A Christmas podcast: with carols, songs, and other things from all over. Various musical presents under this Tannenbaum. Bach, “Grosser Herr, o starker König,” from the Christmas Oratorio Trad., “The First Noël” Trad., “Joy to the World” Rinker & Huddleston, “December” Trad., “O du fröliche” Trad., “Balulalow” Trad., “Everywhere I Go, Somebody Talkin’ ’Bout Jesus” Gruber and Mohr, “Silent Night”... Source Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/music-for-a-while/music-for-a-while-69-noel/. Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month ..read more

This episode features the “Nokia tune”—which actually comes from a Spanish guitar piece. We also have tributes to two late-greats: the clarinetist Stanley Drucker and the organist Frederick Swann. And music by Handel, Berkeley, Guillaume Connesson (b. 1970), et al. A wonderful assortment. Poulenc, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, last movement Debussy, “La plus que lente” Handel, “No, no... Source Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/music-for-a-while/music-for-a-while-70-ringtones-and-other-tunes/. Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 ..read more

True to the title of this episode, Jay has September songs: classical (Strauss and Ives, for example); popular (Earth, Wind & Fire!); and in between (Weill). A wonderful and timely bouquet. Marx, “Septembermorgen” Weill-Anderson, “September Song” Stenhammar, “September” Schmidt-Jones, “Try to Remember” Ives, “September” Strauss, “September” Earth, Wind & Fire, “September”... Source Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/music-for-a-while/music-for-a-while-66-september-songs/. Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join an ..read more

This episode begins with “Early in the Morning,” the song by Ned Rorem (who just turned ninety-nine). It proceeds with “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.” Later on, there is “Sunday Morning,” one of the “Sea Interludes” from Britten’s opera “Peter Grimes.” Jay was not going for a morning theme. It just happened that way. There is other music too, including a hymn, both in its straightforward choral... Source Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/music-for-a-while/music-for-a-while-67-mornings-etc/. Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a mo ..read more

Jay presents a program of music by Aram Khachaturian. You get the “Sabre Dance,” sure, from the ballet “Gayane.” But plenty more, too. Very interesting fellow, Khachaturian. All tracks by Aram Khachaturian Waltz from “Masquerade” (orchestra) Suite from “Gayane” Adagio from “Spartacus” Waltz from “Masquerade” (piano) Piano Concerto Violin Concerto... Source Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/music-for-a-while/music-for-a-while-62-beyond-the-sabre/. Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join and see what you’ve been missing: h ..read more

Several composers have written “moments musicaux,” or “musical moments,” including Schubert and Rachmaninoff. So has a contemporary American, Joshua Nichols. Jay plays a “moment” from each composer. (Actually, Rachmaninoff gets two.) He also plays music from Brazil, etc. The episode ends with a souvenir of the late André Watts. Rachmaninoff, Moment musical in C major, Op. 16, No. 6 Villa-Lobos... Source Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/music-for-a-while/music-for-a-while-78-musical-moments/. Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a ..read more

This episode begins with Mozart—a movement from a piano sonata. It ends with a popular song, from the mid-1950s: “Little Things Mean a Lot.” In between are wonders and curiosities—including the Orientalist song on which the James Bond theme is based. Mozart, Allegretto from Sonata No. 10 in C major, K. 330 “The Star-Spangled Banner,” arranged by Stravinsky “The Tahiti Trot... Source Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/music-for-a-while/music-for-a-while-63-little-things-big-things/. Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join ..read more

A program of American, or American-ish, music, in honor of Independence Day. Trad., “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” Dvorak, String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, “American,” final movement Puccini, “ Dovunque al mondo ,” from “Madama Butterfly” Joplin, “Gladiolus Rag” Gershwin, “Summertime,” from “Porgy and Bess” Gershwin-Wild, Virtuoso Étude on “Liza” Copland, “Going to Heaven!” Wheeler... Source Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/music-for-a-while/music-for-a-while-77-tis-of-thee/. Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join ..read more

A couple of weeks ago, Alexei Lubimov, a Russian pianist, was playing at an anti-war concert in Moscow. Police burst in to stop the concert. Lubimov kept playing until he had finished his piece (a Schubert impromptu). At the end of this episode, Jay plays a recording by Lubimov (Chopin this time). There is also Bach, Granados, Kapustin, Glass—a fine assortment. Bach, Sinfonia... Source Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/music-for-a-while/music-for-a-while-56-playing-on/. Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join and see wha ..read more

Sometimes Jay indulges in hyperbole—but the hyperbole is not far off. In this episode, he calls Dawn Upshaw’s 1989 recording of “No word from Tom” (Stravinsky) “just about the best thing ever.” You may well agree. He begins the episode with another “just about the best thing ever”: Leontyne Price in “Summertime” (Gershwin), live in Munich, 1968. Also on the menu are Mozart, Bridge, Medtner... Source Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/music-for-a-while/music-for-a-while-61-just-about-the-best-thing-ever/. Now become a Ricochet member for on ..read more