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Monday Music

The Corrs

Monday Music

No R.E.M. this week. Just three performances of one of my favorite classical pieces: J. S. Bach's Prelude from Cello Suite No. 1. I've mentioned it before. The first is a performance by Anner Bylsma, who clearly is a wonderful artist, but this isn't my favorite performance of the piece. There is a lot of room in this piece for expression through feeling and tempo. But Bylsma doesn't quite capture it for me in this performance. It seems to me he tries a little to hard, but rushes too much in places (uneven and unsmooth phrasing) and drags (read: tries to milk some places too much) in other and just seems to emphasize the wrong places in his phrasing. But here it is:

The second is by Mischa Maisky. Maisky is so silky and smooth in this performance. Much more even in phrasing, he really shines. But I dislike the way he does the huge build that begins at 1:54 (he comes out of it too early and has to re-crescendo). I like Yo-Yo Ma's interpretation in that he builds continually until the very end of the piece. But I learned the piece from the Yo-Yo Ma performance on the Master and Commander soundtrack and so am spoiled to it. It is probably unfair to compare the two performances as Yo-Yo Ma's is a studio recording (read probably had the advantage of more than one take) while this one is a live performance. Nevertheless Maisky's performance is quite wonderful. You can watch Maisky perform the whole suite here. Prelude (which is my favorite) here:

The next performance of the same piece is by Andres Segovia, father of the Classical guitar. Obviously this piece was written for cello and requires phrasing that can't be duplicated by picking on a guitar, but this is a wonderful interpretation even if it is at odds to the sawing cello. Also keep in mind, Segovia is 72 at the time of this performance. What wonderful dexterity in his hands! Enjoy!

Monday Music

Last week I began a thought about why I listen to some of the same music from high school and why I'm not as interested in others. That discussion will be picked up next week, but here is the second clip from David Letterman's Tonight show promised last week. "Radio Free Europe" by R.E.M.:

Monday Music

A recent article reminded me of something I've been thinking about lately, that is, why some of the music I listened to in high school isn't as interesting to me today. I think there is something more to it than just my maturing taste. More on that in future Monday Music posts, but to set it up, I'll be putting up three Mondays of R.E.M., one third of the trinity of artists that shaped my high school years. This and next Monday's clips come from the Late Night Show with David Letterman and were R.E.M.'s first television appearance. I discovered R.E.M. much later than this clip (I was twelve when this show happened). I didn't start listening to R.E.M. until their Document album was a hit. Starkville, while no Athens, was certainly a universtity town and definitely plugged into the college radio scene, so R.E.M. was well known to me, but I didn't buy many albums until I started working at 15, which was a little before Document was released. But I joined a music club and bought all the older catalogue and caught up to them. Anyway here is So. Central Rain, which I believe was actually the second song they performed that night, but is presented here first, because lead singer Michael Stipe shyly hid behind the drum kit.

Monday Music (Peace to You)

I'm not sure the name of the guy covering the Rich Mullins song (video was posted by nathanski), but he does a great job. I was thinking about this song on the day that we celebrated All Saints Sunday (with Holy Communion of course).

Peace (A Communion Blessing from St. Joseph's Square)

"So may peace rain down from Heaven
Like little pieces of the sky
Little keepers of the promise
Falling on these souls the drought has dried
In His Blood and in His Body,
In this bread and in this wine,
Peace to you. Peace of Christ to you."

Monday Music

A very young Andrea sings with her siblings in the group the Corrs, "Runaway":

Monday Music

Would you be happier?  The Corrs ask:

Monday Music

To my little Bimbo from his daddy, Timbo. Jim Reeves, "Bimbo":

"Message in a Bottle"

Monday Music returns with one of my favorite songs by The Police:

This is apparently the first live performance of the song:

1982 U2 Video

Sorry I haven't had time this week to work up a more substantive Monday Music post.  I didn't plan to post U2 again, especially for fear that people may be taking U2 just a little bit too far!  But I didn't have time to rip and edit a new sample so you'll have to settle for this U2 video from 1982 (although it does include a rare performance of "A Celebration" and "Rejoice".) 

It is interesting to see how difficult a time the audience in the video had in responding to the music.  Do we dance?  Jerk about in weird estatic movements?  Sway side to side and rock your heads in a limp manner?  I think most people now know you're supposed to bounce up and down. 

Enjoy. 

Hat tip: Randall's Blog

MORE: Stephen Fife has surrendered to the spell as well.