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Smashed ...

SMASHED the world record for the most piano notes played in a minute

16 June 2017, 14:25

Domingos-Antonio Gomes breaks the Guinness World Record for 'Most piano key hits in one minute'

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By Amy MacKenzie

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Domingos-Antonio Gomes hit the piano keys a staggering 824 times in one minute.

Portuguese-American pianist Domingos-Antonio Gomes has smashed the record for the 'Most piano key hits in one minute', proving he has the fastest fingers in the business.

The pianist played B7, the second highest key on a piano, a mind-blowing 824 times in 60 seconds – that’s more than 13 hits a second! 

In order to beat the previous record of 765 hits, Gomes practised his technique for four months, which involved alternating between two fingers to press the key as well as a metronome to keep a steady rhythm.

Bravo!

Credit: Guinness World Records

Backstreet Boys in the style of a Bach Allemande

The Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way' in the style of a Bach Allemande

14 June 2017, 17:49

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The Baroque master meets 1990s boyband, and it's as wonderful as you hoped it would be.

A+ music geek and counterpoint hero Michael Monroe has given us something very special. Something we didn't know how much we needed, until we heard it: Bach meets 1999 pop hit.

Michael renders The Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way' in the style of a courtly German dance, the Allemande, perhaps most famously found in Bach’s solo suites. 

Melodically, every irresistible contour of The Backstreet Boys original is there. Counterpoint is strong. There's no sign of any gelled hair or baggy chinos. But full bravos are reserved for the title: The Bach Suite Boys: Allemande That Way.

The Bach Suite Boys - Allemande That Way

An ingenious Baroque version of The Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way', by YouTuber Michael Monroe.

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and here's the original, for reference (and 90s nostalgia)

Michael has a number of absolute treasures on his YouTube channel. Take a look - and while you're there, don't forget to subscribe and support his wonderful work.

Here's another one that tickled us - Tchaikovsky arranged into a forever ascending audio-illusion, akin to the M. C. Escher endless stairway...

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United Airlines staff 'wrestled' violin from musician in airport altercation

6 June 2017, 11:23

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According to a statement from violinist Yennifer Correia’s lawyer, a United Airlines supervisor attempted to use physical force to remove her instrument from her.

Violinist Croreia was attempting to travel from Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport to a concert with the Missouri Symphony Orchestra when the alleged incident took place. 

In the statement, written by lawyer Philip A. McNaughton, it is said that Correia was “in the process of boarding her flight from Houston to St. Louis when a United supervisor refused to permit her to carry her violin onto the plane.”

After explaining that she needed to carry the violin with her into the cabin, the supervisor “told her there were ‘no options’ and became belligerent… Without provocation, the supervisor lunged for Ms. Correia’s case and, incredibly, tried to wrestle it away from the musician.”

The full statement was posted to McNaughton’s Facebook page:

It concludes by saying that Correia was not able to board her intended flight as a result of the altercation, and that she missed her first rehearsal with the Missouri Symphony. Concern was also expressed for a possible injury to her hand. 

United Airlines’ carry-on baggage information states that violins, guitars and other small instruments are permitted on board:

Musicians in recent years have had difficulty with many airlines, with the myriad regulations from company to company often causing instruments either to be damaged or musicians to be denied travel.

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Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Ariana Grande’s graceful performance of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ was the perfect balance of virtuosity and emotion

5 June 2017, 11:54

Ariana Grande sings Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Ariana Grande performs her finale at One Love Manchester

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Ariana Grande closed the One Love Manchester show last night with a stirring, delicate version of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’.

It was a performance charged with emotion, but Ariana Grande turned it to her advantage as she sang. Her voice was strong throughout the whole of the One Love Manchester concert, but the rawness of the occasion began to seep through by the time it came to the final song, ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’. 

A lesser soprano would have strived simply for technical perfection, but Grande made the right decision by letting her emotions colour and direct the performance, no more so than when towards the end of the song, clearly exhausted, Grande broke into tears and stopped - taking time to compose herself before continuing, showing enough maturity to know that to be honest in performance is far better than being accurate.