Classically Speaking

Last year during the Super Bowl, I heard a few commercials using classical music.  I caught two this year, with some help (thank you, @MMmusing)

and

For those who prefer the arena of love to football stadium -- Yesterday’s radio program included music for Viola d’Amore, and I described the instrument briefly.  You can see some beautiful pictures on the Viola d’Amore Blog maintained by Mauro Righini. Violist Garth Knox has one of my favorite non-traditional albums of Viola d'Amore music 

Speaking of “amore,” let me know if you have any romantic classical music requests this week.  Just send me an email.

In other news, looks like Santana is not the only one who has borrowed from Brahms.  Last week, we featured Brahms’s Symphony No. 4 (from the new Berlin/Rattle Complete Brahms Symphonies set ).  A listener named David called in to mention that the progressive rock band Yes had their own interpretation of this music:

Here’s Carlos Kleiber and the Bavarian State Orchestra, with a more… traditional…version:

-