FriPod: Be the Beginning

1. "BE JUST!" by Martin Bresnick, performed by the Bang on a Can All-Stars on The Essential Martin Bresnick.

2. "Be with you" written and performed by U2, a cool live version with guest artists (including a choir!) joining in.

3. "Beatam Me Dicent a 6" by Heinrich Finck, performed by the Copenhagen Cornetto & Sackbutts with Vocal Group Ars Nova on Winds and Voices 1: at the Court of King Christian III.

4. Beatrice et Benedicte: Overture by Hector Berlioz, performed by Yuri Temirkanov and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

5. "Beats Brand X" by Alex Temple, 12 March 2007 performance.

6. "Beautiful" by Steven Sondheim, performed by Bernadette Peters the actress who plays George's mother on Sunday in the Park with George original Broadway cast.

7. "The Beautiful Galathea" by Franz von Suppé, performed by the John Foster Black Dyke Mills Band on Overtures.

8. "Before I Gaze At You Again" by Frederick Loewe, performed by Arleen Augér on Arleen Auger, American Soprano.

9. "Begin The Beguine" by Cole Porter, performed by Art Tatum on Solos (1940).

10. "The Beginning of a Friendship" by John Williams, on the E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial - Remastered & Expanded soundtrack.

A good day

Yesterday was a good day. I got to see my daughter sing in her choir robes for the first time. I took part in an interesting Bible study. I watched the Colts win a squeaker against the Texans with excellent clock management, which then switched over quite nicely to the Packers-Chargers game so I could watch Brett clinch that win. I took my wife out for a good meal and good conversation. And I got to see eighth blackbird perform the opening concert of their residency here at DePauw. I had never heard De Mey's Tafelmusik (literally performed on a table, really a dance of six hands), which was a great opening. The ending of Rzewski's Pocket Symphony was like giant wood blocks pounding out chimes that rattle the soul before moving away. The recited poetry of Bresnick's In the Twentieth Century was not amplified well for most of the speakers, but the piece had some incredible shifts of musical space, especially through timbre. And Higdon's Zaka was a virtuoso finish, even if lacking in deep emotional content.