Max Derrickson
musicprogramnotes.bsky.social
Max Derrickson
@musicprogramnotes.bsky.social
I am a music researcher, program note writer, music program annotator - find out more from my website: www.MusicProgramNotes.com . Each day, I also post music of lesser-known composers and lesser-known works by the great composers. Open for work, too.
More Celebration of the Music of Aaron Copland!
(November 14, 1900 – December 2, 1990)
… and here, the breathtaking moment, when Copland introduces the Shaker hymn, “Simple Gifts,” into his great ballet, Appalachian Spring (1944):
youtu.be/8e3rVcSy3IQ?...
Appalachian Spring
YouTube video by Leonard Bernstein - Topic
youtu.be
November 14, 2025 at 7:56 PM
More Celebration of the Music of Aaron Copland!
(November 14, 1900 – December 2, 1990)
However, it’s hard not to be in love with his absolute classics, and here, almost unarguably the most iconic “American” piece of “Classical” music ever written:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGpY...
Sir Gilbert Levine Conducts Copland Fanfare for the Common Man
YouTube video by Keith Hernandez
www.youtube.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Celebrating the Music of Aaron Copland!
(November 14, 1900 – December 2, 1990)
American composer. Here is a somewhat serial piece, Inscape, composed in 1967. The sounds are Copland, the harmonies are more modern … but it’s a stirring piece:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PDM...
Aaron Copland: Inscape (1967)
YouTube video by TheWelleszCompany
www.youtube.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:53 PM
More Celebration of the Music of George Whitefield Chadwick!
(November 13, 1854 – April 4, 1931)
… a less frisky, but wonderfully lovely Andantino from his Serenade for Strings:
youtu.be/EnVjwk_KRKQ?...
George Whitefield Chadwick: Serenade for Strings in F Major
YouTube video by James Levee
youtu.be
November 13, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Celebrating the Music of George Whitefield Chadwick!
(November 13, 1854 – April 4, 1931)
American composer and teacher. Here’s his frolicking finale to his Symphony No. 3, IV. Allegro molto energico:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2qd...
George Chadwick - Symphony No. 3 IV
YouTube video by legendaryclassics
www.youtube.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:22 PM
More Celebration of the Music of Alexander Porfirievich Borodin!
(November 12, 1833 – February 27, 1887)
This curious yet wonderful piece began around 1879 as a kind of musical jolly, eventually becoming a Requiem thanks to Leopold Stokowski:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUPg...
Borodin "Requiem" - Stokowski's orchestration
YouTube video by adam28xx
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Celebrating the Music of Alexander Porfirievich Borodin!
(November 12, 1833 – February 27, 1887)
Russian composer, also research chemist, physician and professor. Here, his “Notturno” movement from his masterful String Quartet No. 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKsC...
Borodin: Quartet No. 2 in D major for Strings, III. Notturno: Andante
YouTube video by Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:28 PM
More Celebration the Music of Frederick Stock!
(November 11, 1872 – October 20, 1942)
Not to forget that Stock was also a talented composer, here is his own Symphonic Waltz, No. 8:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pBS...
Frederick Stock - Symphonic Waltz, Op.8
YouTube video by Miguel
www.youtube.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Celebrating the Music of Frederick Stock (born Friedrich August Stock)!
(November 11, 1872 – October 20, 1942)
German conductor and composer - best known for his exceptional conducting - Here is Brahms’ Third, movement three, with his Chicago Symphony:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7Zj...
Frederick Stock/Chicago -- Brahms Symphony #3 in F mvt 3
YouTube video by 2ndviolinist
www.youtube.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Celebrating the Music of Henri Rabaud!
(November 10, 1873 – September 11, 1949)
French composer and conductor. Here is a lovely and curiously non-French work for orchestra based on Renaissance English tunes. Suite anglaise No. 2: III. Allegro maestoso:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELGL...
Suite anglaise No. 2: III. Allegro maestoso
YouTube video by Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Celebrating the Music of Ferenc Erkel!
(November 7, 1810 – June 15, 1893)
Hungarian composer and conductor - wrote “Himnusz” which was adopted as Hungary’s national anthem in 1844. Here is a splendid Hungarian Dance from his 1862 opera Sarolta:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTc-...
Ferenc Erkel - Hungarian Dance
YouTube video by Csaba Somogyi
www.youtube.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:20 PM
More Celebration of the Music of John Philip Sousa!
(November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932)
…probably Sousa’s finest, certainly his most famous, March, and arguably the greatest piccolo solo of all time:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-7X...
SOUSA The Stars and Stripes Forever - "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band
YouTube video by United States Marine Band
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Celebrating the Music of John Philip Sousa!
(November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932)
American composer and conductor. Here is a winsome march from one of his Operettas – The Man Behind the Gun from his 1899 Operetta “Chris and the Wonderful Lamp”: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHdV...
Chris and the Wonderful Lamp: The Man Behind the Gun
YouTube video by United States Marine Band - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Celebrating the Music of Vincenzo Ugolini!
(ca. 1580 – May 6, 1638)
Italian singer, church music director and composer. Here is Ugolini’s wonderful Kyrie from his (Missa) Beata es Virgo Maria:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6bP...
Missa Beata es Virgo Maria - Kyrie Vincenzo Ugolini
YouTube video by miguel angel rodriguez urosa
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Celebrating the Music of Nicholas Maw!
(November 5, 1935 – May 19, 2009)
British composer. Here is the truly mesmerizing third movement, Romanza – Lento e calmo, with Bell performing (See more of my music writing on my website):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q-l...
Maw Violin Concerto 3. Romanza - Joshua Bell
YouTube video by inksama
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Celebrating the Music of Dawn Avery!
(Undisclosed birthday)
From her website:
“Composer of Mohawk descent, Dawn Avery's Indian name is Ieriho:kwats and she wears the turtle clan.”
Here is the third movement, to Avery’s inventive Duo Concertante - Ohnekha'shòna Yakònkwe: youtu.be/yrv0GkrnOxs?...
Duo Concertante - Ohnekha'shòna Yakònkwe (waters women) composed by Dawn Avery, dedicated to MMIWG
YouTube video by Dawn Avery
youtu.be
November 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Celebrating the Music of Faruk Méhić!
(Undisclosed birthday)
(From his LinkedIn Profile):
“... composer from Bosnia and Herzegovina.” Here is Méhić’s many faceted, and endlessly interesting, Suite for Pianoforte, as performed here by the talented Serene Yu:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCqZ...
Suite Per Pianoforte, Op. 21 No. 1
YouTube video by Serene Yu - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:42 PM
More Celebration of the Music of Carl Tausig!
(November 4, 1841 – July 17, 1871)
Here is an important work for Tausig, and for pianists… it’s a true powerhouse of a piece, musically and technically:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuoP...
Carl Tausig - The Ghost Ship (TAUSIG'S 174TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE)
YouTube video by thenameisgsarci
www.youtube.com
November 4, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Celebrating the Music of Carl Tausig!
(November 4, 1841 – July 17, 1871)
Polish piano virtuoso and composer. Here is his melting Nocturne No. 3, L’Esperance (Hope) (See more of my music writing on my website):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwdk...
Tausig Nocturne opus 3
YouTube video by Giulio Draghi, pianista
www.youtube.com
November 4, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Celebrating the Music of Vladimir Alexeevich Ussachevsky!
(November 3, 1911– January 2, 1990)
Born in China, Russian composer Ussachevsky emigrated to the United States in 1930. Here is his Rhapsodic Variations for Tape Recorder and Orchestra:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKrC...
Rhapsodic Variations for Tape Recorder and Orchestra
YouTube video by Louisville Orchestra - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Celebrating the Music of Vicenzo Bellini!
(November 3, 1801 – September 23, 1835)
Italian composer Bellini was, as poet Heinrich Heine said, “… a sigh”. Here is one of the most lovely arias, and a wonderful capture on film: Casta Diva (from the opera Norma, 1831)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Tw...
Maria Callas sings "Casta Diva" (Bellini: Norma, Act 1)
YouTube video by Warner Classics
www.youtube.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:50 PM
More Celebration of the Music of John Foulds!
(November 2, 1880 – April 25, 1939)
Here is some of his lighter music, though gorgeous and seriously lovely, the Lament (movement 2) from his Keltic Suite, Op. 29:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B1o...
Foulds : Keltic Suite Op.29 : II Lament
YouTube video by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 2, 2025 at 8:28 PM
More Celebration of the Music of John Foulds!
(November 2, 1880 – April 25, 1939)
Here is one of those pieces where Foulds amalgamates Indian and Western musical aesthetics, his very lovely Kashmiri Wedding Procession:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc79...
John Foulds - Kashmiri Wedding Procession
YouTube video by Paul Flight
www.youtube.com
November 2, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Celebrating the Music of John Foulds!
(November 2, 1880 – April 25, 1939)
British composer. Here is his revived, and extraordinary, World Requiem:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPU2...
JOHN HERBERT FOULDS - A WORLD REQUIEM.
YouTube video by iñigo Ortega
www.youtube.com
November 2, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Celebrating the Music of Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf!
(November 2, 1739 – October 24, 1799)
Austrian composer. Here is a fantastic performance of his fine work: Concerto for Double Bass No. 2 (for Ken Harper):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYpk...
DITTERSDORF | bass concerto urtext (1 mov) | Božo Paradžik LIVE 2007
YouTube video by Božo Paradžik musician
www.youtube.com
November 2, 2025 at 8:21 PM