Italy Playlist

Burano 2003

“On Approaching Italy” by Oscar Wilde

I reached the Alps: the soul within me burned,
Italia, my Italia, at thy name:
And when from out the mountain’s heart I came
And saw the land for which my life had yearned,
I laughed as one who some great prize had earned:
And musing on the marvel of thy fame
I watched the day, till marked with wounds of flame
The turquoise sky to burnished gold was turned.
The pine-trees waved as waves a woman’s hair,
And in the orchards every twining spray
Was breaking into flakes of blossoming foam:
But when I knew that far away at Rome
In evil bonds a second Peter lay,
I wept to see the land so very fair.

Here’s a playlist I put together for an Autumn trip to Italy.   Wonderful to listen to on the long flight.  One of the stops for this trip was Lucca, Puccini’s birthplace, so a lots of opera.

Cavalleria Rusticana-Intermezzo-Mascagni

Mendelssohn Symphony #4-”Italian”

Albinoni’s Adagio in G minor – Amici Forever

Ancient Airs and Dances-Resphighi

Sicut Cervus-Palestrina

Canzon for Double Echo-Gabrielli

Concerto Grosso -Corelli

Cantabile, for violin and guitar- Paganini

Carnival of Venice-Paganini

Double Cello Concerto-Vivaldi-Ma and McFerrin

Four Seasons-Autumn-Vivaldi

Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves-Verdi

O  Sole Mio-Pavarotti

La Danza-Rossini-Pavarotti

Nessum Dorma-Puccini-Pavarotti

E Lucevan le stella-Puccini-Pavarotti

Vissi di’ Arte-Puccini-te Kanawa

Mattinatta-Bocelli

Confessa-Celentano

Autumn Leaves-Andrea Bocelli

Independence Day Playlist

I bought a great set of speakers for my mp3 player so I’m ready for the patio picnic.  A nice set of oldies, classical, and cuts  that always make me smile.  Sorry, I am so not a country music fan, so none on the list.  Here are some of the tunes I’ll be playing while celebrating our collective birthday.   Let the celebration begin.

Ray Charles-America the Beautiful

Betty and Jon-A Change is Gonna Come

U2-4th of July

Elliott Smith-Independence Day

James Taylor-On the 4th of July

Simon and Garfunkel-America

Williams-Liberty Fanfare

Sousa-Stars and Stripes Forever

Copland-Fanfare for the Common Man

Copland-Simple Gifts

Neil Diamond-America

Grand Funk Railroad-American Band

James Brown-Living in America

Tom Petty-American Girl

Fifth Dimension-Save the Country

Jimi Hendrix-Star Spangled Banner

Waiting for the Rain

Everyone’s favorite film rain moment.  I don’t know anyone who hasn’t tried some of these dance moves. 

 The sun was shining this morning, but the rain is rolling in.  It has been a very dry winter and early Spring on the Central Coast, so I can’t complain and the beautiful flowers and the vineyards need the rain. How nice when you can combine the two with a visit to one of the many wineries in the area.

 So many of the tasting rooms have marvelous landscaping and container gardening in empty wine barrels is always a delight.  Do flowers really smell better after a few sips of good pinot noir? 

 

 

 

Neil Sedaka is coming to the showroom of a local casino.  Laughter in the Rain has always been a favorite song.   I’d love to see him, but , I’ve got  Willy Wonka rehearsal.  How many times have I had to say that.   Maybe next time, Neil.   Willy Wonka is going to be a great show.  Only matinees due to the content, but such fun for kids of all ages.  Since I have never grown up , it works for me. 

 

Guess it’s time to load some rain music on the old MP3 player.   How about….

1. The Beatles  Rain

2. Eurythmics Here Comes the Rain Again

3. Creedence Clearwater Revival  Have You Ever Seen the Rain

4.Peter Paul and Mary Early Morning Rain

5. Chopin Prelude “Raindrop” in D flat

6. Ramsey Lewis After the Rain

7. Barbra Streisand Soon It’s Gonna Rain

8. Judy Garland  April Showers

9.   James Taylor Fire and Rain

10.  Blossom Dearie I Love London in the Rain

Valentine’s Day Playlist (2009)

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered - Barbra Streisand

Blame It On My Youth - Kenny Rankin

My Funny Valentine - Chet Baker

Let it Be Me - The Everly Brothers

One in A Million You - Larry Graham

Wonderful World – James Taylor, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel

Ooh, Baby Baby – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

This Never Happened Before – Paul McCartney

Our Love is Here to Stay -  Johnny Mathis

Time After Time – Rod Stewart

What to choose, what to choose?   My list of music to choose from is endless since my favorite love song is the last one I heard.  Should I do classical, pop, or jazz?  There is no rhyme or reason to the list other than I decided to limit myself to 10 songs that I could listen to every day of my life. Actually 9 of the songs met the criteria.  “This Never Happened Before” is my newest favorite love song.  Just watch Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock dance in The Lake House. 

We’ll be going to a wine club members’ event at Laetitia Winery on Valentine’s Day.   We do this every year.  Delicious food and wonderful wine.

San Francisco Symphony Visits the Central Coast

I’m still humming Tchaikovsky this morning having had  7th row tickets to the debut appearance of the San Franciso Symphony at the Cohan Center in San Luis Obispo last night.  The program included Copland’s music from the film Our Town, Berg’s Three Pieces for Orchestra, and Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony.  Three totally different works that together showed off each of the sections of such a great orchestra. 

Getting to finally see Michael Tilson Thomas conduct in person was such a treat.  He really is a rock star.  I am in awe.   I especially enjoyed my sight lines.  Being so close to be able to see his expressions as he conducted and to really be able to watch the concertmaster’s fingering, especially on the Tchaikovsky,  was spectacular.

The opening  credits of Our Town (1940)

The Second Movement of Berg’s Three Pieces for Orchestra

Finale from Tchaikovsky’s 5th

Oh Happy Day

 What a beautiful moment  today.   And just for fun…Enjoy the mini concert by blogger Pulp Friction.

Songs of Spring

Getting ready for Easter dinner tomorrow and need to get the music playlist together.  Here are the  selections for this year. The list is divided into two parts: classical and pop/jazz.  Links are to Youtube videos of the selection. 

The poppies are blooming on the Central Coast.  I found these in a vacant lot across the street from my mechanic.  You can find beauty everywhere you look.  I’m going to have to go for a drive this week and find some more.  They revive my spirit.

Classical

• Sonata for Violin and Piano No.5 in F, Op.24 (Beethoven)
• The Four Seasons(“La Primavera,” No. 1), Op.8/1, RV 269 (Vivaldi)
• Appalachian Spring, ballet for 13 instruments-Simple Gifts (Copland)
• Blumine (“Flora”), for orchestra (discarded movement from Symphony No. 1) (Mahler)
• Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring), Op. 410 (RV 410) (Strauss)
• Spring Song (Mendelssohn)

Popular Music

• “Spring Can Really Hang you up the Most”
• “Beautiful Day”
• “Here Comes the Sun”
• “Turn, Turn Turn”
• “Daydream”
• “It Might as Well Be Spring”
• “You Must Believe in Spring”
• “Skylark”
• “Spring is Here”

Irish Songs

 For the great Gaels of Ireland
Are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry
And all their songs are sad. –G. K. Chesterton

 

In honor of my Irish great grandmother and in preparation for my long awaited trip to Ireland this summer, here are my favorite Irish songs.  Links are to Youtube performances.  Some are sad, some are rowdy, and some just beautiful. 

• Whiskey in the Jar 
• Down By the Sally Gardens
• Isle of Inisfree
• Galway Bay
• Spancil Hill
• Black Velvet Band
• The Rising of the Moon
• The Wild Rover
• Wild Colonial Boy

 

Oldies’ Lyrics-Favorite First Lines

I decided to begin lising favorite first lines and stop at 10.  I seem to have as many favorites as I have songs on my MP3 player.  Isn’t it nice to be able to carry a jukebox in your pocket?

• “She can kill with her smile. she can wound with her eyes”-Billy Joel ’s “Always A Woman To Me”

• “You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips”-The Righteous Brothers’ ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin”
• “I read the news today, oh boy,” -The Beatles’ -”Day in the Life.”

• “I’ve got sunshine/On a cloudy day.”The Temptations’ – “My Girl

• You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht”-Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”

• “I learned the truth at seventeen – that love was meant for beauty queens” – Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen”

• “When the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on the bay.” - Journey’s “Lights”

• “Hello, Darkness, my old friend” -Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘The Sound of Silence”

• “I guess I shoulda known by the way you parked your car sideways
  That it wouldn’t last”-Prince’s “Little Red Corvette”

• “I may not always love you but as long as there are stars above you, you never need to doubt it, I’ll make you so sure about it and God only knows what I’d be without you.-Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows”
   

Peace on Earth

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.

Glory in the highest to God. And on earth peace to men of good will.

The message has been the same for over two thousand years.  When we will listen?

Vivaldi’s Gloria:  Et in Terra Pax