Music

The largest poll taken concerning classical music is the annual Classic FM Hall of Fame. Every January the British radio station asks its listeners to write in their favorite three pieces of music. The thousands of votes are tallied and revealed every spring. This would seem to be a debate-ending list. One could settle the age old argument of whose music is best by simply looking at the ranking. However, every year the votes are very different, and I believe this shows how subjective this undertaking truly is. Is there a “best” piece of music or a “best” composer? Check out the top ten compositions from the 2016 Classic FM Hall of Fame from your local library, and let us know what some of your favorite works are in the comments section.

People all over the world will celebrate Earth Day on April 22. It is a time to appreciate the beauty, grandeur, and provision of our home planet. It is also a day to remember our responsibility to protect our fragile environment. in honor of humanity’s home, our music expert Breck selected works by composers who were inspired by nature to create masterpieces of music.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. This can be a very happy occasion for the person in a healthy relationship. For the rest of civilization, it is yet another day to mourn love lost and to remember past romantic failures. Sometimes the best cure for the blues is to remind ourselves that it could be much worse. And if there is any art form which can drive home this truth, it is opera. Associate Librarian Breck, our resident composer and musicologist, is your guide to the best of operatic videos and CDs from the library.

Sitting in a quiet corner of a sparse, bare wooden-floored café with long stretches of window-filtered light—a park bench on Rockaway Beach, the salty ocean spray as it tingles your face and whips through your hair—walking and finding the perfect home in a rundown bungalow because you have learned over the years to see the potential in all things imperfect. That’s how I feel about M Train, the new book by Patti Smith. Her writing is beauty in the true sense of the word.