Many great documentaries have been produced. Perhaps one’s favorites are dominated by personal interests. Ken Burns certainly has produced several that could qualify for that recognition, including memorable accounts of the Civil War and World War II. But, in my judgement, the prize for best documentary still goes to “The Complete Story-World War I.”
47 years after the premiere of Daphnis & Chloe on June 8, 1912, the same man who conducted that premiere, Pierre Monteux, conducted a recording of that music with the London Symphony Orchestra. Who could argue with credentials this significant? Who could deny the authority of his interpretation, or even recording? For many, this set a standard that still holds. Among other things, it was named among the top 50 recordings of all time by BBC Music. All this is true. But, for modern listeners, is Monteux’s recording the best way to experience Daphnis? For those interested in authority alone, the answer may be ‘yes.’ But, in general, I think the answer is ‘no.’
I have become addicted to the music of Norwegian trumpeter Nils Peter Molvaer. My introduction was a review of his recent recording, Baboon Moon. Since then, I have collected five more of his albums: An American Compilation, Hamada, NP3, Khmer, and Solid Either. I can recommend all of them without qualification. What makes this music so unique? So memorable?
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More than a year ago, I stopped writing blog entries. There were two primary reasons. First, it was discouraging to see how many ways legitimate blogs like this could be attacked by so many spammers. Intellectually, I knew that this was true, but it still was amazing to watch this for myself.
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A colleague recently asked if I might provide a recommendation about basic recordings from the Classical repertoire. Essentially he wanted a few really good recordings that it would be good to own. Really just a starting point in building a collection. After thinking about this for some time, I came up with a list.
Today, “The Avant-Garde” hardly sounds avant-garde. But it does exemplify the confluence of trends. A landmark recording, capturing two giants of jazz sharing the stage for (I believe) the only time.
Georg Solti embodied energy. Energy so intense that it poured out into the orchestras he conducted, and even into the audience. It was energetic to just to attend his concerts. And the sound generated (live or in recordings) was loud and monumental. Apocalyptic, with no apologies. Unforgettable.
Leonard Bernstein clearly was the most important conductor of the music of Gustav Mahler. Prior to Bernstein, Mahler was admired by many leading musicians. Men like Bruno Walter and Otto Klemperer. Men who played and recorded his music, and used their influence to spread the Mahler gospel. But it was Bernstein who ignited the Mahler flame. His recordings and performances exposed Mahler to millions worldwide, and directly inspired the Mahler revolution.
Jazzorchester Vorarlberg is among the most impressive big bands I’ve heard in years. I was introduced to this music by sampling their 2010 album, “Introducing The Jazzorchester Vorarlberg.” I was so impressed that I downloaded the entire album, and have enjoyed every cut, every moment. Very unusual for me, I’ve found myself listening to some cuts over and over again.
When I was going to college, Jean Sibelius was considered a kind of laughing stock. A composer who had once been in vogue but whose time, it was believed, had passed. The consensus was that his music was dated and irrelevant. These opinions had been formed in part because of comments like the influential composer and critic, Virgil Thomson, who famously called Sibelius’ Second Symphony “vulgar, self-indulgent, and provincial beyond all description.”
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image: detail of installation by Bronwyn Lace