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If you really love classical music and jazz but can’t stand those elitist review magazines, you will find this a refreshing change of pace. Here we discuss music seriously but not pompously. If you enjoy classical music because it’s “calming” or “beautiful,” however, you’ve come to the wrong place. Yes, a few pieces have their place because of exquisite construction, but for the most part this is a site where you will read about and be directed to performances that have guts and passion and feeling. If you don’t feel the music you play, do us all a favor and give up. The world needs shoe repairpeople and apple pickers too, you know.
The best composers and musicians had/have something to say, and I particularly love those who said something that challenges you and makes you think. The late Jon Vickers used to say that “great art asks questions, but doesn’t provide answers.” I firmly believe that great music is the most positive force in our lives because it has the power to inspire and elate us as well as make us think. Even more, great music will never let you down. It will ALWAYS be there for you to give emotional and intellectual support. Your job, friends, even relatives may disappoint you and let you down, possibly even betray you, but music will never do that. Its power to move and inspire you is eternal and everlasting.
If you are one of those who feel attracted to classical music but don’t know where to start, I recommend The Rough Guide to Classical Music (4th edition). If you want to learn quickly about jazz, try Jazz 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Jazz by John F. Szwed. Or just hang around this site and read the reviews and blogs posted here.
I will be working on a recommended performances guide as time permits, and posting parts of it here as they are finished. In addition, I will be reviewing new releases on and off as the spirit moves me.
Enjoy!
*****READ ALL ABOUT LYNN’S BOOK: FROM BAROQUE TO BOP AND BEYOND!*****
THE PENGUIN’S GIRLFRIEND’S GUIDE TO CLASSICAL MUSIC!
You’ll love it! Or you won’t!
Now complete all the way through Composers – X/Y/Z! Click on the link above to access it!
Even Newer!
Toscanini In and Of His Time
An approach to Arturo Toscanini’s conducting style and musicianship in a different light. A work in progress, I’ve uploaded the first six segments for your enjoyment (I hope). Feedback appreciated. Now complete through the year 1952 and including a facsimile of the 1950 NBC Symphony-Toscanini Tour Booklet. Now complete through my final posting, “The Toscanini Recordings – 2.”
OR
Check out my latest blog posts:
Wolfgang’s New Chamber Music CD
Viardot-Garcia’s Lost Opera Recovered
Kremer Plays Weinberg’s Preludes
William Harvey Plays Schnabel & Schubert
Susanna’s Secret Returns!
Exploring Grace Williams’ Amazing Music
Braunfels’ Fantastical Apparitions
Urszula Kryger Presents Women’s Songs
Nick Grinder Pays Tribute to Bird Sanctuaries
Tripping the Light Fantastic with Truman Harris
Springing Forward With David Shifrin!
A New Weinberg Release on Dux
A Mildred Bailey Retrospective
Yoko Hirota Plays Schoenberg
Moppa Elliott Diversifies His Band(s)
Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s Strange String Quartets
Jason Palmer’s 2-CD Set a Winner
Wilhelmina Smith Plays Salonen & Saariaho
Joël Bons’ Fantastic “Nomaden”
New Recording of Messiaen’s “Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus”
Eurotrash Revisited: The Academic Version
The Alexander Quartet Plays Mozart
Joachim Kühn Plays Ornette Coleman
David Berkman and his Sax-Laden Sextet
The Complete Berlioz Set: Grandly Uneven
Pinheiro, Cavalli & Ineke Produce “Triplicity”
The Stephan König Trio Digs Mozart!
Janková and Král Sing Martinů
Slatkin’s Superb Copland
Anna Keiserman’s Russian Mosaic
Exploring Christof Mahnig’s Red Carpet
Ivo Perelman Interacts With Strings
The Carducci Quartet Plays Shostakovich
Rathaus’ Piano Music Recorded
Svenska Svänga: Hot Diggity Dåg!
Ciro Longobardi Plays Messiaen
Introducing the Wajnberg Trio
The Splinter Reeds Explore Hypothetical Islands
Paul Graener’s Late-Romantic Concerti
Michala Petri’s American Concerto CD
Rabello Plays Gnatalli & Villa-Lobos
Beets & Rosenberg’s Tribute to Django
Farewell, Michael Gielen
Joey DeFrancesco’s “Key of the Universe”
Yuri Favorin Tackles Alkan
Tom Culver Sings Ellington With a Swinging Group
Alexandre Bloch’s Chausson a Mixed Bag
Discovering the Works of von Einem
Richard Rodney Bennett’s Orchestral Works
Maria Lettberg Plays Levina
Louis Karchin’s Dark Mountains/Distant Lights
Cannonball Adderley in Stuttgart, 1969
Jean Guillou Plays his Own Music
Mints & Kobrin Play Hindemith
Fricsay Conducts 20th-Century Composers (& Rossini)
For links to older blog posts (beginning March 2016) click HERE
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Contact me at artmusiclady(at)outlook .com
Other sites of wonder to discover:
The Opera Scribe
Jazz in Europe
Emily’s Music Dump
The Music Parlour – Historical Releases
Jazz Lives
Composer Charles Ruggiero
Jazz Radio Network
WWFM Classical Streaming
Jazzbreak (many sound clips & videos available here)
John Todaro Photography
boa sorte/good luck .Lonie Levister from Nazare, Portugal
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Very nice site, Lynn! I would expect no less from you.
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Thanks…I hope to make it even better as time goes on!
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You’re off to a great start! Congratulations!
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Sounds like the perfect site to get one self oriented and off ine right direction to experience these genres of music. Tnanks for taking this project on and so willingly sharing. Bob in Canada. PS: I learned of your site via Marie Lamb on Facebook.
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My thanks to EVERYONE who has been visiting my site and reading my reviews! My stats are way up, which makes me very happy, and more importantly, helps the wonderful artists I write about. Now if only I can get the jazz people to read the classical posts and vice-versa!
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This is very interesting, You’re a very
skilled blogger. I have joined your rss feed and look forward
to seeking more of your wonderful post. Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks!
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Thank you!
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After watching the video of Turandot with Corelli and Udovich, I looked her up online because I had never heard of her before. That’s how I found your comments about her singing. I don’t know if she is the best Turandot ever but she sang In questa reggia with as little screaming as possible. I’m not a musician, but even I can comprehend what a fiendish piece of music it is.
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Pingback: Steven Taetz Delights in Charming New CD | THE ART MUSIC LOUNGE
Lynn – where might I purchase your books? Scott King
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My book on the fusion of jazz and classical is available for free reading or download on my website here: https://artmusiclounge.wordpress.com/from-baroque-to-bop-and-beyond/
My Penguin’s Girlfriend’s Guide to Classical Music is available here: https://thepenguinsgirlfriendsguide.wordpress.com/about/
And my work-in-progress (still not completely finished) on Arturo Toscanini is available here: https://artmusiclounge.wordpress.com/toscanini-in-and-of-his-time/
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