Good Friday

Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, first movement, sung by soprano Katia Ricciarelli and stunning contralto Lucia Valentini.

This is truly music for Good Friday.
And any other day of the year.

Pergolesi was ill with tuberculosis and died already at the age of 26. How is it even possible to compose such profound music at such young age?

Please take a few minutes to listen. This is among the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.

Rosina's aria

From The Barber of Seville by Rossini.
Once again, Swedish mezzo soprano Malena Ernman.
This is brilliance. So playful, funny and truly excellent.

Read more about the opera here.

An aria in Lent

Listen to this new-found countertenor of mine:
Ian Howell.

He is singing from Handel's Messiah and it is beautifully illustrated with a montage of paintings by Flemish artist Jan Van Eyck (1385-1441).
This image above is by Memling.

Bartoli in full speed

Click here and let Cecilia Bartoli blow you away with the aria "Agitata da due venti" (Agitated by two winds) from Vivaldi's opera Griselda.



Lots to read about Vivaldi here.

Bach and I

Bach.
Fugue in G minor.
This is a piece for organ, here in orchestral setting.

Once in Haarlem, Holland, I entered the St. Bavo's cathedral just when the organist was rehearsing this piece. I'll never forget the way the music just filled me. I didn't notice until afterwards how freezing cold it was inside the church, or if there were others present.
Everything disappeared.
It was just me and Bach.

Amazing Ernman

This is a quite astonishing performance
by mezzo Malena Ernman,
singing Nerone's lasta aria
from Handel's opera Agrippina.
Listen and be amazed here.

More, in a completely different style, from Ernman here.

Poor flowers

I want to share with you one of the most beautiful arias for soprano that I know of.
I am sorry I haven't been able to find the whole aria with Maria Callas, because I think she does it so heartbreakingly wonderful.

Poveri Fiori from the opera Adriana Lecouvreur by Cilea, in different versions :

Mirella Freni

Montserrat Caballé

Maria Callas (one minute snippet)

Find the text in both Italian and English here.
Read more about the opera, which premiered in 1902, here.

Jazzy Ravel

Ravel.
I had never heard this until just now.
It's great.
String Quartet in F, composed in 1903.
So modern, so bouncy, so rhythmic.

This is the second movement, called Assez vif. Très rythmé.

Read more about Maurice Ravel here.
The painting is by Robert Delaunay.

Death and the Maiden

This is the first piece by Schubert that I have learnt to appreciate. Probably because it is so very melancholic. He wrote it in 1824, when in poor health and probably staring death in the face. You can feel the pain. He is not rosy or cheerful anymore, this is for real.

That is why I like it.

Read about the String Quartet here
The image is Death and the Maiden by Egon Schiele

What to do without Euridice?

Dame Janet Baker,
one of the great mezzo's of the 20th century,
singing Que faró senza Euridice
from Gluck's opera Orfeo & Euridice.
Euridice has just died and Orfeo (Baker)
sings this very touching aria,
What will I do without Euridice?

Ernman + Weill = yes!!

Take a moment and listen to this Swedish mezzo soprano, in Youkali by Kurt Weill. There is nothing this singer cannot do. She sings coloratura arias while rollerskating on stage. She moves effortlessly from Carmen to cabaret songs to Ellington and back to Schubert. Her name is Malena Ernman and she is simply stunning.

Epiphany!

Gentile da Fabriano - Adoration of the Magi. Florence 1423.
And Handel, Unto us a child is born from the Messiah.
The kings have followed their star and found what they were looking for.
All is well.

Emma forever in my heart

One of my absolute favourite sopranos, English Emma Kirkby, in the aria Ich will dir mein Herze from St Matthew Passion. I usually prefer darker and rounder women's voices, but there is something extraordinary about Emma. She is so sharp, so exact, so clear. I love her singing Purcell, Pergolesi -and madrigals.

(At YouTube is also another aria, Blute nur, which is well worth listening to.)

Oh, solitude

Anne-Sofie von Otter, Swedish mezzo soprano, singing Oh, Solitude by Henry Purcell.

Bulgarian voices

I think it is time for some Bulgarian folk music, as promised ;-)

This is a women's choir called Le Mystére des Voix Bulgares. It's like no other choir music. Brace yourself!

Green mountains in Rome

Listen to the finale of the opera L'incoronazione di Poppea (Coronation of Poppea). Written in 1642 it was Monteverdi's last opera, and it is set in imperial Rome.
The singers are Anna Caterina Antonacci, soprano (Poppea) and David Daniels, countertenor (Nerone).

Hear more samples from this recording here.
Read plot here
Read more about Monteverdi here

A Bach encounter

A while ago I found this wonderful Czech mezzo, Magdalena Kozena. Her voice is pure delight, she is perfect.

See her meeting Father Bach himself in this lovely video.

BACH: Cantata BWV 30,
Kommt ihr angefochtnen Sünder.

Find out more about Kozena here.

Bach double concerto

Bach.
Concerto for two violins.
D minor.
1. Vivace.
1771.

Andreas Scholl - a voice from heaven

For the very first day of the new year, I wanted something truly lovely.
Is this man the world's best countertenor right now? At least he is my favourite - really outstanding. Listen to his angelic voice here, singing
"Cum dederit delectis suis somnum" from Vivaldi's Nisi Dominus.
The tempo is sadly much too slow - still, that makes this stunning piece even more difficult to perform.
The video may take a while to load. Please be patient and let it run once with sound off, after that you can watch and listen without disruptions.
Enjoy!

Beethoven, I'm going to like you.

Beethoven, Symphony No 7, 2nd movement.

I must admit, with few exceptions I mostly enjoy music composed before 1759. That is the year Handel died. ;-)

Then I like some music from the (early) 20th century.
But as for the late 1700s and the whole of the 1800s, there's simply not much there that appeals to me.

I am trying to grow though, and to be open, and learn new things. Today it's all about Beethoven.

I do enjoy this, it's just beautiful. I hope you do too.

Auld Lang Syne

A very happy new year!

Handel in Holland

Coronation Anthem: My heart is inditing

Boy's choir. Beautiful.
I don't think I would survive without Handel.

Arvo Pärt

Cantus in memoriam of Benjamin Britten.
Arvo Pärt was born 1935 in Estonia.
His compositions make my heart soar.
Read more about Pärt here.

Klaus Nomi is really cold

The coldest song ever, from Purcell's "King Arthur". It should be sung by a bass I think, but this is quite extraordinary.

Watch and listen here

Callas!

The great Callas. I must admit I had huge problems listening to her in the beginning. I really had to train my ears. Now I love her. I couldn't find the one song I really wanted you to hear, which is Poveri fiori, but I hope you'll enjoy this one. Poveri fiori is so so sad anyway, it might just break your heart.

For starters - Bach

I would like to share with you my favourite music. It will be glimpses from my music collection and also snippets of new goodies that I pick up along the way. My preferences are many and varied - but I won't give them all away at once. Hopefully this blog will be interesting for those of you who want a daily dose of good music - be it from a Baroque master, a Verdi opera or Bulgarian folk music.
I think I'll go for a real favourite to begin with. Father Bach.
Here are three versions of the same piece; Cello Suite No 1, Prelude. Enjoy!

Antonio Meneses
Andres Segovia (guitar)