Four Centuries of Great Music June 11, 2023 Full Body Orgasmic Scream Episode 2

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music is the second episode of “Full body orgasmic scream” series.  As explained last week  this series gets its name from a concert in April of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  During a performance of Tchaikovsky’s 5th symphony during the second movement, there was what was described as a “full body orgasmic scream”.  Now the story is not as exciting as you think because it probably came from a woman waking up from being asleep and not a reaction to the music.  But it is an interesting concept.  Well maybe we don’t have an orgasm when we listen to music, but I am sure that there are classical music pieces that give you that “tingle all over your body”.  Those are the works that we will be playing during this series of Four Centuries of Great Music episodes.  These episodes will be posted on Facebook after each show with the music on each episode.  I encourage you to make suggestions for each future episode about those classical music works that make you “tingle all over”.

We are starting tonight’s show with a contribution by composer Jared Miller.  Jared responded that Maurice Ravel’s Ondine from Garpard de la Nuit would be a work that gives people tingles all over.  He particularly mentioned the performance of this work by fellow Canadian Louis Lortie.  So let’s start this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music with a tingle from the first movement of Ravel’s  Gaspard de la nuit  Ondine which will be followed by the second and third movements  II. Le Gibet and  III. Scarbo.


Last week I played Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 a performance of which started this series.  But there is another work by Tchaikovsky that gives me tingles all over and that is his Serenade for Strings Op. 48 in C major.  Particularly the first movement.  It is in 4 movements
1. Pezzo in Forma Di Sonatina_ Andante Non Troppo - Allegro Moderato
2. Walzer_ Moderato (Tempo Di Valse)
3. Elégie_ Larghetto Elegiaco
4. Finale (Tema Russo)_ Andante - Allegro Con Spirito

Another work that give me tingles is Gabriela Lena Frank's Songs of Cifar and the Sweet Sea, particularly the performance by Andrew Garland, baritone.  It is in 8 movement:

 I. El nacimiento de Cifar  (The birth of Cifar)
XV. Me diste oh Dios una hija (You gave me oh God a daughter)
XVIII. Primer parte - El rebelde. (The Rebel)
XVIII Segund parte - Tomasito, el cuque (Tomasito, the cook)
XVIII. Tercer parte - El Nino. (The Child)
XXII. Primer parte - Eufemia
XXII. Segund parte - En La Vela del Angelito (At the Wake of the Little Angel)
XXX. Pescador (Fisherman)

A colleague here at WRUU PT Bridgeport suggested César Franck: Prelude, Fugue Et Variation In B Minor, from 6 Pieces for Organ Op. 18.  And we will hear both the organ version and the version for piano duo

Today's episode ends with Maurice Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte