Monday, December 24th, 2007 ... 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. ... KZSU, 90.1 FM

(Return to playlists.)

Another chance to sub for Romain on his "Mixed-Up Class" show. I can't match up to his deep collection of vocal and choral musics, but I do try to give them some emphasis. And of course I sneak in some more modern stuff that Romain usually plays. He doesn't seem to mind.

I didn't want to play Christmas music. Sorry. That's just me. But the Tom Lehrer track was a nod to the holidays, and not too obscure a shift from the humor Romain often tosses into his show. The St. Vincent track -- now, that was out of bounds. But it mentions Christmas, it starts with some vocal "bell" chiming in Christmasy harmony, and to me, it mixes holiday cynicism with a kind of lost, questioning quality that's closer to my own attitude than the outright sneering I tend to champion. Here's the video and lyrics; judge for yourself.

Format:
COMPOSER: "PIECE" -- ARTIST -- ALBUM TITLE (LABEL, YEAR)

Boldface indicates the central focus of the album... sometimes classical recordings focus on the composer; sometimes they're more geared toward showcasing a particular artist. The distinction is often arbitrary, so -- no griping!

Antonin Dvorak: "String Quartet in G Major: Finale: Andante Sostenudo" -- The Vlach Quartet -- Dvorak String Quartet in G Major (Epic, ????)

One of many forgotten pieces in our vinyl collection. Nice opening to the show, strong but not overpowering, like a good morning cup of coffee. (Coffee hint: save the overpowering stuff for the afternoon, when you need the kick more, and when your taste buds are awake enough to appreciate it.)

Nice, dynamic four-part sonata for unaccompanied violin. Ysaye composed in the very early 20th century, and his stuff has quite the "classical" flavor without too much modernism.

A forceful and action-packed concerto for violin, including a nice little cadenza in the second movement of four. Most of the track consists of the first movement, allegro non troppo.

Another vinyl pull -- it's amazing how dustless the classical vinyl is compared with other genres. Resnik has a bit of a heavyhanded vocal style, compares with the few other (mezzo-)soproanos I've listened to. Compared with Patrice Michaels, in particular, Resnik seems more dramatic. It might be just Resnik's style, or maybe it's a difference in what's sought in a singer now versus the 1950s/'60s? I don't know enough to say. Come to think of it, the difference might simply be due to the differences in recording capabilities.

Maurice Ravel: "Histoires Naturales" -- Patrick Mason, baritone; Robert Spillman, piano -- Melodies: Ravel, Faure, Poulenc, Dutilleux (Bridge, 1995)

A nice little song cycle in five movements: The Peacock, The Cricket, The Swan, The Kingfisher, and The Guinea-Fowl. That guinea-fowl is one chipper little guy, judging by the half-playful, half-aggressive tone of that last movement.

Tom Lehrer -- "A Christmas Carol" -- Songs and More Songs (Rhino, 1997)

Christmas song medley with Lehrer's heartwarming touch.

Previously noted here and up top.

Yes, Nigerian, and full of exciting drums to prove it. The Coro Hispano performs a wide scope of musics, including "regular" classical fare, 18th century stuff, as well as modern Latin American composers of course. And things like this. The Ramilette CD is a potpourri of all these styles, with tracks culled from several projects in progress.

Anyway, this was a way of getting some sincere Christmas happiness into the set without really getting "Christmasy." Well, unless you consider that the song came about only as the result of European Christian traditions forcefully overrunning the traditions and cultures of another people.

Didn't realize this was a kids' song, but that makes sense after the fact. It's a happy guitar tune with Spanish lyrics that I'm assuming trace the life of Cesar Chavez.

Isabella Leonarda: "Magnificat" -- Musica Laudantes and Capella Strumentale Di Novara; Paolo Monticelli, director; Riccardo Doni, choirmaster -- V/A: Abondance (Opus 111, 1997)

A lovely baroque choral piece from a female composer, a nun in the convent of Saint Ursula in Novara. Originally appeared on an album, La Musa Novarese, that represented Leonarda's recorded debut. As she lived from 1620 to 1704, that's quite a wait.

More sacred choral music, with higher voices. Taken from Missa Veris, an album of Podgait's music.

Trio of early-music pieces from the Boise, Idaho-based duo of Aage Nielsen (bass clarinet) and Jennife Drake (viola). They've been a staple of my Mixed-Up Class shows. Other appearances here and here.

A faux suite of songs from Friedlander's latest, a solo cello album largely drawn from Americana roots music. Lots of pleasant melodies, often played in fast pizzacatto (as on the title track), and a couple of strident experimental interludes to show Friedlander still has his "downtown" NYC cred. "Airstream Envy" is a fast and showy bowed piece, bright and flowery, that does reflect some classical influence, so it made a good opener for this set.

Another vinyl spin. A dynamic modern piece that hopefully wasn't too "outside" for the show's listeners. The liner notes, by Carter himself, talk about how he stressed the differences in "expression and sound" in the cello and piano: "The first movement ... presents one of the piece's basic ideas: the contrast between psychological time (in the cello) and chronometric time (in the piano), their combination producing musical or 'virtual' time. The whole is one large motion in which all the parts are interrelated in speed and often in idea; even the breaks between movements are slurred over."

Awadagin Pratt is either a concert pianist or a commodore from one of the Star Wars movies. No, I kid! He's a pianist with a rather hip image to keep up -- EMI decked him out in sunglasses and a leather overcoat for this CD's photo shoot, and the dreadlocks certainly add some spice not normally found in the concert atmosphere. Obviously, he can play; you can't blame EMI for taking advantage of Pratt's nontraditional appearance. His site, linked above, includes an enjoyable blog that mixes his music adventures with some haute cuisine reviews.

* = Item in KZSU rotation
! = Pop anomaly
? = Item not in KZSU library

-- Go back to Memory Select playlists.
-- Bay Area free/improv music calendar: http://www.bayimproviser.com.