Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
18 Waltzes (the traditional fourteen plus four posthumously published waltzes)
Piano — Aldo Ciccolini
Seraphim Recording. Printed in the U.S.A.
Where do I get started with classical music? That was the question I asked myself four years ago. There are of course many ways to go about answering that question. In my case I cared more about the emotional power and historical context of the music, than theoretical formulations and the adulation of purely technical prowess. I found my answer, organically, via dusty dollar-bin dives through the classical-vinyl collections of various record shops in the city: Kops Records, Sonic Boom, BMV Books (lowkey one of the largest classical collections in the city), Seekers, Tonality, Rotate This, Shortstack, Cosmos, Paradise (the biggest collection in the city), and the occasional Discogs purchase. I wanted something tangible, musical material, to let music take up space in the space I inhabit, and in that sense is this blog the house that music built. So I started a musical calendar of sorts, beginning in August, 52 weeks to digest 52 fifty recordings .
At first I thought it would be impossible to maintain this schedule alongside the demands of being twenty-something in Toronto—but, looking back on the last four years, I simply can’t imagine getting through it in one piece without this constant regimen. Not to mention the whole host of truly amazing people that I’ve met, and organizations I’ve been introduced to, thanks to this blog. Although this blog has grown much over the years, the purpose of the journal that started it remains the same: as a record of the musical education that I didn’t have access to growing up in a ‘developing’ country (along with anything else on my mind that week).
Looking ahead to this next year, and to the roster below, I wanted to expand that education to find more of what I like, and more new things like it. I didn’t want the list below to read like another musical-obituary of dead-white-men—a difficult feat in this genre—so I sought out to find more works by female and minority composers. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find such works on vinyl, the format is a literal record of exclusion. While the list below is still far from what I would describe as truly diverse catalogue of composers—I remain committed to getting there—it is a reminder to the occasional visitor of the important contributions made by classical music’s ‘others’. Another guiding principle for this roster is an emphasis on chamber music: even before the pandemic, and since the 2019 Toronto Summer Music Festival, I’ve had it in mind to move towards music on a less symphonic scale. It’s feels especially appropriate now that much of the musical performances in the near future will be happening at the scale of quartets, chamber orchestras, trios, solo recitals, and the like.
For the seasoned collectors out there, I include all the deets you’ll need to find yourself a copy; and for those who don’t share the vinyl obsession, I try and include video recordings of each composition (but I encourage you to shop around for a recording you will like). And! It’s not all classical: each week features a ‘song of the week’ segment, usually a ‘folk’ song I’ve just added to my musical library—good music is good music, who gives a damn about genre. So I hope you will accept my invitation to join me for another year of musicking. Stop by here occasionally for a great recording of an old favourite, who knows, you might find something new.