Belarusian countertenor Slava Kagan-Paley sings Franz Schubert’s version of ‘Ave Maria’, in honor of the ultimate Mother, for all mothers on this day.
[Video] Cuncordu e Tenore de Orosei – Voch’e Notte (with Paolo Fresu)
Cuncordu e Tenore de Orosei are a vocal group out of Corsica, a land famous for its gorgeous tradition of polyphonic singing. They’re joined here by trumpeter Paolo Fresu, another son of Sardinia for a new release on Buda Musique which should be out very soon.
[Video] Joe Zawinul – The Soul of a Village
This was a thoroughly unexpected find, though I’m indebted to my dear Rididillo Theitalian, who finds treasures like this on a daily basis.
Joe Zawunil cut this odd piece well before his triumphant work with Miles Davis during his fusion period, and fronting his own band, the ever-amazing Weather Report.
[Video] Калевала (Kalevala) – Лучшую Спою Вам Песню
Though I have an absolute loathing for metal, I really try to cut those who try to mix culture and folklore into their music. Football chants mar the the actual singing taking place in this song, tarnish what might have been quite a good ditty. On the plus side, though I find neo-paganism to be a repugnant fraud, it’s good to see that these kids are maintaining the tradition of metal existing solely to annoy parents until they have to pay their own bills.
If this sort of thing appeals to you (yes, I admit that the singer is pleasant to look at and the bagpipes in some of their songs is a very nice touch), then check out Kalevala’s website here. Better yet, go read the original, which inspired the name.
[Literature] MH Abrams, Norton anthology founder, influential critic, dead at age 102
Meyer Howard Abrams, the legendary literary critic, teacher and founder of W. W. Norton and the Norton Anthology of English Literature, has passed on.
The Guardian prints his obituary here.
[Film] Crowdfunding Sought To Release Orson Welles’ Unfinished Final Film
Yesterday would have been Orson Welles’ 100th birthday. This is quite a present for the rest of us!
NPR has more here.
[Video] Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (cond. Riccardo Chailly) – Jazz Suite No. 1 III. Foxtrot (composed by Dmitri Shostakovitch)
Dmitri Shostakovitch managed, like his contemporary, Igor Stravinsky, to implement jazz into his compositions.
[Video] Magdalith – La Naissance
Except finding that Magdalith was from Toulouse, France, that she was a stunningly beautiful Jewish woman who converted to Roman Catholicism and that she sang in Hebrew as well as her native French (with inflections which remind me of Diamanda Galás), there is scant information available about this artist. Any info would be highly appreciated, and she seems to be due a reissuing of her albums.
[Video] Tal Weiss – Unsleeping Night
Israeli experimental pop singer Tal Weiss collaborates with cellist Julia Rovinsky in this delicate tone poem.
[Sample] H.Giray Sönmez – Pandur Song (Caucasus Tushki/Ingush Folk)
H. Giray Sönmez is an Anatolian Turkish musician who interprets music from the Caucasus.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 