Stop Pop

Along with the operas I can’t seem to get enough of, I’ve been gorging my ears on all the Romantic Era compositions I can get my grubby little hands on. Classical, Romantic Opera, and Ballet has been tearing up my iTunes for the last few weeks and I feel like sharing. For those that don’t know the Romatic hey days were the mid to late 1800s, a period that has fascinated my forever. Without the events of the late 1800s our current society would be drastically different including the occurrences of the two World Wars, the rise of Capitalism and Communism, and the exploration of the globe that has resulted in today’s globalism. Music of this time likewise was significantly changing through exploration and rapid cultural changes occurring in Europe. Russia emerged as a musical powerhouse as one of its few oddly strong areas of talent with such names as Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and later, Shostakovich.

The music of the era is charged with national pride, exploration, world influences, and internationality that I adore. Despite hyper competitiveness amongst the nations, talent was encouraged to travel to enhance the name of the fatherlands and inevitably cultures clashed in the form of unparalleled experimentation. It was the time of Neitzsche and Marx and Mill in philosophy and ideology made a huge impact on musical composition. Instrumentation also moved out of religious traditions and harpsichord, organs, and tabernacles were replaced with percussion, brass, and wind instruments that upheld military and international motifs better. Arias and hymns were replaced with turbulent choral shouts and hedonistic story lines. Music became modern and the world changed.

1. De Falla - Magic Of Love Introduction & Scene

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2. Dvorak - Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op.95, From the “New World” - Allegro con fuoco

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3. Gliere - The Red Poppy, Ballet Suite, Op. 70 - Heroic Coolie Dance

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4. Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite No.1 Op.46 Anistras Dance

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5. Kodaly - Duo for Violin and Cello, Op.7 - Allegro serioso, non troppo (Recorded in Japan 1978)

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6. Lizst - Czardas

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7. Shostakovich - Symphony No.10 in E Minor, Opus 93 - II. Allegro

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8. Strauss - Persian March, Op. 289

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9. Stravinsky - The Firebird Suite - Infernal Dance

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10. Verdi - Overture The Force Of Destiny

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