Wednesday, June 27
Saturday in Kansas City I visited the Bloch Building, the new wing of the Nelson-Atkins Gallery. Beyond the architecture and the art, what struck me was the quality of the text that accompanied the artworks. (Curators, help me here: what's the term for those explanations-legends-descriptions on tidy squares mounted to museum walls?) The blurbs were well written and interesting, concise yet full of information to help the viewer appreciate the art - even the artistically uninformed viewer. For me it brought to mind the role (or at least the goal) of the classical radio host: to provide a few choice comments to deepen the listener's understanding and experience of the music.
A note: At 5:30 today in Madison, Georgia, the Madison Chamber Music Festival offers a program of Civil War-era Americana music and classic spirituals. ... And now, your recommended daily allotment of Midday Music data:
11 AM
- Dowland: Fantasie No. 6 (A Fancy). Nigel North (Naxos 8.557586)
- Vorisek: Bravura Variations for piano and orchestra, Op. 14. Boris Krajny, Prague Chamber Orch, Parik (Supraphon 10 3868)
- D'Indy: Istar, Symphonic Variations. Prague Sym Orch, Fekete
- Smulders: Piano Concerto in A minor (1892). Ivo Janssen, Netherlands Radio Sym, Bakels (NM Classics 92058)
- Arnold: You Know What Sailors Are: Scherzetto. East Winds (Naxos 8.570294)
- Mozart: Violin Sonata in E minor, K. 304. Rachel Podger, Gary Cooper (Channel 24607)
- Liszt: Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F minor. Andre Watts (EMI 47381)
- Wieniawski: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor. Itzhak Perlman, London Phil, Ozawa
- Rodrigo: El Album de Cecilia. Artur Pizzaro (Naxos 8.557923)
- Wagner: The Flying Dutchman, Overture. Berlin Phil, Karajan (EMI 76896)
- Wolf-Ferrari: La Vita Nuova, op. 9 (oratorio after Dante): Prologue and Part 1. Berlin Radio Sym, Lindsley, Fortune, Choirs of St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Baker (Koch 1267)
