SWIMMING WITH MUSIC PART 2
I love staying fit and I love to swim listening to my favorite tunes.
Following my first blog about swimming with music I got an overwhelming 'wave' of reactions. So many of you offered creative comments and great new ideas for swimming music - thank you! Read the first blog about swimming with music here.
I ‘pooled’ your ideas, added a few of my own discoveries and assembled a new list of five favorite classical tunes to listen to in the lap pool.
Now that Summer is here, it’s time to share:
The rhythm and dance infused Baroque style in combination with relatively consistent dynamic levels make Bach a real go to swimming music composer. This recording offers another fresh take on one of the lesser known Brandenburg Concertos. This one is mellow and uplifting selection.
2. Claude Debussy Reflects dans L’Eau with Caroline Oltmanns
Reflects dans l’Eau (reflections in the water) is a natural choice for a dip in the pool. Listening to my own recording of this work is a particularly fun experience for me. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.
3. Ludwig van Beethoven Spring Sonata No.5, Op.24 with the famous Oistrach/Oborin team
It took me a little while to fall in love with this recording mostly because the sound is a little outdated, the recording is is historic after all. But once you give it a moment to get used to the sound, you will love the purity and simple grandeur of this recording of one of my favorite pieces.
4. W. A. Mozart Piano Concerto K. 453 in G major with Maria Pirez and NHK
Her brilliant ideas and understated interpretations make Maria Pirez one of my favorite fellow female pianists. Her engaging temperament and clarity are such a breath of fresh air in our at times overly heavy handed interpretation environment. Aristocratic charm tops off an utterly convincing Mozart interpretation for the ages, and the Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) under the direction of Herbert Blomstedt offers an equally sophisticated accompaniment. This one is a real fun swim.
5. Olivier Messiaen Jardin du Sommeil d’Amour with Michel Béroff, Jeanne Loriod and André Previn
Definitely the most eclectic of my swimming tunes, this 12 minute selection of the 80 minute Turangalila Symphony is a wonderful choice for the leisure cool down swim. The magical dream world of birdsong lends itself perfectly for a little mental getaway. The lack of rhythm makes swimming downright superfluous. I enjoy this little gem both in the lap pool and in the hot tub closing my eyes after a good workout.
Looking forward to swimming to more of your great ideas!