David Maslanka: Reverse Chronological Collection

"Honestly I think some of the most brilliant pieces I've ever heard are written for wind band. Maslanka's Symphony No. 4 is my favorite alongside Mahler's 2nd." - a comment on Reddit Classical

Thanks to that intriguing remark, I listened to the Maslanka 4th on Spotify, three times in a row. It's such a revelation, like hearing House of the Rising Sun, or the Bruckner 8th for the first time. I want to explore more of this composer and share this great discovery, so I compiled this reverse chronological playlist, including 8 recordings of the majestic symphony.

Works in this playlist, with links to program notes:

• Symphony No. 9 (2011)
• O Earth, O Stars,for flute, cello & wind ensemble (2010)
• Liberation, for band (2010)
• Symphony No.8, for Wind Ensemble (2008)
• A Carl Sandburg Reader, for Baritone and Soprano Soloists, and Wind Ensemble(2007)
• Concerto for Trombone and Wind Ensemble (2007)
• Procession of the Academics, for Wind Ensemble (2007)
• Unending Stream of Life: Variations on "All Creatures of Our God and King", for Wind Ensemble(2007)
• David's Book: Concerto for Solo Percussionist and Wind Ensemble (2006)
• Give Us This Day: Short Symphony for Wind Ensemble (2005)
• Mass, for SATB Chorus, Boys Chorus, Soprano & Baritone soli, Organ, and Symphonic Wind Ensemble (revised 2005)
• Symphony No. 7, for Wind Ensemble (2004)
• Desert Roads: Four Songs for Clarinet and Wind Ensemble (2004)
• Mother Earth: A Fanfare, for Wind Ensemble (2003)
• Symphony No. 6 (Living Earth), for Orchestra (2003)
• Concerto No. 2, for Piano, Winds, and Percussion (2003)
• Sonata for Bassoon and Piano (2003)
• Traveler, for Wind Ensemble (2003)
• Song Book, for Flute and Wind Ensemble (2001)
• Testament, for Symphonic Wind Ensemble (2001)
• 11:11 - A Dance at the Edge of the World, for Orchestra (2001) 
• Hohner, for Large Percussion Ensemble (2001) 
• Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble (1999)
• Quintet for Winds No. 3 (1999)
• Heart Songs, for Young Band (1997)
• Hell's Gate, for Three Saxophones and Symphonic Wind Ensemble (1997)
• Mountain Roads, for Saxophone Quartet (1997)
• Morning Star, for Symphonic Wind Ensemble (1997)
• Variations on Lost Love, for Marimba (1997) 
• Laudamus Te, for Wind Ensemble (1994) 
• Tears, for Wind Ensemble (1994)
• Symphony No. 4, for Symphonic Wind Ensemble (1993)
• Montana Music: Three Dances for Percussion, for Percussion Ensemble (1992)
• Sonata for Oboe and Piano (1992)
• Crown of Thorns, for Keyboard Percussion Ensemble (1991)
• Symphony No. 3, for Symphonic Wind Ensemble(1991)
• Concerto for Marimba and Band (1990)
• Golden Light - A Celebration Piece, for Wind Ensemble (1990)
• In Memoriam, for Wind Ensemble (1989)
• Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano (1989)
• Little Symphony on the Name of Barney Childs, for Solo Clarinet (1989)
• Quintet for Winds No. 2 (1986)
• Symphony No. 2, for Concert Band (1985)
• Quintet for Winds No. 1 (1984)
• Arcadia II: Concerto for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble (1982)
• A Child's Garden of Dreams, for Wind Ensemble (1981)
• Heaven to Clear When Day Did Close, for Tenor Saxophone & String Quartet (1981)
• My Lady White, for Marimba (1980)
• Music for Dr. Who, for Bassoon and Piano (1979)
• Concerto for Piano, Winds and Percussion (1976)
• Duo, for Flute and Piano (1972)

Get this collection in one Spotify playlist: David Maslanka: Reverse Chronological Collection (318 tracks, total time: 42 hours). Ctrl (CMD) + G to browse in album view.

The Last Prodigy: Complete Chronological Korngold on Spotify

"Erich Wolfgang Korngold's career bridged astonishing gaps in history and music - from the final years of Imperial Austria, when he was hailed as 'a new Mozart', to Hollywood in the heyday of the studio system, to the darkened era of postwar Europe. In Vienna of the 1920s, his name evoked the best that engagingly melodic, tonal music had to offer in the concert hall or the opera house; in Hollywood he was synonymous with the swashbucklers of Errol Flynn. He was encouraged by Gustav Mahler to pursue his musical studies, and his teachers included Alexander Von Zemlinsky."  -  AllMusic

"While his compositional style was considered well out of vogue at the time he died, his music has more recently undergone a reevaluation and a gradual reawakening of interest. Along with such composers as Max Steiner and Alfred Newman, he is considered one of the founders of film music." - Wikipedia

This playlist is a chronological collection of Korngold's compositions, from Der Schneemann, premiered at the Vienna Court Opera when the composer was 12-year-old, to his last original work, the Theme and Variations for school orchestra. Film scores are also included.

Get this collection in one Spotify playlist: Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Complete Chronological Catalogue (505 tracks, total time: 34 hours). Ctrl (CMD) + G to browse in album view.

Aphex Twin: Complete Discography on Spotify (Including EPs, Remixes, Collabrations & Covers)

42 tracks selected from 42 releases. Including:

• Flim performed by The Bad Plus, and Trio Elf
• 4  performed by Alarm Will Sound
• Nannou performed by The New Talent Jazz Orchestra
• Icct Hedral orchestrated by Phillip Glass
• All official releases available on Spotify, including those under the aliases The Dice Man, Polygon Window, GAK and AFX.
• Remixes of other artists:  Beck, 808 State, Seefeel, Curve and more.
• Remixes by other artists: from the DJ-Kicks albums and Warp remixes compilations.
• At the Heart of It All on NIN's Further Down the Spiral, created by Aphex Twin.

Get this collection in one Spotify playlist: Aphex Twin: Complete Discography (Including EPs, Remixes, Collabrations & Covers) (42 tracks from 42 albums). Ctrl (CMD) + G to browse in album view.

Northern Flowers: Wartime Music Series

The Wartime Music series produced by Russian label Northern Flowers offers an excellent sampler of music composed by Soviet composers during the WWII. The variety of the music is startling, and the fact that Gliere wrote the warm and melancholy Coloratura Soprano Concerto at the height of the war, is a little miracle in itself. The only Shostakovich symphony included is his 9th, an anti-climax celebration of the Russian victory. Works in the 16 volumes released so far are listed below, with links to introductory articles.

• Vol. 1: Nikolay Myaskovsky, Symphony-Ballad, Op. 54; Symphony No. 23 in A minor, Op. 56
• Vol. 2: Vladimir Shcherbachov, Symphony No. 5; The Tobacco Captain Suite
• Vol. 3: Nikolay Myaskovsky, Symphony No. 24 in F minor, Op. 63; Symphony No. 25 in D flat major, Op. 69
• Vol. 4: Gavriil Popov, Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 45, "Geroicheskaya" (The Heroic); Symphonic Aria, Op. 43
• Vol. 5: Mieczyslaw Weinberg: Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 10; Cello Concerto, Op. 43
• Vol. 6: Lev Knipper: Violin Concerto No. 1; Symphony No. 8
• Vol. 7: Dmitry Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 70; Russkaya reka (Russian River), Op. 66; Otchizna (Native Country), Op. 63
• Vol. 8: Gavriil Popov, Symphony No. 2, Op. 39, "Rodina" (The Homeland); The Turning Point, Op. 44; Red Cavalry Campaign, "Symphonic Poster"
• Vol. 9: Alexander Mossolov: Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 34; Symphony in E major
• Vol. 10: Sergey Prokofiev: Semyon Kotko Suite, Op. 81bis; Waltz Suite, Op. 110
• Vol. 11: Yuri Kochurov: Macbeth Symphony; The Suvorov Overture; Solemn March;  Heroic Aria
• Vol. 12: Orest Yevlakhov, Symphony No. 1, Op. 14; Nochnoy patrul' (Night Patrol); Concert Suite, Op. 8
• Vol. 13: Reinhold Glière: Cello Concerto in D minor, Op. 87; Coloratura Soprano Concerto, Op. 82
• Vol. 14: Leonid Polovinkin, Symphony No. 9
• Vol. 15: Igor Stravinsky, Symphony in 3 Movements; Scherzo a la russe; Danses concertantes
• Vol. 16: Leonid Polovinkin, Symphony No. 7; Heroic Overture; The Sunny Tribe

Get this collection in one Spotify playlist here: Northern Flowers: Wartime Music (143 tracks, 17 hours) Ctrl (CMD) + G to browse in album view. Discussions about this series on Unsung Composers.

Roger Dean's Album Covers: Chronological Collection on Spotify

"Roger Dean is an English artist, designer, architect, and publisher. He is best known for his work on posters and album covers for musicians, which he began painting in the late 1960s. The covers often feature exotic, fantasy landscapes. His work has sold more than sixty million copies world-wide." - Wikipedia

Cover of Yes – Keys To Ascension

This playlist is a collection of albums featuring cover art designed by Roger Dean. From 1969's Earth & Fire, to the new album of Asia, released this month; 67 albums in total. I picked one standout track, or my personal favorite, from every album.

Get this collection in one Spotify playlist: Roger Dean's Album Covers: Chronological Collection (67 tracks from 67 albums). Albums are sorted by release date. See Album Cover Gallery for selected album covers with comment. By the way, I always thought the cover of Jon Anderson's Olias of Sunhillow was by Dean. It's not, but the album itself was partly inspired by Dean's cover for Fragile.

Ctrl (CMD) + G to enable album view; enlarge album cover to browse.

C.P.E. Bach: Complete Keyboard Music (BIS) on Spotify, and Radio Major/Minor Key Emanuel

 "A unique monument to one of the 18th century's most underrated composers." - Gramophone

"C.P.E. Bach was a marvelous composer, and it's rather amazing to consider that until BIS began this estimable series, the vast majority of his more than 60 keyboard concertos remained unknown. ...full of C.P.E. Bach's typical turbulence, Romantic sentiment, and surprising musical syntax. Miklós Spányi plays all of these works on a delightful-sounding tangent piano (a sort of cross between a harpsichord and a piano) with his customary verve and insightful musicianship. He's very well accompanied and recorded too." - David Hurwitz

Since 1995, The Hungarian early keyboard specialist Miklós Spányi has been engaged in recording all the keyboard works of C.P.E. Bach for BIS Records. The 25 volumes of solo keyboard music, and 18 volumes of keyboard concertos released so far, have recently become fully available on Spotify.

Get this collection in one Spotify playlist: C.P.E. Bach: Complete Keyboard Music (BIS) (571 tracks, total time: 50 hours) Ctrl (CMD) + G to browse in album view. Albums are sorted by volume number; concertos first and solo works second. New releases from this ongoing series will be added when they appear. Reviews and more info about the music can be found on AllMusic and BIS.

This playlist can generate at least two interesting Radio channels: Ctrl (CMD) + F and input minor or major into the filter bar, set the playlist on shuffle, double click it and start exploring this vast goldmine "by mood". Example here. Minor key Emanuel is always special.

Naxos Liszt Complete Piano Music

"The exciting array of prize-winning young pianists and critically-acclaimed, respected artists playing the complete piano music of Liszt distinguishes the series from other collections currently available in the market. Naxos is honoured to be recording laureates of such prestigious competitions as the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, the London World Piano Competition and the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition." - Official site

This ongoing series features Liszt's own compositions for piano, including piano reduction of orchestral works; as well as his transcriptions of Beethoven, Schubert, Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, Wagner and many other composers. 35 albums have been released so far, and the whole series became available on Spotify recently.

Get this collection in one Spotify playlist: Naxos: Liszt Complete Piano Music (387 tracks, total time: 40 hours). Ctrl (CMD) + G to browse in album view. Albums are arranged by volume number. Liner notes to every album is available at Naxos. This series is far from completed - Hyperion's Complete Liszt Piano Music took 99 disks to finish. New releases will be added to the playlist when they appear.

Also check out the audiobook on Liszt's life and works from the Naxos Educational playlist. 

Naxos Japanese Classics Series on Spotify

"Since the latter half of the 19th century, Japanese classical composers have taken inspiration from western classical music culture to create a variety of original compositions. However, with the exception of works by a few famous figures such as Toru Takemitsu, such compositions have had a limited audience even within Japan. The Naxos Japanese Classics series rediscovers composers such as Akio Yashiro, Saburo Moroi, Hisato Ohzawa, and introduces what is a rich musical repertoire to a much wider audience than before. Many of the works in the collection receive their première recordings. Each album provides detailed and authoritative liner notes, and is supported by fine performances from distinguished ensembles and conductors." - Official site

Get this collection in one Spotify playlist: Naxos: Japanese Classics (227 tracks, total time: 23 hours) Ctrl (CMD) + G to browse in album view (this series features some of the best cover art from Naxos). All titles in this series are available on Spotify, except for one Japan-only release. Albums are sorted alphabetically by composer name. See the Naxos page for more info, including complete liner notes. Also check out the discussion about this series on Unsung Composers. 

Naxos Schubert Lied Edition on Spotify

"In what is the perfect introduction to Schubert's world of songs, acclaimed pianist Ulrich Eisenlohr accompanies the élite of today's young German Lieder singers to give superior performances in this ongoing recording project of Schubert's Lieder, totalling over 700 songs set to poetry from classical Greece, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, from 18th-century German authors, early Romantics, Biedermeier poets, and Heine. All recordings are supplemented by German and translated English sung texts online." - Official site

Get this edition in one Spotify playlist: Naxos Schubert Lied Edition (672 tracks, 35 volumes, 38 CDs, total time: 41 hours) Ctrl (CMD) + G to browse in album view. Albums are sorted by volume number. Check out booklets and original German texts with English translation on Naxos.

P.S. The Franz Schubert: Complete Chronological Catalogue D. 1 - 998 has been updated accordingly. Original post here.

Charles Ives: Complete Chronological Catalogue

"For all his singularity, the Yankee maverick Charles Ives is among the most representative of American artists. Optimistic, idealistic, fiercely democratic, he unified the voice of the American people with the forms and traditions of European classical music. The result, in his most far-reaching work, is like nothing ever imagined before him: music at once unique and as familiar as a tune whistled in childhood, music that can conjure up the pandemonium of a small-town Fourth of July or the quiet of a New England church, music of visionary spirituality built from the humblest materials--an old gospel hymn, a patriotic tune, a sentimental parlor song. The way in which Ives pursued his goal of a democratic art, and his career of creating at the highest level of ambition while making a fortune in the life insurance business, perhaps could only have happened in the United States. And perhaps only there could such an isolated, paradoxical figure make himself into a major artist." - Jan Swafford

This playlist is a roughly chronological collection of Ives' works; compiled after the list of works on AllMusic, sorted by year. Two realizations (by Larry Austin and Johnny Reinhard) of the Universe Symphony are included, as well as two versions (1908 and 1935) of The Unanswered Question, Emerson Concerto, and A Concord Symphony. For the Holiday Symphony, I put the four movements, composed from 1897 to 1913, in their chronological place, and also included a performance of the complete piece (assembled around 1917). The playlist starts with Bernstein's discussion of Ives, and ends with John Adams's orchestral version of five Ives songs.

Get this collection in one Spotify playlist: Charles Ives: Complete Chronological Catalogue (400 tracks, total time: 25 hours). Ctrl (CMD) + G to browse in album view.