h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I like the unusual juxtapositions that my playlist produces. I play between eight and twelve CDs a day in deliberately scrambled order.

An hour ago, I was listening to some concerti grossi by Francesco Geminiani, a Baroque composer who seems to have stolen some of his themes from Handel. Either that, or Handel stole them from Geminiani. Or, they both stole them from a third composer. Good stuff, though!

Right now, I'm listening to a "Greatest hits" CD of music by Sting and The Police. "Message in a bottle," "Can't stand losing you," An Englishman in new York, etc. Good stuff! A very nice Latin beat, which I always find welcome. These recordings were made early in Sting's career, when he was the lead vocalist for The Police. Later on, he carved out a career as a solo vocalist. I like his voice a lot in this CD. I've heard some of his later solo recordings, and didn't like them at all. I don't know why this is so. He's the same singer. Anyway, it's a privilege to hear him at a time when he was doing some great singing.

The next CD after this will be a collection of overtures by Thomas Arne, the 18th Century composer who wrote "Rule Britannia" and a great deal more. Arne was an exact contemporary of William Boyce. Both were born in 1710. Both died in 1768, yet their styles could not have been different. Boyce sounded a lot like Handel. Arne anticipated Haydn and Johann Christian Bach and Gluck.

After that, I will hear the greatest hits of B J Thomas, whose music I find refreshing. 35 or 40 years ago, a friend gave me a B J Thomas album, which contained the songs "Raindrops keep falling on my head" and that song about rain in Indianapolis and little green apples. This greatest hits has the former but not the latter. What it *does* have is excellent, starting with "I'm so lonesome I could cry." At the end of the CD is "Hey, why don't you play another somebody-done-somebody-wrong song," one of my personal favorites from the 1970s. My nostalgia for the 70s hits me hard sometimes. Other great songs from that period were Neil Diamond's "Song sung blue" and "Those were the days, my friend," which seems to disappeared from the earth, except for a relatively recent revival by DollyParton. Oh, well.

It is always interesting to read your posts and journals about the music you listen to.

This time you have come up with an interesting conspiracy theory. Interesting because the Italian Geminiani and the German Händel were of almost identical age and both moved to London were they w*rked for many years, so who was inspired by whom is worth digging into, I find

Not that I would want to do that I'm sure I have none of the ressources required

But I think I will ask an old friend of mine who knows a lot about the musics of old

I'll be back!

Music is a lifelong passion of mine.

Today's playlist starts with the opera "Fra Diavolo," by Auber. This is followed bu Rameau's sextets and a charming harpsichord suite by Boismortier. After that, I will visit Renaissance Italy for a collection of madrigals. Moving forward a couple of centuries, I will then hear some piano sonatas by Weber, whose cousin was Mozart's wife. After that, it's "Wintereisse" by Schubert and some chamber music by Donizetti.

It will be evening by the time I've heard all those. If there's time before the end of the day, I will hear Julie Andrews in "Victor/Victoria" and part of the Woodstock concert.

Received this answer from my old friend, Kes the navigator:

"Composers didn't have the concept of "owning" new tunes until the mid-1800s. Before that, it was common practice to take a theme from anywhere and "do your thing" with it. Bach wrote a new piece based on the hymn of the day every Sunday for over 20 years - just to have something to play to the congregation. Back then, if another composer developed a piece based on one of yours, you would have taken it as a compliment. Best wishes for 2013, old friend."

It's after 7:00 p.m., and I'm just getting to "Victor/Victoria," having spent much of the day with laundry and visiting my mother. After this,I will hear Brahms's serenades as transposed for four-hand piano. Then I would hear Woodstock, or part of it. There are 3 discs in all, and they are spaced out through the collection....

One of the better arias in Handel's "Giulio Cesare" has the same tune as an aria in a cantata by Alessandro Scarlatti. Somtimes transposition and reorchestrating are involved. Charles Avison took some keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti and turned them into twelve concerti grossi. That is a major job of reworking, and some of the movements were probably written by Avison himself to make the concerti more coherent. In a case like that, the original composer's name was mentioned so as to do full honor to him.

Sometimes a reworking can get a composer in trouble. Igor Stravinski reharmonized "The Star Spangled Banner" and tried to have it performed in Symphony Hall in Boston. Littledid he know that it was illegal to rehamronize the national anthem in Massachusetts. The piece did get performed somewhere, but it wasn't in Massachusetts.

Some of the melodies created by great composers of old are used for psalms every sunday in Danish (and other European) churches. Off the top of my head I remember Joh. Seb. Bach's "Wenn Ich einmal soll scheiden'' from his St. Matthew Passion, BWV244:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-AoZdum8Q8

Danish version, sadly without song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2GU40m1K34

And now for something a little different. A very respected Danish composer, whom you may never have heard of, but is very worth listening to anyway. Rued Langgaards "Variations on "Mig hjerteligt nu længes" ("I heartily now yearn") BVN 71 (1914):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=070m-wiX3sk

And while I'm at it, his countrymen Per Nørgaard's "Symphony No.6 "At the End of the Day" (1998/1999):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxTkhLj0bkY

and Vagn Holmboe's "Symphony No. 6 (Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Owain Arwel Hugh"

I listened to the Christmas Oratorio by Camille Saint-Saens during breakfast, followed by Frederick Delius' "Florida Suite." Then I went swimming, came home, had lunch, and started listening to the Beach Boys' Greatest Hits.

After the beach Boys have returned to their surfing and joy-riding, I will enjoy J.S. Bach's "Italian Concerto>'

After Bach's :"Italian concerto," I enjoyed Kenny G's "Classicsi n the key of K." Very soothing and elegant jazz, which put me in a very good mood. After that, I listened to some flute quartets by Devienne [a French contemporary of Mozart], followed by highlights of Franz Von Suppe's opera "Boccaccio." Right now I'm listening to piano duets by Dvorak.

Let me try the title of Kenny G's cd again: "Classics in the Key of G."

I decided to play the "Bonus Disc" from the Woodstock concert while I was eating supper.

Track 1: "Jennifer," sung beautifully by Bert Sommer

Track 2: "Misty Roses," sung just as beautifully by Tim Hardin

Track 3: "Beautiful People," sung by Melanie Safka. I got up from the table to forward it to the next track, as Melanie sounds close to death when she sings. I can't tell whether the song is worth hearing. All I know is that it will never get a fair shake as long as Melanie is the one who's singing it.

Track 4: "Wheel of Fortune," sung by Arlo Guthrie, one of the legendary characters of Western Massachusetts. I like Arlo a lot. He has a unique voice, a great sense of humor, and enough songwriting talent to have written the official state song of Massachusetts.

Track 5: "Hickory Wind," sung by Joan Baez. I would happily listen to her sing *anything.* She is *amazing.*

Track 6: "Persuasion," sung by Santana. It's well done, but I can't figure out whether I like it or not.

Track 7: "Mountain," by Pete Brown and Jack Bruce. Some nice singing. I'm not sure what it was doing in the Woodstock concert. it's supposed to be theme from an imaginary western. Would that have been Western neew York state?

Track 8: "Green Ricer," sung with great energy by Creedence Clearwater, the group that is identified with "Swamp rock."

Track 9: "Ball and chain," sung incoherently by Janis Joplin. I'm not sure when she died. Was it before or after Woodstock?

Track 10: "Somebody to Love," sung by Darby Slick of Jefferson Airplane. I've liked this song for many years. I don't think the acoustics at this live concert were as complimentary as the studio recordings I have heard on the radio, but it's great to hear an old favorite.

Track 11: "White Rabbit," sung by Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane.
All the research I've done on pop music has told me that this song is as famous and iconic as "Somebody to love," but it doesn't stick in my mind as easily. Those are the breaks,I guess. But here again, the acoustics seem to be against the performers. I can't decipher more than about five words in the whole song.

Track 12: "Marrakesh Express," sung by Crosby, Stills and Nash. I really like this group, and enjoy this song.

Track 13: "Get a job," which became the theme song of Sha Na Na's televsion series not too many years later. Sha Na Na first came to public attention at the Woodstock concert, and they took full advantage of the exposure. That series was one of my favorites for years.

Track 14: "Izabella," sung by Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix is said to have been one of Rock music's greatest guitarists, and I don't doubt that based on what I hear here. I can't decipher any words, though. Shouldn't the words count in songs?