Well at the moment, I'm listening to THE CARTER FAMILY: The Original Carter Family: One of America's earliest Folk and Country Music groups: excellent stuff! They started recording their music in 1929; It really is worth a listen!
Right now (well,after I finish this post) I'm going to listen, for the nth. time to:
Elgar, ENIGMA VARIATIONS and Hamish Maccun, LAND OF THE MOUNTAIN AND THE FLOOD.
The Elgar is one of the best-known works in English music. The composer wrote a series of musical
sketches of his friends, theoretically variations on one tune, although it's difficult to identify. Like
most classical pieces, it's better to listen to all of it from the beginning, rather than Fast Forward to
the "Best Bits", as a lot of people tend to do, for those same "Best Bits" to have their full impact.
The most moving variation is Nimrod, which is named for Elgar's friend Jaeger (I don't remember
his first name, and if I look it up I'll probably lose the whole post, as oftimes before. I like to slip
in the occasional archaism, thus.) Nimrod is real lump-in-the-throat music. Maccun is a "one work" composer. He was a 19th. Century Scottish professor, who wrote
a lot of music, but the overture, LAND OF THE MOUNTAIN AND THE FLOOD is the only
piece to retain a precarious place in the CD catalogues and occasionally the concert hall. Two
main tunes, the first leading easily into the other, both insinuating themselves into your mind.
For both these compositions, YouTube. For the the whole kit-and-caboodle of
Classical music, YouTube. Great music, very often married to great visuals. (Not only Classical,
of course. Every genre has a good selection of videos).
Explore.Enjoy.
P.S. Nimrod/Jaeger? Nimrod comes in the Bible, the Old Testament. I don't know where.
Nimrod was supposed to be a great hunter. "Jaeger" is German for "hunter" . (I think.)
I prefer.....