Little Gems

Many of my blogs have been quite long winded but this one should be more concise. Maybe it will reach a few more of you that way. A few years ago I was down on the way the internet and internet related industries were reducing the influence of filter giants like The New York Times and other big media outlets. If everyone has access, if there aren't big institutional media outlets to guide us to excellance how will we ever wade through the enormous material out there to find greatness in whatever category we seek? In many ways I still feel that way but am glad to be able to find "little gems" on my own. I joined Rapsody a few months ago and Pandora two years or so before that. Both have helped me discover new classical music I didn't know was out there. Last year it was a few works of Gerald Finzi, "Romance" and "Introit". Before these internet based musical stations existed you would have to rely on traditional classical radio stations that played the same old time worn giants over and over again. Small obscure pieces never got any play. The latest little gem I've discovered through Rapsody is Alexander Glazunov's 9th Symphony. Please try to find it and give it a listen. It's only a 10+ minute,one movement piece. Its not Beetoven's 5th.Just a small slice of good old fashion 19th century russian romantic music at its best. Enjoy. Bill