It's all about the classical music composers and their works from the last 400 years and much more about music. Hier erfahren Sie alles über die klassischen Komponisten und ihre Meisterwerke der letzten vierhundert Jahre und vieles mehr über Klassische Musik.
Showing posts with label Classical Music with Klaus Doring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Classical Music with Klaus Doring. Show all posts
... The Marriage of Figaro – and we’re very confused
A techno mash-up of Mozart's opera The Marriage of Figaro. Picture: Ayda Classics
By Sofia Rizzi, ClassicFM London
Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro gets a retro make-over in this cover of ‘Non so più’.
Classical music can be heart-breaking, awe-inspiring – and will sometimes leave you completely lost for words.
We think the latter is an appropriate description for this new-age take on Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro.
So, what’s happening here?
Well, it’s a fresh – and frankly, slightly perplexing – take on ‘Non so più’, an aria sung by the character Cherubino in Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro.
One vocalist has replicated herself singing to create vocal layering in a techno-pop remix of the aria. She has added in an 80s-inspired backing band of drums, bass guitar, electric guitar and even a retro keytar (a keyboard guitar) to create a synthetic disco sound.
The vocals are layered to create a harmony on the main melodic line, and there’s even a counter-melody whose vocals are (dare we say?) reminiscent of Ennio Morricone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly theme.
A music theory analysis of Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’
By Kyle Macdonald, ClassicFM London
Ever wondered why the sound of Mariah’s melismas makes you feel all warm and fuzzy? Here’s a rigorous musical analysis of ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ – and why it’s pretty much impossible to write a Christmas hit without sleigh bells.
Released in 1994, Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ has morphed into a seasonal pop-gospel classic. Let’s break down the musical magic.
Introduction
A 50 second-long intro really hooks in the listener. After some trademark Carey melismas on ‘true’, we get a classy rallentando which leads into a perfectly placed appoggiatura on ‘you’.
It might be long, but it creates suspense by the bucket load.
Orchestration
It’s a scientific fact that sleigh bells equal snow, winter and Christmas – and Mariah uses them aplenty. Straight out of Leroy Anderson’s 1948 hit ‘Sleigh Ride’, they’re an essential element of the song’s orchestration.
Tubular bells ring throughout, giving a nostalgic, ecclesiastical feel. There’s also a certain genius in the simplicity of the piano and drum layering, with simple but infectious fills every four bars to keep those toes tapping.
Harmony
The song is in G major, but the intro takes us through a G - B - C - E flat - D - Em - E flat - D - Am - D - G chord sequence, packing in a whole load of harmonic tension that will finally be released when we hit that first verse.
Slate magazine’s resident musicologist counts 13 distinct chords at work throughout the song, giving it a sumptuous chromaticism against those driving 4/4 sleigh bells.
Mariah Carey Performs During NBC's Pre-Tape Christmas Tree Lighting. Picture: Getty
A Christmas chord?
Time for a lesson in scrunchy harmonies, guys.
There’s a theory, put forward by Slate and later illustrated by Vox, which says the chord under ‘presents’ in the opening line – a scrunchy half diminished chord, or D minor 7 flat 5 to be exact – is what makes this song Christmassy.
It’s a deliciously appealing idea, a secret chord that injects a feeling of warm, festive spirit, like a home filled with the smell of cloves and mulled wine.
But not everyone is convinced. Over the centuries, many have tried to link notes and chords to characteristics, but in the end, it’s all in the ear of the listener.
That being said, a scrunchy chord does stand out in the harmonic texture. So, if a half diminished chord makes you feel Christmassy, let it make you feel Christmassy.
The vocals
A few months ago, we asked Classic FM presenter and legendary Baroque soprano Catherine Bott to share her thoughts on the iconic voice.
She said: “Mariah is brilliant because she takes that shouty voice higher in pitch than any classical singer that I’ve ever met. It’s really, really impressive.”
Simple but moving, ‘Silent Night’ is a perennial favourite among carollers. But who composed the carol, and what are the original lyrics?
The story goes that ‘Silent Night’ (originally ‘Stille Nacht’) was first performed on the evening of Christmas Eve in 1818.
Joseph Mohr, a young Catholic priest at St Nicholas Church, Oberndorf bei Salzburg in Austria, was in despair: the organ at his church had been incapacitated by mice, and the chances of fixing the instrument before the evening service were looking slim.
But young Joseph had an idea. A few years before, he had written a rather beautiful poem called ‘Stille Nacht’. So, he asked Franz Xavez Gruber, a schoolmaster and organist in a nearby town, to set his six-stanza poem to music.
That night, the two men sang ‘Stille Nacht’ for the first time at the church’s Christmas Mass, while Mohr played guitar and the choir repeated the last two lines of each verse. Good thing they didn’t call an engineer…
St Nicholas Church, Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. Picture: Getty
What are the lyrics to ‘Silent Night’?
Some pop versions of the carol, such as Destiny’s Child’s (slightly odd) 2001 R&B rendition, use only the first verse of the original hymn.
But most hymn sheets and Carols for Choirs books use three verses, omitting Mohr’s original third, fourth and fifth stanzas.
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love’s pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
'The Legend of Silent Night' 1968 Vienna Boys Choir. Picture: Getty
What are the original German lyrics to ‘Silent Night’?
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht Alles schläft; einsam wacht Nur das traute hochheilige Paar. Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar, Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh! Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, Hirten erst kundgemacht Durch der Engel Halleluja, Tönt es laut von fern und nah: Christ, der Retter ist da! Christ, der Retter ist da!
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht Lieb’ aus deinem göttlichen Mund, Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund’. Christ, in deiner Geburt! Christ, in deiner Geburt!
This piece is from Grieg's 'Peer Gynt' and it's called 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'. You might recognise it from adverts for Alton Towers.
What's this piece?
In the Doctor's Waiting Room
In the Hall of the Mountain King
In the Banqueting Hall
In the Lobby
2 /7
This is Barber's Adagio for Strings – AND it was famously used in the film 'Platoon'.
Can you name this piece?
It's the Devastatingly Sad Adagio
It's the American National Anthem
It's Barber's Adagio for Strings
It's the soundtrack from Platoon
3 /7
This piece has been used in lots of films and television programmes – but it was made famous by 'The Lone Ranger'. It's from Rossini's opera 'William Tell'
What's this piece?
The Overture from William Don't Tell
The theme tune for the Grand National
The soundtrack from the Lone Ranger
The Overture from William Tell
4 /7
This piece comes from Tchaikovsky's ballet 'Swan Lake' – and it appears in the final scene of both the film and stage versions of 'Billy Elliot'.
What about this one?
It's from Swan Lake
It's from Billy Elliot
It's from The Nutcracker
It's from Sleeping Beauty
5 /7
This opera aria is called 'Nessun Dorma' (which means None Shall Sleep and is from Puccini's opera 'Turandot'. It's been linked with football ever since it was used as the theme tune for TV coverage of Italia '90.
What's the piece?
La Donna è Mobile
Time to Say Goodbye
Nessun Dorma
Match of the Day theme tune
6 /7
There are two correct answers here… this piece is the Dance of the Knights from Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet' AND it's the music used as the theme tune for The Apprentice.
Which piece does this come from?
Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev
Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky
The theme tune for The Apprentice
Dragons' Den theme tune
7 /7
This is the Flower Duet from 'Lakmé', by Delibes. It's perhaps most famous as the music from a British Airways advertising campaign.
