WETA-FM radio is doing its countdown of the best works of classical music. Number 23 was Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Number 22 is Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring."
No. I can't see any pattern in the chosen performances. However, on YouTube you can usually find debates over what is the best performance of each piece.
By the way, they have finally released a box set of all the stereo recordings Eugene Ormandy made with the Philadelphia Orchestra between 1958 and 1963. It's 83 discs, and it's incredible. I cannot recommend it too highly. If you had this box set, and you had nothing else, you'd have enough classical music to keep you entertained for life.
Number 20: Tchaikovsky, "The Nutcracker" Suite. Obviously, they aren't playing the whole piece each time -- we are just getting enough to appreciate it. But once you have the list, you can play them whenever you want.
Number 18: Modest Mussorgsky, "Pictures at an Exhibition." WETA plays the orchestral version of this piece, although of course Mussorgsky wrote it for the piano.
The Cotton Bowl went to the Classic Big 8 (Missouri). The Fiesta Bowl went to the Classic Pac 10 (Oregon). That pretty much leaves the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl.
Number 5: Dvorak, Cello Concerto. Interestingly, I don't remember ever hearing this piece before 2023, and then I spent much of 2023 listening to it. It's a fantastic piece, and I wish I had known about it earlier.
This season concludes the College Football Playoff that began in 2014. As part of that system, there was an agreement that one team from a non-Power Five conference would be invited to one of the Six Major Bowl Games. Here is how those teams did:
One of the former field commanders for the University of Alabama Million-Dollar Band is now a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) minister with whom we are friends, so that made for an extra-exciting halftime show.
Michigan beats Alabama 27 to 20 in overtime to win the Rose Bowl. Thus, for the first time since the 2014 season, no team from the Classic SEC will play for the National Championship.
Number 21: Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 4 (Italian). I don't listen to this piece as often as I should.
ReplyDeleteAre they making arguments for a particular performance of a given piece?
DeleteNo. I can't see any pattern in the chosen performances. However, on YouTube you can usually find debates over what is the best performance of each piece.
DeleteBy the way, they have finally released a box set of all the stereo recordings Eugene Ormandy made with the Philadelphia Orchestra between 1958 and 1963. It's 83 discs, and it's incredible. I cannot recommend it too highly. If you had this box set, and you had nothing else, you'd have enough classical music to keep you entertained for life.
DeleteThat is amazing.
DeleteNumber 20: Tchaikovsky, "The Nutcracker" Suite. Obviously, they aren't playing the whole piece each time -- we are just getting enough to appreciate it. But once you have the list, you can play them whenever you want.
ReplyDeleteNumber 19: Johann Pachelbel, Canon in D Major
ReplyDeleteNumber 18: Modest Mussorgsky, "Pictures at an Exhibition." WETA plays the orchestral version of this piece, although of course Mussorgsky wrote it for the piano.
ReplyDeleteScores:
ReplyDeleteHall of Fame Bowl: Wisconsin 28, LSU 21 (3d quarter)
Citrus Bowl: Tennessee 14, Iowa 0 (2d quarter)
Fiesta Bowl: Oregon 24, Liberty 6 (2d quarter)
Number 17: Aaron Copland, "Appalachian Spring."
ReplyDeleteScores:
ReplyDeleteHall of Fame Bowl: Wisconsin 31, LSU 28 (4th quarter)
Citrus Bowl: Tennessee 14, Iowa 0 (3d quarter)
Fiesta Bowl: Oregon 31, Liberty 6 (Halftime)
Number 16: Tchaikovsky, "1812 Overture"
ReplyDeleteNumber 15: Beethoven, Piano Concerto Number 5 (Emperor)
ReplyDeleteScores:
ReplyDeleteHall of Fame Bowl: LSU 35, Wisconsin 31 (Final)
Citrus Bowl: Tennessee 35, Iowa 0 (Final)
Fiesta Bowl: Oregon 45, Liberty 6 (Final)
So far, the Classic SEC has won the Orange Bowl, the Peach Bowl, the Hall of Fame Bowl, and the Citrus Bowl.
The Cotton Bowl went to the Classic Big 8 (Missouri). The Fiesta Bowl went to the Classic Pac 10 (Oregon). That pretty much leaves the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl.
DeleteNumber 14: Samuel Barber, Adagio for Strings
ReplyDeleteNumber 13: Beethoven, Symphony Number 6 ("Pastoral")
ReplyDeleteNumber 12: Camille Saint-Saens, Symphony Number 3 ("Organ")
ReplyDeleteNumber 11: Ralph Vaughan Williams, "The Lark Ascending"
ReplyDeleteNumber 10: Rimsky-Korsakov, "Scheherazade"
ReplyDeleteNumber 9: Vivaldi, "The Four Seasons"
ReplyDeleteNumber 8: Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto Number 2
ReplyDeleteNumber 7: Gershwin, "Rhapsody in Blue"
ReplyDeleteNumber 6: Beethoven, Symphony Number 7. This piece is amazing.
ReplyDeleteNumber 5: Dvorak, Cello Concerto. Interestingly, I don't remember ever hearing this piece before 2023, and then I spent much of 2023 listening to it. It's a fantastic piece, and I wish I had known about it earlier.
ReplyDeleteThis season concludes the College Football Playoff that began in 2014. As part of that system, there was an agreement that one team from a non-Power Five conference would be invited to one of the Six Major Bowl Games. Here is how those teams did:
ReplyDelete12/31/14: Boise St. 38, Arizona 30 (Fiesta Bowl)
12/31/15: Houston 38, Florida St. 24 (Peach Bowl)
01/02/17: Wisconsin 24, W. Michigan 16 (Cotton Bowl)
01/01/18: Cent. Florida 34, Auburn 27 (Peach Bowl)
01/01/19: Louisiana St. 40, Cent. Florida 32 (Fiesta Bowl)
01/01/20: Georgia 24, Cincinnati 21 (Peach Bowl)
12/31/21: Alabama 27, Cincinnati 6 (Cotton Bowl) (CFP Semi-Final)
01/02/23: Tulane 46, So. California 45 (Cotton Bowl)
01/01/24: Oregon 45, Liberty 6 (Fiesta Bowl)
Missed one:
Delete12/28/19: Penn St. 53, Memphis 39
So that's a record of 4-6 for the non-Power Five teams, or 4-5 in the games that were not CFP Semi-Finals.
DeleteWETA has gone to NPR, so I'm changing the channel.
ReplyDeleteBack after a delicious pot roast. Here's what I missed:
ReplyDeleteNumber 4: Bedrich Smetana, "Ma Vlast: The Moldau"
Number 3: Dvorak, Symphony Number 9 ("From the New World")
Number 2: Gustav Holst, "The Planets"
Pot roast is so good.
DeleteAnd that takes us to Number 1:
ReplyDeleteBeethoven, Symphony Number 9
One of the former field commanders for the University of Alabama Million-Dollar Band is now a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) minister with whom we are friends, so that made for an extra-exciting halftime show.
ReplyDeleteMichigan beats Alabama 27 to 20 in overtime to win the Rose Bowl. Thus, for the first time since the 2014 season, no team from the Classic SEC will play for the National Championship.
ReplyDeleteNow Washington will defend the Unofficial College Football Championship and try to win the Sugar Bowl.
ReplyDeleteI am rooting for Washington.
Delete