A slight liberty with ‘on this day’…but a chance to bring one of Russia’s lesser lights to the fore. Vassily Kalinnikov was born on 13 January 1866, and died on 11 January 1901 – a tragically early passing, thought to have been from tuberculosis.
In that short period of time he did however write a number of attractive orchestral pieces, headed by the Symphony no.1 in G minor, completed in 1895. You can listen below, a chance to admire Kalinnikov’s craft as a melodist and orchestrator – qualities his contemporary Tchaikovsky appears to have appreciated:
Ryan Teague, the Bristolian soundsmith, has released a pair of instrumental compositions that suggest the influence of classical processes, combining simplicity and emotion.
What’s the music like?
From its title, Chorale in A minor could have been written at any point in the last 300 years or so. Its musical language suggests a look back to the distant past, though the electronic choir sound has a touching and emotive simplicity. Gradually the piece builds in weight and intensity, impressive in widescreen, before paring back to a weightless finish.
The Canon in E minor is relatively austere as it begins, but its movement becomes more graceful and stately as the electronic string sounds reach for the heights. The piece is like an arch, climbing to its peak before descending in its second half, returning from whence it came.
Does it all work?
Yes – both pieces have poise and presence.
Is it recommended?
It is…and it will be interesting to see where Teague heads next musically. Here he has managed to bring emotion from musical simplicity; no mean achievement.
Published post no.2,408 – Saturday 11 January 2025
by Ben Hogwood Image (c) Toronto Star via Getty Images
Over Christmas we heard the sad news that pioneering harpsichordist Colin Tilney had died, at the age of 91. A pupil of the legendary Gustav Leonhardt, Tilney specialized mostly on the harpsichord but could also be heard playing the fortepiano
The playlist below offers a selection of Tilney’s recordings, mostly of early music – but including a snippet of Stravinsky‘s The Rake’s Progress, conducted by the composer himself in 1964, with Tilney on harpsichord duties:
A choral piece by Johann Sebastian Bach, called Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude (Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring). It is the tenth movement of his cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (Heart and mouth and deed and life), written early in Bach’s time in Leipzig, thought to have been in 1723. The melody, however, is understood to have been written by Johann Schop, with Bach providing the harmonisation.
The song itself was written by Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine, paying tribute to his wife Lynda – with a co-credit also given to keyboard player Ron Altbach. Jardine sings the main vocals, with a large ensemble of session musicians given credit at the song’s Wikipedia page.
How does it work?
The song begins with a note-for-note reproduction of the Bach / Schop melody, with the harpsichord adding a metallic brightness to the thick string sound. Then Jardine starts to play around with the speed of Bach’s work, making the transition to the full-blown Beach Boys sound reasonably seamless, with the addition of some woozy syncopations.
The song has the Beach Boys’ characteristically sunny sound, but there is a certain flatness to its delivery, perhaps belying the band’s fraught relationship at the time and even foretelling the fate of Al and Lynda’s marriage.
That said, it is a bright and relatively positive song, its dappled textures and syncopations presenting Bach’s work in a new and imaginative light.
What else is new?
Lady Lynda was the third single from the Beach Boys’ relatively unsuccessful album L.A. (Light Album), released in the spring of 1979. In a streamlined radio edit, with the introduction removed, it reached no.6 in the UK singles chart.
It was however recast when Jardine and his wife divorced, pointing towards a different Lady (the Statue of Liberty) and becoming Lady Liberty instead.
If he were still alive, Elvis Presley would have reached the grand age of 90 today.
We can’t possibly do justice to ‘The King’ in one post, but we can enjoy one of his very best songs, viewed through the prism of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015. I’m not normally a fan of re-orchestrations, but this one is a beauty – and BBC Radio 2 must agree, for as I type this post they are playing the very same recording! Of course it’s Elvis who wins the day through sheer charisma, in a song that won’t fail to make you smile. That voice! Enjoy…
Published post no.2,405 – Wednesday 8 January 2025
Arcana.fm 