Barbara Pentland......Canada's response to serialism

This may hurt your ears but give it a try. The music is very beautiful if you have the ears and mind to listen for the treasures contained in this masterpiece.

Quebec's Jacques Hetu

I first heard the music of Hetu when I was 16 years old and I had no trouble appreciating his music language. Sadly Hetu passed away recently. His music can be heard by clicking on the link: Canadian Music Centre.

Srul Irving Glick

The music of Srul Irving Glick is another Canadian treasure. His music is a pleasure to listen to and there is no way on earth this will hurt your ears.

Sit back and enjoy!

Healey Willan.....Canada's greatest composer

Willan's contribution to the music of the Anglican communion, both in Canada and worldwide, can not be underestimated. He was master of music at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, in Toronto, for over fifty years until his death in 1968. Besides the incredible amount of church and organ music, Willan also composed a Piano Concerto, two Symphonies, one opera and much more. It has been said that Willan was the dean of Canadian composers.

Maryan Mozetich.....a Canadian classic

Mozetich is a wonderful composer and having heard a lot of his works, I must admit that he is one of Canada's gift to the world of music.

Comic opera?

Langgaard must have been off his rocker to have composed such a ridiculous opera! If only he could have known that the exponents of christianity are the Anti-Christs. Comic opera?....it surely must be! Corny?......YUP!

Music of the Spheres

This clip is of parts 6-9 of this remarkable and very haunting masterpiece by Rued Langgaard. This piece must be heard in it's entirety. Fabulous and immensely rewarding!

Danish modern

Discover and enjoy.

If you like Sibelius.......

Aulis Sallinen is a remarkable Finnish composer who has written masterpieces that are quite accessible and at times remind me of Sibelius' Fourth Symphony or Tapiola, stylistically speaking.

Discover!

Another composer to introduce: Roger Sessions

This might hurt your ears but listen to the music of this American master.

Enough relaxation, time to get back to the future

Hear anything familiar? Listen and discover this fascinating work by Luciano Berio!

Lyric Symphony inspires Alban Berg

Alban Berg was so impressed by this work that he took a theme from one of the movements and incorporated it into his "Lyric Suite".

Alexander von Zemlinsky

Alexander von Zemlinsky was a colleague of Gustav Mahler and one of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's teachers. This work is a three movement tone poem and a splendid tonal seascape.

Discover and enjoy!

Behold.....The Sea!

But don't relax too much.....I'm not finished with digging up Twentieth Century masterpieces that might bring pleasure or curl your ears!

Another Vaughan Williams favourite! Buy a recording of the "Sea Symphony"(the composer's first symphony), put it on your MP3 player, find a large body of water and let the music mystify you. Walt Whitman was correct when he wrote of the sea: "timeless, the fibre and the breath".

Something to calm the nerves

If my previous three posts have curled your ears and toes, perhaps some Vaughan Williams will calm you down. This is a personal favourite of mine......very nostalgic and quite glorious!

Relax and enjoy!

Schoenberg's grand opera "Moses and Aaron"

This is grand opera.....twelve-tone style. It might hurt your ears but go on...give it a try! If you have survived both of Berg's operas, you should have no problem with this masterpiece!

Discover and be amazed!

Three masterpieces conducted by Pierre Boulez

This is a long video. What is especially dear to my heart is the "Lulu Suite" by Berg. Whereas "Wozzeck" was not twelve-tone but actually atonal, "Lulu" IS a twelve- tone opera......and trust me, this music will NOT hurt your ears! Stay tuned for a performance of Stravinsky's "Firebird"......it's a blast!

Bodily functions in opera?

Notice that in opera bodily functions are almost never mentioned, with the only exception(that I know of) being Act I scene 4 of Alban Berg's opera "Wozzeck". The doctor goes on and on about how he caught Wozzeck urinating in the street. Almost comical if the story wasn't so bleak and stark.

And Schmidt's last symphony

Franz Schmidt's first symphony.

Wozzeck....a 20th Century classic!

Mozart by Stravinsky

This is a classical opera written by Stravinsky. I wonder what Mozart would have thought of this great opera.

A Stravinsky favourite!

This is the third movement of the "Dumbarton Oaks" Concerto. The whole work deserves to be heard and I heartily recommend listening to all of it. Great stuff!

It's your deal, Igor!

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

A very fine orchestra in a very beautiful and unbelievably boring city! If it weren't for this fine ensemble, Calgary would be a hick town!