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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!
Hey gang…check out my newest listings as of August 17, 2017…lots of them in Composers Mi/Mu! Now complete through Composers Ma/Me!
OR
Read my latest blog posts:
New John Carollo CD Has Fine Music
Casella’s Second Symphony Dazzles Under Ventura
Peter Seabourne’s Fascinating Piano Mosaics
My Blog Posts: The Highs and the Lows
Honegger’s “Judith” a Great Find!
Exploring the Musical World of Peter Seabourne
Lan Shui’s Objective Debussy
Seabourne’s Fascinating “Studies of Invention”
The Thibaud String Trio Plays Milhaud & Martinů
Contrasting Styles in Schoenberg’s Quartets
Fred Lerdahl’s Quixotic Music Fascinates
The Original Met “Rake’s Progress” Reissued
Lerdahl’s String Quartets Complex, Fascinating
Mitsuko Shirai Celebrates Her 70th Birthday
More Classical Song Gems from Shirai
An Interview with Aruán Ortiz
The Anna Lundqvist Quintet Gets Hot!
Matt Wilson’s “Honey and Salt” a Great Tribute to Carl Sandburg
Violinist-Composer Peter Hristoskov: A Retrospective
Katie Thiroux’s “Off Beat” Provides Pleasant Jazz
Discovering Irving Mills’ Hotsy-Totsy Gang
Inside Nietzsche’s Musical Mind
Josh Nelson’s “The Sky Remains” Mostly Brilliant
Taneyev’s Quartets Brilliantly Played by California String Quartet
New Recording of Szymanowski’s Violin-Piano Works
Nick Photinos’ Interesting “Petits Artéfacts”
The “Other” Met “Rake’s Progress” Reissued
Respighi’s Great “Sinfonia Drammatica” Reissued
Hear Laks’ String Quartets Bounce and Glisten!
Schoenberg’s String Music in Fabulous Performances
Interesting New Recording of Stravinsky’s “Nightingale”
Lakatos & Lagrène’s Tribute to Grappelli & Reinhardt
Ysaÿe’s Violin Sonatas Smolder Under Weintraub
George Lloyd’s Surprisingly Good Symphonies
Gielen’s Masterful Mahler Reissued
VEIN Plays Ravel
Donald Tovey, the Composer
Steve Rouse’s Wonderful Musical Fantasies
A Potpourri of Pieces for Orchestra and Large Ensembles
The Ghost Train Orchestra Rolls Along
Satoko Fujii & Wadada Leo Smith Weave Their Magic
Exploring Ketil Hvoslef’s Unusual Chamber Music
Guitarist Rez Abbasi’s “Unfiltered Universe” a Gem!
Ahonen Plays Affectionate Ives
Zeller’s “Vogelhändler” Sparkles in New Recording
Wild Bill Davison’s Excellent Danish Adventure
Little and Gardner’s Exciting Szymanowski & Karłowicz
The Music of Nimrod Borenstein
A Wild Ride With Wild Bill Davison on Commodore
Johnny Dankworth’s ‘50s Band Cooks in New Reissue
The UK Jazz Ensemble Burns Its Way on Tour
For links to older blog posts (beginning March 2016) click HERE
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Contact me at artmusiclady @outlook .com
Other sites of wonder to discover:
Emily’s Music Dump
Jack Reilly Jazz
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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