wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

John,

Fabulous show. You need to have on the Record Doctor all the time. Thanks for the recommendations.

Dave

for the godspeed you black emperor listener. try h.gorecki symph no.3. rs

This whole discussion takes me back to "Vertigo" (1958), in the scene where the James Stewart character is in a mental institution and Mozart is being played. The Barbara Bel Geddes character mentions "Mozart for Melancholics."

Music has its powers. Some is purposely written--the wonderful requiems are an immediate example. When my mother died in the early hours of May 2, 2006, I asked my husband to put a requiem on the stereo--he wisely picked the Fauré, which lacks a dies irae. It fell like a coating of fluffy snow or down upon spirit and gave great comfort.

Sometimes the opposite happens. A year or two before I heard the story about the composition of Strauss's "Metamorphosen," we were driving into New Orleans to visit friends who returned there after Katrina. The piece, heard earlier in the day en route down from Nashville, came immediately to mind and dovetailed with the devastation. I almost had to stop driving because of the tears.

Yes, sometimes tears are necessary (and healthy!)--and music can enhance and deepen the reason for tears.

I want to get into classical music but it's hard for me to get into it , but i listen to alot of blues, jazz and hip hop. I would love to listen to classicals early in the morning but i can't.

I find just about any J.S. Bach, if played authentically or by Glenn Gould, to be just what the doctor ordered. Every time I try to expand my listening to other composers, they seem second or third rate by comparison. What should I do?

I am a graduate student who likes to listen to music while studying, but with the caveat of needing to listen to something that is not distracting. I often listen to Pablo Casals or to Chopin as played by Ashkenazy, and would appreciate any recommendations.

What's a "record"?

My wife asked me to get her Rachmaninov #2 for Xmas, do you think she means The Hungarian Rhapsody #2, or the 2nd Symphony?

She's 50, African American, likes Classical, New Age, and R&B.

thanks.

John.

Where would you start with Philip Glass? I ask as someone who feels like she should know about his work but who really doesn't, beyond a film score or two.

If you Google "essential classical music", many suggestions come up. Which, if any, of these lists do you recommend?

In the past, several record labels had the reputation of being higher quality. Currently which recording companies are considered premium? How important is the label in choosing a recording or should one focus on the performing group or individual only?

I find that I never like modern (e.g, late 20th century) classical music. It's seems like it's either too abstract or too cliched. Any recommendations for composers from this timer period?

Marie,

Check out the Glen Gould recording of the Goldberg Variations. I think you will like it.

Hi, I am a painter, and I listen mostly to indie rock, but there are a few classical recordings that are a regular part of my playlist.
I would like to expand that...I can't seem to find anything else that puts me into contemplative listening like Satie. I like the pauses, the spareness, but also the variation in tempo...
any other recommendations?
thank you.

I've always wanted to know which recording of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring is best. Does the Doc recommend Boulez? Or the Robert Craft versions that Stravinsky himself authorized? Thank you in advance.