Playlists

[PLAYLIST] Valentines & Violins: Classical Music Celebrating Love

By Connie Kim

A heartfelt classical playlist inspired by all forms of love! From composers’ dedications to their loved ones to pieces reminiscent of cherished moments, each selection captures beautiful emotions in even more beautiful music.

  1. “Songs of Travel: IV. Youth and Love” (Ralph Vaughan Williams) – Songs of Holman: The Centered Passion
  2. “Miscellanea, Op.16: IV. Nocturne in B-Flat Major” (Ignacy Jan Paderweski) – Night Music
  3. “Romance of Hsiao and Ch’in” (Yi Chen) – Digital Mist
  4. “Píseň lásky” (Josef Suk) – Tomáš Mach & Hiroko Matsumoto Play Dalibor C. Vačkář
  5. “Africa: Land of Romance” (William Grant Still) – Still: Afro-American Symphony
  6. “La bonne chanson, Op. 61: L’hiver a cessé” (Gabriel Faure) – Illuminations
  7. “Liebermann: A Poet To His Beloved” (Lowell Liebermann) – Libermann: Five Pieces From Album of the Young
  8. “Concert champêtre, FP 49: II. Andante” (Francis Poulenc )- Poulenc: Concerto pour deux piano et orchestre, Concert Champêtre & Suite Francais
  9. “Canticle I, Op. 40: My Beloved is Mine” (Benjamin Britten) – Britten: Canticles Nos. 1-5 / The Heart of the Matter (English Song, Vol 9)
  10. “Nessun dorma!” (Luciano Pavarotti) – Spirito Italiano
  11.  “Serenade for Orchestra” (William Grant Still) – Still: Orchestral Works
  12. “II. Andante amoroso” (Alban Berg) – Lyric Suite
  13. “What Lips My Lips Have Kissed” (Margaret Bonds) – Phenomenal Women
  14. “Piano Trio: 1. Pale Yellow” (Jennifer Higdon) – Higdon: Piano Trio
  15.  “La corbeille des fleurs, Valse, Op. 9” (Teresa Carreño) – Clara Rodriguez Plays the Music of Teresa Carreño
     

     

Playlist: Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

By Connie Kim

Observed every November in the United States, National Native American Heritage Month celebrates the diverse histories, cultures, and traditions of Native American and Indigenous populations and promotes awareness of the unique challenges Native people have experienced and continue to face today. This selection of works from Connor Chee, Barbara Croall, R. Carlos Nakai, and more celebrates the myriad contributions Native American and Indigenous artists have made to classical music and showcases the beauty of blended and traditional musical forms. 

  1. “Lowak Shoppala’, Act I” (Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate) –  Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate: Lowak Shoppala’
  2. “Navajo Vocable for Piano No. 1″ (Connor Chee) – The Navajo Piano (Revisited)
  3. “Giishkaapkag (Where the Rock is Cut Through)” (Barabara Croall) – This Love Between us: Prayers for Unity
  4. “Nbiidaasamishkaamin” (Barbara Croall) – Mosaïque
  5. “Song For the Morning Star” (R. Carlos Nakai) – Canyon Trilogy
  6. “4 American Indian Piano Preludes: No. 2, Tabideh” (Louis W. Ballardi) – Walk in Beauty
  7. “Monsoon” (Gabriel Ayala) – Passion, Fire & Grace
  8. “Testament of Atom” (Brent Michael Davids) – Walk in Beauty
  9. “The Garden of Earthly Delights” (Ian Cusson) – Ecology of Being
  10. “Stars” (Connor Chee) – Scenes from Dinétah
  11. “Ambe (Live)” (Andrew Balfour) – 2020 Texas Music Education Association
  12. “Ancestral Home” (R. Carlos Nakai) – Canyon Trilogy
  13. “Orange Shirt Day” (Melody McKiver) – Returning Home (Original Motion Pucture Soundtrack)
  14. “Corn Grinding Song No. 2” (Connor Chee) – The Navajo Piano (Revisited)
  15. “Awakening of The Beauty Within” (Kelvin Mockingbird) – Sacred Fire
  16. “Native American Suite: Zuni Sunrise Song” (Brent Michael Davids) – The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass
  17. “Round Dance” (Cris Derksen) – Cris Derksen: Orchestral Powwow
     

     

Playlist: Sinister Scores for Halloween

by Connie Kim

It’s Halloween season! Perfect for a party or an eerie evening of trick-or-treating, our selection of spooky scores from iconic horror films and television will give you the chills.

  1. “Cabrini Green” (Philip Glass, Michael Reisman, The Western Wind) – The Music of Candyman (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)
  2. “Main Title” (John Williams) – Jaws (Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  3. “Polymorphia” (Krzysztof Penderecki) – The Exorcist (Original Motion Picture)
  4. “Main Title” (Wendy Carlos, Rachel Elkind)- The Shining (Original Motion Pictures Soundtrack)
  5. “Flight”(Bernard Herrmann) – Psycho (The Complete Original Motion Picture Score)
  6. “Dance” (Max Lilja) – The Exorcist (Original Radio Play Soundtrack)
  7. “The Car Lot” (Bernard Herrmann) – Psycho (The Complete Original Motion Picture Score)
  8. “The Shark Approaches” (John Williams) – Jaws (The Collector’s Edition Soundtrack)
  9. “The Shadow”(Bernard Herrmann) – Psycho (The Complete Original Motion Picture Score)
  10. “We’re Not the Only Ones Watching” (David Julyan) – The Cabin in the Woods (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  11. “Night of Terror” (Clint Mansell) – Black Swan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  12.  “The Cabin in the Woods” (David Julyan) – The Cabin in the Woods (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  13. The Haunting of Hill House (The Newton Brothers) – The Haunting of Hill House (Music from Netflix Horror Series)
  14. The History of Hill House (Westminster Philharmonic Orchestra) – The Haunting (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  15. “Headless Wizard” (Christopher Young) – Hellbound: Hellraiser II (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  16. “Gassed” (Bobby Krlic) – MidSommar (Original Motion Picture Score)
  17. “Femme Fatale” (Michael Abels) – Us (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  18. “Go Tomorrow” (The Newton Brothers) – The Haunting of Hill House (Music from Netflix Horror Series)
  19. Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Johann Sebastian Bach, William McVicker) – Great Organ Classics
  20. “Finale” (Michael Abels) – Us (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  21. “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga” (Michael Abels) – Get Out (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  22. “Children of the Corn” (Marco Beltrami) – A Quiet Place (Original Soundtrack Album – edited)
  23. “WTF is That” (Michael Abels)- Nope (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  24. “Caleb is Lost” (Mark Korven) – The Witch (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  25. “Filthy Dog”(Mark Korven) – The Lighthouse (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  26. “All Together Now” (Marco Beltrami) – A Quiet Place (Original Soundtrack Album)
  27. “Suspiria”(Goblin) – Suspiria (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Sinister Scores Playlist

     

[Playlist] Cozy Classical: Your Fireside Favorites All Winter Long

When there’s a chill in the air that just won’t let go, there’s nothing better than coming home to the warmth and dancing light of a freshly prepared fireplace – except, perhaps, having the perfect classical playlist to go with it. Grab your favorite slippers, settle in, and enjoy our playlist of cozy classical picks for the winter season. 

  1. “Snowberry” (Yukiko Nishimura) – Music for String Orchestra, Vol. 3 (Excelcia Chamber Orchestra)
  2. Winterreise, D. 911: No. 5 Der Lindenbaum (Franz Schubert) – Schubert: Winterreise
  3. “Northern Lights” (Karen Tanaka) – Crystalline: Piano Music by Karen Tanaka
  4. Hungarian Dance No. 11 in D Minor (Johannes Brahms) – Brahms: 21 Hungarian Dances
  5. “Your Hands in Mine” (Florence Price) – Florence Price Piano Discoveries
  6. 3 Winter Poems: No. 3. Serenade, “Snow Showers” (William Alwyn) – Alwyn: Chamber Music and Songs
  7. “Walking in the Air” (Excerpt “Lifecycle,” Op. 310) (Howard Blake) – Walking in the Air: The Music of Howard Blake
  8. “Winter Moon” (Margaret Bonds) – Margaret Bonds: The Ballad of the Brown King & Selected Songs
  9. “Elegy for the Arctic” (Ludovico Einaudi) – Ludivico Einaudi: Elegy for the Arctic
  10. Sonata for Solo Harp: II. Lento (Germaine Tailleferre) – V – Chamber Music for Harp
  11. “Song of the Birds” (Pablo Casals) – Sol Gabetta: Prayer
  12. Pièce, Op. 189 (Mel Bonis) – Compositrices: À l’aube du XXe siècle
  13. Lux aeterna: III. O nata lux (Morten Lauridsen) – Light Eternal: The Choral Music of Morten Lauridsen
  14. “Nocturne” (Lili Boulanger) – Janine Jansen: Beau Soir

You can listen to these selections on our Cozy Classical playlist on Spotify.

     

Gratitude and Warmth: Thanksgiving 2021 Playlist

A collection of classical pieces that fill us with gratitude – and call to mind the memories closest to our hearts. 

     

  1. Lyric Quartet: I. The Sentimental One (William Grant Still) – Oregon Festival of American Music Presents William Grant Still
  2. Divertimento: V. Turkey Trot (Leonard Bernstein) – Eiji Ouwe, Bernstein
  3. Harvest Home: III. Harvest Moon (William Alwyn) – Give Thanks: Classical Music for Thanksgiving
  4. O Dame Get Up and Bake Your Pies (Arnold Bax) – Naxos, My Playlist for Baking
  5. Young Birches, Op. 128, No. 2 (Amy Beach) – Joanne Polk, By the Still Waters
  6. The Wasps, Aristophanic Suite: III. March Past of the Kitchen Utensils (Ralph Vaughan Williams) – Vaughan Williams Piano Concerto
  7. Magic Hour (Kenji Bunch) – Ahn Trio, Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac
  8. Una Dia de Noviembre (Leo Brouwer) – Thibault Cauvin
  9. Das Jahr: 12 Characterstucke: No. 11. November (Fanny Mendelssohn) – Mendelssohn-Hensel: Das Jahr
  10. When Fall Arrives (Miran Kim) – Korean Women’s Voices
  11. 8 Miniature: II. Meditacion (Roque Cordero) – African Heritage Symphonic Series, Vol. 2
  12. Peace (Version for Clarinet & Piano) (Jessie Montgomery) – Here With You
  13. Simple Gifts (Aaron Copland) – Aaron Copland: Simple Gifts
  14. Tender Thought (Ulysses Kay) – Kete – Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora
     

You can listen to these selections on our Gratitude and Warmth playlist on Spotify.

     

     

Soak in the Sun with WDAV’s “Days of Summer” Playlist

Start pouring the lemonade – this is your sign to slow down and savor the best of summer! Following the course of a perfect summer day, this classical playlist captures the season’s simplest and most blissful moments: an early riser’s view at daybreak, a leisurely afternoon in the sun, a picturesque evening on the water, and a night sky filled with stars.

  1. The Fisherman’s Song (Yi Chen)
  2. Daphnis And Chloe, Suite No. 2: Daybreak (Maurice Ravel)
  3. Dichterliebe, Op. 48: 12. Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen (Robert Schumann)
  4. The Seasons, Op. 37a: VII. July. Song of the Reaper (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
  5. The Seasons: IV. Summer (Thea Musgrave)
  6. Dances in the Canebreaks (Arr. W.G. Still for Orchestra): No. 2, Tropical Noon (Florence Price)
  7. Letniy den (Summer Day), Op. 65bis: III. Waltz (Sergei Prokofiev)
  8. Crosswinds: 1. Blue Ridges, Dappled Sunlight, Mountain Waltz (Margaret Brouwer)
  9. 5 Songs of Sun and Shade: No. 1, You Lay So Still in the Sunshine (Samuel Coleridge-Taylor)
  10. Summer Song (Miguel del Águila)
  11. Kesailta (Summer evening), Op. 1 (Oskar Merikanto)
  12. Pres de la mer, Op. 52: No. 4. Allegro moderato (Anton Arensky)
  13. Summer Night on the River (Frederick Delius)
  14. Beau Soir, L. 6 (Claude Debussy)
  15. The Daisy-Chain: Stars (Liza Lehmann)
  16. Summerland (William Grant Still)
   

You can listen to these selections on our Days of Summer playlist on Spotify.

         

5 Classical Artists to Add to Your Playlist this Hispanic Heritage Month

by Mary Lathem

Traditionally known as Hispanic Heritage Month, the period between September 15 and October 15 is a time to celebrate the rich historical and cultural contributions of the Hispanic and Latinx communities. We picked 5 of the countless Hispanic and Latinx artists who have made their mark on the classical music world to add to your listening queue, but don’t stop here! Listen to Concierto – WDAV’s weekly program spotlighting music by Latin American and Spanish composers and musicians – to learn about more influential artists, Sundays at 6 PM. Concierto is presented in both Spanish and English. 

Are “Hispanic,” “Latino,” and “Latinx” synonymous? Not quite – though they’re sometimes used interchangeably in the United States, there are important differences between the three terms. “Hispanic” refers to those who descend from primarily Spanish-speaking countries (including Spain), and “Latino” refers to those who descend from Latin American countries, regardless of Spanish-speaking heritage. “Latinx” was introduced around 2004 as a gender-inclusive term for people of Latin American cultural or ethnic identity. At the end of the day, identity is personal to each individual!

1. Martina Arroyo

American soprano Martina Arroyo’s remarkable talent was discovered when she began to study voice as a hobby in college. Martina continued her voice training after graduation while working as an English teacher and a social worker, embarking on a legendary career after winning the Metropolitan Opera’s Audition of the Air competition in 1957. Though she built a significant following in Europe, Martina held especially close ties to the Metropolitan Opera, where she was a principal soprano for over a decade. Particularly well known for her portrayal of Verdi heroines, Martina is considered a pioneer for performers of African and Puerto Rican descent and continues to pass on her legacy through teaching and masterclasses.

     

Video: Martina Arroyo, Oralia Dominguez: “Recordare” – Requiem (Verdi) – 1969
     

     

2. Alondra de la Parra

Award-winning Mexican American conductor Alondra de la Parra, known for her “spellbinding and vibrant” conducting style, shows a particular commitment to the work of Latin American conductors. She was named Music Director of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 2017, making her the first female principal conductor of an Australian symphony orchestra, and left the post earlier this year. Alondra currently serves as an official Cultural Ambassador of Mexico. 

     

     

     

     

3. Ricardo Kanji

Brazilian recorder player, flutist, conductor, and luthier Ricardo Kanji, a founding member of both the Orchestra of the 18th Century and the choir and orchestra Vox Brasiliensis, has specialized in Baroque and Classical interpretation for the majority of his career. Recently, his work reflects a special interest in preserving the music of Brazil’s colonial period. 

     

Video: Bach – Concerto in D major with Ricardo Kanji
     

     

4. Gabriela Lena Frank

Listed as one of the 35 most significant women composers in history by the Washington Post, composer Gabriela Lena Frank’s music “often reflects not only her own personal experience as a multi-racial Latina, but also refract her studies of Latin American cultures, incorporating poetry, mythology, and native musical styles into a western classical framework that is uniquely her own” (from Gabriela’s personal bio). Among numerous achievements and awards, Gabriela is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a USA Artist Fellowship, and a Latin Grammy award. Outside of composition, Gabriela is a virtuosic pianist who specializes in contemporary repertoire. 

     

Video: Gabriela Lena Frank on the future of classical music
     

     

5. Ricardo Iznaola

Cuban American guitarist, composer, teacher, and author Ricardo Iznaola is one of the preeminent classical guitarists of his generation. Over a career spanning four decades, Ricardo has won 9 international prizes, published over 50 musical scores and 4 books, and served as Professor of Guitar at the University of Denver for 32 years. Ricardo was inducted into the Guitar Foundation of America’s Hall of Fame in 2016 and received the foundation’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award.

     

Video: “Milongueo del Ayer” Ricardo Iznaola, Gregory (Grisha) Nisnevich-guitars
     

     

Spotify Playlist
     

     

  1. Ganymed (Ganymede), Op. 19, No. 3, D544 (Franz Schubert) – Martina Arroyo
  2. Aida: Act III, “Qui Ramadès verrà… O cieli azzurri…” (Giuseppe Verdi) – Martina Arroyo
  3. “Sobre las Olas” – Juventino Rosas, Alondra de la Parra
  4. Concerto para Violão e Orquestra: II. Ibéria – Francis Hime, Alondra de la Parra
  5. “Landum” (Anonymous) – Ricardo Kanji
  6. “Matais de Incêndios” (Anonymous) – Ricardo Kanji
  7. Danza de los Muñecos – Gabriela Lena Frank
  8. Sonata Andina: IV. Finale Saqsampillo – Gabriela Lena Frank
  9. Ten Etudes-Homages: 8. Homage to Rachmaninoff – Ricardo Iznaola
  10. Valse Op. 64, No. 1 – Ricardo Iznaola