Playlist 2023- Spring Edition
…….Continued from Why Should We Listen - Winter 2022/2023 Playlist
Welcome to the Spring Playlist! I am so excited to share this selection of music with you. Please click the link above to hear my curated Spring Playlist on Spotify or click the individuals pieces for listening on YouTube. Clicking on the highlighted artist names will bring you to their individual websites. Thank you for listening again with me this season!
1) Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin “Spring”
Performed by: Gidon Kremer, violin & Kremerata Baltica
Although this piece is widely popular, it’s exciting to discover how different artists interpret the same music. This piece encompasses all the happy, bubbly, chilly and fresh feelings that come with a new year. In this recording, Gidon Kremer brings his own personality with exciting embellishments and flare.
2) Piazzola: The 4 Seasons of Buenos Aires - Primavera
Performed by: Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg, violin & The New Century Chamber Orchestra
Juxtaposed to the northern hemisphere’s experience of the warming and budding of spring, Piazzola writes an image of spring from the perspective of his natal Buenos Aires in the southern hemisphere. If you listen until the end, you will hear a nod to Vivaldi and a quote from his “spring.”
Nadja, the performer of this particular recording has been a huge influence and inspiration to me as a violinist growing up. Although she is known as a violinist who bends the rules, she went on to be the youngest musician to win the pretigious Naumburg International Violin Competition in 1981.
3) Michael Torke: Sky, Concerto for Violin
Performed by: Tessa Lark, violin & Albany Symphony
American composer, Michael Torke wrote this bluegrass inspired piece for Tessa Lark. Winner of the Namburg Violin Competition in 2012, Tessa Lark brings an exciting new angle to classical violin with #stradgrass —combining the bluegrass tradition of her native Tennassee with impeccable technique of a classically trained musician. Simply, this piece is fun to listen to! Please enjoy!!
4) Ceder & Sage
Performed by: Tessa Lark, violin & Michael Thurber, bass
Straying from my normal “classical” trajectory for one more bluegrass piece performed by Tessa Lark. For more of this style, check out her 2019 album “Invention” where she has paired one bluegrass piece with a one two-part invention by J. S Bach arranged for violin and double bass.
5) Beethoven: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
Performed by: Hilary Hahn, violin & Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Hilary Hahn is another big inspiration to me. Her technique, musical maturity and dedication to connecting with her audiences has been an important part of my own musical growth. This recording of the Beethoven Concerto shimmers like the most exquisite cut diamond and recorded when she was only 19 years old!
6) Mozart: Violin Concerto No 5 in A Major, K. 219
Performed by: Hilary Hahn, violin & Deutsch Kammerphil
Clean and crisp, this piece is a classic violinists look forward to learning. Here is a gorgeous performance by Hilary Hahn!
7) Haydn: Violin Concerto in G Major
Performed by: Augustine Hadelich, violin & Cologne Chamber Orchestra
This is one of the first standard concertos students learn that can be heard on the professional concert stage. Augustine has such a clear and refined sound. Recently, he released recordings of Suzuki Violin School, Volumes 4-6.
8) Lili Boulanger D’un Matin de Printemps
a) Malwina Sosnowski, violin & Benyamin Nuss, piano
c) Marianne Piketty & Le Concert Ideal
Next I would like to present a wonderful composition by Lili Boulanger, who was featured on my solo recital in 2022. You can read about her in my article here. This piece is close to my heart as it was the impetus for starting my recital series, which in turn inspired this blog! Here are three different versions transcribed by Lili herself for her own study of orchestration. Lili originally wrote D’un Matin de Printemps for violin and piano but adapted it for flute/piano, piano trio as well as full orchestra. Each version explores different sonorities the various instrumentations allow. D’un Matin de Printemps was written as a companion to D’un Soir Triste for cello/piano, piano trio and orchestra, the last piece Lili would write before her death.
9) Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5, Op. 24 “Spring”
Performed by: Anne Sophie Mutter, violin & Lambert Orkis, piano
As a young student, I was drawn to the exquisite interpretation of Anne Sophie Mutter’s performances of Beethoven’s 10 Sonatas for Violin and Piano. This beautiful piece embodies the stormy and fresh moments of the new year.
10) Erik Satie-Koncz: A New Satiesfaction (Gymnopedie No. 1)
Performed by: Ray Chen, violin & Ensemble Made in Berlin
I discovered this unique arrangement of Satie’s Gymnopiedie by chance while browsing recordings of Ray Chen, a fantastic young violinist. After attending his recital in Tokyo last year and feeling newly inspired, I started following his career more closely. He is such a unique artist with many exciting ideas including a completely innovative practice app called Tonic.
11) **Freight Train Blues - Honey Whiskey Trio
Performed by: Honey Whisky Trio, vocal ensemble - Courtney Gasque Politano, Anne Louise Jeffries Thaiss, Christina Wilson
I first met these women in university where we studied together at California State University, Long Beach. These lovely ladies perform a cappella bluegrass and folk inspired vocal music. They write and arrange their own music and have a large impact on the music education programs in Southern California where they are based. They perform using body percussion which is a very fun technique. Their full albums can be streamed on Spotify or purchased on their website linked above.
12) **Huang Zhu: Plum Blossoms in the Snow
Performed by: Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra
In Japan, plum blossoms are one of the first signs that winter will end soon. These beautiful flowers captured my admiration when I first moved to Japan in late autumn 2015. I have selected this performance by my husband’s orchestra Yomiuri Nippon Symphony in Tokyo.
13) Francesca Caccini: Romanesca
Performed by: Cappella di Santa Maria degli Angiolini
I discovered this composer recently and wanted to feature another exciting work of hers on this season’s playlist. Here is a little historical context which I copied from last season’s blog post:
Female composers during the Baroque Era were at a disadvantage as they were not taken seriously by their male contemporaries. Successful composers were either supported y musical families or joined the religious order and could concentrate on creating their art by composing religious music. Caccini, being the daughter of a composer in the Medici courts, had every advantage possible.
14) **Francesca Caccini: Ill primo libro delle musiche-Chi desia di saper
Performed by: Philippe Jaroussky, counter-tenor & Thibaut García, guitar
For our final track in the 2023 Playlist-Spring Edition, I would like to add a fun vocal piece with guitar accompaniment. Please enjoy this selection of music! Until next time!
** vocal, orchestra or chamber music (not solo violin)
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