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

[GtrsRGr8]

If you're on classical-Music.com's newsletter mailing list (subscribing is free), you can download Benjamin Appl performs Brahms's Lieder und Gesänge free.

It's classical-music.com's regular, every Tuesday free download. FYI--classical-Music.com is "the official website of BBC Music Magazine," Thank you, classical-music.com and BBC Music Magazine!

Some additional information about this download of the week:
This week, listeners have the chance to hear Brahms's Lieder und Gesänge, Op 58 - 8: Serenade, as performed by baritone Benjamin Appl and pianist Graham Johnson. The piece scored highly in the last issue of BBC Music Magazine, with a four-star rating for performance and recording.

Brahms was passionate about creating vocal compositions, which is clear in his Lieder und Gesänge, which tell a succession of stories through poetic vocals and piano. Serenade, the final piece, follows a fleeting midnight liason between two lovers. The first stanza reads: 'Gently, so as not to wake you, Rustles the night wind, dear woman, Quietly into the marble basin, The fountain pours its dew.'

'This thoughtful approach reveals an astonishing stylistic range', writes Natasha Loges. 'It takes in Brahms's youthful folk-inspired settings, before time-travelling into a stark medieval past, then back into a contemporary sentiment-nationl idiom, before closing with a generous selection of folksong arrangements.'

The procedure for subscribers to get the freebie is the same as always: 1) log in, 2) navigate to this webpage, 3) click on the bright red "Download Now" button superimposed over the thumbnail of the album from which the piece comes, 4) the piece should download automatically to your device.

As the description indicates, there is vocal music in this song. I still downloaded it, for myself, because, thankfully, it is not operatic! I hate opera!

[GtrsRGr8]

This week's free download from the OML (Open Music Library (which seems to be now the name under which Alexander Street gives away their free music)), is C.P.E. Bach - Sinfonia Wq. 182/6.

If you are as ignorant as I am about classical music (which probably isn't possible ), you probably wondered if C.P.E. Bach was somehow kith and kin to the better-known Bach. Well, the answer is "yes;" Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, in fact, was son of his much more famous old man, Johann Sebastian Bach.

I gave a listen to some of this free music by C.P.E. To my ears, it sounds wonderful; he was a very talented composer in his own right. But, it must have been tough living in the shadow of his father.

The description provided by OML:
This week's free download features the last of a collection of six symphonies written by Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach (1714–1788). C.P.E. Bach, son of Johann Sebastian Bach, wrote these symphonies for Gottfried van Swieten while living in Hamburg.This week's free download features the last of a collection of six symphonies written by Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach (1714-1788) . . . . [He] wrote these symphonies for Gottfried van Swieten while living in Hamburg.

This recording is performed by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Wolfram Christ.

To get the freebie, you have to be a subscriber." After you become one, OML sends you notifications, by email, of when new freebies are available. The fly in the ointment is that it's a little tricky to sign up. Here is a webpage where you can sign up. The freebies seem to be directed toward institutions (like, I suppose, libraries). So, you've got to be a little creative answering some of their (few) questions.

If you are a subscriber, just follow the (very obvious) links provided in the email message that you get. Right-click, on the three items in blue letters, and right-click on "save link as" (these directions are specific to Google Chrome, but the procedure of other browsers is very similar; on smartphones, some at least, pressing on a spot for a couple of seconds or so takes the place of the right-click of its bigger cousins). Save the songs to your drive of choice; open and listen to the pieces at your convenience.

[GtrsRGr8]

Naxos newsletter recipients: make sure that you open any message that you've received from them in the last day or so. I don't claim to understand it, but Naxos is offering us yet another free album for the month of May!

Usually, there is a single album, in MP3, offered by Naxos at the beginning of a month. Then there is an offer of an album, a week or two later, from three possibilities, and with your choice of either the MP3 or FLAC format. I consider that situation, in itself, to show a tremendous amount of largesse on the part of Naxos.

This month, however, we have had already the opportunity to claim a third album, a week or two ago. Today, I received in my email yet another offer of a free album from Naxos. I'm not good at math, but I can count well enough to know that that makes four free albums this month!

This current album is Danzi, F.: Chamber Music from Orfeo. That is all of the information that I could find in any blurb, but the (large) thumbnail of the album reveals that Danzi's first name is "Franz." The name of the name series to which the album belongs seems to be Seplette Potpourris. It appears to come from an album series called Consortium Classicum. Dieter Klocker appears to be the conductor.

This album is offered in FLAC, as well as MP3.

This free album is available only until the end of May. That's soon! My advice, if you want to get the free album is not to dawdle, but go ahead and download it now.

[GA Russell]

The Yardbirds Story (4 CDs) - $8.25 prime
https://www.amazon.com/Yardbirds-Sto...dp/B000H8SEAI/

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

The Yardbirds Story (4 CDs) - $8.25 prime
https://www.amazon.com/Yardbirds-Sto...dp/B000H8SEAI/

One of my favorite bands

[GtrsRGr8]

A new free album is available to Naxos newsletter subscribers. Check your email inbox.

This is the second of the two albums that Naxos generally gives away each month (I think that, this time, the first one actually came at the end of last month; I called it the "fourth one of the month," or something to that effect). With this giveaway, you get a choice of three albums, in either MP3 or FLAC.

Every one of these second giveaways of the month centers around a theme. The theme this time reflects the spirit of Father's Day. Klaus Heymann writes:
“Like father, like son? If so, you'll surely like our choice of free album downloads this month which reflects the spirit of Father's Day, a movable feast observed in June each year. Although there are occasional examples of brother-sister and husband-wife pairings of composers, it's father-son duos that are prevalent. So, take your pick from the Strauss, Mozart and Scarlatti dynasties with a selection of music by the family patriarchs – Johann Strauss the Elder, Leopold Mozart and Alessandro Scarlatti – with programmes of lively dance music, varied orchestral works and a mix of Baroque vocal and instrumental gems to choose from.”

A couple of notes: First, if you get the message with the offers, there will be a button, near the top of the page, that says, "Download Your Free Album." That button never works for me. I must drill almost all the way down the page (because my email program clips the end of long messages). Then, I can skip clicking the button near the top of the page, and just make my selection there. Second, if you're not already a subscriber to the newsletter, it may be too late to sign up and get in on this offer. But, I'd give it a shot if it was me. What do you have to lose?

[GtrsRGr8]

If you are a subscriber to Classical-music.com's newsletter, you may download this week's free track, In Echo perform Kempis's Symphony à 4 No. 1.

Here's what Classical-music.com says about the piece, the composer, and the artist performing the particular rendition:
This week's free download is the first movement of Nicolaus à Kempis's Symphony à 4 No. 1 Op. 12, played by In Echo, directed by cornettist Gawain Glenton. The piece is taken from the album 'Music in a Cold Climate: Sounds of Hansa Europe', which received four stars for performance and five stars for recording in the June issue of BBC Music Magazine.

Little is known about Kempis. A composer active in Brussels in the mid-17th century, he was nominated as organist of the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula around 1626.

Gawain Glenton was raised in a musical family and played a number of instruments before choosing the cornetto. He earned his degree from Manchester University and collaborated with many period ensembles before founding his own consort, In Echo, with Kirsty Whatley.

'This project is strikingly original on all fronts. It is the debut release of the group 'In Echo', founded in 2016 by cornettist Gawain Glenton. The band's members are budding Early Music stars from everywhere. Their programme is equally cosmopolitan,' writes Berta Joncus.


The download procedure for the freebie is the same as always. If you're logged in, navigate to this webpage. There should be a bright red "Download Now" partially covering the thumbnail of the album from which the piece comes. Click on it.

It's a nice piece, IMHO. G.

[GtrsRGr8]

When you go rummaging around, you never know what you may find (I've learned that trying to do some spring cleaning now, in my house, that is overdue by . . . oh . . . about 10 years. ).

Rummaging around classical-music.com's website, I discovered this "fresh take on Vivaldi's Four Seasons."

Here's some stuff to peruse:
'Rachel Podger is first among equals and the dynamic couldn’t be further removed from the usual notion of the concerto as a vehicle for the all-conquering soloist’

Vivaldi

The Four Seasons; plus Concerto for strings, RV 270 (Il riposo); Violin Concertos - in E, RV271 (L'Amoroso); in D, RV 208 (Il Grosso Mogul)

Rachel Podger (violin); Brecon Baroque



This is me (G.) speaking now. It appears that the piece comes from the album Channel Classics CCS SA 40418 (hybrid CD/SACD) 75:24 mins.

The free piece is just 59 seconds long. To download this free one you must right-click somewhere on the bar underneath the picture at http://www.classical-music.com/month...s-four-seasons. I feel "sure" that you've got to be logged in to enjoy this piece.

I'm in the initial stages of my investigation, but it seems that there is a treasure-trove of these tracks on Classical-music.com's website. They seem to change from week-to-week, or at least month-to-month. I have no idea, yet, the range of lengths these pieces fall into, but they're probably all short. I'll let you know after I know more!

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

A new free album is available to Naxos newsletter subscribers.

The offer is good until July 13. That's very generous! But it's easy to dilly-dally, forget, procrastinate with an expiration date that far away . . . .

[GA Russell]

The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction In Concert: The Classic Broadcasts 1964-1966 (4 CDs) - $17.99
https://www.amazon.com/Rolling-Stone...dp/B01N5SBBBB/

[cc_in_oh]

Is this the right thread for free games? GOG has another freebie:

https://www.gog.com/?utm_medium=emai...EN&utm_term=EN

Ziggurat - never heard of it but free is free!

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by cc_in_oh

Is this the right thread for free games?

Yes

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by cc_in_oh

Is this the right thread for free games? GOG has another freebie:

https://www.gog.com/?utm_medium=emai...EN&utm_term=EN

Ziggurat - never heard of it but free is free!

It's a pyramid scheme.

[GtrsRGr8]

This week's free download from Classical-music.com, if anyone cares, is Corelli's Sonata à 3 for double harp.

I'll let Classical-music.com describe the download and the characteristics of this particular rendition:
This week's free download the first movement of Corelli's Sonata à 3 in F, played by Italian harpist Mara Galassi. The piece received four stars for both recording and performance in the June issue of BBC Music Magazine.

Corelli's instrument of choice was the violin, although he used only a limited portion of its capabilities, with parts for the violin rarely proceeding above D on the highest string. A soloist with a penchant for Italian 17th century music, it is fitting that Galassi has chosen works by the Baroque violinst and composer.

'Galassi's double harp is based on the splendid 1632 'Arpa Barberini' by Girolamo Acciari, its beguilingly silvery sound ideal for these intricate works, while its spectrum of chromatic colours captures their variegated effects,' writes Kate Bolton-Porciatti.

Follow the directions on this webpage to nab it.

[GtrsRGr8]

If you receive Naxos' newsletters, be sure not to overlook the album offer that you probably received in your email today. The offer is for an extra free album download in this month--one that is in addition to the two that we normally receive in a month.

To quote the summary, this album is, "NIELSEN, C.: Violin Concerto • Flute Concerto • Clarinet Concerto Znaider • Langevin • McGill • New York Philharmonic Orchestra • A. Gilbert".

Naxos also states, "“I think in terms of the instruments themselves – I sort of creep into their souls”, said Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). His three solo concertos for violin, flute and clarinet concertos are highly characteristic and expressive works that show how Nielsen developed as a composer, increasingly distancing himself from the classical conventions. This new recording by New York Philharmonic and Alan Gilbert concludes the acclaimed Nielsen Project with soloists Nikolaj Znaider, Robert Langevin and Anthony McGill as the soloists in vivid live recordings from Avery Fisher Hall."

If you're one of the fortunate few who have the equipment and ear to do justice to the higher quality formats, you will want to know that this album is available in FLAC, as well as MP3.

If you're still "on the fence" about downloading the album, be sure to note the great accolades and the various awards, spread around, that this album has received.

If you want to read more, or are ready to pull the trigger on this great freebie, point your browser to the URL in the newsletter that you received. That may take you immediately to the download webpage. If you want to access the download from your email message, be sure to open the entire message and scroll all the way to the bottom of the message, in order to see the free offer.

If you want the album, but are not on the mailing list for Naxos' newsletter, the jury is still out, in my mind, as to whether or not you will receive an offer for the free album if you sign up now. If so, I suspect that it will happen only if you sign up right away. One of the webpages from which you can sign up is this one. There are a couple of places near the top of the page; there may be some elsewhere on the page, also.

Happy listening!