepared for that kind of undertaking right now; if you are, get that book! It's fun and informative. It was great to learn a little about the brewing process - the kinds of hops, yeasts, and temperatures it takes to turn barley and water into something inspirational.

Ben Franklin wrote, "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." I agree. Some beers are harsh, though. The harshness usually comes from the kinds and quantities of hops used in the brewing process. The worst flavor to me is a dark, hoppy beer that's poorly made. It winds up tasting like soy sauce or liquid marmite. Don't get me wrong: I like dark beer. A good English Brown Ale or Irish Stout is great in the cold months. I like a few hopped-up beers as well. But I'm finding what I like most is balance, the right amount of hops with the right amount of characteristic flavor.

On the other end of the spectrum, some beers are profoundly underwhelming. You don't get really great flavor in a Budweiser or an Amstel Light. What you get is a mild, malty seltzer. Not my thing. I like tasting good craftmanship. Luckily, in the beer world, that's not too hard to find.

Good local brew can be had just about anywhere. A friend of mine told me he doesn't like American beer. I think he should try a few. Let me share four I like; of these, one is German, the other three are American. Here’s a picture:

Neat, huh? I made the photo mosaic on bighugelabs.com.

Anyway, first on the list is Spaten, which has the distinction of being the first keg tapped every year at Oktoberfest in Munich. Their Premium Lager is versatile enough to appeal to Bud drinkers and connoisseurs alike. It has all the goods: nice color, great aroma, smooth flavor. They make a good dark beer, Optimator, and the well-known Oktoberfest as well.

Next, from San Francisco, is Anchor Liberty Ale. Look at that color! Tastes even better than it looks. Here’s what I mean by well-rounded - a little bitterness, a little citrus aroma (from the hops), a little sweetness, and a nice dry finish. Cool label as well.

Though I like Sam Adams Boston Lager, they really hit a home run with the Noble Pils. It’s not as orange as the Liberty Ale, and it has a different flavor profile, but it’s every bit as fun to drink. I could easily have two or three of these. Great seasonal brew.

Last, from Delaware, is the Dogfish Head Brewery 90-Minute IPA. Because of the 9% ABV, I don’t recommend more than one or two of these. The aroma and sweetness of the brew offsets the bitter kick. I love it. Reading the label, you get a good sense of the process they use to make the beer. It’s more expensive than the other three, but worth it for the right occasion.

Learn more about beer styles at beeradvocate.com. It’s a great resource for folks who like having a cold one.

Cheers,
Angus

Microsoft Word Accent Codes

2010-08-25T02:36:00.002-04:00

Typing accent codes in Microsoft Word (or WordPad) is almost as easy as owning a Mac. Thanks to Penn State for this helpful link.

Here are the basic ones. The symbol "V" means any vowel.

Acute	ó Ó	Control+', V	(apostrophe key)
Circumflex	ô Ô	Shift+Control+^, V
Grave	ò Ò	Control+`, V
Tilde	ñ Ñ	Shift+Control+~, V	(n, a, o only)
Umlaut	ö Ö	Shift+Control+:, V	(colon key)

See the link for more details and additional characters.

Cheers,
Angus

Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 4 - IV. Finale

2010-08-17T03:00:00.011-04:00

Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Michael Schønwandt

A great live performance of the finale. Listen to those tympani! The thematic material that pours out at the end is first stated in the opening movement.

Nielsen wrote the following summary of his 4th Symphony (subtitled "The Inextinguishable") after the premier of the work in 1916, while the First World War was still raging:

The title 'Inextinguishable' suggests something that only music can express fully: the elementary will of life. Only music can give an abstract expression of life, in contrast to the other arts which must construct models and symbolize. Music solves this problem only by remaining itself; for music IS life whereas the other arts only depict life. Life is unquenchable and inextinguishable. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, life was, is, and will be in struggle, conflict, procreation and destruction; and everything returns. Music is life, and as such, inextinguishable.

You can hear these thoughts at work in the music.

If you would like to learn more about Nielsen, I highly recommend these recordings by Herbert Blomstedt: click here and here. Again, my alter ego (Ed Luhrs) has more to say in the customer reviews.

Cheers,
Angus

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 - John Barbirolli

2010-07-26T23:59:00.004-04:00

Sir John Barbirolli conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven's Symphony No.3, "Eroica." This old classic is a powerful reading combined with excellent recording quality, currently unavailable commercially. Read more about it here (you'll find a reviewer named Ed Luhrs listed among the others on the page)...

Download here (no password):
http://www.mediafire.com/?mzz4obgmtzdxiue

Cheers,
Angus

Cowbirds (Poem)

2010-07-15T11:52:00.009-04:00

Wenn Sie auf das Foto klicken, sehen Sie ein größeres Bild.

Dumm, Ich weiss es. Gesundheit!

Auf wiederschreiben,
Angus

Namárië!

2010-06-16T18:04:00.006-04:00

Some videos of J.R.R. Tolkien reading from his own works:

When I first heard these (in the early 1990s), I fell in love with Tolkien's work all over again. They're just as amazing to me today.

Cheers,
Angus

Tolkien in Interlingua

2010-06-07T00:51:00.004-04:00

Got to love it!

Cheers,
Angus

Music from the Gods

2010-06-01T18:04:00.002-04:00

Fine music quote, very fine. Among my favorites, in fact!

Cheers,
Angus

Der Abschied / The Farewell (Hans Bethge et al)

2010-05-25T23:00:00.001-04:00

In German or English, this is memorable stuff - one of those rare pieces that captures the Romantic Era in an understandably modern way. Yet the words themselves came from medieval Chinese poetry. Hans Bethge translated them into German, then Gustav Mahler added the last five lines and composed his long lament scored for mezzo-soprano voice, his sixth and final movement from Das Lied von der Erde.

Peruse the original translation if you like, then hop ahead to the English. If you've ever experienced an inexplicable loss, this one's for you. It's about someone having a hard time understanding why a good friend has to travel to the mountains for the last time (this being a nice metaphor, as you might imagine.) I used a Decca Records English translation and changed some small things around for better flow.

Der Abschied

(Hans Bethge, 1876-1946,
nach Mong-Kao-Yen, 689/691–740,
und Wang-Wei, 698–761;
letzte Strophe vom Komponisten hinzugefügt)

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem Gebirge.
In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder
Mit seinen Schatten, die voll Kühlung sind.
O sieh! Wie eine Silberbarke schwebt
Der Mond am blauen Himmelssee herauf.
Ich spüre eines feinen Windes Wehn
Hinter den dunklen Fichten!

Der Bach singt voller Wohllaut durch das Dunkel.
Die Blumen blassen im Dämmerschein.
Die Erde atmet voll von Ruh und Schlaf,
Alle Sehnsucht will nun träumen.
Die müden Menschen gehn heimwärts,
Um im Schlaf vergessnes Glück
Und Jugend neu zu lernen!
Die Vögel hocken still in ihren Zweigen.
Die Welt schläft ein!

Es wehet kühl im Schatten meiner Fichten.
Ich stehe hier und harre meines Freundes;
Ich harre sein zum letzten Lebewohl.
Ich sehne mich, o Freund, an deiner Seite
Die Schönheit dieses Abends zu genießen.
Wo bleibst du? Du lässt mich lang allein!
Ich wandle auf und nieder mit meiner Laute
Auf Wegen, die vom weichen Grase schwellen.
O Schönheit! O ewigen Liebens, Lebens trunkne Welt!

Er stieg vom Pferd und reichte ihm den Trunk
Des Abschieds dar. Er fragte ihn, wohin
Er führe und auch warum es müsste sein.
Er sprach, seine Stimme war umflort:

"Du, mein Freund,
Mir war auf dieser Welt das Glück nicht hold!
Wohin ich geh? Ich geh, ich wandre in die Berge.
Ich suche Ruhe für mein einsam Herz.
Ich wandle nach der Heimat, meiner Stätte.
Ich werde niemals in die Ferne schweifen.
Still ist mein Herz und harret seiner Stunde!

Die liebe Erde allüberall
Blüht auf im Lenz und grünt
Aufs neu! Allüberall und ewig
Blauen licht die Fernen!
Ewig... ewig..."

The Farewell

The sun goes down behind the mountain,
Into all the valleys the evening descends
And brings cooling shades.
O see! Like a silver bark
The moon floats up the blue lake of heaven.
I feel a gentle breeze stirring
Behind the dark spruce.
The brook sings melodiously through the darkness.
The flowers grow pale in the gloaming.
The earth is breathing, full of peace and sleep.
All longing now turns into dreams.
Tired men make for home,
In sleep to recapture forgotten happiness
And youth!
The birds hold still in the branches.
The world is falling asleep.

A cool wind blows in the shadow of the spruce.
I stand here waiting for my friend;
I wait to bid him a last farewell.
I long, my friend, at your side
To enjoy the beauty of this evening.
Where do you linger? You have left me alone for so long!
I wander up and down with my lute
On paths soft with swelling grass.
O beauty! O deep love, so drunk with life!

He dismounted his horse and proffered
the parting glass. I asked him where
He was going and why it had to be.
He said, voice trembling:

"O my friend,
In this world fortune was hard on me.
Where I am going? I am going to wander into the mountains.
I seek peace for my lonely heart.
I am making for home, for my resting place.
I will never roam into strange lands.
My heart is still and awaits its hour.

The dear earth everywhere
Blossoms in spring and grows green
Anew! Everywhere, forever,
Blue lights the horizon!
Forever... forever... "

- - - - - -

Cheers,
Angus

Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 "New World" & Carnival Overture - Barry Tuckwell, LSO

2010-04-18T21:27:00.005-04:00

Home run! This is an excellent digital recording. Barry Tuckwell, once the principal horn player of the London Symphony Orchestra, also proved his mettle as a conductor. He has won many awards for his work as a musician and is still going strong. This recording has all the energy and sweetness needed to keep the adrenaline pumping; moreover, this is great Dvořák.

My grandmother got me this CD when I was in ninth grade, right after I bought a new stereo system with the money I earned as a newspaper delivery boy. MCA Classics is no longer in business, and this recording is no easy find, so enjoy!

Download here (no password):
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7G9OPDVP

Cheers,
Angus

Stan Rogers

2010-04-15T02:16:00.002-04:00

Stan Rogers died young but left behind many great songs - a good songwriter to get to know. This song and the two listed below are three of the good ones...

"The Mary Ellen Carter" (video starts with a quick history):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT-aEcPgkuA
"White Collar Holler":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsDkmVo2fg4

Cheers,
Angus

Walton: Symphony No. 1 - Leonard Slatkin

2010-03-26T03:02:00.018-04:00

William Walton's Symphony No. 1 in B flat minor is a new favorite of mine. It's a wordless tale of anxiety, struggle, and triumph, composed in the 1930s. Though the 1966 Previn/LSO recording is the benchmark, Slatkin does an awesome job with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in this out-of-print recording from 1987. The recording also includes the Portsmouth Point Overture. The album cover shows the very painting by Rowlandson that inspired Walton to compose the overture.

Download here (no password):
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LQ6X745V

I hope you enjoy this. If you like, feel free to check out Previn's recording of the First Symphony on William Walton: Collected Works - an excellent compilation album of classic performances.

Walton also composed a second symphony, which he finished in 1960 - completely different in character but quite excellent in its own strange, cerebral way. See my review page for more thoughts on Walton and other musicians, authors, etc...

Cheers,
Angus

Shostakovich on the Finale of the Fifth

2010-03-20T12:25:00.000-04:00

Dmitri Shostakovich had a wry sense of humor. On the finale of the fifth, Shostakovich wrote:

"What exultation could there be? I think it is clear to everyone what happens in the Fifth. The rejoicing is forced, created under threat... It's as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying, 'Your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing,' and you rise, shaky, and go marching off, muttering, 'Our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing.' What kind of apotheosis is that?"

Funny, but true. Mravinsky captured it well:

"A Soviet artist's reply to just criticism" was how Shostakovich billed the release of the symphony ... ha! The government was ready to send him to Siberia, so he had to change the tone of his music or wither away in a camp. What he managed to do was make the Party happy while snickering at them. You can hear it in the music.

The ending still conveys a kind of hard-won triumph, even more so when we listen to it today. Those were tough circumstances for creating art and music - always a dictator to please.

Cheers,
Angus

Metaphors We Live By

2010-02-17T23:50:00.000-05:00

By George Lakoff & Mark Johnson. Good stuff here!

http://www.pineforge.com/upm-data/6031_Chapter_10_O%27Brien_I_Proof_5.pdf
http://www.corwin.com/upm-data/6031_Chapter_10_O%27Brien_I_Proof_5.pdf
http://www.cs.uvm.edu/~jbongard/2009_HCOL_195E/04_1_Lakoff_Metaphors.pdf
http://www.soc.washington.edu/users/brines/lakoff.pdf

Same article - just use the one that opens easiest in your browser.

Cheers,
Angus

MP3 Sound Quality - 128 vs 320 bps

2010-01-30T15:51:00.000-05:00

Many people think there is a huge difference in mp3 sound quality between 128 and 320 bps. Think you can tell the difference? Each of these sites has a quiz to test your ears:

http://mp3ornot.com/

http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/03/mp3-sound-quality-test-128-320/

Some don't go for MP3 at all and opt for "lossless" formats such as APE and FLAC. I'm not too picky. Amazon sells its MP3 albums at 256 bps. Good enough.

Cheers,
Angus

The Mad Puck Goat

2009-12-01T03:11:00.000-05:00

In case you have the urge to burst into song,
here's an Irish favorite:

An Poc Ar Buile

Ar mo ghabháil dom siar chun Droichead Uí Mhórdha,
Píce i m' dhóid is mé ag dul i meitheal,
Cé chasfaí orm i gcumar ceoidh
Ach pocán crón is é ar buile!

Alliliú puilliliu
alliliú tá an poc ar buile.
Alliliú puilliliu
Alliliú, an poc ar buile!

Do ritheamar trasna trí ruilleogach
Is do ghluais an comhrac ar fud na muinge,
Is treascairt dá bhfuair sé sna turtóga
Chuas ina ainneoin ar a dhroim le fuinneamh

Alliliú puilliliu
alliliú tá an poc ar buile.
Alliliú puilliliu
Alliliú, an poc ar buile!

Níor fhág sé carraig go raibh scót ann
Ná gur rith le fórsa chun mé a mhilleadh,
Is ea ansin do chaith sé an léim ba mhó
Le fána mhór na Faille Brice

Alliliú puilliliu
alliliú tá an poc ar buile.
Alliliú puilliliu
Alliliú, an poc ar buile!

Bhí gárda mór i mBaile an Róistigh
Is bhailigh fórsaí chun sinn a clipeadh
Do bhuail sé rop dá adhairc sa tóin air
Is dá bhríste nua do dhein sé giobaíl

Alliliú puilliliu
alliliú tá an poc ar buile.
Alliliú puilliliu
Alliliú, an poc ar buile!

I nDaingean Uí Chúis le haghaidh an tráthnóna
Bí an sagart paróiste amach 'nár gcoinnibh,
Is é dúirt gurbh é an diabhal ba dhóigh leis
A ghaibh an treo ar phocán buile!

Alliliú puilliliu
alliliú tá an poc ar buile.
Alliliú puilliliu
Alliliú, an poc ar buile!

No translation here: just trust that it's a story involving
an insane goat and the police. The Chieftains do a good job
singing it on Water from the Well.

Cheers,
Angus

In Memory of Grandma Ruth (1921 - 2009)

2009-11-30T00:28:00.000-05:00

Among the many little pieces of paper I found in my grandmother's books was this prayer, which I scanned for this post.

I think it's a great old-fashioned message that my grandmother would appreciate me sharing.

Cheers,
Angus

Halloween Safety Tips

2009-10-31T13:02:00.000-04:00

Some time-honored pointers for a safe haunted holiday:

1. When it appears that you have killed the monster, NEVER check to see if it's really dead.

2. Never read a book about demon summoning aloud, even as a joke.

3. Do not search the basement, especially if the power has gone out.

4. If your children speak to you in Latin or any other language which they should not know, shoot them immediately. It will save you a lot of grief in the long run. However, it will probably take several rounds to kill them, so be prepared. This also applies to kids who speak with somebody else's voice.

5. When you have the benefit of numbers, NEVER pair off and go alone.

6. As a general rule, don't solve puzzles that open portals to Hell.

7. Never stand in, on, or above a grave, tomb, or crypt. This would apply to any other house of the dead as well.

8. If you're searching for something which caused a loud noise and find out that it's just the cat, GET OUT!

9. If appliances start operating by themselves, do not check for short circuits; just get out.

10. Do not take ANYTHING from the dead.

11. If you find a town which looks deserted, there's probably a good reason for it. Don't stop and look around.

12. Don't fool with recombinant DNA technology unless you're sure you know what you're doing.

13. If you're running from the monster, expect to trip or fall down at least twice, more if you are female. Also note that, despite the fact that you are running and the monster is merely shambling along, it's still moving fast enough to catch up with you.

14. If your companions suddenly begin to exhibit uncharacteristic behavior such as hissing, fascination for blood, glowing eyes, increasing hairiness, and so on -- kill them immediately.

15. Stay away from certain geographical locations, some of which are listed here: Amityville, Elm Street, Transylvania, Nilbog (you're in trouble if you recognize this one), anywhere in Texas where chainsaws are sold, the Bermuda Triangle, or any small town in Maine.

16. If your car runs out of gas at night on a lonely road, do not go to the nearby deserted-looking house to phone for help. If you think that it is strange you ran out of gas because you thought you had most of a tank, shoot yourself instead. You are going to die anyway, and most likely be eaten.

17. Beware of strangers bearing tools. For example: chainsaws, staple guns, hedge trimmers, electric carving knives, combines, lawnmowers, butane torches, soldering irons, band saws, or any devices made from deceased companions.

18. If you find that your house is built upon a cemetery, now is the time to move in with the in-laws. This also applies to houses that had previous inhabitants who went mad or committed suicide or died in some horrible fashion, or had inhabitants who performed satanic practices. Also if your house ever tells you to "GET OUT!!!" do so immediately. Leave your stuff and go.

19. Dress appropriately. When investigating a noise downstairs in an old house, women should not wear a flimsy negligee. And carry a flashlight, not a candle, preferably a heavy flashlight. Wearing steel-toe boots would show great insight.

20. Do not mention the names of demons around open flames, as these can flare suddenly. Be especially careful of fireplaces in this regard.

21. Do not go looking for witches in the Maryland countryside.

22. If favorite dolls or toys begin telling you things or playing with you, don't wait to see if they are going to turn evil. Nothing good has ever come of these situations, so go ahead and get rid of them.

23. If you are a teenager, do not have sex or smoke cannabis in your car in a dark, deserted place.

24. Always avoid showering in the Bates Motel.

Heard these on the radio. My friend Paul added the last two.

Cheers,
Angus

Old English

2009-10-24T12:14:00.000-04:00

An excellent site for studying Old English language and literature:

http://faculty.virginia.edu/OldEnglish/

It includes links to a literature anthology with a built-in dictionary - click on a word and the translation is provided for you - plus a number of audio samples for pronunciation.

Great resource with plenty of background info.

Cheers,
Angus

Wine, Back & Forth

2009-10-09T23:15:00.000-04:00

Happy October. A video regarding wine:

Enjoy (with caution) this fall season!

Cheers,
Angus

The Chieftains 5

2009-09-01T00:15:00.001-04:00

Volume five (1975) is a great Chieftains album, as is its famous predecessor, Chieftains 4. You'd do well to read about the early history of the band - the line-up of musicians, the change in sound. Paddy Maloney and the boys helped shape Irish music from lonely fiddle players and pipers to ensemble performances that blend the sound of many instruments. You can hear their influence in so many bands that came after - The Bothy Band, Lúnasa, Altan, etc.

Enjoy!

Download here (no password):
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=G8ONRN8K

Cheers,
Angus

The Daily Office

2009-08-26T18:57:00.000-04:00

This is a collection of ecumenical prayers.
Daily Office

Maybe you like, maybe not. I like.

Cheers,
Angus

Sindarin

2009-07-07T01:27:00.000-04:00

In case you were wondering just how much J.R.R. Tolkien put into creating his world, here is an amazing account of the philology of one his Elvish languages. Tolkien followed Grimm's phonetic laws. If you look carefully at his work, you can learn how words in Quenya mutate into Sindarin words. This is the equivalent of the verb "essen" in German becoming "eten" in Dutch or "eat" in English.

If you revere Tolkien's work, I think you might enjoy reading this research by Helge Kåre Fauskanger.

Sindarin - The Noble Tongue

More of Fauskanger's work on the languages of Tolkien can be found here.

Cheers,
Angus

Y Gweithdy Cymraeg

2009-06-15T22:39:00.000-04:00

Some remarkable work on the the lathe, plus you get to hear what the Welsh language sounds like.

I'm amazed at the finishing touches he uses at the end. You need a steady hand there!

Cheers,
Angus

Three Llamas

2009-06-02T22:56:00.000-04:00

Cheers,
Angus

Playlist.com Tunes

2009-05-06T05:46:00.001-04:00

Dig?

Cheers,
Angus

Druid Organizations

2009-05-01T02:19:00.002-04:00

Though they can't claim an unbroken connection with ancient ancestors, modern Druids have their own stories to tell. Drawing from Welsh and British culture, Celtic lore, Arthurian legend, and a love of trees, these creative nature-oriented folk are certainly a great modern-day addition to the spectrum of spiritual paths that one can explore. Two organizations you might enjoy reading more about:

The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids

Ancient Order of Druids in America

and a good book for starters...

which you can get here.

Beannacht (and Happy May Day!),
Angus

Elgar: Symphony No.2 - Vernon Handley

2009-04-16T19:39:00.006-04:00

Recorded in Watford Town Hall, Herts - April 1980. Here is my Amazon review from 2002 (when the recording was still in print):

An EMI Classic, March 5, 2002

I find the Second's opening movement, to say the least, psychologically complex. It took me a while to get it; it inevitably grew on me over time. I can say the same for the symphony. I think it's for this reason that I keep coming back to listen. Certain orchestral works just wow you from the get-go. This brilliance of this symphony is that its power is subdued. The overall effect accrues in one's conscience over time. The orchestration ebbs to the surface subtly and gracefully. The slow movement (Larghetto) is one of Elgar's finest, along with the slow movement from the Violin Concerto. The wispy Rondo boasts some colorful woodwind detail. The strings play with variations on thematic elements from the opening movement. The finale makes a beautiful opening statement, builds in intensity, and fades to a breathtaking, quiet conclusion. The advantage of Handley's recording is the augmentation of the bass line with pipe organ pedals in the closing few minutes of the symphony. Overall, Handley's skill as a conductor of English music shines through quite well in this recording. I hope EMI keeps this one in print. Again, this is a recording you will return to with pleasure. Its power springs from its ebb and flow and the ultimate serenity that it conveys.

Download here (no password):
http://sharebee.com/4b563544

Re-linked (256bps):
http://www.mediafire.com/?hf5lbad61r2b5zd

I never get tired of this symphony. Nice front cover, I might add. For some reason in the past few years major record companies have opted to re-release older classical recordings with ugly covers. I don't get it.

Cheers,
Angus

King Sunny Ade - Juju Music

2009-04-10T17:53:00.003-04:00

I still know only a little about Nigerian culture, but I've always enjoyed this album - has awesome vibe.

Still in print. You can link to Amazon MP3 downloads here.

Cheers,
Angus

Vernal Meditation

2009-03-26T01:11:00.001-04:00

I haven't spent much time outdoors recently, but I was asked to do a meditation. Here's a welcome for spring...

I am enjoying a moment of solitude with the sparrows, the chipmunks, the tall canopy of oak and elm, the understory of burgeoning leaves. Alone, perhaps, but not lonely. I have all this woodland with which I can keep company, and I am content to remain in it for a while. There is a calm greatness in this place, not far from the doings of my fellow man, but far enough so that the sounds I hear are no longer noise, the pulse I feel is no longer electric, but my own. The wind is wind rather than a whirring displacement of air – I hear no cars, no sirens, not even an air horn. Instead, a mighty breath of wind rustles the remnants of last autumn in the direction of the lake. I have at least another hour before I need to head home, so I walk on and take a seat by the water.

Now I am skipping stones and watching as the circular ripples leave their brief mark on the surface. The ripples widen and join the larger patterns made by the wind. I feel as if the concerns from earlier in the day are being lifted from a repressed, silent place inside me, that the angers and frustrations are being washed; transformed into a genuine presence, mine, here and now. Here, I am being made whole. The ancient mystery of the world is being revealed, slowly, moment by moment. I will carry some sorrow and bitterness with me all my days, but I can let them go in this solitude. I see it happening. That broken place in me, always aching to be fixed, is fascinated by the diaphanous layers of water.

I am not sure if the fish I see are smallmouth bass, but they are as busy as the tadpoles, water striders, cattails – all playing their part in the lengthening warm days of the season. Between these layers of activity I see a thread woven by divine, maternal hands. I am so blessed. Overhead, geese are migrating in v-shaped patterns. How beautiful, and how brief. I need to head home in a little while, I think. I can’t stay here forever.

Before I go, though, maybe I should think what lesson I can carry away from this moment. I am trying really hard to learn something from this. Maybe now I understand my part in the living world as a dynamic process, that I need to participate naturally in the flow. But I don’t think that lesson will last long. Soon I will be thrashing about in my daily activities, bothered and confused about this and that. I think the best thing I can learn is that there are places I can go to renew my spirit, places like this. I will return when I am ready.

Cheers,
Angus

Gustav Holst - The Hymn of Jesus Etc.

2009-02-28T00:30:00.001-05:00

This is a GREAT recording of Holst's choral works, including:

The Hymn of Jesus
The Wandering Scholar
Ode to Death (text by Whitman)
Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda

Where else will you find this?
Once again, out-of-print. Enjoy!

Download here (no password):
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TGSYT48P

Cheers,
Angus

The Poet's Garret

2009-02-12T21:24:00.000-05:00

If you are interested in verse, here is an excellent resource to bookmark:

http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/

Thanks to Terry Clitheroe for this site - "proudly made in Australia" as it says on the top of the page. You'll find information on many forms, such as odes, ballads, sonnets, even bardic verse such as you'd found in Welsh and Irish poetry.

I've written many a poem inspired by this site. I'll share, but only if you ask.

Cheers,
Angus

Rickenbacker Guitars

2009-01-30T00:29:00.000-05:00

Rickenbacker. Made in the USA. They're well known for their bass and electric 12 string models, but I'm highlighting the six string here. Awesome instruments!

Model 360 (She's playing a classic Chet Atkins tune):

Now for some cool blues:

Model 330 - lefty. GREAT sound on this one:

Model 330 (also cool):

A 325 with Mike Campbell on slide guitar:

Model 620 (one of my favorite guitar designs):

Excellent solo work on the 620:

And one excellent 12 string performance of a classic:

What do you think? I'll have to get better at my acoustic before I go on tour with an electric guitar. I'll probably never go on tour with any instrument, but I do update this post with new videos I come across. It's just fun to watch and listen.

Cheers,
Angus

Clannad - First Album (1973)

2009-01-21T17:15:00.001-05:00

Of Clannad's many albums, this first is a gem. Try it! It's an easygoing sound rooted in the Irish countryside. Much of it is sung in Irish. May it lead you to listen more to all their early albums:

1973 – Clannad
1975 – Clannad 2
1976 – Dúlamán
1979 – Clannad in Concert
1980 – Crann Úll
1982 – Fuaim

The mp3s are tracked and labeled properly. Enjoy!

Download here (no password):
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M5W000IW

Cheers,
Angus

Trippy

2009-01-04T23:52:00.001-05:00

Another great picture found on the World Wide Web - if you know the artist, please let me know the name. Looks like a wild meditation - love this kind of stuff!

Cheers,
Angus

The Journal of Mythic Arts

2009-01-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

The Journal of Mythic Arts (click for link), sponsored by Endicott Studio, has fascinating articles in its back issues and great links to other media. Please feel free to visit them! Here is some information on Endicott Studio from their Web site:

Founded in 1987, The Endicott Studio is an organization dedicated to literary, visual, performance, and environmental arts rooted in myth, folklore, fairy tales, and the traditional stories of people the world over.

For more than 20 years, Endicott has supported a wide variety of mythic projects, events, and publications in the U.S. and U.K. -- while at the same time raising money for charities assisting homeless, abused, and at-risk children. The slide show above features work by some of the contributing artists and writers in the Endicott Circle. (A longer list can be found here.)

Endicott's award-winning web journal, The Journal of Mythic Arts, appeared online from 1997 to 2008, promoting contemporary mythic arts and providing resources and information for mythic artists, students, and scholars. Although publication of JoMA has ended with the Summer 2008 issue in order to allow us to move on to new endeavors, we will continue to maintain 10+ years of JoMA material online, keeping this mythic information freely available to readers both new and old.

The Endicott Studio itself is not ending, however -- merely evolving into a new phase now that it's reached the ripe old age of 21. We've got some intriguing new projects in the works, so please stayed tuned.

Martinu: Symphonies 3 & 6 - Vaclav Neumann

2008-12-31T15:46:00.002-05:00

Martinu 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.megaupload.com/?d=IFG46JNE

Happy New Year!

Cheers,
Angus

My Favorite Card This Season

2008-12-29T19:36:00.001-05:00

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

Cheers,
Angus

Pour Forth Thy Spirit

2008-12-24T13:35:00.000-05:00

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

Download the mp3 here:
http://sharebee.com/65114151

All the best this season and next!

Cheers,
Angus

Grieg: Peer Gynt, Piano Concerto

2008-12-18T00:55:00.003-05:00

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.megaupload.com/?d=Q8GSNK12

Cheers,
Angus

Santa Loves You

2008-12-15T22:39:00.001-05:00

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