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CLASSICAL NOTES

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Welcome!

Searching for classical music from Albinoni to Zelenka?? You'll find something of interest here for you.
Catalogue Search hints | Highlights | Online articles and magazines | Recent arrivals | Web gems

Page last updated 24th March 2008.

new flag NAXOS classical music now free online to Wellington library members. Just enter your library card number and last name to listen to 276,000 tracks of streamed music from the NAXOS, BIS, Chandos, CPO, Hanssler, Hungaroton, and Marco Polo labels, with 500 new CDs added each month.

Special resource features - Ballet/Dance DVDs | English music | Woodwind | Classical guitar | Mediaeval music
Musicals | Opera | New Zealand classical music | Baroque music | Classical Spain

Join MyLibrary today to receive emails on what's new in the library collections and create your own page of useful information links.
Some recent DVDs are featured below.

LATEST CDs:-

Amazon jacket Italian operatic arias performed by Natalie Dessay, with Concerto Koln, conducted by Evelino Pido.
Contents : La traviata. E strano!-- Ah, fors'e` lui-- ; Follie! Follie-- Sempre libera / Verdi (with Roberto Alagna, tenor) -- I puritani. O rendetemi la speme ; Qui la voce sua soave ; Vien, diletto, e in ciel la luna / Bellini (with Franck Ferrari, baritone ; Matthew Rose, bass) -- Maria Stuarda. Allenta il pie, Regina ; O nube, che lieve ; Nella pace del mesto riposo / Donizetti (with Karine Deshayes, soprano) -- Rigoletto. Gualtier Malde-- Caro nome / Verdi (with Roberto Alagna, tenor ; Franck Ferrari, baritone ; Matthew Rose, bass) -- I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Oh, quante volte ; Oh! quante volte / Bellini -- Lucia di Lammermoor. Eccola-- Il dolce suono ; Ardon gli incensi ; S'avanza Enrico ; Spargi d'amaro pianto / Donizetti (with Franck Ferrari, baritone ; Wolfgang Klose, Matthew Rose, basses).
Amazon jacket The fiery angel , by Prokofiev.
Performers : Nadine Secunde, soprano ; Ruthild Engert-Ely, mezzo-soprano ; Heinz Zednik, tenor ; Siegfried Lorenz, baritone ; Bryn Terfel, bass-baritone ; Kurt Moll, bass ; other soloists ; Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra ; Gösta Ohlin's Vocal Ensemble and Pro Musica Chamber Choir, Gothenburg ; Neeme Järvi, conductor
"Of theologies there is little in The Fiery Angel", Prokofiev wrote, "but of orgies there's no end." ... the maddeningly impossible Renata relentlessly pursues her long-lost lover, aided and abetted by Ruprecht, the all-time Man Who Would Not Take No For An Answer (CD cover).
Amazon jacket Overtures, , by Mozart.
Performers : Orchestre de chambre de Lausanne ; Yehudi Menuhin, conductor.
Contents : Le nozze di Figaro -- Cosi fan tutte -- La finta giardiniera -- Der Schauspieldirektor -- Idomeneo -- Die Zauberflote -- Il re pastore -- Lucio Silla -- La clemenza di Tito -- Don Giovanni -- Bastien und Bastienne -- Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail.
Mozart was passionate about opera throughout his whole career. At the age of only 12 he started work on Bastien und Bastienne and his final operas Die Zauberflote and La clemenza di Tito were premiered less than 2 months before his death in 1791. (drawn from the booklet)


FEATURED WEB LINK : FIND THAT TUNE
www.findthetunes.com.
You can type in the combination of keyword search terms e.g.
queen sheba
beethoven symphony 9
kanawa
and find a plethora of links to either listen or download..

Other links to classical music web-sites

Artscalendar will tell you what's happening in the New Zealand Arts scene. Check out the highlights in upcoming Wellington's musical events.

MusicAustralia
A new online service to help you find, access and navigate a rich store of information on Australian music, musicians, organisations and services from a single access point. Drawing on the extensive bibliographic resources contained in the National Bibliographic Database (NBD), and a new database on Australian music and music organisations, MusicAustralia delivers information on about 130,000 music items. Browse topical themes such as sport or war songs.

www.recmusic.org/lieder
This is an archive of texts to lieder and other art songs. There are composer and poet indexes plus a word search function if the title of the song has escaped you. plus links to translation guides.

www.allclassical.com
General biographical material as well as access to works listings.

Cadence
A database of choral sets and orchestral parts held by New Zealand choirs, orchestras and libraries.

Classical Composers' Archive
Wide range of composer information, including "today's musical history". Ever heard of Firkusny? Definitely includes the obscure and hard to find!

National anthems
Although arguably not 'classical music', this contains the "native" text, (and usually with an English translation) together with a MIDI file (brass band emphasis), for most countries. The library also has

Syndetics jacket National anthems of the world, 11th ed. / edited by Michael Jamieson Bristow.
"National anthems of 198 countries are included from Armenia to Zimbabwe, ...each presented with the words in the original language(s), which have been set, where possible, to the music and, where a national anthem is in a language that is not written in Roman script, the words are given in a transliterated phonetic version, so that it may be sung by people of other tongues. A literal translation of the original words is also provided."

www.broadcast-live.com/music/classical/index.html
Enjoy classical music in Real audio format through Internet broadcasts.

British Library Music collections
A premier music library's collections and resources. Take a look at their catalogues or online exhibitions. They also have a useful section for students, or try their Mozart's thematic catalogue from February 1784 until December 1791 (the last 7 years of his life).

www.sounz.org.nz
Centre for New Zealand music : developing and fostering New Zealand music, its creation, performance, publication, recording and broadcast by working with and on behalf of NZ composers.

www.tunespotting.com.
Tunespotting is a melody search engine. While there is the usual database to search, beyond that, you can search by playing your computer keyboard or by entering notes on a stave.

Classical orchestra links
Orchestral news and links to the key world orchestras, including our own Wellington Sinfonia and NZSO.

ONLINE ARTICLES
The Amateur as Critic, by Terry Teachout, in Commentary; Nov2007, Vol. 124 Issue 4, p70-72.
The article begins "Of all the changes that have taken place in English-language newspapers during the past quarter-century, perhaps the most far-reaching has been the inexorable decline in the scope and seriousness of their arts coverage. Not only have many newspapers done away with their book-review sections, but several major papers, including the Chicago Sun-Times and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, no longer employ full-time classical-music critics...." The plight of the music critic is examined through the example of Neville Cardus.

Collaboration and the composer : case studies from the end of the 20th century, by Sam Hayden and Luke Windsor, in Tempo; Apr2007, Vol. 61 Issue 240, p28-39.
This article investigates the collaborative aspects of composers in Great Britain. The popular view of composition is of an isolated melancholic obsessive, struggling alone at the piano in the garret. The authors show how such an individualistic model of the composer is both true and untrue. The modern composer may fulfil several roles (e.g. teacher / lecturer) as well as having to contend with other performers, conductors, managers, agents, publishers, academics and critics.

Remember: These article links will work automatically for you if you have used the EBSCO databases in the last 30 days. If not, please login now.

Other journals
Each site contains at least some full-text of the print magazines
www.bbcmusicmagazine.com
www.gramophone.co.uk - the mighty Gramophone
www.Orphpl.com/choir.htm - for the Choir & Organ
www.ffaire.com (Not to be confused with Fanfare - the American reviewing magazine).
www.lafolia.com - containing more in-depth new music reviews and articles
www.opera-opera.com.au - Australasia's independent monthly newspaper of musical theatre.
Music and Vision - focusing on news e.g. concert reviews, upcoming event,although there are articles.
All Things Strings - sample articles from the latest issue always available.
Music for the love of it -
Excerpts include themes around musicianship, and musicality and ensemble skills for the amateur performer.
Creative keyboard - monthly magazine featuring articles by composers, teachers, or performers. A free printable music sample is included in at least one of the articles each month.

NEW DVD ARRIVALS: WAGNER all the way. (Latest Classical Music MyLibrary Page here.)

Amazon jacket Die Walkure, by Wagner. (1980 production)
Performers : Gwyneth Jones, Jeannine Altmeyer, sopranos; Hanna Schwarz, mezzo-soprano; Gabriele Schnaut, alto; Peter Hofmann, tenor; Donald McIntyre, baritone; Matti Salminen, bass; with supporting singers; Bayreuth Festival Chorus; Bayreuth Festival Orchestra; Pierre Boulez, conductor.
Sterling acting performances are demanded of the singers and NZ's own Donald McIntyre does not disappoint. Many consider him as one of the greatest Wotan interpreters - conveying the pathos and despair as his world distintegrates around him before moving to rage when Brunnhilde rebels.
There are some clever production devices e.g. a pendulum to bring the motion of time to a standstill, and the musical direction of Pierre Boulez and the Bayreuth orchestra is excellent.
Amazon jacket Gotterdammerung, by Wagner.
Performers : Gwyneth Jones, Jeannine Altmeyer, sopranos; Gwendolyn Killebrew, mezzo-soprano; Manfred Jung, tenor; Hermann Becht, Franz Mazura, bass-baritones; Fritz Hübner, bass; with supporting singers; Bayreuth Festival Chorus; Bayreuth Festival Orchestra; Pierre Boulez, conductor.
The library has also purchased the critically accalimed James Levine / The Met. version which some now regard as superior.
But any serious collection will no doubt wish to have both.
Amazon jacket Siegfried, by Wagner.
Performers : Manfred Jung (Siegfried) ; Heinz Zednik (Mime) ; Donald McIntyre (Der Wanderer) ; Hermann Becht (Alberich) ; Fritz Hübner (Fafner) ; Ortrun Wenkel (Erda) ; Gwyneth Jones (Brunhilde) ; Norma Sharp (Waldvogel) ; Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele ; conducted by Pierre Boulez.
Siegfried is the most lively of the Ring opera cycle: the hero kills a dragon and the dwarf Mime, takes the cursed ring, frees Brunnhilde from the spell that has kept her asleep, and falls in love with her. "Wagner may have thought he was inventing another sort of hero, but this Siegfried rather faithfully reflects his creator's personality. Jung's characterization faithfully follows the text of the opera and it is compelling for those who can take their Wagner without illusions, those who have come to terms, for example, with the self-centered, unsympathetic personality that emerges from his wife Cosima's voluminous and blindly adoring diaries." (drawn from Amazon editorial reviewer).
Amazon jacket Das Rheingold, by Wagner.
Performers : Carmen Reppel, Norma Sharp, sopranos; Hanna Schwarz, Ilse Gramatzki, Marga Schiml, mezzo-sopranos; Ortrun Wenkel, alto; Siegfried Jerusalem, Heinz Zednik, Helmut Pampuch, tenors; Donald McIntyre, Hermann Becht, bass-baritones; Martin Egel, Matti Salminen, Fritz Hübner, basses; Bayreuth Festival Orchestra; Pierre Boulez, conductor.
This is the first opera (the prologue) in Wagner's Ring Cycle.
The rhinegold -- if made into a ring -- would enable the wearer dominion over the world. Power comes with a price, however; whoever would steal the gold would have to renounce love.
Amazon jacket The making of the Ring : a documentary / produced and directed by Peter Weinberg.
A film about Patrice Chéreau's controversial centenary production of Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen" produced at Bayreuth 1976-1980. Includes excerpts from rehearsals, performances, and recording sessions interspersed with various commentary. Also includes a brief history of the Bayreuth Festival from its beginnings to the mid-1980s, including archival footage and photographs.

Contact:Comments and suggestions about this page, or the classical music collection are welcomed to Joan Clayton

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