Church Windows: Saint Michael the Archangel by Ottorino Respighi
84Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Simon Bolivar Orchestra at the Proms. Arturo Márquez: Danzón nº2.
(Get up and dance, you know you want to.)
151Adagio from Violin Concerto #1 in G Minor, Op. 26 (composed by Max Bruch) | Yehudi Menuhin, Walter Susskind, and the Philharmonia Orchestra
Chopin Nocturne Op.37 no.2 in G Major, played by Rubinstein
I really like Rubinstein’s interpretation of this nocturne. I’ve heard a really fast version (Richter), but I think the slightly slower pace captures the beauty and style of a nocturne much better (after all, a nocturne is a “night piece”, and not much of a dance piece like Chopin’s polonaises or mazurkas). I’ve found a copy of the sheet music for this piece online so I’m eager to start learning it!! It’ll be a good finger exercise for me :)
181Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Lacrimosa
419Arcadi Volodos - “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (S244/2)”
from Piano Transcriptions
Based on the transcription by Vladimir Horowitz
Originally composed by Franz Liszt, 1847One of my favorite pieces of music. I know I posted “Rhapsody Rabbit” and “Rhapsody in Rivets” yesterday, but I wanted to have the complete, genuine article up, too. I like Volodos’s version partly because any man who takes on a crazy task like recording Horowitz’s transcription and succeeds is a man worthy of recognition. And I like it mostly because it’s a great recording on its own merits, I think with more emotion than Horowitz’s interpretation.
The orchestra version can be heard here.
219“Gymnopedie No. 1” by Erik Satie (1888)
402Debussy - Arabasque
Another classical favorite.
162Prokofiev - “Dance of the Knights” (from Romeo and Juliet)
Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No.1 in D major, Op.11, Mvt 2 (Andante cantabile)
Played by Yo-Yo Ma
