Friday, March 3, 2023
Samuel Barber - his music and his life
Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music in the world. It's become America's semi-official music for mourning, used at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's funeral and after JFK's assassination.
But somewhere along the way, it went from an anthem of sadness to one of joy.
The Barber Adagio has been recorded dozens, if not hundreds, of times. Three of those have been made by conductor Leonard Slatkin. "This piece starts just with a single, very long melodic line in the violins," Slatkin explains, "which then goes over to the violas and then goes over to the cellos. It reaches a very strong climax, followed by what seems like an interminable silence. And then the music reappears for one last time and we hear, at the very end, two chords that might as well be saying 'Amen.' "
The Adagio for Strings arrived at the right moment, when America was still hurting from the Great Depression and Europe was sliding into war. The piece had its debut on Nov. 5, 1938, on an NBC radio broadcast conducted by Arturo Toscanini, who had already seen many European Jewish colleagues murdered.
Samuel Barber, (born March 9, 1910, West Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died January 23, 1981, New York, New York), American composer who is considered one of the most expressive representatives of the lyric and Romantic trends in 20th-century classical music.
Barber studied the piano from an early age and soon began to compose. In 1924 he entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where, in addition to piano and composition, he studied singing and conducting. After graduation in 1934, Barber devoted himself entirely to composition. His style was distinctive and modern but not experimental. He established his reputation with his overture to The School for Scandal (1933), based on Richard Sheridan’s comedy by that name, and with Music for a Scene from Shelley (1935), inspired by the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound.
Although many of Barber’s works make literary allusions, his music is not programmatic in the strict sense. Significant in this respect are the three Essays for Orchestra (1938, 1942, and 1978), which are intended as musical counterparts of the literary form. Structural considerations govern Barber’s instrumental writing; there is great astringency in harmony, but the basic tonality remains secure; the rhythmic lines are very strong, without loss of coherence.
Adagio for Strings, Op. 11
Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 · Leonard Bernstein · New York Philharmonic Orchestra · Samuel Barber
Barber: Adagio for Strings & Violin Concerto - Schuman: In Praise of Shahn & To Thee Old Cause
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Conquest of Paradise
Conquest of Paradise · Vangelis
1492
℗ 1992 Warner Music UK Ltd
Performance, Producer: Vangelis
Arranger, Composer, Lyricist: Vangelis
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Puccini: Gianni Schicchi - "O mio Babbino caro"
Puccini: Gianni Schicchi - "O mio Babbino caro" · BBC Concert Orchestra · Barry Wordsworth
Vissi d'Arte - Opera for Orchestra
℗ 1997 Universal International Music B.V.
Released on: 1997-11-04
Producer: Anna Barry
Studio Personnel, Balance Engineer: Dick Lewzey
Studio Personnel, Editor: James Brown
Composer: Giacomo Puccini
Author: Giovacchino Forzano
Author, Original Text Author: Dante Alighieri
Arranger, Work Arranger: G. Alexander
Auto-generated by YouTube.
13-year-old Ukrainian refugee plays poignantly on public piano, one year since the war began
The young musician fled Ukraine at the start of the war last year, taking only the belongings ‘near her hands’.
13-year-old Ukrainian refugee Alisa Bushuieva performed a selection of ‘sad songs’ on a in a Liverpool shopping centre this morning, marking one year since Russian forces invaded her home country.
Bushuieva and her mother, Svitlana, fled their home country of Ukraine after Russian forces began dropping bombs on their hometown of Kharkiv on 24 February 2022.
The teenager and her mum subsequently spent time in Ukrainian and Polish refugee camps, where Bushuieva would play the piano to lift the spirits of those around her.
Now living in Wirral in the UK, Bushuieva was invited to play the piano in the city centre of the Liverpool ONE shopping centre this morning, exactly one year after the invasion of her home country began. Listen to a clip of her moving performance below.
Bushuieva was asked to perform by the Place Strategy Director of Liverpool ONE shopping centre, Donna Howitt, who saw her musical talents.
Howitt told PA News: “Inviting [Bushuieva] to perform felt a respectful way to support her passion and join on the solidarity with the Ukrainian community on this day.
“I had the privilege of being able to visit Alisa and hear her play and I was totally moved – she is an incredibly talented young lady and has obviously done so much to support her friends and indeed her community too.”
Before playing for the crowd that gathered around her piano, the teenager said, “this will be a very memorable occasion for me and something I will never forget”.
After performing a selection of slow and reflective pieces, the teenager marked a one minute silence, which was held across the UK at 11am to mark one year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Following the silence, Bushuieva played the , a work that has taken on a new meaning of hope and perseverance over the last year, with many musicians across the world performing the melody.
According to reports, Bushuieva’s performance carried an extra meaning to herself and her mother, who had recently learned that a close family friend had been killed amidst the fighting at home.
While living in Ukraine, the teenager studied at a music school, and has continued her lessons online since arriving in the UK.
Despite adjusting to life in the UK, Bushuieva shared with the Liverpool Echo that she “very much [wants] to go home”.
She told the local newspaper that she decided to perform in the city centre today because by her own testament, “music helps people feel better. It saves lives and I need to make people feel better.”
She added: “I’m very proud of my country that for a year during this hard time it still stands very strong. I hope that soon [the war] will be [over]”.
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
The Best of Abel Korzeniowski | Some of the best movie soundtracks
As sad as these pieces might sound, they bring you a lot of feelings besides tragedy.. You live so many memories and dreams, upsetting and happy ones. The creativity of the variety of emotions poured into those tracks is absolutely beautiful and i hope you guys enjoy this amazing composer's beauty with me..
Soundtrack Playlist:
0:01 - 2:59
Dance For Me Wilz - W.E
3:00 - 7:12
Letters - W.E
7:13 - 10:25
Table For Two - Nocturnal Animals
10:26 - 13:06
Wayward Sisters - Nocturnal Animals
13:07 - 15:51
My Sons are Alive - Tickling Leo
15:52 - 19:05
Melting Waltz - Penny Dreadful
19:06 - 22:45
Stillness of the Mind - A Single Man
22:46 - 26:01
A Song for the Little Sparrow - KAAS
26:02 - 29:13
Flying with Whales - Battle For Terra
29:14 - 31:23
Gates of Tomorrow - Escape From Tomorrow
31:24
Come, Gentle, Little Go - Romeo and Juliet
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
The Best of Rachel Portman (Part1) | Some of the best movie soundtracks
I hope you guys enjoy this beautiful composer's music just as I always do :)
Monday, February 27, 2023
John Williams Conducts 50 Years A Salute to Film Composers
Conducted and Arranged by John Williams.
Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston, 2002.
00:00 : Speech (John Williams)
00:30 : Warner Bros. Fanfare
00:37 : As Time Goes By (Casablanca) - Max Steiner Adaptation
00:50 : Citizen Kane (Bernard Herrmann)
00:57 : 20th Century Fox Fanfare (Alfred Newman)
01:06 : Star Wars Main Title (John williams)
01:15 : SeaHawk (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
01:34 : Spellbound (Milklos Rozsa)
01:42 : Titanic (James Horner)
01:54 : Psycho (Bernard Hermann)
01:59 : Jaws (John Williams)
02:07 : The Pink Panther (Henry Mancini)
02:16 : Exodus (Ernest Gold)
02:27 : Out of Africa (John Barry)
02:43 : Dr Zhivago (Maurice Jarre)
02:55 : Bridge on the River Kwai (Musical Direction : Malcom Arnold)
03:05 : Patton (Jerry Goldsmith)
03:14 : Rocky Theme (Bill Conti)
03:18 : The Magnificient Seven (Elmer Bernstein)
03:34 : The Natural (Randy Newman)
03:39 : Cinema Paradiso Love Theme (Andrea & Ennio Morricone)
04:00 : The Godfather Theme (Nino Rota)
04:11 : E.T The Extra-Terrestral (John Williams)
04:21 : Gone with The Wind (Max Steiner)
Remastered / Upscaled in 1080p by Martyprod.
Thanks to Xtream to have Helped with his RTX.
Big Band Symphonic Medley - John Wilson Orchestra (Arr. Andrew Cottee)
Quando, Quando, Quando - Gimnazija Kranj Symphony Orchestra and Soloists
Gimnazija Kranj Great Christmas Concert 2017 - Invitation to the Dance. Gimnazija Kranj Symphony Orchestra and United Choirs performed this stunning music under the baton of maestro Nejc Bečan. The Orchestra sold out two consecutive nights, december 18th and 19th, 2017 in Gallus Hall, Cankarjev doma, Ljubljana, Slovenia, EU. They played as usual with great spirit and musical excelence. Concert master is Nejc Avbelj. Our youth orchestra set another musical milestone. Concert and film director: Primož Zevnik
"Quando, quando, quando" (pronounced [ˈkwando ˈkwando ˈkwando]) is an Italian pop song from 1962, in the bossa nova style, with music written by Tony Renis and lyrics by Alberto Testa. The song, originally recorded in two different versions by Tony Renis and Emilio Pericoli, competed in the Sanremo Music Festival in 1962, where it placed fourth, and later became a commercial success in Italy, topping the Musica e dischi singles chart.
arrangement: Jaka Pucihar
Solo vocal: Lovro Krišelj and Neža Čadež
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major op. 58 | Y. E. Son
Sunday, February 26, 2023
Charles Aznavour - La bohème (Official Lyrics Video)
Official lyrics video of La bohème by Charles Aznavour
Commandez et écoutez: https://aznavour.lnk.to/AlbumSaVie100...
Auteur : Jacques Plante
Compositeur : Charles Aznavour
Éditions Musicales Charles Aznavour
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