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Serene, moving...and Haydn. Which is why the video of the week is the 2nd movement of Haydn's Cello Concerto In C, played by the late Mstislav Rostropovich in 1981 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa.
2009 is the "Haydn 200," the 200th anniversary of Haydn's death -- the exact date is this Sunday. Haydn fans, this is just one more reminder that on Sunday you can hear a special live-to-air broadcast of Haydn's Creation oratorio, on Sunday Afternoon In Concert.
Canada Live (8 p.m.) has the blues too -- tonight with a concert from Joe Louis Walker recorded at the Vancouver Island Music Festival.
Funny thing about the blues, when you have 'em, listening to 'em makes you feel better. Misery loves company? Great music eases the pain? Not sure. But try this on for size -- Joe Louis Walker playing some slow, simmering blues, a tune called Blue Guitar. (Music kicks in at around 27 secs):
There, don't you feel better? If so, you'll want to tune into Canada Live this evening after 8 to hear more from Mr. Walker. To (re)quote the Times Colonist review of the concert: "If there is a heaven, we want it to sound like this."
In Tune is pre-empted today for the opera broadcast, but one story that Katherine has covered before came to its conclusion this week. Yes, after many months of build up, the YouTube Symphony finally happened. Its Carnegie Hall debut got a fairly positive review in the New York Times no less. (YouTube Orchestra Melds Music Live And Online.)
At the same time, online there's the companion piece, the "Internet Symphony Global Mashup," created from hundreds of video submissions of musicians playing the Tan Dun composition Internet Symphony, Eroica:
People who like (and work in) radio tend to be aware, perhaps hyper aware of sound. (For example right now I really wish that mutt across the street would go to sleep.) Anyway, radio and sound go together like, well, radio and sound. So today's Radio 2 Video Of The Week is a little nod to three men who care passionately about sound, in their entirely demented way:
After reading about the new (and bilingual) West Side Story on Broadway, it struck me that most musicals could use a fresh approach. Today's Radio 2 Video Fest is devoted to this cause, starting with Dame Judi Dench's reinvention of "16 Going On 17" from Sound Of Music. (Disclaimer: X-rated at 2:30.)
Then there's the sub-genre "reality musical," for instance The Food Court Musical:
It's a provocative visual take on the song, made for the NFB in 1996. Curious to know what you make of it -- some may find it funny, or weird, or downright irritating -- but I can't imagine you won't have a strong reaction to it.
According to the NFB's website the short was intended to "offer a playful meditation on romance and the clichés that go with it."
It's Friday, no one wants to hear the words markets or economy or even drink eight glasses of water a day, so let's turn our minds to some sheer entertainment, from the ridiculous to the sublime.
The Ridiculous -- The Joy Division Pep Rally:
The Sublime -- Dancing To Nina Simone:
Brought to you by the weekly Radio 2 Video Festival -- that link will take you to past editions. Thanks to Arts Journal for tips for this week's showing.
Tom Power of Deep Roots (and Newfoundland) reports live from the East Coast Music Awards this afternoon on Radio 2 Drive (3 p.m.-6 p.m.), and today's Radio 2 Video Festival is therefore in honour of some of the nominated artists Tom will be talking about.
Big excitement: Leonard Cohen is doing a major tour sponsored by CBC Radio 2 -- and starting March 9 for two weeks Radio 2 is also holding a contest to send two lucky people to hear Cohen at Radio City Music Hall in New York City!
Many details about all things Cohen to come -- and Radio 2 Blog readers will be kept well-apprised. For now though in anticipation of the contest the weekly Video Fest. turns itself over to some Cohen related footage: a cover by Johnny Cash, an interview clip with the man himself, and some archival duetting with Judy Collins:
Like A (Country) Bird On A Wire:
Chatting With The Former Governor General:
They First Sang It "In A Hotel Room In Newport":
Pretty, eh? And thankfully the giant flower in the background stayed put.
Nice, huh? The above is from a documentary called Playing For Change: Peace Through Music. Musicians around the world contributed their bit to Stand By Me -- resulting in this global version.
Today's Radio 2 Video Festival is devoted to music for humanity -- and this next one qualifies on many levels. If you didn't see this during Barack Obama's inauguration, here's your chance now -- Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen, with Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land:
And one more note: Although there doesn't seem to be a good video performance of this most universal of peace songs, here's a bonus audio track (on what would have been Bob Marley's 64th birthday today): One Love.
As it is the International Year of Astronomy, it's no surprise that people are fussed about space. And that includes radio -- this Sunday Gregory Charles devotes his show, In The Key Of Charles (Sunday 10:00 a.m., 10:30 NT) to that very topic -- music connected to space.
Today's Radio 2 Video Festival does as well, and in fact includes Monsieur Charles himself. (See second video.) But first...
Keith Jarrett Wishes Upon A Star:
Then Gregory Charles Asks 'What's Spring Like On Jupiter And Mars?"
While Stephane Grappelli Wonders How High It Is:
If that is not enough space music to satisfy, in the "And Now For Something Completely Different" department:
The Radio 2 Blog has taken a restrained approach with the year-end "best of" lists when it comes to music. After all, they're everywhere -- try Largehearted Boy's 2008 Year-End Online Music list of lists for proof of that!
But today the Radio 2 Video Fest gives in and takes a small look back with a shortlist of the Best Music Videos posted in this weekly column. A jury of experts spent hours reviewing the most entertaining videos in the five following categories, and after our chartered accountants carefully tallied the results, this is what they came up with:
The annual Euroradio Christmas broadcast, Joy To The World, is broadcast live on CBC Radio 2 this Sunday, December 21st, beginning at 06:00 with Austria's Domkantori & Solamente Naturali, and ending at 17:00 with Canada's Les Violons du Roy with La Chapelle de Québec.
Although it is not strictly choral music, much of it is, and so with a small nod in that direction, today's Radio 2 Video Fest presents a little choral music too. Although not, it should be noted, in the same tradition as you will hear on Sunday. No, these are more "choral curiosities."
P.S. To understand the title of this post, you'll have to watch the second video...
Choir By Computer:
Choir By CBC:
Car By Choir:
Note: Generally the Radio 2 Blog is not a fan of videos that endorse any products, but in this last case, it's interesting enough that an exception had to be made. Wonder how they mic'd the teeth?
After yesterday's post about the 100 Greatest Singers Of All Time it seemed appropriate to devote this week's edition of the Radio 2 Video Fest to The Voice. To be more specific, odd things people are doing with the voice. Or without, as is the case of the first video.
The Jazz Argument:
A Capella Tribute To John Williams:
(Brilliant, if slightly irritating.)
Meredith Monk..."Scaring An Owl":
(An absurd mashup. Frankly, the owl doesn't even look frightened.)
You can win two discs of Messiaen's music -- all you have to do is press play, below, listen to the birdies sing, identify as many as you can and email Sunday Afternoon In Concert , subject heading CONTEST, for a draw. (Yes, it's a wee tad silly, we know that. But fun. And the birdsong is oddly restful, btw, emanating from one's computer.) Note: Click on the last link for the email...or just email saic@cbc.ca
Did I mention that the above video is part of the weekly Radio 2 Video Fest? It is. And the second video is as well. It too is connected to the composer Olivier Messiaen -- an interesting look at the unique electronic instrument "popularized" by Messiaen, the Ondes Martenot, invented in 1928:
Tonight Buffy Sainte-Marie is honoured with the "Lifetime Contribution to Aboriginal Music Award" at the 2008 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. Ms. Sainte-Marie’s career spans more than four decades as a musician, visual artist and social activist. She's a remarkable woman, and it is wonderful to see her honoured in this way.
So today the weekly Radio 2 Video Fest also celebrates Buffy Sainte-Marie, with three quite different "features."
Recalling The 1960s...Universal Soldier:
With Pete Seeger, Performing Get Along Home, Cindy Cindy (Really):
(One viewer's response: "One of the weirdest, and most haunting things I've ever heard...")
The other day I was listening to the exquisite Robert Plant/Alison Krauss recording, Raising Sand, remembering how taken aback people were when it first came out. To some they seemed unlikely duet partners -- bluegrass fiddler with the voice of an angel Krauss and well, you know, Led Zepplin.
So one thought thought to another and lo, it's the Unlikely Duet Partners Edition of the weekly Radio 2 Video Fest as a result.
It's A Man's World, just not one JB and Luciano usually shared:
Country singer Tammy Wynette, and decidedly not country -- The KLF:
Unlikely on paper only -- Alison Krauss & Robert Plant:
Clearly, many of us have a case of Joni. All week long, in response to Tom on Radio 2 Morning (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), people have been sending in their favourite Joni Mitchell songs, accompanied by stories and memories. They've been really wonderful to read. (You can see many of them here and here.)
The passion and eloquence of those comments has made my week -- Tom's too. And yesterday he also told me how much he appreciates having been reminded of so many great songs, and I quote:
"Not just Carey, A Case of You and Both Sides Now, but songs I'd forgotten about: For Free, Don Juan's Reckless Daughter and real find: Hejira. It's from the 1976 album with the late Jaco Pastorius playing a haunting fretless bass."
So thanks to everyone who responded, and thanks to Tom and the Morning show team. Note: the song most mentioned is being played in the final hour of this morning's show.
And as part of acknowledging Joni Mitchell today (her 65th birthday), the weekly Radio 2 Blog Video Fest presents three of her songs mentioned numerous times this week on the Radio 2 Blog. Not -- I should point out, that final hour song -- did not want to scoop Tom! But these three are all among that long list of her best:
River, Joni Mitchell With Herbie Hancock:
Coyote, Joni Mitchell With The Band:
A Case Of You, Joni Mitchell Solo:
(I know, the volume is very low on that. But so many people mentioned A Case Of You and I wanted to have some version of it to play.)
It's the Office/TGIF/Workin' For The Weekend version of the Radio 2 Blog video fest. For anyone who has ever worked in an office, the following is for you.
At least there's nothing moldy in the fridge!
Gets going at :32. And remember, it's from 1961...
(Note: Self Dispensing Cups! At 1:20)
Just a two-video fest this week, as no other high quality office music videos emerged from the filing cabinet.
Yes, Reader, it happened. This week in my hometown the first flakes fell, and everyone got into a tizzy. (Southern Canadians are so easily perturbed by any hint of winter.) And it seemed to take the accompanying wintry winds to enact what much of the rest of the country has already been ho-hum business-as-usual about -- the autumn leaves began to fall. Since then they've been falling in earnest -- neighbours' houses are suddenly visible, dog walkers idling out front cannot hide the deed of their dog.
But on a more poetic note, the falling leaves inspired this week's Radio 2 Video Festival: three contrasting versions of the classic, Autumn Leaves.
Because Eva Cassidy Sings It Beautifully:
Because Stanley Jordan Plays It On Two Instruments At The Same Time:
(Why? Because he can, I guess.)
Because It's The Classic:
(Oh, to be in Paris dancing to Yves, sigh...)
Maybe because Thanksgiving brought with it many roots and tubers, or maybe because recently the subject of potato music arose, (in this, the International Year Of The Potato) today's Radio 2 Video Festival is devoted to music played on vegetables. (Just click on the last link and scroll down to view previous editions of the fest.)
There are only two videos today, but both feature professional vegetable music.
So you lovers of the carrot pan flute will have to move along via the last link. But I recommend you stay here since some more, well, "sophisticated" carrot music is our first feature:
Linsey Pollak, a.k.a. "A guy who can do incredible things with a simple carrot":
Vienna Vegetable Orchestra of whom it has been said, "playing with food never had such interesting results":
On what would have been Glenn Gould's 76th birthday I posted his amazing So You Want To Write A Fugue, in both English and Japanese. Along the way other finds of a fugue-alish nature cropped up, and I've just been waiting for the perfect opportunity to share them.
Since Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally celebrated with fugues (research indicates that the tradition began circa 2008), here are three fugues, of a kind, for your viewing pleasure.
First a little lesson on how to write a fugue, based on a melody which will certainly be recognizable to those familiar with the oeuvre of B. Spears:
Oops, I Did It Again: The Fugue
(Note: If you just want to hear the fugue itself, advance to 3:29)
Theme From Dragnet: The Fugue
(Wish they'd played it on 'real' instruments, but to each their own fugue.)
Can Do! Fugue For Tinhorns:
(What are the odds that a fugue on this subject could be so charming?)
(Note: to see previous editions of the weekly Radio 2 Blog Video Fest just click on that link and scroll down.)
Today the weekly Radio 2 Blog Video Fest, held every Friday, devotes itself to some "how to" music videos. No, not how to play the guitar solo on Hotel California, or how to play Coldplay's Clocks on piano, although these are certainly things you can also learn to do at the Tube of You.
Instead we present professional "how to" videos. Admittedly the first one is really only an introduction to the "how to" aspect of playing a Casio, but I think it sets the tone of today's video festival quite nicely. And since the videos provide the "how," I provide the "why."
Why Play The Casio? Because "It's A Band In A Box":
Why Play Digeridoo? Because When Else Do You Get To Do This With Your Lips?:
(If impatient, start at :30. And wait for the water at 1:22 --it's worth it!)
Why Play The Cowbell? Because "It Has Many Intricacies":
Marimba madness! Everything must go! Well, not quite, these are keepers, if you're a fan of music made on marimbas.
It is the weekly R2 Blog Friday Video Fest, and today we do indeed celebrate music for marimbas, and some pretty spectacular marimba videos. (Spectacular in a couple senses of the word.)
Why marimbas? Why not?!
Meet the Marimba Ponies:
Stone Marimba (yes, that's stone as in made of rocks) by firelight with Sigur Rós:
Reg Kehoe And His Marimba Queens:
[As the original poster noted: "Slap bassists, hold onto your dentures."]
Misheard lyrics tend to go right back to our childhoods. We sing along, blissfully believing a lyric to be something other than it is, or not caring enough to consciously work it out. (Case in point, for many of my tender years I believed the lyric "life is but a dream," from Row Row Row Your Boat, to be "life is butter's dream." (And so it is, if that new book about how fat is actually good for you turns out to be true. Oh, how we hope.)
But with the advent of the Tube of You, we got video portrayals of misheard lyrics, which became so popular they're even known as "Misheards." As in, "Wow, what an awesome Misheard."
In case you missed this phenom, it's the act of setting visual images of the misheard lyrics to the real music. Truthfully I've yet to find many good ones, but these two still tickle. So, brought to you by the weekly R2 Blog Friday Mini Video fest: Misheards.
It's Friday, it must be Music Video Fest time, a tradition well into its second week. And today, in honour of last night's launch of the Canadian version of SYTYCD (PVR'd in my house, due to differing viewing habits -- will have to watch over the weekend) it seems timely to celebrate with some music videos connected to dance.
1. Because we should all know how to do an Egyptian sand dance:
(Begins at :20)
2. Because slightly distressing mashups are slightly distressing:
Because the dancing is jaw-dropping:
(Begins at 2:43)
Presenting the Friday afternoon mini-music-video fest, featuring three of the R2 Blog's favourite fun music videos. No brainy thoughts to be shared about them at the moment, I'll leave the braininess to tomorrow's series, The Nerve (see last post).
Hmm, I wonder what part(s) of the brain interact with sound to make one decide just to listen (or in this case watch and listen) without expending any analytical energy? Don't know, but they should kick in upon viewing the following.
Rationale: Because everyone needs to see these sleeves. (Music's fabulous too.):
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