#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalHoliday Week 1
By Ralph Graves
Traditionally, #ClassicalChristmas has been the December theme for Classics a Day. This year, it’s changed slightly — #ClassicalHoliday.
The idea was always to encourage folks to share works composed for performance in December. The pieces could be either sacred or secular. But the hashtag #ClassicalChristmas suggested music only for one faith tradition. So new hashtag, same concept. During the month of December post works that were meant to be performed in the wintertime.
Here are my posts for the first week of #ClassicalHoliday
12/01/21 Vitezslava Kapralova – Prélude de Noël
Kapralova wrote this for a Christmas Eve broadcast in 1939. Her orchestration reflects the influence of her friend and teacher, Bohuslav Martinu.
12/02/21 Christoph Graupner – Gott sei uns, Gott sei uns gnädig, GWV 1109/41
The cantata “God be us God be gracious to us” was composed for the First Sunday in Advent, 1740.
12/03/21 – Tomás Luis de Victoria – O magnum mysterium
This is one of Victoria’s most-performed works and is considered an outstanding example of late-Renaissance polyphony.
