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Beethoven's Eroica - The symphony that inaugurates 19th-century Romanticism. Beethoven’s Emperor - His famously triumphant last piano concerto Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony - The Ode to Joy. Songs with Texts by Goethe, sung by soprano Dawn Upshaw - This album includes eight important songs by Schubert, whose songs were pivotal in the early development of romantic melody. Chopin's Nocturnes - The "poet of the piano" was a tremendous innovator in melody and harmony as well as a master of composition suited to the piano. Chopin's Etudes - Although these are technical studies for pianists (and consequently demand advanced virtuosity), they are more powerfully expressive and memorable than many other composers’ "purely artistic" compositions. Chopin's Waltzes - These pieces give us a continuous stream of romantic melody; listeners will recognize many of the waltzes, such as the famous "Minute" Waltz. Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 and Violin Concerto - With these concertos, romanticism reaches new heights of emotional intensity and passion. Brahms's Violin Sonatas - Brahms was "a Romantic in expression but a Classicist in form and technique." Brahms's Liebeslieder (love-song) Waltzes - For four solo voices accompanied by piano four-hands, these light and melodious songs are 19th-century precursors to the 20th-century popular ballad. Bizet's Carmen (DVD) - Melodious, lively, and intensely dramatic, Carmen is the most widely popular of all operas. Highlights from the opera on CD.
Other Recommendations Camille Saint-Saens Concertos - "Saint-Saens’s concertos exemplify the most thrilling aspects of his sense of life: boldness, directness, extravagant drama, grandeur, vitality, and a sense of excitement. It is music that says ‘life matters.’" – From "A Taste of a Romantic Sense of Life," TIA Vol. 16, No. 1. Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 - The "Organ" Symphony. Emmerich Kalman’s Countess Maritza - "Kalman’s distinction in the operetta genre is the richness of his musical palette and his command of an adult’s full depth and range of emotion." – From "Ambassador of Operetta," TIA Vol. 17, No. 2. John Philip Sousa Marches - "Sousa’s marches are lighter and faster than the typical European military march, so instead of a certain pomp or stately quality, they project vitality, upbeat optimism, and straightforward simplicity." – From "Salesman of Americanism: The Life and Music of John Philip Sousa," TIA Vol. 17, No. 7. Stars & Stripes - An album of "Fanfares, Marches, and Wind Band Spectaculars" which includes Leo Arnaud's familiar "Bugler's Dream," the music used as the theme for the Olympic Games. NBC Presents: Summon the Heroes - The spirit of the Olympics on CD.
Books John Philip Sousa: American Phenomenon - The definitive biography of an American icon. Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime in Music - The influential biography, first published in 1956, now available in a handsome new edition. The Great Pianists - A classic in the history of romantic piano performance. |
