A CLASSICAL THANKSGIVING REDUX

I posted this last year at this time, so why not again...?

Well, this was unplanned and unintended. But I happened to stumble upon this mix (from 2008) earlier this evening. So what better day to re-post it, thought I.  And so I do so...
Left-click [HERE] or [HERE] to download the A CLASSICAL THANKSGIVING REDUX mix.

TRACKLIST ---

01 VIVALDI - concerto for 4 violins in B minor
02 PERGOLESI - stabat mater - excerpt
03 MOZART - turkish march
04 BEETHOVEN - 5th symphony - 1st movement
05 BRAHMS - hungarian dance #5
06 BIZET - carmen - habenera
07 MENDELSSOHN - 4th symphony - 4th movement
08 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS - sea songs - quick march
09 PACHELBEL - canon for gigue and strings
10 ORFF - carmina burina - o fortuna - fortune plango vulnera
11 GRIEG - peer gynt - suite #1 - in the hall of the mountain king
12 BRAHMS - violin concerto - 3rd movement
13 RACHMANINOV - prelude in g minor
14 ROSSINI - carmen - chanson du toreador
15 VIVALDI - the four seasons - winter - 3rd movement
16 PERGOLESI - stabat mater - excerpts
17 MOZART - concerto for 2 pianos - 3rd movement
18 BACH - sleepers awake 

A CLASSICAL THANKSGIVING

The Plymouth colonists celebrate the first Thanksgiving with the Wampanoag people. Afterward, tribal chief Massasoit [seated left-center, with tallest & most abundant head-feathers] speaks highly of the turkey, maize, and mussels, but heaps highest praise on settler Josiah Bacardi [standing right, with hunting sword, lobstertail helmet & "Ye Olde Worlde's Greateste Grandpa" mug] and his "devilishly addictive, crisp as a New England breeze" rum & cranberry concoction.
The younger members of the Lancaster family share a good laugh at the expense of their dog-loving, Alzheimer's-suffering grandparents, Joseph & Irene. Suffice it to say, that's not a turkey ol' Joe's about to carve!

Today is the day we Americans get even fatter than we already are chasing our collective tryptophan fix sitting on our collective fat ass watching Cowboys conquer and Lions lie down. As for me, I'm gonna eat me some pizza. Rake some leaves. Then take a nap or call 911 and commit Suicide-By-Cop. Whichever seems most appropriate at the time.

Since I'm sure many of this blog's usual visitors will be AWOL today, I'm going to risk doing something different. Which is to say: I'm going to deluge you with classical music until I've put you in a holiday mood (or sent you fleeing).

Fact is, a little non-pop-rock-blah-blah-blah may make for a welcome respite, so here goes....

Left-click [HERE] to download the classic(al) tracks.

A PLAGUE OF THANKSGIVING TRACKLIST >>>

01 VIVALDI/Concerto for 4 Violins in B Minor/1st Movement
02 PERGOLESI/Stabat Mater [excerpt]
03 MOZART/Turkish March
04 BEETHOVEN/5th Symphony/1st Movement
05 BRAHMS/Hungarian Dance #5
06 BIZET/Carmen/Habanera
07 MENDELSSOHN/4th Symphony/4th Movement
08 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS/Sea Songs/Quick March
09 PACHELBEL/Canon and Gigue for Strings
10 ORFF/Carmina Burana/O Fortuna/Fortune plango vulnera
11 GRIEG/Peer Gynt/Suite #1/In the Hall of the Mountain King
12 BRAHMS/Violin Concerto/3rd Movement
13 RACHMANINOV/Prelude in G Minor
14 ROSSINI/Carmen/Chanson du Toreador
15 VIVALDI/The Four Seasons/Winter/3rd Movement
16 PERGOLESI/Stabat Mater [excerpts]
17 MOZART/Concerto for 2 Pianos/3rd Movement
18 BACH/Wachet Auf (Sleepers, Awake)

A CLASSICAL X-MAS: MASS APPEAL?

This past Thanksgiving, I went with a change-of-pace post -- classical music for the masses. So, here it is another holiday, and I'm going to follow that up in an even more literal way. Classical masses.

Most of these happen to be masses for the dead, which I suppose may seem inappropriate for the day. But, to flip a phrase, death does not take a holiday. DEAN MARTIN, JAMES BROWN, and Charlie Chaplin all died on December 25. So did JonBenet Ramsey. Then again, BARBARA MANDRELL, DIDO, and Humphrey Bogart were all born on December 25. So was Karl Rove. And, in 1887, Conrad Hilton -- hotelier extraordinaire (and great-grandfather of Paris). This music is dedicated to all of them -- the living and the dead. And to Karl Rove -- who we truly, truly wish were dead.

At the very least, I hope these selections will make for excellent background music as you unwrap your presents and try to prevent yourself from drunkenly punching relatives you may or may not love or respect. Deus succurro vos. Deus succurro nos totus.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791) [REQUIEM]
[MP3] "Introitus"
[MP3] "Dies Irae"
[MP3] "Rex Tremendae"
[MP3] "Confutatis"
[MP3] "Lacrymosa"

GUISEPPE FORTUNINO FRANCESCO VERDI (1813-1901) [REQUIEM]
[MP3] "Dies Irae"
[MP3] "Lacrymosa"

GABRIEL URBAIN FAURE (1845-1924) [REQUIEM]
[MP3] "Agnus Dei"

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) [MISSA SOLEMNIS]
[MP3] "Kyrie"

MOZART [MASS IN C MINOR]
[MP3] "Kyrie"

JOHN MILFORD RUTTER (1945- ) [REQUIEM]
[MP3] "Pie Jesu"