The highly popular theme song from the movie, Requiem for a Dream.
Last year, I watched the movie and fell in love with the soundtrack. Fairly easily, I tracked down the piano version that everyone uses.
The song itself isn't too difficult, it is mainly composed of block chords, trills and leaps. What differs between playing it brilliantly, and just merely playing the notes, is the pianist's control over the melody; as in the beginning, the melody is share by both hands, while playing other chords and notes. But anyone with training in classical (especially Bach and Beethoven) should be able to master that without trouble (I mean, c'mon, this is nothing compaired to those stupid fugues).
One of my favourite aspects of this piece, technical/physical-wise, is just the brutal force/energy requirement behind it. This is what's so great about modern/popular music at times - the music is fairly easy, so you get to pound at the piano all you want, and it'll be alright to do so. With classical music, you still get to do that - to do the little intricate details, to feel the subtle/giant differences, etc. But most of the time you'll have to fully learn the piece first, and even then, rarely, do you get to pound the keyboard (and usually, the ones where you do get to pound, have high technical difficulty). So yes, for RfaD, I get to hit the piano - which is why I wouldn't dare to play it on an electric keyboard, too much force behind it.
Overall, it starts out slowish and simple, no chords in the beginning - this is where the technical 'difficult' melody sharing part comes in. The arrangement in the beginning, is simple just haunting. Then, as the piece progresses, it gains a lot of momentum. There remains a hint of the intro motif, but it slowly gets overshadowed by the block chords. And by momentum, this includes physical momentum too. As I've said before, this is a very physical piece, requiring the entire arm, and if you really get into it, the entire body. And as it goes on, the tension just builds and builds up - not just emotional, but also muscle tension, etc, etc. By the end, it can literally leave you shaking and out of breath. Then the arranger just had to be cruel - he suddenly stops this build up, and ends on a very quiet, simple phrase. This obviously sounds brilliant, but to the pianist, it's almost like sprinting at full speed, then suddenly having to walk a tight rope or something, without a transitional distance to slow down and prepare. Absolute cruelty XD.
What's even worse, is that the song is almost entirely made up of octaves. I have small hands. They can reach up to an octave, but have a VERY big problem reaching anything beyond that (which is one of the requirements for a few places in this song). Plus, keeping them stretched at an octave, pounding away, for the entire piece, all 2+ minutes of it, is very painful. Of course, keeping your hand at one chord position for any song is painful, but the octave block chords just make it worse.
Here is a version of the song, played by my favourite pianist in the world (or at least on youtube) right now. This guy is just brilliant, will rec about him later.
Requiem for a Dream Piano Theme - Played by David Debono
*interesting note: regarding to what I said about how this song will leave the pianist shaking. Look at his right hand at around 2:00min, where the block chords end and the simple melody comes back for the conclusion - note the shaking in that hand, that's an example of what I was rambling on about above.
Here's another interesting version.
It's a tutorial for the song (though, whoever is willing to learn the song using this thing, is either a genius - for being able to learn it via this video - or an idiot - for even thinking about trying to do so)
It's made by a program, so obviously there's not much to listen to in terms of the musical experience.
But if you just watch it... It's like a very trippy version of guitar hero/rockband/DDR/all those type of games. Now, if you had this on one of those games, no one will be able to beat it XD. Piano (Difficult version) Tutorial
Here is the original orchestral version from the soundtrack:
*Another note: starting at around 0:44min, where the violin starts playing that Bb repetition, it's slightly off tune. If this was done on purpose, it makes the song just that much more awesomer (because, manipulation of instruments to manipulate song, etc, etc). But, if it's not done on purpose, then it's just orchestra/violinist fail -____-, which is just bad.
And the 6 minute more epic orchestral version with vocal.
*Further note: the movie involves a lot of mature content... so all you minors + easily disturbed people, don't watch it.
* * *
Birthday: Sylvestre François de Lacroix.
Deathday: Benito Mussolini
Workers Memorial Day
A song that we received in French class today. It is very cute and pretty and sweet.
Les Voyages En Train Grand Corps malade
J'crois que les histoires d'amour c'est comme les voyages en train,
Et quand je vois tous ces voyageurs, parfois j'aimerais en être un,
Pourquoi tu crois que tant de gens attendent qur le quai de la gare,
Pourquoi tu crois qu'on flippe autant d'arriver en retard.
Les trains démarrent souvent au momenty où on s'y attend le moins,
Et l'histoire d'amour t'emporte sous l'oeil impuissant des témoins,
Les témoin, c'est tes potes qui te disent au revoir sur le quai,
Et regardent le train s'éloigner avec un sourire inquiet,
Toi aussi tu leur fais signe et t'imagine leurs commentaires,
Certains pensent que tu t'plantes et qu't as pas les pieds sur terre,
Chacun y va de son pronostic sur la durée du voyage,
Pour la plupart le train va derailler dès le premier orage.
Le grand amour change forcement ton comportement,
Dès le premier jour faut bien choisir ton compartiment,
Siège couloir ou contre la vitre, il faut trouver la bonne place,
Tu choisis quoi? une love story de première ou seconde classe.
Dans les premiers kilomètres, tu n'as d'yeux que pour son visage,
Tu calcules pas derrière la fenètre, le defilé des paysages,
Tu te sens vivant, tu te sens leger, tu vois pas passer l'heure,
T'es tellement bien qu't as presque envie d'embrasser le controleur.
Mais la magie ne dure qu'un temps et ton histoire bas de l'aile,
Toi tu te dis que tu n'y es pour rien que c'est sa faute à elle,
Le ronronnement du train te saoule et chaque virage t'écoeure,
Faut que tu te lèves, que tu marches, tu vas te dégourdir le coeur.
Et le train ralenti et c'est déjà la fin de ton histoire,
En plus t'es comme un con tes potes sont restés à l'autre gare,
Tu dis au revoir à celle que tu appelleras désormais ton ex,
Dans son agenda sur ton nom elle va passer un coup de Tipex.
C'est vrai que les histoires d'amour, c'est comme les voyages en train,
Et quand je vois tous ces voyageurs parfois j'aimerais en être un,
Pourquoi tu crois que tant de gens attendent sur le quai de la gare,
Pourquoi tu crois qu'on flippe autant d'arriver en retard.
Pour beaucoup, la vie se résume à essayer de monter dans le train,
A connaitre se qu'est l'amour et se découvrir plein d'entrain,
Pour beaucoup, l'objectif est d'arriver à la bonne heure,
Pour reussir son voyage et avoir accès au bonheur.
Il est facile de prendre un train, encore faut-il prendre le bon,
Moi, je suis monté dans deux trois mais c'était pas le bon wagon,
Car les trains sont capricieux et certains sont inaccessibles,
Et je ne crois pas tout le temps que avec la SNCF s'est possible.
Il y a ceux pour qui les trains sont toujours en grève,
Et leurs histoires d'amour n'existent que dans leurs rèves,
Et y a ceux qui foncent dans le premier train sans faire attention,
Mais forcement ils descendront déçu à la prochaine station.
Y'a celles qui flippent de s'engager parce qu'elles sont trop émotives,
Pour elles s'est trop risqué de s'accrocher à la locomotive,
Et y'a les aventuriers qui enchainent voyage sur voyage,
Dès qu'une histoire est terminée, ils attaquent une autre page.
Moi après mon seul vrai voyage, j'ai souffert pendant des mois,
On s'est quitté d'un commun accord mais elle était plus d'accord que moi,
Depuis je traine sur le quai je regarde les train au départ,
Y'a des portes qui s'ouvrent mais dans une gare, je me sens à part.
Il parait que les voyages en train finissent mal en général,
Si pour toi c'est le cas, accroche toi et garde le moral,
Car une chose est certaine, y aura toujours un terminus,
Maintenant tu es prévenu la prochaine fois tu prendras le bus.
* * *
In time today:
Birthdays: Sergei Prokofiev, Nicolas Slonimsky, Nigel Barker.
Deaths: Alexander Scriabin.
World Graphic Design Day.
Though, when you think about it, it is quite sad that we would recognize most of these references implanted in the film. According to UCSUSA, the average American is exposed to around 3000 advertising messages a day, and that corporations around the world spend over $620 billion a year on advertising. Again, this is according to one study, I wouldn't be surprised if the real values exceed that number.
Also, according to this one podcast that I listened to, NASA's annual budget, is < than the money tobacco companies spend on advertising...
It's just something to think about. I mean, for most, the immediate reaction would be; Materialism! Evil! Die! But then again, it's pretty much a way of life already. It might be 'bad', but we're so accustomed to it I don't think we would be able to live without it (these generations anyway, who knows what may happen in the future). Yes, they do manipulate people, play on our instincts, our desires, and obviously there many arguments against this materialistic world that we live in. But does it necessarily have to be a bad thing? I'm just trying to think of some arguments for materialism. In the argument of materialism verses spirituality - unless we all go and live like monks for the rest of our lives, I believe that there are only a few in the people around us, that would achieve great spirituality. There was a time, when there weren't as many 'evil' corporations, and most people were poor, and thus still suffered regardless of extreme materialism - look at the 3rd world today. I'm not saying that companies are what enables us (in MDCs) to live in relative comfort, but to have a world where everyone's happy, sans corruption, sans corporations, and total spirituality? I think it's safe to say that the dream of an utopia died out decades ago. In reality, to have what we have now, things would have to be sacrificed. And for a lot of us in the western societies, it might just have to be some spirituality and personal and mental freedom. Yes, all this materialism only gives us a momentary high, but in this fast paced world, do we really care?
***
Birthdays: Guiseppe Torelli, Henry Fielding, Vladimir Lenin, J. Robert Oppenheimer
Deaths: Ansel Adams, Richard Nixon
Date: Earth Day
*Note: personally I'm not a follower/fan of this materialistic society, but I'm not a major critic of it either (I think that I've got a good grasp of who I am, other people can do what ever they want, I really don't care) This is merely an exercise, for the lack of a better word, to see some points from the other side.
It is of course, very cute. C'mon, who wouldn't love these little asian kids?
However, the more I watch it... the more disturbing it kind of becomes. Especially with the way they look at the audience - the non blinking wide eyed stare. Most of the time, they don't really look like they are having a lot of fun... but.. I think we could just put that to stage fright or something.
Still... something bugs me about this video...
Birthdays of today:
Leonardo da Vinci
Henry James
Kim Il-sung
Emma Thompson
Deaths:
Abraham Lincoln
Jean-Paul Sartre
Sir Clement Freud
Only a few years in, and their designs have already become a stable on the red carpet. Personally, I like their brand, it's soft, feminine, fairytale-like at times, soft - safe colours, and just... very inspirational overall. Plus, they have two ladies as their directors =).
Unfortunately though, their dresses are something that we'll never be able to afford. (High end label, haute couture, you're looking in the something thousand range per dress. Not that we would ever have an occasion to wear it...)
And, for their spring 2010 collection, Asian influences! Origami! ^_______^
While not the most conventional, it is an art, wearable art almost. I think that's what I like the most about their designs, they are not just clothes anymore, but an absolute form of art.
*Edit: something that I realized I haven't done in a LONG while... opps.
Today's birthdays: Septimius Severus and James Parkinson.
Using a handful of writers, artist, chef, and musician, Lehrer links the world of neuroscience and psychology, with the world of arts. I thought it was a rather interesting read, with new links and random information for the common reader.
Each chapter is dedicated to a specific artist, and the connections they have made to the scientific world. It typically starts off with a brief introduction and biography about the artist, some of the works they have accomplished. Then, ties between neuroscience and the specific works they have created, how they felt about it. What I liked the most, is that within each chapter, Lehrer also brought in other artists, philosophers, scientists, etc, to back up, or counter the argument. So we get to learn philosophies from a much wider range of people.
Though, to fully enjoy the book, I think one should have some specialty/common knowledge in the arts. For example, one chapter featured a musician - Stravinsky. And when Lehrer made notes between music, and how our brains work, I enjoyed it with greater depth, than some of the chapters on novelists, because I did manage to understand the terminology, and was able to relate to the experiences, and thus understand the links better. Same thing goes for the artist chapter, in which, I understood the experiences.
However, that is not to discourage readers who do not consider artistic inclinations their forte. The language used in the book, is clear enough, that it is suitable for everyone. I just think that artists, writers and musicians would take more out of it, because it does involve their art. For example, I liked and understood the chapters on novelists, but I do not remember as much from those, than from the music and art ones. (After all, memory is linked with the emotions that we feel at the time of its creation)
