
Most people can come to an agreement in regards to the beginning of heavy metal music that will place its roots stemming from blues and developing true "heavy metal" form in the loud rock of the late '60s/early '70s; however, there is actually much evidence that heavy metal got its start one hundred-plus years before that in the minds and music of classical composers. For anyone even slightly familiar with the great works of classical music, this may come as no surprise. Let's face it, it's no secret that Ludwig van Beethoven and Richard Wagner [...]

The new release by violinist Joshua Bell is a beautiful revival of Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" coupled with Giusseppe Tartini's "Devil's Trill Sonata". The album comes in gorgeous packaging with illustrated cards containing poems written by Vivaldi himself for each of the four seasons. The liner notes also give insight into the works themselves, as well as Bell's motives for choosing these particular pieces. The Autumn: The village celebrates with dance and song its pleasure at the good harvest & many, heated by Bacchus's draught, end their enjoyment in [...]
Verano Meatballs, Are You Ready For the Summer? War, Summer. The Woods, Love Me Again This Summer. The Beach Boys, Your Summer Dream. Bob Dylan, In the Summertime. Les Paul and Mary Ford, In the Good Old Summertime. Al Green, Summertime. Sidney Bechet, Summertime. Roy Richards and the Soul Vendors, Summertime. Gene Vincent, Summertime. Antonio Vivaldi, L'Estate: Presto. Astor Piazzolla, Verano
The sinners stand as though enchanted, their faces lifted. A path has opened in the darkness, a promise has been made, evidence has been presented: all will be saved, no explanations necessary—the magical dark-blue abyss, raised above us by nameless artists, speaks for itself, sings in a wordless language. The blue flows down toward the garlands of fruit and leaves.… Everything disappears, but again and again the lights flash on, the fête is endless, and any minute now the angels will begin to sing. Let there be light! - Tatyana Tolstaya, See the Other Side [...]