FREE/BARGAIN — Media Deals (non-eBook/non-audiobook)

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Manabi

The filters require very little time. 99% of the time just clicking on the drop down menu next to the reply arrow, selecting "Filter messages like this" will fill in a from/etc. that is best to filter by. Click "create filter with this search" to go to next screen, choose the "New label" option under "Apply the label" drop-down and name it. Check the box next to the "Create filter" button before clicking it and it'll apply the label to all the old e-mails too. I usually also check the "Never send it to Spam" box too. And done, it'll get them in the future unless they changes the from address. It takes significantly longer to write the directions than to actually do it. Probably around five seconds max to create a filter this way.

I understand the lack of desire/motivation to invest the time setting it up, but you can easily do this when you open one to read. Just do one or two a day and after a while you'll have them all. On my main account I have hundreds of labels and at least a hundred filters, but I did this over years so I never spent any large chunks of time creating them.
<snip>

It's not the time required to actually set them up so much as it is the time and mental energy to decide all of the various things that I need to and include filters for everything that I should. That kind of thing. I guess that I can always tweak things after I've gotten something--even if it's not perfect--going.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Manabi

<snip>
Hah, I'm glad I give that impression but I have serious depression and health problems (which also exacerbate the depression) so I have zero motivation nowadays. Took me four days to get myself to clean my glasses this week.

So sorry to hear about the issues. I learned a long time ago that if I don't know for sure how to respond in a helpful way, it is best to keep my mouth shut except to express sympathy and concern. This is one of those cases.

Anyway, you do seem to have your ducks in a row.

[GtrsRGr8]

Again, a Naxos-published album is the source of a YourClassical freebie. This time, it is the first free piece from YourClassical for the week (M-F).

First, information about the album. It is [Maurice] Ravel - Orchestra Works - Vol. 4. There are two parts to the album: a long, multi-track Daphnis et Chloe and the orchestral version of Miroir: No. 3. Une barque sur l'ocean, which consists of a single 7 minute, 36 second track.

I know that all of that is hard to keep track of (pun intended), but if you'll point your web browser to here, you can sort all of that out, and find out lots of other information about the album.

YourClassical is offering the second part of the album, Une baroque sur l'ocean for free. It is a single track. It is formatted MP3. Since the Lyon National Orchestra performs the entire album, under the direction of conductor Leonard Slatkin, I suppose that that applies to our free piece, too (intelligent, ain't I?).

My opinion of the piece? It sounds like a modern-day film score. There are highs and lows, and loud and softs. As a film score, it would be nice. But, personally, I did not care that much for it as a piece to listen to by itself.

Your can download the free piece from this website. Look for the "Direct MP3 download link." Clicking it will automatically install the piece to your default device. Alternatively, you can stream it by clicking on the stream bar on the same webpage.

[GtrsRGr8]

A new freebie is available from Alexander Street.

More properly, I should say freebies (plural), because they always give away several tracks ("one complete work," they say) when they make their giveaways each two weeks.

Alexander Street says,
This week's download features Lutosławski's Five Folk Melodies. These tunes are arrangements from his larger work, Melodie Ludowe (Folk Melodies), for solo piano. This recording is performed by the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie under the direction of Jean-Paul Dessy.

Here are the five free pieces that they are offering. They are all MP3's:
- O, my Johnny
- Hey, I come from Kracow
- The Grove
- The Gander
- The schoolmaster

I usually say nothing, or very little, about the composer(s) when I make a classical music post. In many cases, they are well known. However, I would like to quote this much from Alexander Street about Lutoslawski, since his name might not be as familiar to you as some of the older composers:
Witold Roman Lutosławski was a Polish composer and orchestral conductor. He is one of the major European composers of the 20th century, and one of the preeminent Polish musicians during his last three decades.

Alexander Street requires that you have an account with them, in order to get their free downloads. The form near the bottom of this webpage is as good as any to use to sign up. Alexander Street markets to institutions, such as libraries, so some of the questions may not apply to you. If you will just put something down, however, you should be able to secure an account (they do not forbid individuals from having an account). Once you have your account, you can go to this webpage, which will have the actual download links near the upper righthand corner (they are in blue) Alternatively, you may return to the webpage where you signed up for your account, and click on the bright blue "download" button that should be at the bottom righthand corner of Mr. Lutoslawski's photograph.

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

It's not the time required to actually set them up so much as it is the time and mental energy to decide all of the various things that I need to and include filters for everything that I should. That kind of thing. I guess that I can always tweak things after I've gotten something--even if it's not perfect--going.

That's exactly how I built up my huge hierarchy of labels in Gmail. At first there were no sub-labels. But as I added more labels, the list got too long and I started making parent labels to put them under. (It may be easier to think of parent labels as folders.) One really nice thing about Gmail's web interface is it automatically modifies any filters using a label when you rename the label or change the parent of it. You don't have to go back to your filters to fix things. Every now and then I end up making new sub-labels that work as folders to organize it further. Just for example Websites > Shopping > Amazon.com is one set of parent, sub-label, main label. The filter started out labeling it just Amazon.com, then later I moved it under Websites, then even later under Websites > Shopping.

I really do have trouble getting the mental energy to do extensive work on them, but I've still built up a hugely complicated structure over the course of several years. (To be fair, I've had a Gmail account since shortly after it launched. So I have had a long time to build this up.) Just do one or two a day at most and you'll be surprised how quickly it comes together.

[GtrsRGr8]

I look forward to getting and listening to various classical freebies for several reasons. Yesterday's Alexander Street giveaway was an example of one that I was looking forward to listening to because I had not, that I remember, heard of the composer (Withold Lotslawski) before. I'm looking forward to today's YourClassical freebie for the same reason--I do not remember hearing the name of the composer, William Boyce, before.

The free piece comes from a Capriccio, Encore series, album entitled William Boyce - 8 Symphonies. This album is performed by Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Orchestra. Neville Marriner is the conductor. Although Capriccio is the publisher of this album, they coopt a dedicated Naxos webpage for the album as a source for us to get additional information about the album. The webpage for that is here.

The piece that we can get free today is one of the 8 symphonies on the album. That is Symphony No. 5: III. Tempo di minuetto. It is apparently exactly 2 minutes long. As usual, the freebie is formatted as an MP3. Stream it and/or download it from this webpage.

A classical music (or any other kind of music) critic, I am not. However, this piece from the Baroque era is very pleasant and has a "regal" quality to it. I promise that you'll like it, or your money back.

[tubemonkey]

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A free audio editor

A phone or tablet can serve as a very capable mobile production studio, provided you stock it with the right apps. Like this one: For a limited time, iTunes has Twistedwave Audio Editor (iOS) for free. Regular price: $9.99.

Described as being like a mobile version of desktop treasure Audacity, Twistedwave lets you record and edit audio, apply special effects, import and export files and much more.

[GtrsRGr8]

YourClassical is offering us a free MP3 today of Luigi Cherubini's Chant Sur La Mort De Joseph Haydn: Introduction. The only words that I recognized in that whole string of words, including the "Luigi Cherubini," was "Joseph Haydn" (oh, and "introduction," of course. ha). Luigi Cherubini must be one of the more obscure composers, just as the composer was of the album from which yesterday's YourClassical was taken.

Perhaps not incidentally, the album from which today's piece comes is from publisher Capricco's Encore series, as yesterday's was. Today the album is Coronation Mass Kronungsmesse - Chant Sur La Mort De Joseph Haydn. Capricco provides a dedicated webpage for the album, via Naxos, here. The amount of information on the webpage is rather sparse compared to most that we get to see, however. Some quick information: Capella Coloniensis performs the album, under the direction of conductor Gabriele Ferro.

The free track from the album that we're entitled to receive is 8 minutes, 42 seconds long. You may download it, or only stream it if you so desire, by pointing your web browser to this webpage. To download it, click on the "Direct MP3 download link." The stream bar will be obvious.

My opinion of the piece: meh. Perhaps the same feeling by others is the reason that this competent composer is not as well known as others from his period.

[GtrsRGr8]

Duplicate. My apologies. Deleted.

[GtrsRGr8]

Today's free classical piece from YourClassical is a Richard Strauss piece, Schlagobers Suite: Coffee Dance. This rendition is performed by the vaunted Vienna Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Manfred Honeck, conductor.

Strauss is just one of the composers featured on the album, Fruhling in Wien (Springtime in Vienna), from which our free piece comes. The album is published by a company apparently called Wiener Symphoniker, but YourClassical provides a dedicated webpage for the album from our friends at Naxos.

Even being the classical music neophyte that I am, I am familiar with the name Richard Strauss. However, I did not know what kind of style that he had. This piece, at least, sounds like a film score from a modern animated adventure movie of some kind. That is the best way that I know how to describe it. There are high highs and low lows, fast tempo and slow tempo represented in this short piece.

A warning of sorts: the information given on the stream bar, on the dedicated YourClassical webpage for the free piece, states that the piece is 48 seconds long. It is not 48 seconds long--It is 1 minute, 48 seconds long. The information on the dedicated Naxos webpage for the album confirms that it is a 1 minute, 48 second piece, too. However, there is another issue, also: the piece ends abruptly--too abruptly, it seems to me. I will check the dedicated YourClassical webpage for the free piece during the day today and see if they make any changes and/or issue any advisory about that.

If you decide to go ahead and download the free piece, click on the "Direct MP3 download link" on this webpage. On the same webpage, there is a stream bar, which you can use to simply listen to the piece, without actually downloading it.

[tubemonkey]

Free Google Play Movie -- limited time

FREE -- Bunyan & Babe -- animated (84 min)

Travis (Johnny Orlando) and his sister, Whitney, visit their grandparents for the summer and stumble upon the evil plan of a greedy land developer (Kelsey Grammer) to steal the land of the town's longtime residents. While running from one of the developer's goons, Travis falls through a magical portal which transports him to the world of American hero Paul Bunyan (John Goodman) and his big, blue, talking ox, Babe (Jeff Foxworthy). Bunyan and Babe get wrapped up in a brand-new adventure, and with the help of their new friends, Travis and Whitney, they try to save the town. Together, they learn firsthand that you don't have to be big to do big things.

[ATDrake]

Free video game for the next 2 days (until Saturday, Jan 14th at 10 am Pacific Time, if I'm reading the countdown timer correctly) as a promotion for Humble Bundle's Winter Sale:

DIRT Showdown, a car racing game in the popular franchise, for Mac, Windows, and Linux @ the Humble Store (requires a linked Steam account, and you will need to redeem the key in the Steam app before January 28th)

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Today's free classical piece from YourClassical is a Richard Strauss piece

<snip>

A warning of sorts: the information given on the stream bar, on the dedicated YourClassical webpage for the free piece, states that the piece is 48 seconds long. It is not 48 seconds long--It is 1 minute, 48 seconds long. The information on the dedicated Naxos webpage for the album confirms that it is a 1 minute, 48 second piece, too. However, there is another issue, also: the piece ends abruptly--too abruptly, it seems to me. I will check the dedicated YourClassical webpage for the free piece during the day today and see if they make any changes and/or issue any advisory about that.

<snip>

After over 12 hours since YourClassical's post (it occurs sometime between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. Eastern Time), I detect no change. I do not consider the incorrect stated length as a problem, but the abrupt ending is a concern.

I did some additional research . . . . first, the dedicated Naxos webpage for the album describes this part of the album as "excerpts." I wondered if that might not be the reason for the abrupt ending. However, I played the piece on my free Spotify account, where it was not described an "excerpt," and got the same result! And the orchestra was a different one than performed for the YourClassical album. Maybe this is the way that some classical pieces end? If so, please don't ask me what I think of that, with this being a family-friendly website and all.

I've crossed this problem off of my bucket list of things to fix today. And if I come across another piece from Strauss like this, he will be blacklisted from my posts.

[GtrsRGr8]

Classical-music.com's free MP3 download of the week is now available. It is Schubert's 'Ständchen,' performed by Ian Bostridge and Xufei Yang.

From Classical-music.com:
This week's free download is Schubert's 'Ständchen', performed by tenor Ian Bostridge and guitarist Xufei Yang on their recent album Songs from our Ancestors.

The recording - the first on the Shakespeare Globe's own label - received a five-star review in the Christmas issue of BBC Music Magazine. 'There could scarcely be a more distinguished debut,' writes Barry Witherden. 'Ian Bostridge's clear tone and exemplary diction maintains a warm, intimate quality, and he could not ask for a more responsive partner in Xuefei Yang.'

To receive Classical-music.com's freebies, you must have an account. But setting up one is not very onerous. Once you've registered, point your browser to this webpage. If you, indeed, do have an account and are logged onto it, you should see a bright red "Download Now" button superimposed on the thumbnail photo of the album cover. Click on it. The download to your default device should begin immediately. When it ends, well, that depends on the bandwidth of your Internet account and other factors.

This free piece is 3 minutes and 44 seconds long.

What remains to be said . . . . well, I suppose that I could share my opinion of the piece. However, I feel like I'm beginning to sound like a curmudgeon--or worse--with my often-negative comments. Let me just say that if you like the thought of a tenor (talented one) singing in accompaniment with slow guitar music, you will probably like this piece.

As the blurb from Classical-music.com mentioned, the current free piece from Classical-music.com is from the inaugural album--entitled Songs from Our Ancestors--of a new record label, Shakespeare's Globe. I found and went to their website and found it informative, engaging, and very attractive. It may come as no surprise to you that much of the website is devoted to discussing this album, since it is the first (and only, so far) album that they've published.

[AnemicOak]

Free movie from Google Play...

Bunyan & Babe - Free

https://play.google.com/store/movies...id=qw9U5CS6ZkY

Available exclusively on Google Play for a limited time before theaters.

Travis (Johnny Orlando) and his sister, Whitney, visit their grandparents for the summer and stumble upon the evil plan of a greedy land developer (Kelsey Grammer) to steal the land of the town's longtime residents. While running from one of the developer's goons, Travis falls through a magical portal which transports him to the world of American hero Paul Bunyan (John Goodman) and his big, blue, talking ox, Babe (Jeff Foxworthy). Bunyan and Babe get wrapped up in a brand-new adventure, and with the help of their new friends, Travis and Whitney, they try to save the town. Together, they learn firsthand that you don't have to be big to do big things.