M. Zachary Johnson's Music Recommendations

M. Zachary Johnson is a freelance composer and musicologist living in the New York City area. He received undergraduate degrees in music theory and composition with high honors from the University of Michigan, and a masters degree in music theory from the Mannes College of Music, where he attended on full tuition scholarship and, upon graduation, was awarded the Felix Salzer Prize for Excellence in Music Theory. He worked for several years as a staff musicologist for a New York firm that licences Broadway musicals. He is currently composing music for saxophone, and is collaborating with saxophonist Brian Horner to create a complete album of saxophone music. The recording is expected to be available in the near future.

Milestones of Musical Romanticism

Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony - An archetype of Classical period musical structure, exemplifying the kind of musical form that was carried into the century of Romanticism.

Schubert's Unfinished Symphony - The first fully Romantic Symphony, with Schubert's characteristic lyricism and Romantic depth of expression.

Schubert's Ave Maria - The unforgettable melody, in an exquisite performance by Marian Anderson.

Beethoven's Eroica - The symphony that inaugurates 19th-century Romanticism.

Beethoven’s Emperor - His famously triumphant last piano concerto

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony - The Ode to Joy.

Songs with Texts by Goethe, sung by soprano Dawn Upshaw - This album includes eight important songs by Schubert, whose songs were pivotal in the early development of romantic melody.

Chopin's Nocturnes - The "poet of the piano" was a tremendous innovator in melody and harmony as well as a master of composition suited to the piano.

Chopin's Etudes - Although these are technical studies for pianists (and consequently demand advanced virtuosity), they are more powerfully expressive and memorable than many other composers’ "purely artistic" compositions.

Chopin's Waltzes - These pieces give us a continuous stream of romantic melody; listeners will recognize many of the waltzes, such as the famous "Minute" Waltz.

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 and Violin Concerto - With these concertos, romanticism reaches new heights of emotional intensity and passion.

Brahms's Violin Sonatas - Brahms was "a Romantic in expression but a Classicist in form and technique."

Brahms's Liebeslieder (love-song) Waltzes - For four solo voices accompanied by piano four-hands, these light and melodious songs are 19th-century precursors to the 20th-century popular ballad.

Bizet's Carmen (DVD) - Melodious, lively, and intensely dramatic, Carmen is the most widely popular of all operas. Highlights from the opera on CD.

Sergei Rachmaninoff - Rachmaninoff was one of the greatest practitioners of the romantic integration of mind and body, and was essentially the last.

Sergei Rachmaninoff: The Complete Recordings

Other Recommendations

Romances for Saxophone - Branford Marsalis plays thirteen sumptuous romantic melodies, arranged for soprano saxophone with orchestra.

Camille Saint-Saens Concertos - "Saint-Saens’s concertos exemplify the most thrilling aspects of his sense of life: boldness, directness, extravagant drama, grandeur, vitality, and a sense of excitement. It is music that says ‘life matters.’" – From "A Taste of a Romantic Sense of Life," TIA, Vol. 16, No. 1.

Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 - The "Organ" Symphony.

Emmerich Kalman’s Countess Maritza - "Kalman’s distinction in the operetta genre is the richness of his musical palette and his command of an adult’s full depth and range of emotion." – From "Ambassador of Operetta," TIA Vol. 17, No. 2.

John Philip Sousa Marches - "Sousa’s marches are lighter and faster than the typical European military march, so instead of a certain pomp or stately quality, they project vitality, upbeat optimism, and straightforward simplicity." – From "Salesman of Americanism: The Life and Music of John Philip Sousa," TIA Vol. 17, No. 7.

Stars & Stripes - An album of "Fanfares, Marches, and Wind Band Spectaculars" which includes Leo Arnaud's familiar "Bugler's Dream," the music used as the theme for the Olympic Games.

NBC Presents: Summon the Heroes - The spirit of the Olympics on CD.

Holiday Music Recommendations

A Festival of Carols in Brass - The Philadelphia Brass plays bright, lively arrangements of Christmas music. With the luster and peal of the brass sound, this music has a unique majesty and energy.

Songs of Angels: Christmas Hymns and Carols - The Robert Shaw Chamber Singers sing beautiful a capella renditions of famous Christmas melodies. The rhythmic precision, the harmonic blend, and the melodic shaping put this album a cut above.

Joy to the World: Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra - The rich, full sound of the Philadelphia Orchestra with the Philadelphia Grand Opera Chorus. This is Christmas music as sumptuous as it gets.

Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas - Don't be turned off by the cheesy title and cover art for this CD. The music is great--lively, upbeat, and with all of the irresistible vocal character that made Ella Fitzgerald “the First Lady of Jazz.”

Christmas Adagios - This album includes compositions by great composers--such as Schubert's Ave Maria, Brahms' Lullaby, Bach's Christmas Oratorio--as well as exceptionally intelligent arrangements of traditional songs, all grouped together according to the theme of Christmas. The performers are the highest caliber, including Lyontyne Price and Herbert von Karajan. This recording is an especially good bargain--a low price for the highest quality music.

Rachmaninoff Vespers - This is not a Christmas work, but the richly expressive choral harmonies, the warm mood, and the beauty of this music make it perfect for the wintry Holiday season.

Books

John Philip Sousa: American Phenomenon - The definitive biography of an American icon.

Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime in Music - The influential biography, first published in 1956, now available in a handsome new edition.

The Great Pianists - A classic in the history of romantic piano performance.