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Friday, October 6, 2023

Italian night

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s second concert of this season features cellist Wen-Sinn Yang as soloist.


AT A GLANCE

  • Wen-Sinn Yang’s wide-ranging repertoire is documented on more than 30 CDs. These include not only the principal works for violoncello by Boccherini, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Saint-Saens, Lalo, Tchaikovsky, and Dvořák but also compositions by Henri Vieuxtemps, Frank Martin, Leonid Sabaneev, and Sofia Gubaidulina.


CELLIST WEN SINN YANG_3.jpg
MEET THE SOLOIST
Cellist Wen Sinn Yang

Cellist Wen-Sinn Yang will be the featured soloist for the second concert of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra this concert season under the baton of Maestro Grzegorz Nowak on Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m., at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater at Circuit Makati. 

 

For the second concert, dubbed “Italian Night,” the Swiss-born cellist will perform Antonin Dvořák’s “Cello Concerto, op.104, B minor.”  The concert’s program also includes “Sarung Banggi: A Symphonic Serenade by Potenciano Gregorio Sr. (arr. Angel Peña),” and Felix Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 4, op.90, A major” (Italian).

 

As always, music enthusiasts can expect extensive program repertoire from the PPO’s 39th concert season, dubbed Switch, under the baton of Maestro Nowak. Having the Maestro on our team is a welcome development as we—both the CCP and the PPO—continue to fulfill our mandate to bring artistic excellence to greater heights and utilize arts for the national development,” says CCP president Michelle Nikki Junia.

 

Enthusiasm for the unknown and constant research distinguishes Wen-Sinn Yang as one of the most versatile cellists of the present day. His performances not only revive the music of 19th-century cello virtuosos such as Adrien François Servais and Karl Yulievich Davydov, but also introduce his audiences to such modern composers as Aribert Reimann and Isang Yun.

 

Alongside his activities as an internationally renowned soloist under conductors, including Sir Colin Davis, Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons, Shiao-Chia Lü, Grzegorz Nowak, Daniel Klajner, Yukata Sado, and Michael Hofstetter and with such orchestras as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony, the NHK Tokyo, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Russian State Orchestra of Moscow, Wen-Sinn Yang is also a highly sought-after chamber music partner. His mastery and technical skill are not only strongly expressive but also particularly sensitive, which continues to open up ever-new listening perspectives.

PHILIPPINE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA (Photo by Rodel Valiente).jpg
A COLLECTION OF THE BEST Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (Photo by Rodel Valiente)

Wen-Sinn Yang’s wide-ranging repertoire is documented on more than 30 CDs.  These include not only the principal works for violoncello by Boccherini, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Saint-Saens, Lalo, Tchaikovsky, and Dvořák but also compositions by Henri Vieuxtemps, Frank Martin, Leonid Sabaneev, and Sofia Gubaidulina. Many of these are distinguished as premiere recordings.

 

Yang has been a professor of Violoncello at the Academy of Music and Theatre in Munich since 2004 and also regularly conducts international master courses.

Maestro Grzegorz Nowak is currently the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director and principal conductor.  He is also a permanent associate conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London, UK.  He was music director of the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, Poland from 2017 to 2020 and other orchestras in Poland, Germany, Switzerland, and the US. He has conducted orchestral music recorded in over 80 CDs that have received awards and five-star ratings.

 

Tickets are priced at ₱3,000 (Orchestra Center), ₱2,000 (Orchestra Side), ₱2,500 (Loge Center), ₱1,500 (Loge Side), and ₱800 (Balcony 1). www.culturalcenter.gov.ph 

The Music of Poetry

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Publication History

Frédéric Chopin

Frédéric Chopin

Chopin actually did not approve for his songs to be published at all. Juliusz Fontana, the composer’s friend and later the editor of the songs, mentioned that in Paris, at emigrant evenings, Chopin “in the moments of hearty frankness would recite them with intonation and accompaniment of the piano, with a book of poetry in front of him, postponing the moment of writing them down.”

Chopin did extemporize his songs at various times, from possibly as early as 1827 when he was 17, to 1847, two years before his death. All but one of the texts is based on original poems by Polish contemporaries, many of whom Chopin personally knew. As only two of them were published in his lifetime, Chopin’s mother and his sister sought to bring them to the public by looking for a suitable publisher. By 1857 the remaining 17 Polish songs had been collected and issued as Chopin’s Opus 74 by the publishing firm of Heinrich Schlesinger. 

Chopin’s Study With Józef Elsner

Józef Elsner

Józef Elsner

The Polish composer, music teacher, and music theoretician Józef Elsner is probably best known as the principal composition teacher of the young Frédéric Chopin. In his Treatise on Polish Poetry with Regard to Music of 1818, Elsner explored one of the most significant musical issues of his time. That being the creation of national music through the setting of contemporary, and often radical, Polish texts.

As he writes, “Every intelligent, creative person who understands the relationship between music and poetry, and who is connected to one of the other is deeply moved by it, must be aware of the shared perfection of the two arts. The influence of music on poetry, and poetry on music is so important, that one art form cannot be precisely and fully explained without reference to the other.”

The earliest Chopin art song in his Op. 74 collection was published only ten years after the publication of Elsner’s treatise. In fact, Chopin had been interested in art song composition from the time of his earliest studies with Elsner, and in his early group of songs, Chopin adheres strictly to “Elsner’s rules on the accentuation of penultimate syllables in closing phrases and section.” 

If I were the sun in the sky
I wouldn’t shine just on you.
Neither on lakes
nor forests
but on everything;
Oh the times under your window and only for you
If I could only change into the sun.

If I were a bird from that forest
I wouldn’t sing in any foreign country
Neither on lakes
nor forests
but on everything;
Oh the times under your window and only for you
If I could only change into a bird.
(trans. Christopher Lapkowski)

Songs Composed During His Teenage Years in Warsaw

Frédéric Chopin, 1873

Frédéric Chopin, 1873

During his teenage years in Warsaw, Chopin seemed to have spontaneously composed a number of songs in a local coffee house. He regularly attended with his friends, and “Chopin would simply sit down at the piano and play.” The poet Stefan Witwicki (1801-1847) was part of the Chopin circle, and like the composer, he was interested in the ideals of Polish nationalism. Chopin set eight poems by Witwicki, beginning around 1829 with “Życzenie” (A Maiden’s Wish) and “Gdzie lubi” (Where She Loves).

These songs seemed to have quickly gained popularity and were circulated in copies with added accompaniment, and occasionally with changed lyrics. Chopin stayed in touch with Witwicki after he left the country, and in July 1831 the poet sent a letter to Vienna.

“Dear Mr. Fryderyk, let me remind myself to your memory. I would like to thank you for the songs. Both I and everyone who knows them like them very much and you would admit to yourself that they are very beautiful if you heard them performed by your sister. Your friend Witwicki… If you wanted to write music to another song…” 

Chopin’s early songs feature, for the most part, regular four-measure phrasing subdivided into smaller two-measure units. He rarely employs successive melodic accents within the closing phase, “and his songs can perhaps be best interpreted as a transformation of original folk melody and vernacular text. Such melodies and texts are given new interpretations within the art song framework, particularly in terms of dramatic intent and ornamentation of accented syllables.” And while there are tangible allusions to folksong in Chopin settings, there is no documented evidence to suggest that the composer quoted directly from folk sources. My darling, when in a joyous moment

You begin to chatter and wail and coo,
Such lovely cooing, chattering and wailing
Not wanting to miss a single word,
I dare not interrupt, I dare not respond,
I only wish to listen!

But when the vividness of speech lights your eyes
And rosies the berries more intensely
Pearly teeth shine among corals,
Ah! then I will look boldly in your eyes
I hurry my lips and to do not demand to listen,
Only to kiss!
(trans. Jennifer Gliere)

Poetry by Adam Mickiewicz

Adam Mickiewicz

Adam Mickiewicz

The Polish-Lithuanian poet Adam Mickiewicz (1798–1855) is regarded as a national poet in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. A principle figure in Polish Romanticism, he is one of the so-called “Three Bards,” whose work was thought to give perfect expression to Polish nationalism. Chopin and Mickiewicz were close friends, particularly during the years when Chopin lived in Paris. Perhaps their most significant point of convergence was the intensity of their national feelings and the homesickness they both experienced.

Mickiewicz fondly remembered Chopin as “the sweetest figure” he had ever known. According to Robert Schumann, Mickiewicz supposedly inspired Chopin’s piano ballades, but we know with certainty that Chopin set two Mickiewicz poems. These settings are separated by about ten years, with the liltingly beautiful love song “My darling” written in 1837, and the declamatory “Out of my sight” dating from 1827. 

Out of my sight! Leave me I beg you!
Out of my heart! I cannot go against you.
Out of my thoughts! No, that ultimate surrender
Our memories could ever render.

As evening shadows lengthen
And stretch their sad imploring arms,
My face will shine brighter in your mind
The further you are from me.

In every season in places close to our hearts,
Where we have shared laughter, tears and glances,
Always and everywhere shall I be with you,
For everywhere I have left a part of my soul. 

Poetry by Bohdan Zaleski

Bohdan Zaleski

Bohdan Zaleski

The Polish-Ukrainian poet Bohdan Zaleski (1802-1886) was part of the Mickiewicz circle, and an active member of a number of nationalist organizations, including the Slavonic Society and the Polish Democratic Society. Zaleski was associated with Romanticism and sentimentalism, and his love and reflective lyrics were inspired by folk poetry. Zaleski was a personal friend of Chopin, and his wife was the composer’s piano student between 1843 and 1844. In all, Chopin set four of Zaleski’s poems, and he seems to have been particularly interested in Zaleski’s historical dumkas.

Originating in Ukraine, the dumka was performed by itinerant Cossack bards and centered on historical events, often dealing with military actions. Although the narratives mainly revolve around war, they primarily impart a moral message in which one should conduct oneself properly in relationships with the family, the community, and the church. Chopin’s melody is reminiscent of a bard’s song, and the accompaniment mimics the strokes of the lyre. This is clearly a lyrical lament of a wanderer far from his homeland, a sentiment that Chopin could readily identify with.


My eyes mist over with tears from deep within me,
All around me darkness is gathering;
A dumka wells up and dies on my lips
In silence, ah, in the silence of unhappiness.

What bliss it would be to love and to sing!
Then I would dream in this alien
wilderness as I did at home;
I long to love — and there is no one.
I long to sing — and there is no one to sing to.

Poetry by Wincenty Pol

Wincenty Pol

Wincenty Pol

The Polish poet and geographer Wincenty Pol (1807-1872) fought in the Polish army during the November 1830 Uprising. This armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland was fought against the Russian Empire. A substantial segment of people from Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine joined the uprising, and although the insurgents achieved local successes, a numerically superior Imperial Russian crushed the uprising. Pol published a collection of highly popular poems of the revolt titled “Songs of Janusz.” Apparently, Chopin composed music to ten or twelve of these, but only “Leaves are falling” has survived.  

The leaves are falling from a tree
Which grew to maturity in freedom;
A little field bird sings
From on top of a gravemound.

O Poland,
You have fared badly!
It was all just a dream
And your children are dead.

Your hamlets have been burnt down,
Your towns destroyed,
And in the fields round about
A woman is lamenting.

Everyone left their homes,
Carrying their scythes with them;
Now there is no one left to work,
And the crops are wasting in the fields.

When the young men gathered
Near Warsaw,
It seemed as though the whole of Poland
Would cover herself with glory.

They had the upper hand all winter,
They fought the summer through;
But in the autumn
There were not even enough
adolescents left to continue.

Now the battles are over,
But all was in vain,
For none of our brethren are coming back
To their fields.

Some lie pressed beneath the sod,
Others have been led away captive,
Others are scattered throughout the world
With no home or farmland.

There is no help from heaven
Or from human hands;
The soil is lying waste
And Nature displays her charms for nothing.

The leaves are falling from the tree,
Again they are falling.
Oh, land of Poland!
If those countrymen
Who are dying for you
Had set to work
And carried away their homeland’s soil
A handful at a time,
They would already have built Poland
With their hands.

But distinguishing ourselves by a show of strength
Is nowadays beyond our imagining,
For traitors have proliferated
And the common people are too good-natured.

Chopin’s setting seems very much like a recorded improvisation. Rhapsodic in character, the song mourns the fate of a nation and of a generation rather than individual events. An expressive yet internalized interpretation takes away all of the threatening pathos, replaced with a subdued lament in an elevated mood. 

Importance and Legacy

According to scholars, “Chopin’s songs brought to the European Romantic song repertoire a character and a tone it had lacked before. They brought the simplicity of a first-hand folkloric inspiration, an almost naive, youthful tenderness, a boisterous aplomb, a nostalgic reflection, and finally a deep feeling for one’s country.” For a number of critics, these songs are regarded as artistically unimpressive, and of minor significance in the entire creative work of the composer. To be sure, Chopin himself attached so little meaning to the songs that he never had a single song published. However, he surely wanted his vocal miniatures to fleetingly stir the emotions, to draw a smile or a tear. As such, “read with an understanding of tone and style, sung and played in a natural yet intimate way, they can charm and transform, move and disturb.”

Thursday, October 5, 2023

Rita Hayworth Sway Dancing


Antonio Molina - We Were Moonlight (1941)


"We Were Moonlight" reflects the ardent influence of European music impressionism, particularly Debussy, on Antonio Molina. This composition was inspired by a poem by Jose Garcia Villa, pennamed Doveglion (pseudonym derived from dove, eagle, and lion), entitled "Poem beneath a Blue Lampshade." Cast in a rounded binary form, the piece begins with an A section in D Major set in the Romantic tradition of adding altered chord notes such as 6ths and 9ths, and a flowing arpeggiated accompaniment. The tranquil B section in B-flat Major is set homophonically. The return of the A section includes tonal excursions, mild chromaticism, and exchanges of arpeggio passages.

5 best uses of Classical Music...in a Stanley Kubrick film

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5 best uses of Classical Music...in a Stanley Kubrick film

Friday, September 29, 2023

Mariah Carey - Hero (Official HD Video)


Silence Is Golden – At Least at Classical Music Concerts!

  

classical music audience

Classical music audience

The argument for more ‘audience participation’ (and noise) at classical concerts usually goes something like this: in Mozart’s day, people enjoyed food, drink, and gossip during performances. Often the musicians, and the performance, were almost secondary to the noisy socialising and carousing. The advocates for “noise at concerts” hint that we need to return to an 18th-century mode of behaviour when experiencing classical music and that this approach will attract that elusive “younger audience” and make classical music “more accessible”.

The tradition of listening to concerts in silence, in a special building designed for that purpose, developed during the middle of the 19th century and soon became the “proper” way to experience live classical music (Wagner was one of the first to advocate silence at concerts.). Most people who go to classical concerts today not only accept that listening in silence is an established part of concert etiquette, it also makes the concert experience more enjoyable for everyone.

In addition to the ‘social code’ of the classical concert – knowing when to keep quiet for the benefit of other people, including the performers – there are good, practical reasons for listening to classical music quietly.

Liszt concert by Ralph Steadman

Liszt concert by Ralph Steadman

Silence in the concert hall is a sign of respect for the performers. Classical musicians invest significant time and effort into perfecting their craft, and the concert stage is where they share their artistry with the audience. By maintaining silence, attendees show appreciation for the dedication and talent of the musicians, acknowledging their hard work and skill.

Silence creates an environment that encourages deep musical engagement and allows the myriad nuances of the music to be fully appreciated. Why? Because classical music often contains intricate melodies, harmonies, and subtle dynamics that demand attentive listening. Silence in the concert hall allows listeners to immerse themselves in the music without distraction, allowing them to experience the emotional depth and expressive or artistic intentions of the music. Unlike some other forms of entertainment, classical music’s beauty often emerges from its delicate interplay of soft and loud passages, intricate phrasing, and nuanced interpretations. The silence maintains an atmosphere that helps capture these subtleties.

keep the classical music a slient experience

© Unsplash

For many of us, myself included, the chief attraction of classical music concerts, apart from the music itself, of course, is the opportunity to escape into quiet introversion for a few hours. I love going to concerts with friends, listening with others, but ultimately, it’s a very personal, often introspective experience. In today’s fast-paced, frenetic, noisy world, I love the opportunity to be completely silent for a few hours, almost as a kind of retreat.

And the sense of collective listening in silence with 500 or more other people can be very potent. We have all been at concerts where the power of the music and performer encourages a really intense form of listening on the part of the audience. I experienced it when hearing Igor Levit play Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas at London’s Wigmore Hall some years ago when the audience listened, utterly transfixed, in complete silence, only to make a seemingly collective exhale some long moments after the music had faded into the silence. This kind of intense listening and the sense that one has been on a shared emotional journey is really powerful – quite rare in concerts, but it makes performances really memorable.


Be quiet

As concert presenters and performers strive to attract new audiences, especially younger audiences, the tradition of silence in classical music concerts is constantly being questioned. For some, it can feel unduly restrictive, unfriendly, or exclusionary. For others, it smacks of elitism (never mind that theatre etiquette requests that audiences remain silent as well…..). Today there is plenty of room for classical music to be presented differently – family concerts, relaxed concerts, open-air concerts, concerts in disused car parks (something I’ve experienced as part of previous Proms seasons), and other non-standard venues (bars, cafés, galleries and other ‘salon’ style settings). And yet often at such events, there is still a sense of ‘listening in silence’, or at least listening attentively on the part of the audience.

While there is room for evolving concert etiquette, the tradition of silence continues to be an integral aspect of classical music concerts, allowing audiences to deeply connect with the artistry and emotions conveyed through the music.

So, let’s let classical audiences remain silent. We show our appreciation in other ways – by applauding, cheering and bravo-ing at the end of the performance, and while these behaviours may seem antiquated, or even elitist (they’re not!) to some, to the regular concert-goer this is what comes out of silence.

Just like the music.

How These Ten Pieces Can Help Writers Unlock Creativity

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Writing is hard. It’s a lonely pursuit requiring not only focus and discipline, but inspiration, too.

While there are many tools and techniques that writers can use to boost their creativity, one often overlooked resource is classical music.

classical music that can help writers

© helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com

Today we’re looking at ten famous pieces of classical music and why they might appeal to writers.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a writer or just starting out, here’s how these classical pieces can help you unlock your full potential and take your writing to the next level.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: MOONLIGHT SONATA

This melancholy piece for solo piano will encourage writerly introspection, enabling authors to explore their deepest thoughts and feelings…even when those thoughts and feelings might be dark or sad.

Its mesmerizing triplet rhythm will help writers get into a meditative creative groove, too. 

ANTONIO VIVALDI: THE FOUR SEASONS

The ever-shifting moods contained within these four timeless concertos by Vivaldi will inspire writers to weave a diverse range of emotions and experiences into their writing. 

Here’s a hint: if you want a modern take on these concertos, try listening to Max Richter’s Recomposed, a reimagining of Vivaldi’s original music. It sounds like a movie soundtrack. 

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: REQUIEM IN D MINOR

The haunting melodies and solemn nature of this masterpiece will help writers contemplate profound questions about life, death, and the human condition.

Mozart died young while writing the Requiem. Hopefully apart from the music, that story will encourage authors to seize the day and prioritize that writing project they’ve always dreamed about tackling. 

J.S. BACH: GOLDBERG VARIATIONS

This intricate piece for keyboard will inspire writers to strive for perfection in their craft and pay attention to every little detail, just like Bach did.

The thoughtful complexity of the Goldberg Variations – like so much of Bach’s music, and Baroque music in general – can help writers of all kinds to get into a particularly productive flow state. 

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY: SWAN LAKE

The grandiose gestures of this iconic Romantic ballet will help writers channel their inner drama queen and imbue their writing with a sense of old-fashioned romance.

This is perfect music for when you’re writing characters experiencing fierce arguments, grand realizations, or passionate love affairs. 

CLAUDE DEBUSSY: CLAIR DE LUNE

This dreamy, atmospheric solo piano piece will transport writers into a world of inspiration, enabling them to easily visualize the beauty of a moonlit night.

This piece would be perfect to listen to while writing quiet scenes between two characters, or the inner monologue of a character who is alone and lost in thought. 

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL: MESSIAH

The soaring melodies and powerful choral outbursts of Handel’s masterpiece will inspire writers to explore themes of faith, hope, and redemption, and infuse their writing with a sense of transcendence and wonder.

And again, like so much Baroque music, its propulsive rhythms will help writers get into that sought-after creative groove.

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN: NOCTURNES

The moody, atmospheric nature of these piano pieces evokes a sense of longing and introspection in any writer and will inspire them to delve into their characters’ inner worlds.

The nocturnes would be especially perfect for anyone writing historical fiction or Gothic drama. Nothing conjures up a Victorian parlor or doomed period romance like Chopin’s piano music! 

Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1

The majesty of Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 will inspire writers to think big and aim for greatness, while the soaring melodies and powerful crescendos might give them ideas about how to build suspense and excitement in their own work.

This piece should also inspire every writer to keep at their craft and never give up, because this symphony took Brahms over twenty years to compose! The next time you have a bad writing day, think of Brahms and his persistence. 

GUSTAV HOLST: THE PLANETS

Each movement of The Planets represents a different planet in the solar system, so you can imagine how dramatic this music gets!

It’s no coincidence that The Planets often sounds like movie music. Composer John Williams was deeply inspired by Holst’s portrait of the cosmos when composing his classic soundtracks. 

These ten pieces of classical music are only the beginning. By taking the time to explore different genres, composers, and pieces, writers can tap into a rich source of inspiration – and in the process, unlock their full creative potential.

Happy writing!

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Epic Classical Music: 10 More Dramatic Endings


Epic Classical Music: 10 More Dramatic Endings

As always, find some good speakers or headphones, crank that volume as much as you can without disturbing your neighbors, and enjoy the incredible music! It was really fun to revisit this idea several years and hundreds of thousands of views (?!) later (I never dreamed the first video would become so popular) This time around, I included some lesser known material and some stranger music. Nothing too crazy, but this one digs a little deeper. I discovered some fascinating stories researching these pieces, so I encourage you to go look up anything you're curious about on Wikipedia. Full pieces: Beethoven's 9th:    • Beethoven Symphony No 9 - Furtwängler...   Saint Saens's 3rd (Organ):    • Saint-Saëns - Symphony No 3 in C mino...   Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini:    • Video   Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky:    • Video   Nielsen's 4th (The Inextinguishable):    • Nielsen: 4. Sinfonie (»Das Unauslösch...   Mahler's 2nd (Resurrection):    • Video   Shostakovich's 7th (Leningrad):    • Video   Bruckner's 8th:    • Video   Mahler's 8th (Symphony of a Thousand):    • Mahler: Symphony No. 8 / Bernstein · ...   Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy:    • Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy / Salon...