Classically Speaking

The World Cup is over, but the sounds of the Vuvuzela live on! 

My favorite result of Vuvuzela-mania is this video of music by Brahms and Ravel played on the Vuvuzela. Thanks to tuba player Aubrey Foard (of the WVSO) for bringing this to my attention.  

Here’s a more familiar instrument, but used in a not-quite-standard way.  Behold, the Viola-Matic:

Thank you to violinist Rachel Feldhaus from WVU for sending this our way. Even though I love the viola dearly, I can’t help laughing. 

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Looking for more to watch, perhaps leaning towards full movies rather than just fun YouTube clips? 

Composer and pianist (and Classically Speaking guest blogger) Evan Mack recently pointed me to this article in Opera News about composer biopics.  It’s a nice overview of the genre, and I’m looking forward to checking out some of their suggestions. Anything that catches your eye? 

I’ve just recently watched The Music Lovers, which the article describes perfectly (“the poor man's horror merges with the rocking of the train compartment the newlyweds are sharing into a gaudy image of erotic nausea”).  

I also have a copy of the Strauss family mini-series that I’ve been planning to watch, but with recent 150th birthday celebrations, perhaps it’s time to find a copy of Ken Russell’s Mahler.  If you’re an early-music buff, you might like a film that was left out of the article – Tous les Matins du Monde, about viola da gamba players and composers Marin Maris and Saint-Colombe, starring Gérard Depardieu and with a nice soundtrack by Jordi Savall.

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If the movies aren’t your style, be sure to check out all the new recordings that we’ve been featuring on the radio. My favorite recent discoveries have been Twilight of the Romantics (premiere recordings of romantic chamber music for clarinet, strings, and piano; performed by the Orion Ensemble) and Takemitsu’s I Hear the Water Dreaming (my new antidote to 100-degree heat).

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How about you? What have you been listening to, watching, or reading?