Matiegka: Six Sonates Progressives Op. 31 Sonata No. 1 in C major, a gently jokey sonata form that recapitulates Theme 1 in the wrong key and course-corrects halfway through, some thoughts on composers who couldn't break rules that weren't codified yet

Finally, I'm getting around to writing about Matiegka's Op. 31, No. 1 solo guitar sonata

Robert Gjerdingen's galant schemas as an entry point for pop/classical fusions--tonal and modal variants on the Romanesca by way of the Beatles, the Eagles and TLC

In the era of covid-19 there are concerns, pretty serious concerns, that classical music in the orchestral idiom may not survive the policies that have been considered necessary for dealing with the pandemic.  The Music Salon blog features a few recent pieces that I'll be referencing as a kind of news cycle baseline for what I'm about to discuss:

another Matiegka sonata analysis incubating

The sonata I plan to discuss will be Op. 31, No. 1 in C major, which is a charming little sonata.  I've been meaning to discuss the Op. 31 progressive sonatas for a while and am finally getting to a point where I can blog about one of them.  I know Matiegka's not everyone's favorite (most people will never have heard of him, but especially as I've been digging into Gjerdingen's work on the galant style I think a case can be made that we can study Matiegka's work not so much as "lightweight" early Romantic guitar music but more as an example of a more galant style approach, particularly with his deliberately "wrong" key recapitulation in the opening sonata form for theme 1.  So if anyone has been reading the blog for years wondering when I'd get back to Matiegka, that's going to happen soon, I hope after or during the 4th of July weekend depending on how things play out.

Fredrik deBoer on "The Chinese Finger Trap" of an American contemporary left that has no meaningful power and zealous wields its symbolic/rhetorical power

https://fredrikdeboer.com/2020/06/27/the-chinese-finger-trap/
FreddiePosted onJune 27, 2020CategoriesPolitics

I would say at a glance that the contemporary left is defined fundamentally by both a lack of meaningful power and a corresponding tightening of the grip on the meaningless power it does have. The more we cannot get reparations, the more we rename buildings; no end to mass incarceration, but recasting of cartoons; no seats in the Senate, but oh, how we make the Poetry Foundation shake…. And the question that we’re left with is, if we never stop tightening our shaking grip, will our reach ever exceed our grasp? Do we have short arms, or are they only bent from the strain of grasping in such impotent rag

some headlines from Seattle since the start of the CHOP/CHAZ

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/seattle-fire-department-criticized-fatal-chop-shootings/UHJ2PD6ZANCJ5N2Z3TLVUJAVMA/
https://kuow.org/stories/why-defund-the-police-has-become-the-rallying-cry-at-seattle-protests
https://www.kuow.org/stories/updates-protests-for-racial-injustice-in-the-seattle-area
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/durkan-asks-seattle-city-council-to-investigate-sawant-for-contemptuous-behavior/
https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/06/30/44005217/mayor-durkan-calls-for-investigation-of-kshama-sawant
https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/06/30/44007426/sawant-responds-to-jenny-durkan-cites-citizens-call-for-durkan-to-resign?cb=f2761a5a5be4cfe3e646fbceb422d732

George N Gianopoulous-City Vignettes for Alto Saxophone and Guitar

Performed impeccably by Duo Montagnard.  If you have never bought albums of chamber music for alto saxophone and guitar and want to Duo Montagnard is one of the ensembles you should check out. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e3CGJSAphU

One of these days I might have to do a more general post on chamber music for alto saxophone and guitar ...