Exceeded Harmony Mix #1

Good friend and blogger-extraordinaire Allie has been posting amazing mixes of her favorite music, which everyone should check out, she has impeccable taste. She has put the idea into my mind of a classical themed mix, which I thought was a great idea. We'll see what happens in the future, it might evolve into a mix of any music I'm loving at the moment, not just classical.

So without further ado, the first Exceeded Harmony mix. I toyed with the idea of including whole works, instead of just movements I liked, but this is more personal. Shows you better what it is I love of certain works..

Tracklist:

1. Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) - Suite No. 2 for Small Orchestra: II. Valse

2. Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) - Cantique de Jean Racine, op. 11

3. Steve Reich (b. 1936) - Duet

4. Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) - Piano Quintet in A, op. 5: I. Allegro ma non troppo

5. Charles Ives (1874-1954) - Symphony No. 1: II. Adagio molto (sostenuto)

6. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) - Sonata No. 2 in A, op. 100 for violin and piano: II. Andante tranquilo

7. Gerald Finzi (1901-1956) - Clarinet Concerto in C minor, op. 31: II. Adagio, ma senza rigore

8. Jacques Ibert (1890-1962) - Six Pièces for solo harp: II. Scherzetto

9. John Adams (b. 1947) - Century Rolls, for piano and orchestra: II. Manny's Gym

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I am afraid for myself

John Adams - Century Rolls

John Adams (b. 1947)

Century Rolls

Emanuel Ax, piano

5 tracks; 50 minutes

Century Rolls, for piano and orchestra (1997)

Lollapalooza, for orchestra (1995)

Slonimsky's Earbox, for orchestra (1996)

Century Rolls is a piano concerto composed by John Adams for Emmanuel Ax. It is, in my opinion, one of the best piano concertos of the second part of the 20th century. It goes from an incredibly muscular and thumping first movement to the most delicate slow movement back to a rampage through the piano in the third movement. It's really incredible and everyone needs to hear it.

The orchestral piece Lollapalooza is incredibly fun. It's built on the rhythm of the word "Lollapalooza" with a great motive in the low brass (c-c-c-long e-flat-c) and amazingly intricate asymmetrical rhythmic patterns thrown around the rest of the orchestra. It's funky rhythms and syncopation will crack all of your rhythmic pre-conceptions!

"Slonimsky's Earbox" is an orchestral work celebrating the work of musicologist Nicolas Slonimsky, who compiled an essential Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns, which has served as a foundation for a lot of modern music. This Adams' way of recognizing Slonimsky, using a lot of the patterns found in his thesaurus with his usual rhythmic drive and intensity.

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John Adams - Nixon in China

John Adams (b. 1947)

Nixon in China, opera in three acts

Libreto by Alice Goodman; Directed by Peter Sellars

3 discs; 2 hours 24 minutes

Ok, on occasion of its long overdue revival at the Met next month (you're all seeing the HD broadcast, right? right?) I'm posting one of the finest operas of the latter part of the 20th Century. This is pretty much required listening if you're in any way interested in minimalism, modern music, contemporary composition and/or opera. It's supreme. I dare you to find a more rousing opening aria than "News Has a Kind of Mystery". Didn't think so.

Download:

Disc 1

Disc 2

Disc 3

Also, 80's Adams looks like a supporting character in an James L. Brooks movie, amirite?