The New Criterion

Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the September 2020 issue and reads from its opening pages.

Jay begins with a gigue, a jig, by Leclair. We also have Haydn, Brahms, and Penderecki. (The Brahms is played by Leon Fleisher, the great American pianist who has died in recent days.) There are also two items from the American Songbook — one of them sung by Jack Teagarden, the other by Frank Sinatra. This episode ends with a spiritual, a powerhouse. Leclair, Jean - Marie the Elder, Gigue from the Violin Concerto in B flat, Op. 10, No. 1 Haydn, Presto from Piano Sonata in G, H. XVI:40 McHugh/Adamson, “ Where Are You? ” Penderecki, Chaconne from “Polish Requiem” Brahms, Rondo from Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor Whiting/Mercer, “Too Marvelous for Words” Trad., “Soon I Will Be Done with the Trouble of the World” (sung in recital by Latonia Moore)

James Panero, the Executive Editor of The New Criterion, discusses the pathology of recent protests and the impending demise of Teddy Roosevelt’s statue at the American Museum of Natural History. https://newcriterion.com/issues/2020/9/a-classical-illness

The title of this episode pretty much tells the story: Jay discusses, plays, and celebrates piano duets. Schubert, “Marche militaire” No. 1 in D major, Op. 51, No. 1 Debussy, “En bateau,” from the “Petite Suite” Mendelssohn, Andante and Allegro brillante, Op. 92 Mozart, Concerto for Two Pianos in E flat

Actually, Jay says “an ingenious, joyful jolt.” He is speaking of the Toccata in G by Théodore Dubois. That’s how the podcast begins. We also get Grieg (and a memory of a TV game show, long ago). Lead Belly (singing “Study War No More”). Mozart, Hahn, and “America” — a fugue on “America,” which is also known as “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” (and as “God Save the Queen” by some of our cousins). Dubois, Toccata in G Grieg, “Morning Mood” from “Peer Gynt” Trad., “Study War No More” Mozart, “Soave sia il vento” from “Così fan tutte” Hahn, Danse, Piano Concerto Thayer, Fugue on “America” from the Organ Sonata No. 2

In honor of Independence Day, Jay does an all American program: ending with “Plenty Good Room,” the spiritual. He begins with some ballet, cowboy style: “Hoe Down” (Copland). Along the way, we have songs, piano pieces, an aria, some bluegrass—Happy Fourth, to all. Copland, “Hoe-Down,” from “Rodeo” MacDowell, “By a Meadow Brook,” from “Woodland Sketches” Beach, “Ah, Love, but a Day” Wheeler, Scott, “Isolation Rag” Hoiby, “Lady of the Harbor” Meyer, Edgar, et al. (?), “Death by Triple Fiddle” Floyd, “Ain’t It a Pretty Night?” from “Susannah” Gershwin-Heifetz, Prelude in C-sharp Minor Trad., “Plenty Good Room”

This episode begins with a shout -- “a shout of joy on the organ,” Jay says. It also has a poem, written and recited by Langston Hughes. And a song, setting that same poem. The episode includes a little Broadway -- and other curiosities, finds, and wonders. Enjoy “music for a while.“ Hughes-Manz, “God of Grace and God of Glory” Langston Hughes, “I, Too” Margaret Bonds, “I, Too” Frederic Rzewski, “The People United Will Never Be Defeated!” Coleman-Stewart, “Thank God I’m Old” Herbert Murrill, “Carillon” Handel, “O Lord, whose mercies numberless,” from “Saul” Trad., arr. Bonds, “This Little Light o’ Mine”

In a new podcast from The New Criterion, Eric Gibson and James Panero discuss sculpture in exile and culture under siege. Eric Gibson's book "The Necessity of Sculpture: Selected Essays and Criticism, 1985–2019" can be found at https://newcriterion.com/bookstore?mode=criterion. Cover photo: the recently defaced Robert Gould Shaw Memorial in Boston, Massachusetts, depicting Shaw and the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, an African-American regiment during the Civil War.

“Got a real smorgasbord for you,” says Jay—“even more than usual. An almost wacky variety.” He begins with Rachmaninoff, turns to Satie, then to a classic American song, then to Satie again, then to Penderecki, and on to Fauré and Busoni (no, not Bach-Busoni). Some interesting issues, points, personalities, and, of course, music. Rachmaninoff, “Spring Waters” Satie, “Vexations” Androzzo, Alma Bazel, “If I Can Help Somebody” Satie, “Gymnopédie” Penderecki, “La Follia” Fauré, “Le secret” Busoni, “Berceuse”

Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the June 2020 issue and reads from its opening pages.

Jay begins with some festive music: specifically, the “Festive Overture” of Shostakovich. He has a showtune: “Some Other Time.” He has an Aretha Franklin hit, about zoomin’. He has a spiritual: “Ain’t Got Time to Die.” Some French organ music. And more. He ends with Karel Ančerl, the great Czech conductor who endured horror and produced much beauty and brilliance. Tracks played: Shostakovich, “Festive Overture” Bernstein and Comden & Green, “Some Other Time,” from “On the Town” Aretha Franklin et al., “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” Trad., “Ain’t Got Time to Die” Guilmant, March on a Theme by Handel Tchaikovsky, “Garland Waltz” from “Sleeping Beauty” Mahler, Symphony No. 9, final movement

James Panero, the Executive Editor of The New Criterion, reconsiders the Gilded Age author Anna Bowman Dodd and her uncanny predictions about the future.

Jay plays some music by a Bach son. There is also Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saëns, and other composers. The episode ends with a tribute to Rosalind Elias, the late American mezzo-soprano: the thirteenth and last child of Lebanese immigrants. Tracks played: Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel, Rondo II in C minor Saint-Saëns, “Aimons-nous” Beethoven, Sonata for Piano and Violin in G major, Op. 3, No. 3, final movement Hahn, “À Chloris” Dohnányi, Serenade in C Wolf, “Benedeit die sel’ge Mutter” Tchaikovsky, String Sextet in D minor, “Souvenir de Florence” Verdi, “Stride la vampa,” from “Il trovatore”

Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the May 2020 issue and reads from its opening pages.

Jay’s previous episode was devoted to music of spring. As he points out, it’s still spring—and there’s a lot of spring music out there. So he goes a second round. This round serves up Schubert, Mahler, Copland, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and more. A colorful, happy bouquet. Tracks played: Argento, “Spring” Schumann, “Spring” Symphony Mahler, “Frühlingsmorgen” Mahler, “Der Trunkene im Frühling,” from “Das Lied von der Erde” Copland, “Appalachian Spring” Schubert, “Frühlingsglaube” Duke, “April in Paris,” Count Basie and His Orchestra Rodgers & Hammerstein, “It Might As Well Be Spring”

James Panero, the Executive Editor of The New Criterion, discusses the long history of plagues and their relationship to the art of our Western tradition, especially in Venice.

Jay has seven pieces—songs, an opera aria, a piano piece, a violin sonata, and a violin concerto. All in honor of spring. It has sprung, whether the pandemic likes it or not. Happy spring, everyone. Tracks played: Vivaldi, “Spring,” from “The Four Seasons” Hahn, “Le Printemps” Beethoven, “Spring” Sonata Saint-Saëns, “Printemps qui commence,” from “Samson and Delilah” Strauss, “Herr Lenz” Sinding, “Rustle of Spring” Hoiby, “Always It’s Spring”

Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses the April 2020 issue and reads from its opening pages.

The title of this episode pretty much tells its story. Jay plays balm-like music, and delight-giving music—heavy on the Bach. At the beginning of the show, he asks, “Need I say that music is extra-important in these strange and trying times?” He answers, “Of course I don’t.” Tracks played: Bach–Petri, “Sheep May Safely Graze” Bach, “Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen” Bach, “Alleluia” Chopin, Étude in A flat, Op. 25, No. 1, “Aeolian Harp” Haydn, Piano Concerto in D Elgar, Nimrod Variation Bach, Bourées from English Suite No. 2 in A minor Bach, Gigue from English Suite No. 2 in A minor Ochs, attr. Handel, “Dank sei dir, Herr” Bach, Allegro for keyboard only, Violin Sonata No. 6 in G Trad., “Give Me Jesus”

Lots of parents now have kids at home, in need of schooling. A friend of Jay’s asked him, “Could you put together a little program for my kids?” Here it is: Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Chopin, and worthy others. A neat, balanced smattering. For “kids” of all ages. Tracks played: Bach, Prelude in C major, Book I, “The Well-Tempered Clavier” Chopin, Etude in C major, Op. 10, No. 1 Mozart, Twelve Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” Brahms, “Wie Melodien zieht es mir” Wagner, Prelude, Act III, “Lohengrin” Puccini, “Addio, mio dolce amor,” from “Edgar” Debussy, “Reflets dans l’eau” Turina, “Zapateado” Shostakovich, Scherzo, Piano Quintet in G minor Lowry, arr. Copland, “At the River”