Righteous Classical Music: Daphnis et Chloe Suite no.2 by Maurice Ravel

A ballet that premiered in 1912, Daphnis et Chloe is more remembered for its exquisite score than for its plot, characters, or choreography. The ballet is set in ancient Greece, and follows the shenanigans of the lovers Daphnis and Chloe, as various obstacles get in the way of their happy ending.
Many regard this as Ravel's greatest work. I am a huge fan of this music, and it's pretty much tied with a bunch of other stuff as my favorite Ravel. It's perhaps not the most approachable music, but once you're used to the impressionistic music style, you can start to really appreciate it!

The first movement of this suite, Lever du Jour, is a glorious musical portrait of the rising of the sun. Rippling woodwinds and harp sound like the sunlight painting the Grecian landscape, while three solo violins and a piccolo sing the morning songs of birds. It crescendos into a transcendent chord, and in your mind's eye you can see the sun break over the hills!
I love the theme that is carried by the strings. It just kind of floats above the texture of the accompaniment, like hazy morning fog. There are two solos for piccolo and Eb clarinet respectively. These solos are meant to be the songs played on the pipes of a shepherd!

Pantomime, the second movement, is where Daphnis and Chloe re-enact the story of Pan and Syrinx, and features one of the most beautiful flute solos in the orchestral repertoire. It's basically supposed to be the invention of the flute, as Pan takes a reed and blows a sorrowful melody through it. As the 'first thing' played on a flute, it must sound like it's being improvised, which is just too cool!

Danse Generale is probably the most popular section of the suite. When performed with a choir, the work takes on a primal, almost hypnotic vibe. It's a triumphant ending with the two lovers reunited, and this dance is a wild celebration. It's pretty crazy!

Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel)

This is currently one of my sister's very favorite pieces. She wants to be a conductor, so I got her the score for her birthday, haha!
Mussorgsky was inspired to write this oddball 'suite' when his artist friend passed away. There was a memorial exhibition of his best works, and Modest wrote pieces after them to honor his friend. Very sweet!

Promenade
Lovely brass work! Also, the opening theme is also a fragment of the last movement, The Great Gate of Kiev!

Gnomus
This one is kind of creepy! It is based off a picture of a spooky little gnome with legs so short he uses his arms to walk. There's some cool celesta riffs. Celesta usually sounds sweet and heavenly, but here it's creepy! Though this movement is macabre, it seems so in a light hearted way.

Promenade
Here's the Kiev theme again, but this time it's not as bright and joyful as the first time. Rather, it sounds thoughtful, like a person browsing the art gallery, or Modest remembering his deceased friend as he looks at the exhibition.

The Old Castle
This picture was of a man standing below a window (of a castle, duh) and serenading his lover. The mood is brooding and almost morose, with a romantic solo for alto saxophone. Makes me think of a moonlit night. Maybe their love is forbidden and they can only see each other at night. That's part of what I love about Pictures at an Exhibition, the titles give you enough to place a scene or character, but other then that they're vague. Imagination fuel!

Promenade
My sister would like to point out the constantly changing time signatures in this promenade (once again pompus and happy). Crazy!

Tuileries
This painting depicts happy children playing in a garden in Paris. The mood is playful, but a little cheeky, as the children quarrel a little amongst themselves!

Bydlo
A peasant rides is oxen-drawn wagon, whilst singing a typically Russian folk tune. In this movement, you can totally feel the movement of the wagon wheels! Very good musical painting! Tuba seems to get the melody towards the end too, haha.

Promenade
Aw, a sweet variation on the Kiev theme, with tranquil flutes and the other woodwinds. And what the deuce, 7/4 time.

Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks
Okay, so there was a ballet featuring little chicks, and it's very fun, haha! The music sounds a little disoriented, like they can't see where they're going because they haven't all the way hatched! Very playful!

Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle
Here we have two guys, one is rich, one is poor, and the music contrasts their personalities. There is kind of a weird Trumpet part, that sounds like a high, nasaly voice. A good example of character writing!

Limoges, The Market Place
Haha, this picture was of a bunch of women gossiping and having a good time at a marketplace. You can almost see the busting around.

Catacombs (Roman Sepulchre/Con Mortuis in Lingua Mortua)
We segue RIGHT into Catacombs from the last one. These two movements are joined together and are basically the same one. There are a lot of massive, harsh chords, contrasted with a mysterious trumpet solo. It sounds like you just discovered, well, catacombs. It's like you're on an adventure, and maybe you meet a ghost or something. The second part of the Catacombs is a little more tender, like what scared you a lot before turns out to not be so threatening.

Baba Yaga: The Hut on Chicken Legs
Yesss! This is a great movement, with stabby strings, crazy woodwind riffs, and terrific, threatening brass. This is based off of a Russian fairy tale character called Baba Yaga. She's a witch that lives in a house on, well, Chicken Legs, it jumps over the forest looking for human bones to devour! Yikes. I love the opening. It sounds like, Oh crud we've gotta run!

The Great Gate of Kiev
A maddening scale segues directly into the triumphant finale- celebrating the Gate of Kiev! The brass section is amazing here, hat tip to them! The jubilant parts contrast with more thoughtful woodwind interludes. I really like how the piece develops and it is really exciting by the end! A stirring end!

Righteous Sorta-Classical Music: Nirvana by Do Bao and Van Anh Vo & Vietnamese Folk Medley

So last November, me and my orchestra did a bit of collaboration with a Vietnamese artist named Van Anh Vo, who plays a LOT of cool Vietnamese instruments!
I really enjoyed working with her, she was very nice, and the music was just amazing! I'm going to feature two of the songs we did, one is called Nirvana and is an arrangement of a work by Do Bao, the other is a Folk Medley!
Nirvana has a special place in my heart because it features a solo piccolo part, which is lyrical and beautiful, showcasing the tender side of the instrument that most people don't know exists! There are two main themes, the second serving as a gorgeous counterpoint to the first. I almost didn't come in when we first played this, I was so surprised by how lovely it was! Really like heaven ;) I like how it also combines traditional Asian music sounds (it's in the pentatonic scale) with contemporary music sounds (like that righteous drum set, LOL!).



Nirvana was for a chamber orchestra. It only has the string section, french horns, harp, piccolo (!), percussion, and of course, Dan Tranh. The Folk Medley on the other hand, is for full orchestra!
It's split into three sections.
The first is Rice Drums, a colorful and lively song that sounds like a parade! It hearkens the beautiful landscapes of Vietnam, and opens with a thrilling percussive rhythm!
The second is the Royal King Parade, a slower and dignified folk tune. Have I mentioned that all this time the 2nd violins have been striking their strings with chop sticks instead of their bows? Sometimes 21st Century music is pretty dang cool!
The third section is amazing, and titled The Black Horse. The title is extremely fitting, for this breathless and rhythmically interesting finale! I can almost feel the wind in my hair!



Listen and enjoy! :)

Righteous Classical Music: Overture to Tannhauser by Richard Wagner

Been a while, my chums! How're y'all doing? I'm okay. My flute AND piccolo both need repairs done, I have two critical auditions coming up, and I hit my head really hard today so we're paying close attention to whether or not I get dizzy or nauseous, haha. So if I start to get incoherent, that's why.

Ahem. Today we're going to talk about one of my favorite works by German composer Richard Wagner. The opera Tannhauser is about a knight/minstrel dude who falls in love with the Greek goddess Aphrodite (or Venus, but I don't like the cut-rate Roman names as much, LOL) and mayhem ensues. I read the synopsis, and I don't really feel like the plot warrants this emotionally charged and rich music, but hey! I'll make a final judgment when I actually see the opera.
When you listen to this music, it might sound very familiar to you! That's because they used it in the hysterical 'Where's Opera, Doc?' Looney Tunes episode! Am I annoyed that they used this music in their silly cartoon? Not at all. Thanks to that cartoon, this beautiful music has been researched and listened to by many!

Allright, so the music.
The famous 'Return my love!' theme is actually the tune of the 'Pilgrim's Chorus' from Act I. That piece is amazing too. We begin with a somber, yet uplifting low-winds chorale. From there the music grows in tension and determination until the brass burst forth with an inspiring and heroic rendition of the Pilgrim's Chorus. Listen to it! ;D
This music sends shivers down my spine! Love it. Very dramatic and powerful.

HAPPY EASTER!

Christ is Risen!

Here is one of my favorite icons, I think I've talked about it before, but a basic rundown is that icons aren't so much a snapshot or a portrait, the way western religious art is. They're more like symbolic depictions of many things at once. Here we have Christ's Resurrection, and he is also pulling Adam and Eve out of graves, or limbo. The doors of hell are broken down and under them is an old man, Death. Reminds me of the hymn we sing at Divine Liturgy during Paschal time.

 

Christ is risen from the dead,

By death He conquered death,

and to those in the tomb He granted life

 

I hope you all had a wonderful and joyous Easter! :D

And also enjoy this marvelous piece by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov!



Righteous Classical Music: Ma Mere L'Oye by Maurice Ravel

This little suite and Sheherazade kind of go together in my book because they both combine music with storytelling! Ravel wrote Ma Mere L'Oye (or Mother Goose, in English) originally as a piano duet for two of his young students- Mimi and Jean Godebski. Ravel was good with kids, and actually wanted them to play the premier of the piano suite, but Mimi was only 6 at the time and not confident in her skills, so another pair of kids premiered it.
I find it funny that the piano suite is subtitled as 'Five Children's Pieces', and we still play them more than a hundred years later! Anyway, Ravel orchestrated the suite, and even added some more music later to make it a little ballet! How cool, eh?
The pieces are based off of faerie tales, except for the last one, which isn't based off of any tale in particular, but is meant to evoke spelderous magic and grandeur.

1. Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty
This is a very short movement. The gentle melody carried by first the second flute and then developed by the first flute is very tranquil, but also carries a hint of melancholy. I really like the sweet clarinet work in this movement. The ending is very quiet- as the kingdom falls asleep for 100 years, waiting for the prince who will awaken their princess. This part of the suite reminds me of Pavane for a Dead Princess, another work by Ravel.

2. Little Tom Thumb
Here, Ravel's notes on the score tell us exactly what he was going for with his music.
He believed he'd easily find his way because of the bread that he'd strewn all along his path; but he was very surprised to find not a single crumb: the birds had come and eaten everything.
The melody wanders unsurely through many different time signatures, much like the way Little Tom is currently wandering aimlessly through the forest. I really like how Ravel represents the birds in his music! A solo violin does a weird glissando thing, and the piccolo and flute make fluttery, chirping noises.
There are neat solos for most of the woodwinds in the orchestra. The Oboe, English Horn, Clarinet, Flute, and the Piccolo gets the melody towards the end.

3. Laideronette, Empress of the Pagodas
This is my favorite movement! It has a lot of fun, unique sounds, and the musical texture is one of simmering excitement and playful wonder. There's also a little mystery, too! There are some cool solos in this movement. The piccolo solo at the beginning is called for at a lot of auditions, and I think it's awesome because it uses the low, whistley range of the instrument!
I really like it later in the movement, things quiet down and get a little mysterious, and the celesta takes the piccolo's melody, and the different timbre gives it a whole new feeling!
This movement is in a wicked hard key signature to play in- F# Major! That's six sharps you have to navigate. The quick, light passages that dominate don't make it any easier, either.
Also, the story behind this one is unbearably cute. So Laideronette is a princess cursed to be the ugliest woman in the world by a witch who has taken over her kingdom and banished her. On her travels (to what is implied to be China), she meets a green serpent who is a prince cursed by the same witch. As they are wandering through the forest, little bugs and animals who are charmed by Laideronette's goodness make little tiny instruments (piccolo, anyone?) and play music to guide the two to a magical pagoda. The pagoda has enchanted baths where if you use them, the spell will be broken!

4. Conversations of Beauty and the Beast
This movement is sort of a waltz, gently paced. The first part is very serene, but true to the dynamic of Beauty and the Beast, there comes a bit of strife in the later sections. A highlight of this movement is the use of the contrabassoon to represent the beast. The sound is fitting for his character- deep, growly, and with a rough edge. The melody it plays is gloomy and grouchy, showing the combined feelings of sadness and anger that dominate his moods. There is a lovely melody that represents Beauty, carried first by the Clarinet, then Flute, then Piccolo, and there's also a high-pitched and slender violin solo!

5. The Faerie Garden
The mood is quiet and awe-inspiring as this final movement begins. There is a beautiful violin solo accompanied by celesta and woodwinds, which serves to familiarize and brighten the solemn majestic tone. Also notable is a viola solo! It's very beautiful, and I like the viola, it's got a unique timbre! A magnificent crescendo takes its time, but when it finally arrives, the effect sends shivers down my spine, and makes for a magical way to end the suite!

Relaxing Classical Music for Those of us with Annual Hypochondria Stress

Dear Media, Internet, and Well Meaning Friends.
SHUT UP ABOUT NOROVIRUS!! I am aware it's a thing, and I do NOT need to be reminded of its existence every time I leave the safety of under my bed.
Anyway, this time of year is a stressful one for us paranoid wrecks, so I figured why not help out my fellow hypochondriacs with (sorry it's not a miracle vaccine that protects against everything) a playlist of extremely relaxing classical music to take your mind off of your imminent doom. :D

Claude Debussy: Arabesque no.1, La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin, Reveries, Clair de Lune, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faune, La Mer: From Morning to Noon on the Sea
With his talent for heavenly texture and dreamlike moods, Debussy is your best friend, be it for relaxation or just something nice to play over your hot date.
I think that Arabesque no.1 is the most relaxing song ever, with it's flowing, water-like first section and more solid and elegant middle bit. Clair de Lune is one of my very favorite songs, and while it is brimming with enchanting emotion it is also very calming. The feel of Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faune is very warm, like the summer day it describes.

Chopin: Nocturne in Eb no.2 opus 9, Etude no.3 in E 'Tristesse'
Chopin is terrific, and two of his songs in particular really resonate with me. Nocturne in Eb is a gentle and blissful piece that is almost a waltz, save for the 12/8 time signature. Etude no.3 is commonly known as 'Tristesse', French for 'Sadness'. The melody is very beautiful and lyrical, though the middle section gets a little crazy before settling back into the melody, this time very quiet and resigned.

Maurice Ravel: The Mother Goose Suite, Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
A good story makes for a good distraction from problems in real life. Sheherazade is a masterpiece, but it's very colorful and not exactly what you need when you want to wind down and lower your blood pressure. Seriously, I've listened to Sheherazade and my heart starts beating faster, haha!
Ravel's Mother Goose suite however, is quite a bit more laid back, so you can let your imagination run wild on a story without getting extremely fired up. It features Sleeping Beauty, Little Tom Thumb, Beauty and the Beast, and Laideronette the Empress of the Pagodas! And Faeries. Each movement has its own unique texture and flavor, it's a treat.
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte is absolutely divine and makes for an instant stress reliever, at least for me.

Erik Satie: Trois Gymnopedies, Je Te Veux
Erik Satie is pretty much the master of minimalism in music. So much is conveyed through so little, especially in Trois Gymnopedies. The three songs are very close to each other, but each carries a slightly different emotion- Painfully, Sadly, and Gravely. Je te Veux is different in character from the melancholy, atmospheric Gymnopedies. It is a flowing, dreamy waltz with a very romantic mood. Listening to it is like stepping into a teleporter and coming out in a 19th Century French Ballroom!

In The Steppes of Central Asia by Alexandre Borodin
With it's beautiful melody development and thematic elements of cultural harmony, Borodin's In the Steppes of Central Asia is a relatively unknown gem. The music reaches a brilliant emotion climax in the middle, and the rest of the piece winds down in a dusky, peaceful manner. We finish with a shining flute solo that sounds like a desert mirage.

Intermezzo (Entr'acte from Carmen) by Georges Bizet
The Entr'acte from Carmen features one of the most gorgeous melodies composed for flute. Accompanied by harp, the flute creates a tranquil and romantic scene, while other instruments like the Clarinet and English Horn weave in and out like a dialogue.

Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto, Movement 2
Tchaikovsky's music tends to be too emotionally intense to really wind down to, but this second movement of his 1st Piano concerto is a very sweet and playful piece that is deep without making you drain your tearducts. From the winsome flute solo that begins the movement, to the virtuosic scales of the middle section, all the way to the end where the main theme is reprised, this song is a wonderful rest from stress.

Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto, Movement 2
We've got a thing for 2nd movements of concertos, haha. This one is more solemn then the aforementioned Tchaikovsky. Rachmaninoff dedicated this concerto to his therapist, who helped him work through some really crippling depression. With that in mind, the music takes on a different light. The opening chords are that transition from a minor key to a major key are like an ascent from darkness of mind to peace.

More Ranting about Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet

Because YES!!! Ahem. Today I'm sick. Not as bad as yesterday, when I slept through most of the afternoon and staggered zombie like through the evening... but still, not great. My throat is too sore to play flute and piccolo (ever try taking breaths on a sand-paper throat?), and I'm too tired to do anything but bum around and listen to music. And check my facebook status frequently. FREQUENTLY.
So I've been listening to a lot of 20th Century righteousness, especially Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet! Yeah. Sergei, welcome to my list of favorite composers! As you could guess from my glowing review posted a while back, I really liked this adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy. I almost liked watching this ballet more than I liked watching the actual play, but in all fairness, the DVD we got from the library was a REALLY dry production.

So anyway, I'm going to rant about some of my favorite songs from the ballet. Haha!

The Young Juliet (Act I, Scene 10)
In this number, Juliet and Nurse are preparing for the ball. The way we start out is energetic and youthfully dreamy. You can feel the excitement of Juliet as she prepares for the ball. But there is a second theme in this piece, one that is solemn and hints forward to the tragedy that this night of joy will ultimately bring.

Masks (Act I, Scene 12)
Things take a cooky turn as we swap to Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio sneaking into the Capulet's party! Wearing the titular masks, the three buddies dance to a characteristically 'Prokofiev' theme. The tone in this scene is sardonic and quirky as a fractured faerie tale, but is still essentially lighthearted and about some friends having fun. But that doesn't last long, because the next song is...

Dance of the Knights (Act I, Scene 13)
The high energy satire that dominated the last few numbers gives way to the violence of the feud. Though we're at a friggin' party, the music is heavy and agressive. This is probably to bring home the harsh reality that even when they're dressing up in party clothes and arranging marriages for their daughters, the families of Verona are living in an atmosphere of hatred that dominates even their festivities. And Holy Shnikes! The brass players get to flaunt their parts for all it's worth in this one! It's you're time to... wait for it... shine. Cuz brass is shiny, gettit? Sorry.
Ahem. A later part of this song is extremely delicate in contrast to the peasante main theme. This is when Juliet dances a graceful- but passionless- Pas de Deux with Paris, her fiancee chosen by her parents. This section features ghostly flutes, haunting clarinet trills, glissandi from the violas, and a steady rhythm reminiscent of lute strumming.

Mercutio (Act I, Scene 15)
The jokester of the trio gets his own energetic dance. I like the Col Lengo in this movement, and the darkly cheerful, blythe melody that is brimming with spirit and attitude. There is some goofy action from the woodwinds (especially the bassoon!) in the middle part, before we return to the fast main theme.

Balcony Scene/Romeo's Variation/Love Dance (Act I, Finale)
We start out very sweet and tender, but also kind of sneaky and quiet! Romeo has snuck back onto the Capulet's grounds in an attempt to see Juliet again. Kind of weird, but we'll give him a pass because she would probably do the same thing if she was able to get out and about. There is some 'awkward' sounding bits in the Balcony Scene, as Romeo meets Juliet again and makes an adorkable doofus of himself. This is all very sweet, but my favorite part is the Love Dance, when the whole orchestra is pulsing with the passion of the moment! There is even some (gasp!) subtle piccolo action! Yeah!! On a sadder note, we hear the first hints of a gorgeous theme that will show up later in a very different context. But for now, we can end the act blissfully.

Folk Dance (Act II, Scene 22)
Not much happens plot-wise in this scene, but the music is fun and energetic! Contrast between woodwinds and strings is played nicely.

Juliet at Friar Laurence's (Act II, Scene 29)
Juliet has arrived at the Monastery for her and Romeo's secret wedding. A radiant flute solo accompanied by soft strings opens this song, and later as the wedding takes place, a dignified and lovely brass theme dominates.

Tybalt and Mercutio Fight/Death of Mercutio/Romeo Decides to Avenge Mercutio's Death/Finale to Act II (Act II, Scenes 33-Finale)
So you're not a fan of all the lovey dovey stuff. That's okay because boy have we got some stuff for you here! First off, the melody that plays when Tybalt and Mercutio fight is a more heated reprise of the the number 'Mercutio' from Act I. Mercutio's death music is heartbreaking. A reprise of his motif from 'Masks' plays as he staggers across the stage, cracking jokes and making it difficult to tell if he's really hurt or not. But then he finally expires, and Romeo is blinded by rage and fights Tybalt to the death. The music for this fight is the same as the music from the fight in the first few minutes of the ballet- only it's heartpoundingly frantic. The running strings deliver so much tension, ending in a wicked dissonant chord and 15 (yes, 15!!) relentless orchestra hits as Tybalt meets his end.

Introduction/Romeo and Juliet/The Last Farewell (Act III, Scenes 37, 38, 39)
After the dissonant harshness of the Introduction, the soft delicacy of 'Romeo and Juliet' is almost jarring. The flute motif from 'Juliet at Friar Laurence's' is back, unchanged except for key signature, but in this context it's taken on a new tragic air. I love the effect of the rainy sounding strings. It's like you're in your house listening to the storm outside. The Last Farewell is a gorgeous Pas de Deux featuring a sweet viola solo that gets passed along to other instruments and builds in intensity. Each time it gets passed along it changes in character. When the viola has it, it's lithe and graceful. When the tenor sax and clarinets take it, it becomes glowing and romantic.

Juliet Alone/Interlude (Act III, Scenes 42 and 43)
Juliet Alone directly leads into the Interlude, and let me tell you, the transition is amazing and is one of those musical moments that sends shivers down my spine. The Interlude is a reprise of one of the themes in The Last Farewell, transfigured. The first time we hear the theme, it's melancholy. But now it's strong and absolutely soaring with determination, as Juliet decides she can't live without Romeo and decides to do something about the situation.

Dance of the Young Girls with Lilies (Act III, Scene 49)
After Juliet poisons herself to fake her own death, she lies unconscious on her bed and some of her girlfriends sneak in to decorate her room with flowers. I guess it's a wedding thing. This dance is light of step, like you'd move when you're trying to sneak around. The mood is eerie and kind of sad. I really like high-pitched violin solo in this part, and the percussion.

Juliet's Funeral/Death of Juliet (Epilogue, Scenes 51/52)
Urgh, so sad! Juliet's funeral begins with hauntingly quiet and high pitched strings setting the mood. The music is predominantly dark and almost horrifying as Romeo succumbs to despair and a now demented reprise of The Last Farewell plays. It's almost like the music itself is begging Juliet to open her eyes. In the version me and my sister watched, at that part, Romeo actually danced a brief Pas de Deux with Juliet's limp form. It was a really impressive piece of choreography, and very chilling.
Death of Juliet features a mature and somber rendition of Juliet's little motif that was introduced way back in Act I and has finally reached its most developed point.
In stark contrast to other ballet endings, like the overwhelmingly emotional and fortissimo climax of Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet ends almost silently.

Righteous Classical Music: Pavane pour une Infante Defunte by Maurice Ravel

Maurice Ravel's composing style is typically not the most accessible to the casual listener. He uses unusual, but inventive composing techniques to create a unique musical texture. His amazing work Bolero is probably his most popular composition, but the dreamy and delicate Pavane pour une Infante Defunte is definitely a close second.
Pavane was my introduction to Ravel when we played it for orchestra. I hadn't listened to it before rehearsal, and I was stunned by how gorgeous it was. It sounded like we were playing our way up into the clouds of heaven!
Ravel first wrote Pavane for the piano, but he also arranged it for orchestra. It's title is French for Pavane for a Dead Princess. There isn't any super deep meaning for the odd title, he just thought it sounded good with the piece. Ravel said he wanted to write something that a little Spanish princess would dance to. Ravel had a definite soft spot for Spain, as evidenced in this as well as Bolero and Rhapsodie Espagnole.
Pavane is very atypical for Ravel. Usually his music contains unusual harmonies and rhythms, whereas here it is almost traditional sounding. The melody is very calming and beautiful, and this is a song your imagination can have fun with!
This song is to be played slowly, but not dragging. Ravel said once after a very draggy performance of it: "I wrote Pavane for a Dead Princess, not Dead Pavane for a Princess!"

Righteous Classical Music: Francesca da Rimini by Tchaikovsky

This is a lesser-known work of Tchaikovsky's, written while he was on vacation in Beyreuth. He was coming off of a very long time of depression, and was inspired to write this when he read the story of Francesca and her lover Paolo in Dante's Inferno. Despite the distressing subject matter of this tone poem, this piece marks the return of Tchaikovsky's creative spirit after a time of lethargy.
The story goes like this. Dante and his guide, Virgil, have entered the circle of Hell reserved for people guilty of the sin of lust. They are punished by being thrown about in a whirlwind, similar to the 'whirlwind' of their passions, for all eternity. Dante sees two figures in the whirlwind that he feels very sorry for, and asks them to tell their story. It is Francesca, who was married to a cruel man she didn't love, and had an affair with his handsome brother, Paolo. Her husband found out, and murdered them.
It's a sad and somewhat disturbing story, which might explain why it's not a very popular piece of Tchaikovsky's. Oh yes, the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture ended tragically for the two lovers, but at least the ending chorale promises peace between the Montagues and Capulets. Francesca da Rimini's story and in turn, Tchaikovsky's tone poem, offers no such light. Except for maybe the light of Dante's compassion and pity for the couple. This might have been what appealed to Tchaikovsky about the story (aside from the themes of tragic love, which he seemed to like).
Musically, too, this isn't quite as engaging of say, Capriccio Italien or R+J, but it is still very good and interesting. The opening goes on a little too long, but it is very evocative of a chaotic, unrelenting whirlwind. It makes you feel kind of helpless, and like good writing, you feel very immersed into the setting and mood.
Then, after this chaotic and infernal opening, things quiet down suddenly as a bass clarinet plays a plaintive solo, representing Dante asking the lovers for their tale. We are suddenly whisked away to a totally different scene in Italy, as Francesca relates the story. The bass clarinet's plaintive song is developed and carried by different instruments, swelling with passion until the discovery of their affair and their subsequent murder. The music ends dismally- with the return of the whirlwind.
The subject of tragic lovers appealed to Tchaikovsky, as we've seen in Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet before. This may not be his best work, but it's a poignant and haunting comeback for a composer with many brilliant works still ahead of him.

Sheherezade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Allright, so who's up for 50 minutes of colorful orchestration, amazing tunes, and righteous solos for nearly every instrument in the orchestra?
I'm talking about Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's masterpiece, Sheherezade; based on the Arabian Nights. In the story that this piece is based on, a piggish sultan has decided that all women are faithless, and decides to marry one woman each night and execute her the next morning. Not really family friendly, but there it is. So one woman, the titular Sheherezade, decides to save her life by telling the sultan a story each night, and timing it well enough that it ends on a cliffhanger and he has to let her live another night to hear the end. After 1001 nights, he finally decides that she can live.
Sheherezade is split into four movements, each one is kind of like a different story. But just four. I think composing 997 more movements was a bit much. ;)
So all the movements feature a delicate, winding violin solo that is meant to represent the storyteller herself. I love how the violin solos kind of 'lead' into the parts of the song meant to be the stories, like she's beginning to tell the story, and it takes flight from there. I really love this piece (a 'Symphonic Suite', as I think it's technically called?) because it combines my two artistic passions- writing and music! Aaaaahhhh!

1. Sinbad and the Storm at Sea
Rimsky's Korsakov's evocation of the sea through music is masterful here. You can almost feel the spray against your face, listening to this! And the brass absolutely punching that low, dark, theme sounds like something monstrous rising from the depths of the sea! I love how the violin (Sheherazade, if you will!) interludes weave in and out of the big orchestral (the story, if you will also!) parts. It really feels like she's telling the story.

2. The Legend of the Kalendar Prince
The first movement was awe-inspiring, and sends shivers down my spine. This movement is rich, exciting, and 'angers up the blood' as we say. The first movement was amazing, this second movement is double that. A Kalendar is a fakir who was gifted in story-telling. He is represented by the lengthy bassoon solos in this movement, so it's almost like Sheherazade is telling a story, and there's another storyteller in THAT story! So cool! This movement is really righteous because it is filled with action, tension, and wildly colorful orchestration!
This also showcases another one of Rimsky-Korsakov's strengths! Taking a melody, and changing the chords and context of it without changing the melody itself. The Kalendar prince theme is taken first by the bassoon, and it's moody and contemplative. Then by the friendlier oboe, then by the strings, who sound determined and like they mean business!

3. The Prince and the Young Princess
Allright, time to settle down. After the crazy-awesomeness of the previous movement, you'd think that this one would be a little overshadowed. Well, it kind of is, but this is still a very nice piece of music! It tells the story of a romantic prince who is in love with this pretty and fun-loving princess. Unfortunately for him, it takes a while for his words of love (represented by the first theme) to be taken seriously by the goofy and light-hearted princess (who is represented by the second theme). Eventually the feeling of love is mutual though, and you'll definitely be able to tell, musically, when that happens! ;)

4. The Festival at Bagdhad
This piece takes us to the end of Sheherazade's story. We open up with the angry and impatient Sultan. The Sheherazade violin solo takes on a totally new color, with tense double stops as she implores him for one more night of stories. This movement calls back melodies from ALL the previous movements, almost as if she's trying to calm down the sultan's temper by recalling previous stories and characters. Sure enough, the sultan theme interrupts a few times, but the story keeps on going. Finally, her story ends and the music takes a quiet and uncertain sound as she prepares to be sentenced to death. But the sultan has had a change of heart, and decides to let her go free. The music ends on a peaceful, major chord as Sheherazade gets to settle in for her first full night of sleep in a LONG time.
So! That was the subtext, now the music. XD
There is some absolutely NUTTY brass section action in this movement. I mean, all of the movements are challenging for the brass, but this one calls for so much skill. The violin solos in this movement are probably the most challenging of all the movements, with close double stops that require perfect placement of the fingers to get in tune.
While themes from all of the previous movements are recalled, this theme still has room to add in it's own themes and flavor. I love the whirling conclusion that ends her story- a crashing, massive return of the Storm at Sea theme.

Classial Music Chibis!

I drew up the cast of Romeo and Juliet, but I figured that everyone was tired of the constant R+J stuff that I've been posting, so I thought I'd do this first!

So here are the three pieces that I illustrated, Sheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas, and Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens. These three pieces are Tone Poems, meaning they tell a story through the music. Hence, they are the easiest to draw!

Sheherazade

Sheherazade is about a sultan who is convinced all women are faithless, and marries one woman each night and has her executed the next morning. Then one night, his bride is the clever and imaginative Sheherazade, who saves her life by telling him one enthralling story every night, and timing it just right so that it ends on a cliffhanger so that he needs her one more night to hear the rest! This goes on for 1,001 nights, until he finally lets her live. The piece ends tranquilly, with Sheherazade finally getting a good night's sleep!

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

[snort] We all know the story of The Sorcerer's Apprentice, right? A mischievous young apprentice gets ahold of his master's book of spells and wreaks havoc. I had a LOT of fun drawing this one, from his overblown look of awe to the random color swirls that are supposed to represent the magic he's performing. :D

Danse Macabre

Danse Macabre is a song made of awesome. It tells the story of Death, who goes to the graveyard at midnight on Halloween (the stroke of Twelve is represented by a Harp playing twelve D's in a row). He plays his violin (there is a solo violin part, and get this! The soloist actually uses a special tuning to sound really devilish!!) and forces the bones of the dead to dance a mad waltz. It becomes more frenzied and insane until the sun rises (represented by an oboe playing a chipper little riff). It's really cool, and we're playing it in concert this very Sunday! AAAAHHH!

Ma Vlast: Vltava (Moldau) by Bedrich Smetana

The composition describes the course of the Vltava, starting from the two small springs, the Cold and Warm Vltava, to the unification of both streams into a single current, the course of the Vltava through woods and meadows, through landscapes where a farmer's wedding is celebrated, the round dance of the mermaids in the night's moonshine: on the nearby rocks loom proud castles, palaces and ruins aloft. The Vltava swirls into the St John's Rapids; then it widens and flows toward Prague, past the Vyšehrad, and then majestically vanishes into the distance, ending at the Labe.
-Bedrich Smetana

Ma Vlast means My Land in Czech. 'Vltava', also known by its German name 'Moldau', is a river in the Czech Republic, very big, and it stretches through lots of different scenery.
Ma Vlast is actually a set of compositions that Smetana wrote in homage to his homeland, sort of like Finlandia. We'll be covering the second movement, which is about the aforementioned river Vltava.
The piece opens with a beautiful flute duet (which I think must be 'starting from the two small springs' that he talks of in the above quote). They are joined by other woodwinds, and it grows until the strings pick it up and it evolves into a rich and solelmn, but also gorgeous and bright melody. There is a lot of flute action in Vltava. In the middle of the song, there is another flute duet accompanied by quiet strings. This second duet sort of follows the pattern of the first one, but it is much quieter and is near transcendent at times; painting a musical picture of a stream running through the forest, with sunlight reflecting off it... [contented sigh] This one too grows and eventually becomes like a waterfall, all crazy and swirling around and such.
Smetana does an absolutely stellar job evoking the sounds of a river with his music. It goes from swelling and loud to quiet and peaceful, and everything in between. There are many different moods in the music, and it's another lovely example of music used to express love for one's homeland.


Next Up: Sheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov OR Romance in F Major for Violin and Orchestra by Beethoven

Montagues and Capulets by Sergei Prokofiev

This is a selection of music from Sergei Prokofiev's ballet adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, which we're playing in orchestra this semester!
This particular piece of music plays during a ball at the Capulet's mansion. In the ballet, it's called Dance of the Knights, but in the suite of music taken from the ballet it's renamed Montagues and Capulets.
The opening is rather clashy and dissonant, but I think it makes for an interesting prologue to the main thing.
The music starts with a vicious, heavy theme that uses many dotted rhythms and feels very dark and oppressive. This obviously shows the strife and darkness caused by the pointless feud of the two families. Then, as Juliet enters the ball, a softer theme played by solo flutes and accompanied by a viola glissando. Later, a celesta joins in, and the violins play pianissimo broken chords. I always thought this theme was rather slinky sounding.
Later the heavy theme returns, but with different instrumentation, leading to the piece's close.
I really like all of the cool stuff for brass to do here! They sound so menacing and foreboding, very cool!


Next Up: The Moldau by Bedrich Smetana

Righteous Classical Music: La Mer by Claude Debussy

YEAH, more Debussy! Debussy and Tchaikovsky are my two favorite composers, along with Beethoven, Rimsky-Korsakov, Sviridov and about a million other guys!
Ahem, so La Mer is a tone poem about (you guessed it!) the sea, and it is an absolute masterwork of suggestion through musical texture. Debussy portrays the many different 'moods' of the ocean, from tranquility to the crashing waves and mysterious depths.
There are three movements to this piece.
1. De L'aube a Midi sur la Mer (From Dawn to Midday on the Sea)
2. Jeux de Vagues (Games of the Waves)
3. Dialogue du Vent et de la Mer (Dialogue of the Wind and Sea)
The first movement is my favorite, but the others are super cool too. I love the first movement because it reminds me of the Monterey Bay, one of my favorite places in California. The waters are so peaceful at times, but also very powerful and awe-inspiring. That's a feeling I really get from this movement. There is a really pretty Flute solo, too!! Really, I just love how Debussy uses the woodwind section. He utilizes the strengths of each instrument and they are used to their fullest potential. Makes me wish I didn't have a cold so I could play flute/piccolo! :(
The second movement really does sound like playful waves. From the downward scales from the wind section at the start of the piece, to the somewhat spazzy part for strings, this movement is very suggestive of a rather squally day out at the harbor, the winds picking up and the waves becoming rougher. This movement isn't really melodic at all. You can't find a single defining melody. Rather, it's about the sounds and what they suggest, which isn't something you want all music to be, but it's pretty darn cool when done right. At the end of this movement, there is a lovely little bit for Piccolo and Harp, by the way. ;)
The last movement, Dialogue of the Wind and Sea, is foreboding, but also rather excited at the beginning. I really like the use of percussion, especially the timpani drum! The oboe and flute too, get to do some fun solo-ish parts. Towards the end, Piccolo does some cool whistle-y things which I like. The woodwinds do some very interesting runs that sound really difficult! Debussy is so hard to play because sometimes it sounds like it doesn't fit together when it actually does, so when you try and make it 'fit' the way you're used to, you mess it up. This movement makes for a nice, strong finale to what is a terrific musical image of the sea in all it's power and beauty, from tranquility to majesty.



Next Up: The 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky

Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture by Tchaikovsky

Warning: Ranting Lies Herein! Ranting of the good sort, not angry ranting though. :)
Okay, so we're playing this, and I'm really excited, because I've been wanting to play it for a while! What a coincidence!
So this piece actually a telling of the Romeo and Juliet story in and of itself, telling the story with music, rather than words. Sometimes I actually prefer listening to this to reading the play, because the sheer emotional scale of the music is overpowering to me. If you close your eyes, you feel absolutely enveloped in the music, and it goes through so many different emotions! There is a sense of nervous tension almost ever present (even during the famous love theme), and explosive anger and conflict. And there is, I think, a very palpable feeling of helplessness present at certain spots too. Starting around the 15:30 minute mark in the video, the anxious tone grows and grows, until the previously quiet and peaceful, but now soaring and lush love theme returns. This should be a joyful moment, but something in the music sends the message that something is very wrong. The immense timpani rolls make it feel like you're helplessly afloat on a stormy sea.
Of course, I have a rep for being very melodramatic, but hey! This is some of the most emotional music in the world, so I'm in my element here!
Anyway, we've talked about the emotional aspects, so now howabout more on the technical side. This piece has very good parts for pretty much everyone in the orchestra. The brass are totally righteous and can show off really well, the bassoon part actually, is really neato too! The part for violin sounds like so much work, it's very virtuosic. I mean, just listen to the more strife-y parts of the music, and you'll find yourself wondering how they're doing that! The Flute/Piccolo parts are considerably easier, but definitely not easy. There's a lot of coming in on the right beat, and runs fer dayz. But really, it's so much fun to play. The Flute/Piccolo parts are so beautiful (yeah, even the Piccolo gets in on the lovey dovey action!) and I find myself getting totally lost in the music. And that, my friends, is my favorite thing about Orchestra! Well, getting lost in the music, and the occasional free cake when the conductor's birthday lands on a rehearsal night. ;)
Just kidding, stay frosty, my friends!

Music actually starts around 2:00. :)

Next Up: La Mer: From Dawn to Midday on the Sea by Claude Debussy

Righteous Classical Music: Finlandia by Jean Sibelius

We played this for orchestra a few years ago, and it was fun. Except for the mean sectionals coach who chewed me out whenever I pronounced in 'Fin-land-ee-ah', because it's correct pronunciation is 'Fin-LAHNDIA'. Pfft. Me and that sectionals coach aren't a good match. Good thing I recently learned how to adjust my attitude to avoid unnecessary conflict!
Where was I? Oh yeah! The music! Oops.
Finlandia is basically a love letter by Sibelius to his beloved homeland, Finland. (obviously). I think that's very sweet. Not only can you use music to profess your love of your home, but you can also show others through music the beauty of your homeland. I'd like to compose something like that someday about my home.
 The music is very turbulent in the first half, to reflect the struggle of the Finnish people throughout history. Interestingly, they had to change the name a few times to avoid Russian censorship!
I really enjoy all the brass and low strings at the beginning. They sound very intense, and it contrasts well with the tranquil middle half. :D

Next Up!: Pffft, probably something we're playing for the new orchestra semester!!!

Righteous Classical Music: Bolero by Maurice Ravel

I am so pumped out about this piece!
Bolero is a relatively modern piece, written around 1928, and originally commissioned as a ballet by Ida Rubinstein. The interesting thing about this piece is that it is the same two themes repeated over and over and over again (about 8 times each, I think), but it is always building and changing orchestration. The piece grows from very quiet, with various solo parts, to absolutely massive with the whole orchestra playing! There is also some brief bitonality! Bitonality is where two or more instruments are playing together- but in DIFFERENT key signatures! At the Piccolo's entrance two measures after Rehearsal 8, the Piccolo is playing in G major, second Flute (doubling Piccolo also) is playing in E Major, and the Horn is playing in C major! The result is a sound you don't usually hear in classical music; a very odd sounding harmony that doesn't sound quite right, but nonetheless just works, despite all your music theory knowledge is telling you.
All through Bolero, the snare drum (and other instruments) are playing a rhythm that never stops at any point in the whole piece. This gives Bolero a rather mechanical, or determined sound. Maurice Ravel envisioned an open air setting with a factory going calmly in the background while writing this, which I think really matches the tone of the music.
The instrumentation is for a large orchestra, including a couple of Saxophones! So cool!

Next Up: Finlandia by Sibelius

Righteous Classical Music: Entr'acte/Waltz from Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky never ceases to amaze me with his ability to create gorgeous melodies of varying moods and texture. They all seem to have a unifying 'Tchaikovsky-ness' that I can't quite put my finger on.
This song is from an opera that he scored called Eugene Onegin. The opera is based on a story by the Russian poet, Alexandre Pushkin (who's work also inspired another work of classical music that I really love). Pushkin's story involves a man who spurs the romantic advances of a very kind and all around wonderful woman, and of course he later regrets it, tragic Russian-ness, and so forth. I don't know how good the opera is, but this Waltz from the beginning of Act II is a masterpiece in and of itself. The main theme is very sweeping and romantic, played at a moderate tempo with lots of bounce. But there is also a lot of strife present in the music, reflecting the turbulence in the story.


Next Up: Bolero by Maurice Ravel

Righteous Classical Music: Turkish Fragments, Caravan & At Rest by Mikhail Ippolitov Ivanov

Woo! I love these pieces! It's a shame that hardly anybody performs these anymore, because they really are something awesome. Ippolitov Ivanov takes after Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (who he studied under for a time), in that his music is pre-occupied with the East, and is very colorful and rich.
Turkish Fragments is really in four parts. Caravan, At Rest, The Night, and Festivities. We played the first two in our most recent concert though, so I feel like these first two have a special place with me. XD I'll get around to listening to the others someday, for sure.
Caravan is a really cool piece, and it is tremendously successful in suggesting through music, the slow, lumbering journey of a caravan across the desert. It's also very tranquil sounding. It's like, we know where we're going, and we're having a good time getting there!
At Rest begins with a slow, beautiful melody that has great chord structure. Then it halts, making way for a very energetic middle section that involves some really cool percussion techniques. There is also a REALLY neato piccolo part! It's not really a solo, because the flutes are playing it too, but this excited tune has some crazy fingering acrobatics, and sparkles with electric energy! I was sitting piccolo for this one, and let me tell you, it's hard to make it sound so good. You have to practice it a LOT, and if you leave it for a few days then you're going to start losing it. The last part of this movement is a lot more mellowed out (like it ran out of energy! XD), and features a lovely Trumpet solo that showcases the instrument's higher range. At last, the movement settles down into a lovely little woodwind bit. The bassoon takes a motif and passes it to the clarinets, who pass it to the flutes, who pass it to the piccolo, and it sounds like the stars coming out... :)




Next Up!: Entr'acte/Waltz from Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky