Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Musical Inspirations

Alas and anon, gentle readers you should know that I spent the better part of last night trying to decipher the various and sundry mysteries of creating a play list and posting it on my blog, but to no avail. I just couldn't do it! Instead of giving you a list of my recent favorites I wanted you to be able to hear them. Sadly this will not be possible without help from my personal IT guys....who are not able to help me just now. So I am reduced to a simple list. I pray that it will suffice.

In my rapidly approaching dotage I find that I appreciate melodic tunes and orchestral numbers more than the loud, rousing music of my past.

I would say that I am most often seduced by music that could be described as pensive and plaintive, music that can produce a melancholic mood. Friends have called it depressing. I say it feeds my soul.

Okay, enough with the theatrics! My music closet is a mess. The light is burnt out. I can't find the CDs I want because daughter borrowed them to download for her ipod. They were returned in Wal-Mart bags....and are piled onto the shelves willy-nilly. I have a couple of favorites at work where I listen to them over and over much to the chagrin of my fellow workers. I'll do my best to share my favorites even though I am severely handicapped by my natural bent towards disorder.

I really really like this one. Many of the songs have an ethereal quality to them...mystical....

Walking In The Air is my current fave selection. You can hear Celtic Woman singing this song here..

The Glory of Gershwin was made to celebrate the 80th birthday of the late harmonica virtuoso Larry Adler. This CD features contemporary musicians such as Sting and Elton John singing Gershwin tunes. My favorite is Adler playing Rhapsody in Blue on the harmonica. Sublime! This music never gets old.
I couldn't find a clip of Adler playing Rhapsody in Blue but I did find this music clip of him playing Summertime with Itzhak Perlman here. While searching I found this clip of him playing Stormy Weather....wow!

The soundtrack to the movie Pride and Prejudice is a new favorite.

I am also crazy about Briony from the Atonement soundtrack. The tension created between typewriter keys hitting and the music is mesmerizing to me. Listen to it here.

My Internet is running so slowly tonight. I would like to add a picture of the Atonement CD but no luck getting into any websites. UGH.

Vivaldi is one of my perennial favorites. His Four Seasons never fails to calm me if I am agitated or upset. Guitar music by Jesse Cook is more upbeat and fun. Music from Schindler's List is so sad it makes me want to cry.

What are you listening to?

10 comments:

  1. A classy, varied selection that bespeaks your good taste. Your finely attuned ear has selected some mighty fine music!

    Wow....Celtic Women singing looks like an ad for a shampoo commercial. Talk about lustrous locks! Maybe they are really Breck girls in disguise!?


    What am I listening to? The sounds of silence...blessed, wonderful silence!! My daughter is away for a few days and I am delighted for the respite my ears are enjoying!!

    That, and the musical patter of rain on the windows and the roof....

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  2. Thanks for sharing a few of your favorite musical inspirations with us. It is so nice to be able to listen to whatever makes you happy at the moment. There is so much out there! I started a playlist but I am internet challenged. One day you may stop by and hear a few of my favorites, please do not hold your breath though!

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  3. Lavinia, enjoy your silence. That way you'll be happy to get the noise back in your life when she returns.

    Denise, I so know what you mean. I just couldn't get it to work.

    If you click on the links in my post you can hear some of my faves on You Tube.

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  4. Wow....your vocabulary is awesome! For a country boy like me, I felt I was in a foreign country!! :-) My wife and girls would love your choice of "Pride and Pred." I was hoping you'd list the sound track to "Patton" or "Lord of the Rings".....Have a great day....and thanks for taking the teasing from me!

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  5. Love your summer music, Stevie! I also think that "clickety clack" typewriter music from Atonement is mesmerizing!! I'm going to check into your Gershwin album...looks like something I would enjoy.

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  6. Your selection are all wonderful and ones I'd love to listen to, Steviewren!

    I love Gershwin, and Itzhak Perlman has always been a favorite violinist, and of course I lov Celtic music of all kinds.

    Hmmmm... I am slightly embarrassed by my selection after reading yours, but I have to admit I was influenced by outside sources that happened this week! LOL

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  7. Pat, what the heck do you mean embarrassed? I adore your play list selection. I started to just say, here check out this link at Pat's place...everything on her play list...those would be my selections.

    Willow, there are a couple of the selections from the Gershwin CD on You Tube if you want to hear them...Sting and Kate Bush.

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  8. Have you tried projectplaylist.com? That is how I did my playlist. Send me an email if you need any help!

    ehanks@righttrak.net

    BTW...I love the new P&P soundtrack also! But I'm still a sucker for Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy!

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  9. Steviewren, thank you for such kinds words at my blog. It's been nearly 30 years that she has been gone and today I had a mini-meltdown wishing I could talk to her. I love your music choices. Also, for my alter ego I have that long, curly red hair and I'm thin and can sing and dance like those Celtic girls. Wow!that is a fantasy!

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  10. I love all your selections! (I listened to each one; the Celtic Woman choice is especially haunting and satisfying.) How lovely to find someone whose eclectic musical taste mirrors mine! :)

    I listened to The Who's "Tommy" with my sons on a long car trip today. My youngest son (aged 17) happens to think they're the best band of all time...

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I'm glad you stopped by and I look forward to your comments. As Dr. Fraser Crane would say, "Hello, I'm listening."