We share the gift of music together every weekend when you invite me and Sunday Baroque along. Sometimes the gift keeps on giving when you continue to listen to Sunday Baroque using our online stream or app later in the week. I know you enjoy the music, and appreciate the many ways it enhances your life. So each year, I comb through the stacks of recent recordings and compile a list of the ones I think would make pleasing gifts for the people on your list. (or as a gift for yourself!)
The 2019 Sunday Baroque Holiday Gift List is about to be revealed for your consideration, and I am pleased by the interesting selections available to recommend to you this year. As always, I have included familiar composers and music, as well as some interesting and gratifying surprises. There are Concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, as well as music by Gottfried Finger. There are Overtures by Bach — not only Johann Sebastian, but by two of his beloved and influential cousins.
It is also the first time I can recall repeating a particularly outstanding CD two years in a row! Yo-Yo Ma’s third recording of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Suites for Unaccompanied Cello (SIX EVOLUTIONS) is THAT exceptional, both musically and culturally. Yo-Yo Ma is not only the preeminent cellist of our time, he is one of the most outstanding and important musicians of all time. As the title of his CD states, he is constantly evolving and growing in his artistry, curiosity, and advocacy. After completing SIX EVOLUTIONS, Yo-Yo Ma launched THE BACH PROJECT. It is his ambitious effort to perform all six suites in one sitting in 36 locations across the globe. Now in his 60s, Yo-Yo Ma has a long relationship with this music, and a deep personal belief that Bach’s music has an, “… ability to speak to our common humanity at a time when our civic conversation is so often focused on division.” It is magnificent music, performed beautifully, and containing a meaningful, broader message. He illustrates that music itself is truly a “gift” in every sense.
Throughout the rest of the year, you will have the opportunity to audition recordings from the 2019 Sunday Baroque Holiday Gift List on Sunday Baroque each week. Because these are the cream of the crop, this music is also perfect to help you get through a busy, sometimes stressful time of year accompanied by music that is uplifting and satisfying.
Thank you for the gift of your company each week! I hope you enjoy these selections!