Song Cycle: Exploring Music
By Collette Cook
Just like we may not be able to travel the world and explore right now but can explore virtually through online learning and wistfully putting together future vacation itineraries, we can’t experience live symphony concerts but we can explore music virtually thanks to the internet. We’ve gone a step further and made it even easier for you with our Exploring Music playlist, which will take you on a musical excursion throughout the ages; visiting all the major classical music eras, different countries compositions were written in, and different genres throughout the classical realm.
We’ve included some symphonic works, which were written for large musical groups like our Utah Symphony with brass, percussion, woodwinds, and strings, such as Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 3 in G minor II. Adagio cantabile or Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold: Einzug der Gotter in Walhall. Other pieces included were written for chamber groups—small ensembles of instruments—such as Alberto Ginastera’s String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 I. Allegro rustico and Tomaso Albinoni’s Adagio for Strings and Organ in G Minor. We’ve thrown in some pieces featuring a solo instrument like Libby Larsen’s Violin Sonata: II: Drift, as well as some pieces that feature vocalists such as Barbara Strozzi’s Amor dormiglione.
Join us in our exploration as we continue to add to this playlist, in hopes of traveling with you to all the different landscapes of the classical music world.
