The New Criterion Podcasts

On January 22, Friends of The New Criterion gathered at the offices of the magazine to celebrate the publication of Brooke Allen’s “Good Bones: Glorious Relics from the Age of Reading.”

“Chronological order is not the only order,” says Jay in this episode, but “it’s not a bad” one. The episode starts in the sixteenth century—“Gaudete, Christus est natus.” It stays there for a while and then goes to Bach, spirituals, Reger, Berlin (Irving), jazz, and more. A beautiful and diverse seasonal outpouring. A gift from composers, poets, and musical performers.

Trad., “Gaudete, Christus est natus”

Trad., “Ding Dong Merrily on High”

Walton, “What cheer?”

Bach, “Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen,” from the Christmas Oratorio

Trad., “I Saw Three Ships”

Reger, “Mariae Wiegenlied”

Martin/Blane, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

Brahe/Taylor, “Bless This House”

Berlin, “White Christmas”

Pierpont, “Jingle Bells”

Trad., “What Month Was Jesus Born In?”

Coots/Gillespie, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”

Trad., “Jerusalem in the Morning”

On October 22, Friends of The New Criterion gathered at a private New York club to hear Andrew Jones discuss his latest book, “The London Club: Architecture, Interiors, Art.”

This episode is about songs of the heart. There is one from Russia, performed two different ways. (That song is by a man named Tolstoy, although not the author of those great novels.) There is one from Samoa. This episode contains assorted treasures—not the least of them by J. S. Bach.

Bellini, Excerpt from “La sonnambula”

Bellini, Excerpt from “La sonnambula”

Bach, Fugue in G major, BWV 577

Bach, “Liebster Jesu,” BWV 731

Tolstoy-Lim, “On This Quiet Summer Night”

Tolstoy, “On This Quiet Summer Night”

Trad., “La’u Lupe”

This episode begins with a Tchaikovsky work, Souvenir de Florence, heard at the Salzburg Festival this summer. There are other “souvenirs” from the festival too—by Mozart, Scriabin, et al. And the variety of performers is gratifying.

Tchaikovsky, Sextet in D minor (“Souvenir de Florence”)

Handel, “Vivi, tiranno! Io t’ho scampato,” from “Rodelinda”

Scriabin, Poème in F-sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 1

Mozart, “Dalla sua pace,” from “Don Giovanni”

Mompou, “Secret Bird” from “Intimate Impressions”

Huang Tzu, “Flower in the Mist”

Mozart, “Chi in Dio solo spera,” from “David penitente”