The invention of Podcasting was designed for people like me. I've always wanted VCR-recording functionality for my radio, and this is even better.
The BBC Radio 3 'Composer of the Week' programme is particularly good for me (chippy inferiority complex because I think I should know more about classical music than I do).
Last week, driving around on long work-journeys, I listened to the programme on Ralph Vaughan Williams a few times. Much to my surprise, I liked him - and stumbled upon a new notion of the 'democratic personality' (one that I'd probably contest, but it's worth thinking about).
And I didn't know that he did an (admittedly, bloody awful-sounding) opera version of Playboy of the Western World author, J.M.Synge's Riders to the Sea.
Er.... that's it. Carry on with what you were doing....
Sociable
2 comments:
Yeah, Vaughan Williams is pretty top. He's the one composer that I can here anywhere in the world, and I'm immediately transformed to England. I especially like the Pastoral symphony.
If you want to get into classical, start with the Naxos recordings - you can buy them in many shops, or from emusic for a cheap price. They're generally not rated as the best recordings, but considered as high quality (there's a good Gramophone book with recommended recordings).
Try a little Rodrigo. The second movement of his guitar concerto is very well known (I think in chocolate ads or something), but I like the 1st movement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IibTpmRqUp4&feature=related
Ta Tim. Roderigo isn't a closed book to me because I have other reference points to him (guitar / Miles Davis).
I still need some non-classical music connection to relate to music though. For example, I don't like opera generally but I like Nessun Dorma because it's about football.
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