Classical Piano Favorites CD

Here are the 16 complete piano solos (with their links for downloading individual tracks) from my music CD Classical Piano Favorites I.  You can first listen to SAMPLES of many of these masterworks (approx. 45 seconds each) by clicking on titles in the SIDEBAR at right, further down the page (Samples are the files marked with .mp3> after their titles). You will be taken to PayPal to make your purchase.

Claire de lune (4:26)

Reverie, Debussy (4:10)

The Engulfed Cathedral (5:39) 

Tocatta, Khatchaturian (4:34)

Prelude #25 (Chopin), C# min. (4:45)

Nocturne #1 (Chopin), Bb min. (5:07)

Nocturne #8 (Chopin), Db Maj. (4:46)

Nocturne #14 (Chopin), F# min. (6:36) 

Intermezzo, Bb min., Brahms (3:51)

Arietta, from Lyric Songs #1, Grieg (1:09) 

Melody, from Lyric Songs #3, Grieg (2:07)

Presto, from Papillons #4, Schumann (1:08)

Moderato, from Papillons #5, Schumann (1:07)

Reverie, from Kinderscenen #7, Schumann (2:26)

Serious, from Kinderscenen #10, Schumann (1:20)

Frightening, from Kinderscenen #11, Schumann (1:28)

Favorite Standards CD Released

Here are the 16 songs, plus links (marked .mp3>) for downloading individual tracks, from my music CD FAVORITE STANDARDS.  You can first listen to SAMPLES (approximately 45 seconds each) by clicking on titles in the SIDEBAR at right, further down the page (Samples are the files marked with .mp3> after the titles).  You will be taken to PayPal to make your purchase.   

 

It Might as Well be Spring.mp3">
You Go to My Head

Here's that Rainy Day.mp3">
Fools Rush In
Invitation

Strange MeadowLark.mp3">

Just a Kid, Again!.mp3">

Deep Purple.mp3">

A Foggy Day.mp3">

In Wee Small Hours.mp3">

Laura.mp3">

Pennies from Heaven.mp3">

My Funny Valentine.mp3">
Blue Rondo a la Turk

Over the Rainbow.mp3">
Wendy

All my CD's will be listed under the Topic: My Music CD's (currently they are listed in the Sidebar at right, down below the piano frame photo).

Majesty CD Released

I'm posting my music CD MAJESTY here for your convenience.  You can listen to SAMPLES (approximately 45 seconds each) by clicking on titles in the SIDEBAR at right (they are the files marked with .mp3> after the titles).  All my CD's will soon also be listed under the TOPIC: My Music CD's (in Sidebar, below).

The following Songs, from the Majesty CD, may be purchased separately as MP3 file downloads by clicking on one at a time.  You will be taken to PayPal to make your purchase.  

Majesty.mp3">
Fairest Lord Jesus.mp3">
Amazing Grace.mp3">
 Great is Thy Faithfulness.mp3">
The Old Rugged Cross
All Creatures of Thy God.mp3">
Sometimes Alleluia
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.mp3">
Jesus Love Me
How Great Thou Art.mp3">
The Day He Wore My Crown  

Because He Lives.mp3">
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Alleluia

Trains, Tracks, and Tushes

Why Some Old Specs Never Change

The US Standard railroad gauge (the distance between rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That’s an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that’s the way they built them in England, and the first US railroads were built by English expatriates.

Why did the English people build them like that? Because the first rail lines in Europe were designed and built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that’s the gauge they used.

Why did they use that gauge then? Because the people who designed and built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that same wheel spacing.

Okay, why did the wagons use that odd wheel spacing? Well, when they tried to use any other spacing, the wagons were prone to breaking down on some of the old, long distance roads, because that’s the spacing of the old wheel ruts.

So who built these old rutted roads? The first long distance roads inEurope were built by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their legions. The roads have been used ever since. And the ruts? The initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagons, werefirst made by Roman war chariots. Since the chariots were all made to certain specifications for or by Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.

Thus, we have the answer to the original questions. The United Statesstandard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original specification (Military, as it were) for an Imperial Roman Army war chariot.

But one “nagging” question still remains. Why did the design of the Roman army war chariots incorporate that specific wheelbase?

Answer: Because the chariots were designed to be just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two warhorses.

So, the next time you are handed some oddball specification and you assume that some horse’s ass was responsible for coming up with it, you may be exactly right!