In Honor of All Those Celebrating Academic Achievements

A thematically-appropriate (and highly celebratory) musical selection for those looking back on a recent (or forward to an impending) graduation:

That’s Johannes Brahms‘ “Academic Festival Overture.” Enjoy!

The particular version I’m featuring here (led by Sir Georg Solti) nosed out a Klemperer setting (which I find too slow), a Bernstein one (which I find too insane), a Muti version (which sounds like it’s being played through cotton balls), and a Davis attempt (which features too much unexpected singing). Among others. (Also, the Beardless Brahms fascinated me.)

I seriously considered this version, given the fame and suavity of its conductor. He’s hilariously stiff and has literally no idea what’s going on in there tempo-wise, but he looks like he’s having a ton of fun. So I’m adding it as an after-thought.

That’s People Will Talk, which is a) slightly lesser Grant, for my money, b) streaming on HULU for free-with commercials, and c) features an uncredited Wicked Witch.

You know what to do. (Also, yes. I’ve written about both film and overture before. What can I say? The list of things I actually know anything about is pretty short. But hey, I went with the Solti this time, instead of …the Solti, like last time. An entirely different YouTube video, though, even if the recording itself is the same. So, let it never be said that I am entirely predictable.)

Speaking of after-thoughts, this little piece came up in the “Suggested” side-bar while I was “researching” the various AF recordings available on YouTube. Naturally, because it’s an overture. And once you’ve heard one overture, you’ve heard them all, right?

Also, it reminded me of a movie. Or to be more accurate, a cartoon. Because of course.