What are you Listening To Right Now? - and more

You could listen to Sarah Brightman singing "Figlio Perduto" or Libera singing "Sacris Solemnis" and enjoy both for the beautiful music that they are. You would never need to know, or care, that both are based on Beethoven's 7th Symphony, which I'm listening to right now.

Looks like I might just get all 9 in before it's time to hit the sack. Tomorrow is another day, and if the phone stays quiet, I'll be firing up with the same music, same orchestra, but a different format and a different conductor. I'll be breaking out the Deutsche Grammophon vinyl, Berliner Philharmoniker under Herbert von Karajan.
 
Very cool, JRho!!

What's the deal on that patchbay?

GJ
It's just an old Teac PB-64 I got with some other stuff. It's on a little bench test rack that I want to set up to test most anything. Tuners, turntables, speakers, amps, whatever. It patches down currently to an Akai integrated underneath there that has preout-main ins, just makes it easier to set up the DUT.
 
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About twenty-five years ago when I was in the annuity business, I became acquainted with a few folks in state politics due to some lobbying that would have meant an enormous increase in my personal income had the effort succeeded. Louisiana passed the same legislation, which made my counter-part in that state very large monthly checks for a year, and significant renewals for some years after. Mississippi lawmakers failed to pass it by a narrow margin, and my office and job died within a few months. Such is life.

However, during that time when optimism ran high, one politician's wife approached me and said, "Hal, I hear you are a classical music fan, and Daryl recommended I speak with you. The Symphony has an annual benefit coming up in a few weeks, and the Mayor's wife and I have been trying to come up with a name for the event. This year we are serving an evening meal while the orchestra plays, and that being new we want a name that includes both the meal and music. If you could give me any ideas at all, I'd appreciate it. We need to come up with it this week, so give it some thought, would you?"

It wasn't as if I attended concerts, nor was I exceptionally knowledgeable about classical music. Knew no one in the orchestra, could not name the conductor. But as she walked away, an idea struck me, and I said, "Regina, hang on. Something came to me just now - it's simple, and I think kind of catchy and gets the idea across concisely - how about Dinner in D Minor?"

"Oh, that sounds perfect! My, you are quick - Daryl said you think fast on your feet. If you think of any others, let me know, but I think we'll be using this one."

And that was how I came to name an orchestral concert in the capitol city that year. I was invited as a guest, but had other obligations and was unable to attend. Whether or not they ever used the title again, I do not know. My claim to anonymity complete, I can die a happy man.

An audio buddy of mine once remarked to me, as he perused my records, "You're a sucker for anything in D Minor, aren't you?"

Yep. Always was, still am, so naming the dinner came quite easily to me. Schumann's only violin concerto is in my favorite key, and is also my favorite concerto for the instrument. I love Bach's Harpsichord Concerto in D Minor, too.

The image above is just the first example I found on Tidal. Any real classical gurus out there want to recommend other recordings of the piece?
 
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