Thursday, February 21, 2019

A 12-year-old pianist played Flight of the Bumblebee...

... at 325bpm – and Twitter went mad for it...

A young Indian pianist appeared on The World’s Best, and impressed everyone with a prestissimo rendition of ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’.

Lydian Nadhaswaram, a 12-year-old pianist from Chennai, India played three versions of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’, at increasingly fast metronome markings.

He played the piece at its original marking (160bpm), before challenging himself to play it at 208bpm and 325bpm.

His performance, broadcast on TV talent competition The World’s Best, impressed judges Drew Barrymore, RuPaul and Faith Hill, as well as host James Corden.

Lydian Nadhaswaram is from Chennai, India. Picture: The World's Best

‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ is a notoriously difficult piece of music which the composer wrote as an orchestral interlude for his opera, The Tale of Tsar Saltan. It is meant to mirror the chaotic flying pattern of a bumblebee.

After the show, Corden tweeted a video of Lydian’s performance with the caption: “This is genuinely one of the best things I’ve ever seen live”.

Lydian was applauded by fellow Indians and viewers in Chennai, including actress Aishwarya Rajesh, former cricketer Sreesanth, and Better Call Saul actress Rhea Seehorn.

We predict great things for you, Lydian (and added kudos that you share your name with a mode!).

Someone has made a techno-pop remix of ...

... The Marriage of Figaro – and we’re very confused

A techno mash-up of Mozart's opera The Marriage of Figaro exists, and it's interesting. — 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.

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Andrew Lloyd Webber: His Music and His Life

Everything you need to know including his musicals, wife and net worth

By ClassicFM London

Andrew Lloyd Webber at the 2016 Broadway revival of CATS. Picture: Getty

Andrew Lloyd Webber is the King of memorable tunes and catchy choruses, and has a whopping 20 musicals and 45 awards to his name. Here are 20 amazing facts about the 70-year-old composer, including his musicals, songs and net worth.

When is Andrew Lloyd Webber's birthday?

Born on 22 March 1948, Andrew first picked up the violin and piano aged three, before taking up the French horn and starting to write his own music at the age of six. He also appeared on Nursery World magazine with a violin aged five. Aww.

Nursery World Magazine, 1953. Picture: Nursery World Magazine
Andrew Lloyd Webber's net worth

The 70-year-old composer's net worth is estimated at a huge £800 million. He came second in The Sunday Times Rich List in 2017 for UK musicians, behind Sir Paul McCartney.

Sir Paul McCartney at MetLife Stadium on August 7, 2016. Picture: Getty
Andrew Lloyd Webber's 70th birthday

Andrew Lloyd Webber: A Musical Celebration will take place on Sunday 17 June 2018, in celebration of the composer's 70th birthday earlier this year.

The event, as part of Live at Chelsea, will feature a line-up from the cast of Andrew's West End musicals, including Tyrone Huntley from Jesus Christ Superstar, and Joe McElderry with the cast of School of Rock – The Musical and The Phantom of the Opera. Tickets and more information here.

Joe McElderry will perform at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 70th birthday concert.Picture: Getty
The Lloyd Webber family

Andrew's brother, Julian Lloyd Webber, is a former concert cellist and Andrew's late father William was director of the London College of Music. His mother, Jean, was a piano teacher.

Julian Lloyd Webber at Classic FM Live in Wales, 2012. Picture: Classic FM
Andrew Lloyd Webber's wife

In 1991, Andrew married the former equestrian sportswoman Madeleine Gurdon, and the couple have been happily married ever since.

Andrew was married to his first wife, Sarah Hugill, from 1971 to 1983, before he married second wife Sarah Brightman in 1984. He met Brightman when she joined the cast of Cats in 1981. In 1986, he wrote the role of Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera for her.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Madeleine Gurdon at The Old Vic Theatre on November 13, 2016. Picture: Getty
Andrew Lloyd Webber's children

Andrew had two children – Imogen and Nicholas Lloyd Webber – with his first wife, Sarah, and three with his wife Madeleine Gurdon – Alastair, William and Isabella Lloyd Webber. Imogen is a four-time Emmy nominee who has worked for MSNBC and Fox News, while Nicholas has followed in his father's footsteps, writing The Little Prince in 2011 and the recent Fat Friends The Musical.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's first musical

The musical was called Cinderella Up The Beanstalk And Most Everywhere Else. Aged 19, Andrew wrote his first staged musical with Tim Rice: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. The following year, the pair wrote Jesus Christ Superstar.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals

His stage musical credits include (deep breath)... Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Cats, Starlight Express, School of Rock – The Musical, Sunset Boulevard, and The Women In White.

He also composed the music for Love Never Dies, The Likes Of Us, Jeeves, Tell Me On A Sunday, Song And Dance, Cricket, Aspects Of Love, Whistle Down The Wind, The Beautiful Game, Stephen Ward The Musical, and a musical version of The Wizard Of Oz.

Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Picture: Rex
The Phantom of the Opera

Widely considered to be one of his best musicals, The Phantom of the Opera brought in an unprecedented $16 million (£12 million) in advance ticket sales. It’s now the second highest grossing musical ever, bringing in £4.2 billion globally – second only to The Lion King, which has made £5.6 billion.
Cats the musical

Since its opening on Broadway in 1982, Cats has been translated into over 20 languages and performed all around the world, and it is now the fourth-longest-running show in Broadway history.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's film and TV credits

Lloyd Webber has earned a huge number of on-screen credits, following film adaptations of The Phantom Of The Opera, Evita (famously starring Madonna), Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Love Never Dies and Cats, plus anniversary performances of The Phantom Of The Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar.

He has also dabbled in film composing, writing the score for Gumshoe and The Odessa File. His music has appeared in a total of 210 films and TV shows.
In the 1960s, he produced a psychedelic band

The British band was called Tales of Justine, and he produced them with Tim Rice.
Andrew Lloyd Webber was a one-hit-wonder

Andrew once tried his luck as a soloist, under the pseudonym Doctor Spin. In 1992, he released the single ‘Tetris’ – a Eurodance remix of the theme from the well-known video game – which reached No. 6 in the UK charts. It’s... different?!
The first music he ever heard was by Tchaikovsky and... Elvis

Apparently, the first two records Andrew remembers hearing are Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker and Elvis Presley's 'Jailhouse Rock'.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's awards

Over his lifetime, Andrew has won 45 awards, including seven Oliviers, seven Tony Awards, four Grammys, two Emmys, one Oscar, one Golden Globe, one BRIT and 14 Ivor Novellos. Yeesh.

Andrew Lloyd Webber at the GRAMMY Awards on January 28, 2018. Picture: Getty
Baron Lloyd Webber

After being awarded a knighthood in 1992, Lloyd Webber was also made a life peer in the New Year Honours list in 1997, making him a Baron.

Andrew Lloyd Webber meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace Concert on 4 June, 2012. Picture: Getty
He shares a birthday with Stephen Sondheim

Lloyd Webber celebrated his 70th birthday on 22 March this year. Composer Stephen Sondheim was also born on 22 March in 1930, making him 18 years Andrew's senior.

Stephen Sondheim on 28 August 1962. Picture: Getty
Andrew Lloyd Webber's theatre company

The Really Useful Theatre Group owns a number of successful West End and London theatres, including The Adelphi Theatre, Cambridge Theatre, London Palladium, New London Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre, Theatre Royal Drury Lane and The Other Palace in London.

Lee Mead in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, at the Adelphi Theatre. Picture: Getty
Andrew Lloyd Webber's charity work

Since founding The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation in 1992 to promote arts and culture, Lloyd Webber has – according to his website – awarded over £17.5 million to “projects that focus on the enhancement of arts education and participation, improving access and increasing diversity across the arts, culture and heritage sector.”

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber performs during The British Consulate Honors. Picture: Getty
Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Classic BRITs

At the Royal Albert Hall on 13 June 2018, Lloyd Webber will be honoured with a special award at the Classic BRIT Awards ceremony for his services to musical theatre and arts education.

Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Classic BRIT Awards 2012. Picture: Getty