Shades of Classical?

Several questions for this new release...will it introduce new people to classical music? does it compliment the books? would you read them knowing it has classical music ties?

EMI Classics will release Fifty Shades of Grey – The Classical Album, a 15-track album featuring classical music personally selected by author E L James herself and referenced in her bestselling Fifty Shades book trilogy. The album will be available in the U.S. and Canada digitally on August 21st and in CD format on September 18th. The album will be released internationally in both formats on September 17th.
Says James of the new album: "I am thrilled that the classical pieces that inspired me while I wrote the Fifty Shades Trilogy are being brought together in one collection for all lovers of the books to enjoy."

The three novels in the Fifty Shades trilogy (Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed) are published by Vintage Books and have sold more than 20 million copies in the U.S. (the trilogy has sold 31 million copies worldwide). The books’ various references to classical music have spurred sales of the pieces mentioned – even going so far as to cause Spem in Alium, a 16th century motet for 40 voices by Thomas Tallis, to jump to the top of the classical charts in the UK.
Fifty Shades of Grey – The Classical Album aims to provide the perfect accompaniment to the Fifty Shades reading experience, setting a mysterious and alluring atmosphere with just the slightest hint of danger…the music on the album includes The Tallis Scholars’ sweeping version of Spem in Alium featured in the first novel, along with 14 other works from the books, such as the ‘Flower Duet’ from Lakmé, Pachelbel’s Canon in D, the ‘aria’ from Bach’s Goldberg Variations and more. The recording artists include such world-class performers as Sir Simon Rattle, King’s College Choir, Barbara Hendricks, and Alexandre Tharaud, and the album features cover art based on the novels.
"We are delighted to be partnering with E L James and Random House on this project," said Wendy Ong, VP of EMI Classics. "The Fifty Shades books are a bona fide cultural phenomenon, and they offer an exciting new way to present this timeless music to audiences who might not otherwise be exposed to it." - from EMI Classics' press release

The Voice of the Poet: Alternate Routes

Musical writing for the non-operatic voice in the 20th and 21st century is truly vast and largely unheard.  Besides the most famous names such as Richard Strauss, Francis Poulenc, Claude Debussy, Manuel De Falla, Gustav Mahler, Aaron Copland and Puccini, there is an entire world of melody, lieder song, vocal cantata, oratorio, song cycles and other scena and scenario that stretch across the last century into our own time.  For National Poetry Month we will survey some of these works on Alternate Routes.

In three successive weeks of programs, we'll hear from poets of all time periods, languages and geographies set to modern music. Peter Lieberson will provide music for the German poetry of Rilke; John Ireland will give us settings of Blake, Shakespeare and James Joyce; diverse composers will try their hands at the blues inflected work of Langston Hughes; Margaret Garwood will give us choral settings of e.e. cummimgs and Edna St. Vincent Millay. Libby Larsen and Elisenda Fabregas, among others, were drawn to the great novelist Margaret Atwood, and we'll hear their settings of that poet. We’ll also enjoy Shostakovich and Britten’s inspired turns at Michelangelo.

As an added treat on each of these dates, April 13, 20 and 27 we'll broadcast readings from some of the century’s greatest poets in their own words. Among these will be James Joyce, Margaret Atwood, Robert Frost, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Langston Hughes.

Please tune in Friday nights at 10pm on Alternate Routes and hear a feast of words and music in the three part series: “Music and the Voice of the Poet,” on KPAC 88.3 FM and KTXI 90.1 FM.

--Ron Moore, co-host, "Alternate Routes"

Top Ten Thankful Classical Songs

We love Top Ten lists just as much as the next guy, so here goes our Thanksgiving Edition! (click on the title to hear an example!)

#10. Leonard Bernstein: Turkey Trot (Divertimento)

#9. Trad, arr Carmen: Turkey in the Straw

#8. The Cranberries: Zombie (performed by the Poteet Orchestra)

#7. Ludwig van Beethoven: Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart (String Quartet #15, Opus 132)

#6. Philip Glass: The American Four Seasons

#5. Aaron Copland: Simple Gifts (Old American Songs)

#4. Samuel Barber: First Essay

#3. Ralph Vaughan-Williams: March of the Kitchen Utensils (The Wasps)

#2. Ludwig van Beethoven: Shepherd's Song: Happy and thankful feelings after a storm (Symphony #6 "Pastorale")

and the Number One Classical Thanksgiving Song

Eric Whitacre: I thank you God for this Most Amazing Day