Listening: music

I do enjoy the way you can now cherrypick individual tracks (although I did have to buy the entire Shall We Dance? soundtrack to get Peter Gabriel's version of The Book of Love). Much more than ever before, though, you can get just the pieces you want. iTunes here in Oz costs $1.69 per track.

Maybe you miss treasures you'd otherwise discover on an album, but ah well (or oh pook! to quote Mrs Meares from Thoroughly Modern Millie. Not enough people say oh pook! these days, do they?).

Recent acquisitions:

Richard Glover's afternoon radio program on 702ABC Sydney reminded me of the duet from The Pearl Fishers - I chose the Bryn Terfel & Andrea Bocelli version (Bizet: Les pêcheurs de perles - C'était le soir - "Au fond du temple Saint").

This is a different pairing, and it's sound rather than video, but the sound quality's reasonable:


(if this doesn't work, here's the direct YouTube link).

Something I'd been meaning to find for ages was another duet, the one played by Andy through the prison PA in The Shawshank Redemption. (Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro: Act III, Scene 10, Duettino, "Sull'aria").



(if this doesn't work, here's the direct YouTube link)

Did a bit of Christmas music cherrypicking in December. Of several, my favourite would be "In a Bleak Midwinter" by Sarah McLachlan from her Wintersong album. Hauntingly beautiful and original version of the old carol.

Now if only they had the Doug Anthony Allstars' version of the Hunters and Collectors' song, Throw Your Arms Around Me. (I know you can find it on YouTube, but I'd like a clearer version...)

What music have you been acquiring or playing?