The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: Here is music to mark Memorial Day. What pieces would you choose?
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By Jacob Stockinger
Today is Memorial Day 2017, when those soldiers who died in war and service to their country are honored. (Below is an Associated Press photo of the National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.)
Many blogs, newspapers and radio stations list classical music that is appropriate for the occasion.
But one of the very best compilations that The Ear has seen comes this year from Nashville Public Radio.
Perhaps that makes sense because Nashville is such a musical city.
Perhaps it has to do with other reasons.
Whatever the cause, this list gives you modern and contemporary composers and music (John Adams, Joseph Bertolozzi and Jeffrey Ames) as well as tried-and-true classics (Henry Purcell and Edward Elgar, Franz Joseph Haydn and Frederic Chopin).
It even features some music that The Ear is sure you don’t know.
Take a look and many listens:
Do you agree with the choices?
Do you like them or at least some of them?
Which ones?
Which music would you choose to mark today?
Leave a name and, if possible, a link to YouTube in the COMMENT section.
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: AP, Arlington National Cemetery, Arts, Associated Press, Baroque, blog, casualty, Cello, cemetery, Chamber music, choral music, civilian, classic, Classical music, compilation, composer, contemporary, country, dead, death, Elgar, Holiday, Jacob Stockinger, Jeffrey Ames, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Adams, Joseph Bertolozzi, loss, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Memorial Day, memory, military, modern, Mozart, Music, Nashville, national, National Public Radio, Newspaper, NPR, opera, Orchestra, peace, photo, Purcell, Radio, remembrance, service, soldier, Sonata, symphony, Tennessee, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Veteran, veterans, vocal music, war, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, YouTube
Classical music: Today is Memorial Day 2016. What what classical music would you play? And should civilians be included and honored along with the military?
1 Comment
By Jacob Stockinger
Today is Memorial Day 2016, originally called Decoration Day because people placed flowers on the graves of soldiers who had died or been killed.
But as Decoration Day turned into Memorial Day to honor all military personnel, including the living, the holiday has also become the occasion for marches and parades, for picnics and start-of-summer celebrations.
What music would you play to best honor the occasion and those who served, were wounded or fell?
The Ear has looked for new compilations.
So far, the best one remains, after five years, one that appeared on the Deceptive Cadence blog for National Public Radio or NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104341851
It comes with names and audio clips.
What pieces of classical music would you choose?
But here is a more controversial question: Should we also include and honor civilians on Memorial Day?
Modern wars — World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan — have turned countless civilians into fatalities and casualties. In fact, in many cases, civilian casualties of war far outnumber military ones.
It is inarguable: Modern wars have drafted or conscripted or forced civilians into action, and not just into the military.
The Ear does not think that honoring civilians who were injured or fell in the wars detracts from honoring veterans and the members of the military who did so.
Maybe civilians should even have their own day to mark and honor their sacrifices?
What do you think?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: Armed Forces Day, cemetery, civilian, Decoration Day, grave, Gulf War, Korean War, marches, Memorial Day, military, Military personnel, National Public Radio, NPR, parade, picnic, summer, United States, United States Armed Forces, Veteran, Vietnam, Vietnam War, World War II
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