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Music for a While #84: A world of (love) songs Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

A Valentine’s Day special—with music by the likes of Strauss, Poulenc, and Barber, sung by the likes of Jessye Norman, Arleen Auger, and Leontyne Price. A bouquet, a box of candies—a musical present for you. Trad., arr. Quilter, “Over the Mountains” Strauss, “Traum durch die Dämmerung” Strauss, “Amor” Poulenc, “Fleurs” Koechlin, “Si tu le veux” Prokofiev, Amoroso, from “Cinderella” Fusté, “Háblame de amores” Donaudy, “O del mio amato ben” Leoncavallo, “Mattinata” Barber, “Nocturne” Wild, Étude on Gershwin’s “Embraceable You” Bridge, “Love Went A-Riding”

Music for a While #83: Pieces & people to know Jan 26, 2024

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Some rare Prokofiev, some common Prokofiev. An operatic blast from the past (Price and Tucker). A tribute to Colette Maze, a French pianist who has died at 109. Another tribute to Ewa Podleś, the great Polish contralto. A mixture of music, and thoughts, in this episode. Tchaikovsky, “Miniature Overture” from “The Nutcracker” Prokofiev, Symphony No. 2 Puccini, Love Duet, “Madama Butterfly” Prokofiev, Symphony No. 5 Prokofiev, Amoroso from “Cinderella” Debussy, Arabesque No. 1 Prokofiev, “The Field of the Dead,” from “Alexander Nevsky”

Music for a While #82: Christmas carols (& other timely music) Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

Jay offers tracks of various types—appropriate to the season. From William Byrd on through spirituals and George Shearing. Merry Christmas. Bach, Christmas Oratorio Handel, “Messiah” Byrd, “This Day Christ Was Born” Niles, “I Wonder as I Wander” “Ding Dong! Merrily on High,” with George Shearing and his quintet Gounod, “Noël” Leontovych, “Carol of the Bells” Trad.?, “Long Ago in Bethlehem” Rutter, “Shepherd Pipe’s Carol” Adam, “O Holy Night” A medley of spirituals, from Chanticleer

Music for a While #81: Pictures, souvenirs & more Oct 30, 2023

Show notes

Mussorgsky was inspired by some pictures at an exhibition. Mendelssohn, Strauss, and Tchaikovsky, among others, were inspired by their sojourns in Italy. In this podcast, Jay leads an enjoyable and enriching tour. Mussorgsky, “Pictures at an Exhibition” Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 4, Saltarello Strauss, “Aus Italien,” “Neapolitan Folk Life” Tchaikovsky, “Capriccio italien” Verdi, “Va, pensiero,” from “Nabucco” Mozart, “Ave verum corpus” Sibelius, “The Swan of Tuonela” Mozart, “Alleluia” from “Exsultate, jubilate”

Wilfred M. McClay & James Panero in conversation Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

Executive Editor James Panero sits down with Visiting Critic Wilfred M. McClay to discuss “The burden of the humanities,” the fifth annual Circle Lecture of The New Criterion. The full text of the speech will be available in the November 2023 issue. For more information about the Circle of The New Criterion, visit newcriterion.com/circle.

Music for a While #80: Telling the time Sep 13, 2023

Show notes

A phrase has crept up into our political discussion: “to know what time it is.” Jay begins this episode with a Rodgers & Hart song: “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was.” Then we have Mozart, Boccherini, Rachmaninoff, Donizetti—a slew of interesting items. The episode ends with Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five. Rodgers & Hart, arr. Riddle, “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” Mozart, String Quartet in C, K. 465, first movement Boccherini, Quintet No. 4, “Fandango” movement Rachmaninoff, Serenade in B-flat minor, Op. 3, No. 5 Donizetti, excerpt from “Poliuto” Rachmaninoff, “Lilacs,” arranged by the composer for piano Rachmaninoff, “Lilacs” (song) Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Quintet in F major, Op. 143, first movement Atkins, “Heebie Jeebies”

Music for a While #79: Flicka-fest Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

Frederica von Stade—known all over as “Flicka”—is an American mezzo-soprano and one of the greatest singers of our time, or any. Last month, Jay recorded a podcast with her, a “Q&A”: here. She is one of the most versatile singers. What Jay presents here is a sampler. Mozart, “Ah, perdona al primo affetto,” from “La clemenza di Tito” Fauré, “La rose” Trad., arr. Britten, “O Waly, Waly,” “Come You Not from Newcastle?,” “Oliver Cromwell” Rossini, “Bel raggio lusinghier,” from “Semiramide” Trad., arr. Canteloube, “Baïlèro,” from “Chants d’Auvergne” Hall, “Jenny Rebecca” Berlioz, “L’île inconnu,” from “Les nuits d’été” Mahler, Symphony No. 4, last movement

Music for a While #78: Musical moments Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

Several composers have written “moments musicaux,” or “musical moments,” including Schubert and Rachmaninoff. So has a contemporary American, Joshua Nichols. Jay plays a “moment” from each composer. (Actually, Rachmaninoff gets two.) He also plays music from Brazil, etc. The episode ends with a souvenir of the late André Watts. Rachmaninoff, Moment musical in C major, Op. 16, No. 6 Villa-Lobos, Aria from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 Villa-Lobos, “A prole do bebê” (complete) Oswald, Elegy Nichols, Joshua, Moment musical, “A great slide with a side of funk” Offenbach, Barcarolle from “The Tales of Hoffmann” Rachmaninoff, Moments musicaux, Op. 16 (complete) Verdi, “Non so le tetre immagini,” from “Il corsaro” Schubert, Moment musical in F minor, Op. 94, No. 3

Music for a While #77: ’Tis of thee Jun 26, 2023

Show notes

A program of American, or American-ish, music, in honor of Independence Day. Trad., “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” Dvorak, String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, “American,” final movement Puccini, “ Dovunque al mondo ,” from “Madama Butterfly” Joplin, “Gladiolus Rag” Gershwin, “Summertime,” from “Porgy and Bess” Gershwin-Wild, Virtuoso Étude on “Liza” Copland, “Going to Heaven!” Wheeler, “Isolation Rag” Bernstein, “Mambo,” from “West Side Story” Harbison, “Standards” Lowry-Copland, “At the River”

Music for a While #76: Bustin’ out Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

Yes, June is bustin’ out, and so is a new episode. Jay plays that song and several others, known and less known. There’s also piano music, a violin piece—a tasty musical meal. Rodgers & Hammerstein, “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over,” from “Carousel” Kern & Harbach, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” from “Roberta” Albéniz, “Evocación,” from “Iberia,” Book 1 Strauss, Adolf, “Ich weiß bestimmt, ich werd' dich wiedersehen” Bloch, “Nigun,” from “Baal Shem” Romberg & Hammerstein, “Stout-hearted Men,” from “The New Moon” Lehrer, “Alma” Respighi, “Notturno”

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