whskyjack

String Quartet in G major, Op. 76, No. 1, by Joseph Haydn

Whskyjack — Haydn was a contemporary of Mozart in Vienna, with Mozart being a pupil of Haydn for a time.

From notes that accompany the video:

Joseph Haydn earned the label “the father of the string quartet” thanks to his masterful development of this musical form over his entirety of his career, writing more than sixty quartets. Haydn spent most of his life working for the nobility, and initially experimented with this ensemble to provide background music for parties. Gradually he elevated the form, texture, and substance of the string quartet so that it could emerge from the background to center stage, commanding the attention of the audience with its symphonic scope.

The Opus 76 quartets were written toward the end of Haydn’s life, after he had achieved great success and fame, and are hailed as some of his greatest quartet masterworks. The first quartet of the set claims the listener’s attention from its very opening, with three declamatory chords in the Allegro con spirito. Haydn keeps the surprises coming: the cello and viola are in the forefront with solos, building to duos, until finally all four instruments join together. The Adagio sostenuto is an ode to Haydn’s vocal compositions of the same period, as the melody sings in a hymn-like texture, eventually leading to the energetic Menuet: Presto. He saves one final surprise for the Finale: Allegro ma non troppo by beginning the movement in G minor and building tension, only to return to the original key and end as he began: with the same three triumphant chords that opened the quartet.

Enjoy, Jack

Symphony No. 41 in C major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

From Wikipedia:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, on 10 August 1788. The longest and last symphony that he composed, it is regarded by many critics as among the greatest symphonies in classical music. The work is nicknamed the Jupiter Symphony,

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The Hebrides Overture by Felix Mendelsohn

The Hebrides is a concert overture that was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1830,

It was inspired by one of Mendelssohn’s trips to the British Isles, specifically an 1829 excursion to the Scottish island of Staffa, with its basalt sea cave known as Fingal’s Cave. It was reported that the composer immediately jotted down the opening theme for his composition after seeing the island. 

Fingal’s cave is a spot on the Hebridean Isle of Staffa, some six miles from the much larger island of Mull which is close to mainland Scotland. According to legend the cave is the site of what was once the royal castle of Fion na Gael (anglicized to “Fingal”), ruler of the kingdom of Morven and father of the celebrated third-century warrior and bard known as Ossian. Every trace of the structure of the supposed castle has vanished and its floor has given way to the sea.,(wikipedia, link)

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For this fourth of July weekend, playlist of Americana by composer Aaron Copeland’

First is Fanfare for the Common Man, followed by 4 pieces of music he composed for the ballet, Rodeo. The selections from Rodeo are performed by The Marine Band.

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I don’t think it gets any better than Ella, performing in her prime.

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whskyjack — A different art form today, A poem instead of music.

A poem that addresses some of the thoughts I have on this Sunday, 2 days after Juneteenth and 2 weeks before the 250th anniversary of our nations founding.

Binge Jack’s full playlist at trailmix.cc/sunday

Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes. Performed by Aldo Billingslea

This poem was written in 1935 by Langston Hughes one of this country’s greatest poets and part of the Harlem renaissance. For more here is his Wikipedia biogrphy, a very interesting read, (Link)

Enjoy, Jack