An Unexpected Song > Bonus materials > AUS Playlist

AUS Playlist

 

Many readers want to purchase some of the music from AUS. I created this page to help you in doing so. I do not receive any sort of referral fee or commission from any of the sites mentioned. The information is provided solely to assist you if you wish to purchase some of the music (and I hope you will).

Classical and jazz music

Most of the classical and jazz selections listed below are available on Amazon.com and at other major sites selling CDs.

Most are also available from the ITunes Music Store as digital downloads. There, you can buy many of the selections for 99 cents each instead of having to purchase entire CDs. To make it easier for you to find the songs, I’ve created an AUS iMix. It offers you an easy way to hear music clips and purchase the songs. You must have the ITunes software installed on your PC in order to use the ITunes Music Store and the iMix. Click this link to see the AUS iMix:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPublishedPlaylist?id=827635

Christiane Noll’s music

Christiane Noll’s CDs can be harder to find, since some of them are out of print and the used-CD sellers tend to charge a premium for her stuff. New copies of the CDs featured in the story were available on Amazon when I started writing AUS, but I think we bought out their entire supply pretty quickly!

For better prices than you’ll find on Amazon, you might want to try one of the following sites. Both seem to be selling new CDs. I have never purchased from either one, but they are mentioned on Christiane Noll’s website, www.christianenoll.com.

• www.fynsworthalley.com: They seem to have the best prices for A Broadway Love Story (which I particularly recommend) and The Ira Gershwin Album.
• www.footlight.com: Has some of her anthology CDs with other artists; also has some of her solo CDs but Fynsworth Alley seems to have lower prices.

The Playlist

Chapter 5

• Elizabeth and Collins: “By Strauss,” music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin. Performed by Christiane Noll, The Ira Gershwin Album, © 2001 Fynsworth Alley.
• William: Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Opus 23, CT 2, by Frederic Chopin. Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy, Chopin: Four Ballades, Four Scherzi, © 1964, 1967, 1999 Universal Classics Group. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 10

• William: Nocturne No. 20 in C# minor (1830) by Frederic Chopin. Performed by Claudio Arrau on Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes, The Complete Impromptus, © 1997 Phillips. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 11

• William: Prelude in C# minor, Opus 3, No.2, by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Performed by Van Cliburn. From My Favorite Rachmaninoff, © 2000 BMG Entertainment. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 12

• William: Fantasie-Impromptu, Opus 66, by Frederic Chopin. Performed by Van Cliburn on The World’s Favorite Piano Music, © 1992 BMG Music. (Available from ITunes Music Store)
• William: Prelude for piano in C# minor, Opus 3, No.2, by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Performed by Van Cliburn on My Favorite Rachmaninoff, © 2000 BMG Entertainment. (Available from ITunes Music Store) (Repeated from Chapter 11)
• William: Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Opus 23, CT 2, by Frederic Chopin. Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy on Chopin: Four Ballades, Four Scherzi, © 1999 Universal Classics Group. (Available from ITunes Music Store) (Repeated from Chapter 5)
• William: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 (“Pathetique”) by Ludwig von Beethoven, First movement (Grave—Allegro di molto e con brio). Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy on Beethoven: Favorite Piano Sonatas, © 1997 London Records. (Available from ITunes Music Store)
• William: Grande Valse Brilliante, Op. 18, by Frederic Chopin. Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy on Chopin: Favorite Piano Works, © 1995 London Records. (Available from ITunes Music Store)
• William: Etude in Gb major (“Black Key”), Opus 10, No. 5, by Frederic Chopin. Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy on Chopin: Favorite Piano Works, © 1995 London Records. (Available from ITunes Music Store)
• William: “Someone to Watch Over Me,” performed by Dave Brubeck on One Alone. © 2000 Telarc. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 14

• William: Piano Concerto No. 1 in Eb major by Franz Liszt, S.124 (LW H4), third movement (Allegro marziale animato). Performed by Van Cliburn with the Philadelphia Orchestra, directed by Eugene Ormandy, on Liszt Piano Concertos No. 1 and 2 and Grieg Concerto, Opus 16. © 1988 BMG Music. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 15

• William: Intermezzo in A, Opus 118, No. 2, by Johannes Brahms. Performed by Van Cliburn on My Favorite Brahms, © 1999 BMG Entertainment. (Available from ITunes Music Store)
• “When I Fall in Love,” by Young/Heyman. Performed by the Bill Evans Trio on Portrait in Jazz. © 1959 Riverside Records. (Available from ITunes Music Store)
• “Prelude to a Kiss,” by Mills/Gordon/Ellington. Performed by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra on Duke Ellington’s Greatest Hits. © 1968 Sony Music Entertainment. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 17

• Elizabeth and friends: “Stairway to the Stars,” words by Mitchell Parish; music by Matt Malneck and Frank Signorelli. Performed by Christiane Noll on Live at the West Bank Café.

Chapter 18

• “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” (D. Mann/B. Hilliard). Sung by Frank Sinatra on In the Wee Small Hours, © 1998 Capitol Records, originally released 1955. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 21

• “Only the Lonely” (S. Cahn/J. Van Heusen). Sung by Frank Sinatra on Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely. © 1998 Capitol Records, originally released 1958. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 23

• Elizabeth: “Times Like This” from the musical Lucky Stiff (Flaherty & Ahrens). Sung by Christiane Noll on Broadway Love Story, © 1998 Fynsworth Alley.
• William: Intermezzo in A, Opus 118, No. 2, by Johannes Brahms. Performed by Van Cliburn on My Favorite Brahms, © 1999, BMG Entertainment. (Available from ITunes Music Store) (Repeated from Chapter 15)

Chapter 28

• William: Etude in Gb major, Op. 10, No. 5, “Black Key,” by Frederic Chopin. Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy on Chopin: Favorite Piano Works, © 1995 London Records. (Available from ITunes Music Store) (repeated from Chapter 12)
• William: Etude in E major, Op. 10, No. 3, “Tristesse,” by Frederic Chopin. Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy on Chopin: Favorite Piano Works, © 1995 London Records. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 30

• Elizabeth and Golden Gate Jazz: “Naughty Baby,” words and music by George and Ira Gershwin. Sung by Maureen McGovern on Naughty Baby: Maureen McGovern Sings Gershwin, © 1989 CBS Records. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 35

• William: Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 27, no. 2, in C-sharp minor (“Moonlight”), by Ludwig van Beethoven, third movement. Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy on Favorite Beethoven Piano Sonatas, © 1997 London Records. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 37

• Elizabeth: “An Unexpected Song / The Last Man in My Life,” performed by Christiane Noll on A Broadway Love Story, © 1998 Fynsworth Alley. (Music and lyrics by Webber/Black/Maltby.)

Chapter 38

• William and Golden Gate Jazz: “Autumn Leaves,” composed by Joseph Kosma. Performed by Warren Bernhardt (with Jay Anderson and Peter Erskine) on So Real, © 2003, Dmp.
• William, Elizabeth, and Golden Gate Jazz: “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” by George and Ira Gershwin. Performed by Christiane Noll on The Ira Gershwin Album, © 2001 Fynsworth Alley.

Chapter 42

• William: Nocturne in Eb, Op. 9, No. 2, by Frederic Chopin. Performed by Claudio Arrau on Chopin: Complete Nocturnes and Impromptus, © 1997 Philips Classics. Recorded 1978. (Available from ITunes Music Store)
• William: “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” by D. Cross and G. Cory. Performed by Emile Pandolfi on What a Wonderful World, © 1999 MagicMusic Productions.

Chapter 45

• William: Piano Concerto #2 in C minor, Opus 18, by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Performed by Van Cliburn with the Chicago Symphony, Fritz Reiner conducting, on Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. 1/Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2, © 1958 BMG Music. Movements: 1. Moderato; Allegro; 2. Adagio sostenuto, 3. Allegro scherzando. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 46

• William: Prelude in C# minor, Opus 3, No.2, by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Performed by Van Cliburn. From My Favorite Rachmaninoff, © 2000 BMG Entertainment. (Available from ITunes Music Store) (Repeated from Chapter 11)
• “This Nearly was Mine,” music and lyrics by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein. Sung by Giorgio Tozzi on the film soundtrack of South Pacific, © 1958.

Chapter 50

• Elizabeth: “Now When the Rain Falls” by Frank Wildhorn and Nan Knighton. Sung by Christiane Noll on A Broadway Love Story, © 1998 Fynsworth Alley.
• William: Capriccio from Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826, by J.S. Bach. Performed by Martha Argerich on Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata, Partita No. 2, English Suite No. 2. Deutsche Grammophon, originally released 1980. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 55

• William: Prelude for piano No. 8 in C minor, Opus 23, No. 7, by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Performed by Van Cliburn on My Favorite Rachmaninoff, © 2000 BMG Entertainment. (Available from ITunes Music Store)
• William: Ballade No. 2 in F, Opus 38, CT 3, by Frederic Chopin. Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy, Chopin: Four Ballades, Four Scherzi, © 1964, 1967, 1999 Universal Classics Group. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 65

• William: Grande Valse Brilliante, Op. 18, by Frederic Chopin. Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy on Chopin: Favorite Piano Works, © 1995 London Records. (Repeated from Chapter 12; available from ITunes Music Store)
• William: Piano Sonata No. 23, Op. 57, in F minor (“Appasionata”), by Ludwig van Beethoven, third movement. Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy on Favorite Beethoven Piano Sonatas, © 1997 London Records. (Available from ITunes Music Store)
• William: Toccatina, Op. 36, by Nikolai Kasputin. Performed by Marc-André Hamelin on Kaleidoscope, © 2001 Hyperion.
• William: Sonatina, Op. 100, by Nikolai Kasputin. Performed by Marc-André Hamelin on Nikolai Kasputin: Piano Music, © 2004 Hyperion.
• William: Intermezzo in A, Opus 118, No. 2, by Johannes Brahms. Performed by Van Cliburn on My Favorite Brahms, © 1999 BMG Entertainment.(Repeated from Chapters 15 and 23; available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 67

• William: “Silent Night/Oh Holy Night,” performed by John Bayless on Christmas Rhapsody, Koch Records, ©2004. (Available from ITunes Music Store)
• William: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/Let It Snow,” performed by John Bayless on Christmas Rhapsody, Koch Records, ©2004. (Available from ITunes Music Store)
• Elizabeth: “All Those Christmas Clichés,” written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Performed by Christiane Noll on A Christmas Survival Guide, 2Die4Productions, ©1999. (Available from: http://www.christmassurvival.com. May also be available from used-record stores or web sites.)

Chapter 69

• William: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” performed by John Bayless on Christmas Rhapsody, Koch Records, ©2004. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 70

• William: “Passepied,” from Suite Bergamasque, by Claude Debussy. Performed by Pascal Rogé on Debussy: Piano Works, Decca: 1984. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Chapter 73

• William: “Rhapsody in Blue,” performed by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, on Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue/An American in Paris, ©1990. (Available from ITunes Music Store) – OR –
• William: “Rhapsody in Blue,” performed by Michael Tilson Thomas and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, on Gershwin: Rhapsodies, CBS Masterworks, ©1985. (Available from ITunes Music Store) – OR –
• William: “Rhapsody in Blue,” performed by George Gershwin, on The Essential George Gershwin, Sony Music Entertainment, ©1928. (Available from ITunes Music Store)

Note on these three recordings: Everybody has his or her own idea of how the Rhapsody is "supposed" to be done. These are just three of the many recordings, each unique in its own way. The Bernstein has gotten tons of attention over the years, some positive and some negative (some people dislike his unusual tempos). Tilson Thomas's recording is of the lesser-known jazz band arrangement of the Rhapsody. Finally, the third recording is of Gershwin himself playing his piece. It obviously has to be considered an accurate representation of the composer's intentions! But it was reproduced from piano rolls made by Gershwin.

 

Copyright © 2007 by the author
Last updated September 22, 2006