We all know that an extra-fine Thanksgiving experience is impossible without good music — and WQXR will have you covered all day on the radio and via our online streams. But what if you’re traveling to the far reaches of these United States, or (gasp!) won’t have access to the Internet? Fret not — here are 10 pieces of music that are the base of a solid Thanksgiving playlist.
Copland: Rodeo
Thanksgiving is probably the most American holiday there is, and while the day’s backstory generally conjures up weirdly romantic images of a 17th-century northeast, that region is only part of this vast country of ours. Consider your Southwestern brethren and the regional affinity for rodeo, the sport evolving from the practical natures of Spain, Mexico and Central America, and born into its modern state in Wyoming. What’s more American than that?
Dvořák: Suite in A Major, “American”
During Dvořák’s stay in the U.S., he wrote his 12th string quartet, which (after some rather unsavory monikers failed to stick) landed with the popular nickname “American.” The reason for that is pretty clear — the composer was fascinated by spirituals and other Negro musical traditions. And for the birders among you, there’s another treat: Dvořákquotes the birdsong of the red-eyed vireo, an avian species native to the New World.
J.S. Bach: Nun danket alle Gott
And now for the list’s first explicitly “thankful” piece: “Nun danket alle Gott” (“Now Thank We All Our God”) is a popular protestant hymn written by Martin Rinkhart, with a melody attributed to Johann Crüger. It was a source of inspiration and adaptation for a number of composers, not the least of them Johann Sebastian Bach, who returned to it a handful of times over the course of his career.
Holst: Walt Whitman Overture
Full-time writer and journalist (and nurse when the U.S. was at war with itself) Walt Whitman was closely associated with the tail end of transcendentalism. He also had a serious Gandalf the Grey aesthetic that matches the Northeastern woodlands Whitman once (probably) roamed. Holst’s piece is a tribute to Whitman, whose writings the composer began to explore when he joined a socialist movement in London.
Hocutt: A Thankful Heart
More thanks! If you’re looking for something exceptionally autumnal, you might want to reach for some vocal work by Cantus, the Minneapolis-based vocal ensemble. Its 2014 album Harvest Home contains odes to the joys of food, and some not-so-subtle nods to the Copland canon. But Hocutt’s “A Thankful Heart” is a straightforward anthem for that moment when you remember exactly why you toiled to pull off a drama-free dinner, and ate to your soul’s content.
Britten: Soirées musicales
This year, Thanksgiving Day also happens to be the birthday of composer Benjamin Britten. Leaving turkey and stuffing out for his ghost overnight isn’t the worst idea, but if you’d rather save those leftovers for yourself, we’re sure his spirit would love it if you put some of his music on your Thanksgiving playlist. We suggest the Soirées musicales, an orchestrated suite based on a collection of songs by Rossini.
Randall Thompson: Alleluia
Nico Muhly once called choral music “slow food for the soul.” So why not feed your spiritual side on Thanksgiving as well? Once you’ve had your fill of the nourishment essential for your mortal being, take some time to enjoy to this seasonally appropriate “Alleluia.” Roughly speaking, it means “praise the Lord,” so go ahead and celebrate whatever your lord may be: a deity, the ruler of your little fiefdom or the Detroit Lions front office.
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132: III. Molto Adagio; Andante
The third movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 15 is the longest by far. Its full heading is “Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart,” or, “Convalescent's Hymn of Thanksgiving to the Deity, in the Lydian Mode.” Beethoven was the convalescent in question — he wrote this as he was getting over a terrible stomach issue at a time when even the slightest rumble of the belly meant it was time to make sure your will was set and ready to go. Maybe it hasn’t been your day or week or month, or even your year — but if you’re reading this on Thanksgiving, with people you love, take some time to enjoy the moment.
Schubert: Trout Quintet
It’s really easy to mess up turkey, so if you’re feeling poultry averse, strive for authenticity and serve fish. Turns out that it — along with shellfish like lobster and clams — had a major place on the menu at the first Thanksgiving. While you could think of a number of aquatic-adjacent pieces to add to a playlist, we recommend starting with Schubert’s Trout Quintet, and finding a native North American trout with which to pair it.
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”: II, Largo
Analyses linking Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony to an ethnomusicological survey of music native to the U.S are more than a bit convoluted. But that hasn’t stopped the symphony from being chiseled in to the American mythology — especially the second movement. It’s often subtitled “Goin’ Home,” and popularly thought to be based on a Negro spiritual Dvořák heard while he was in the U.S. It wasn’t, but fine, we’ll take that hearty slice of perceived American-ness on Thanksgiving. Then back to myth-busting on Friday.