Thursday, January 28, 2010

Young composers, performers featured at Bach Choir concert in Bethlehem



(Full disclosure: I wrote about this concert for The Express-Times, the newspaper where I work.)

As proof that classical music isn't just the legacy of a bunch of dead white guys, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem this weekend will have its 11th annual Family Concert, featuring school-age performers and composers. Alongside the works of Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach will be new pieces by two high school students and a middle-schooler.

The concert takes place at 3 p.m. Sunday in Baker Hall at Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, Pa. If you get a chance, check it out.

To whet your appetite, here's a video from 1985 of a performance of the Agnus Dei from Mozart's "Coronation" Mass. As a footnote, none of the Family Concert's featured performers or composers were alive when this was filmed:

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Why records are better to listen to than CDs



I have long been a fan of the long-playing record, as many of my friends who've been unlucky enough to help me move them can attest. Is it the portability? The ease of use? The compatibility with other listening devices?

Sadly, none of those things. I simply prefer vinyl -- classical or not -- because I think it sounds better. On CD, the music feels muted. More so with mp3 players, but I have to admit those are awfully convenient. Records, with all their scratchy, analog sound, have a wonderful depth to them that I have yet to find elsewhere.

I could go on and on about it, but this discussion thread from a few years ago sums up the arguments nicely for why vinyl beats compact discs.


What do you think? Discuss in the comments.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Where you can find inexpensive classical music for your turntable

How do you like to listen to music? Take the poll at the left. If you, like me, prefer the LP to the CD, check out some of these sales on classical records:


Monday, January 4, 2010

Manuel Barrueco, "Works For Guitar" Villa-Lobos, Guarneri, Chavez, composers

When I think of classical guitar, Manuel Barrueco’s name does not immediately come to mind


It’s nothing against him, of course. The Cuban-born guitarist has a well-earned reputation as one of the finest musicians in the world. He has performed with Steve Morse, the guitarist for Deep Purple, and Andy Summers from the Police. Barrueco recorded an album of Lennon-McCartney songs. His 2005 CD, "Concierto Barroco," was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Classical Recording.

And he’s a faculty member at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, which is only the oldest music school in the entire country.

Still, I only learned all of this about Barrueco after I found his 1977 album, “Works For Guitar,” in the $1 bin at my friendly neighborhood record store. It must be quite a find; though most of the man’s works can easily be found on CD, his early recordings only get a passing mention in the official bio on his Web site:

"His early recordings, available on VOX, have become a classic amongst guitar recordings."

So I don't know where the 33-year-old "Works For Guitar" stands in the timeline of Barrueco's albums.

(I should have waited until March to discuss the album; then it would be 33 1/3. Get it? Never mind.)