Carnival of Venice

To be honest, I don't know anything about this song; have not studied it in any sense, etc. But, it is one of those tunes that everyone just knows.
Carnival of Venice
On youtube, there are many, many, many different version of it. The one that it is apparently originally made for, is for the solo trumpet.

Solo trumpet - Maurice André
(his version is quite stunning, but, a little hard to recognize due to the virtuostic components. Should start getting familiar at around 1:23)


Flute version - Viviana Guzman


Tuba version! He looks like he's having a LOT of fun play it =)

William Tell Overture - Finale

by Gioachino Rossini
Alas, what our school plays for hurry up music, every single morning.
(Unsurprisingly enough, it actually works. We've watched people's walking speed dramatically at the sound of this song. Conditioning much?)
So, not wanting to do anything else the other day, I found several different interesting versions.

Original, orchestral version:


The version that gets played on Fridays (without lyrics. I'm pretty sure it's by the same band)


A choral version


One man band!


Korea Brass Choir - where Beethoven have false endings, they have false beginnings XD


Organ version - oh man, I would love to get my hands on one of those...


A more comedic approach


Harmonica version! A must watch


And finally, Kazoos - some serious effort was put into this


See, people have so much fun with this song.

* * *
BDs: Claudio Monteverdi, Pierre Curie
DD: Emily Dickinson
International Day of Families, Mercuralia

ARCT

My song list for my ARCT in Piano Performance
(Which I should start focusing on... or my theory credits will expire in ... 2-3ish years... I don't know why, but they do expire <.<)

The repertoire requirements are as such:
(The numbers in the front are the percentages that they're worth)
20 - One selection from List A: Works of J.S. Bach
25 - One selection from List B: Sonatas
15 - One selection from List C: Romantic Repertoire
15 - One selection from List D: Post-Romantic and Early 20th-century Repertoire
15 - One selection from List E: 20th- and 21st-century Repertoire
10 - One Concert Etude

Theory Co-requisites:
Counterpoint (Grade 4 Counterpoint)
Advanced Harmony (Grade 5 Harmony)
History 3: 19th Century to Present (Grade 5 History)
Analysis (Grade 5 Analysis)

I have finished all of my theory co-requisites, which took a lot of time and costed a pretty buck, so now I must get the stupid performance exam done >.<

List A:
Johann Sebastian Bach
English Suite no. 1 in A major, BWV 806
-Prelude, Sarabande, and Gigue

Each English Suite is made up of several different dances, Allemande, Sarabande, Minute, etc. Luckily, we only have to do 3 of those dances. And I can't find a suitable youtube link for these dances - so lets just say, that they're very.. baroque and Bach sounding.

List B:
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata in C minor, op. 13 (also known as the Pathétique Sonata)

(The entire sonata is around 20 minutes, so the video is cut into the three movements [Youtube doesn't alow 20min songs])

Movement I


Movement II


Movement III


List C:
Johannes Brahms
Ballade in D major, op. 10, no. 2


List D:
Claude Debussy
Préludes, 1 - La danse de Puck (no. 11)

(Also, check out the Michelangeli version, it's brilliant, but doesn't allow me to embed)

List E:
Sergei Prokofiev
Four Pieces, op. 4 MAS - Diabolical Suggestion


Concert Etude:
Frédéric Chopin
Etude op. 10, no. 12 (also known as the Revolutionary Etude)


And here you have it, my goal for this century =.=
It seems like an impossible mountain to climb.


* * *

BD: Alessandro Scarlatti, Heinrich Gustav Magnus, Donatella Versace
DD: Leonardo da Vinci

Arvo Part

Finally, the musician I had meant to feature all along.

I discovered one of his songs while watching the awesome tv show; Numb3rs.

He's simply, a genius.

Biography and background info

To the untrained and normal ear, listening to his songs, one could imagine him to have lived hundreds of years ago, along with the old masters. This is what I thought at first, only to find out that he is living among the contemporary musicians. (A trained music historian/person could probably tell from the harmony and styles used that he's a modern artist, but most of us have not studied in that much depth)

His music is just very... emotional and pretty.

Yup, just close your eyes and listen to this one. Feels the bells and the layers building in the depth of the spirit.

Cantus in the Memory of Benjamin Britten

Helsinki Flute Quartet

Just.. wow, sheer brilliance.

The Infinite Canon - J. Pachelbel


Air from Suite 3 - J.S. Bach


Alla Hornpipe - G.F. Handel


Must resist urge to go practice flute now (it's 12am, cannot play in fear of disturbing neighbours and family) >.<

And today's dates: death of Julius Caesar, H.P. Lovecraft, International Day Against Police Brutality, and Zeitgeist Day.

Philip Glass

Phew it's been a long week. But no worries, because it's time for March Break!!! Yeah!

I was going to feature another musician, however, lately I have been distracted by another one. So the intended will have to be posted later.

Now, introducing: Philip Glass

He is one of the most well known modern classical composer of the 20th century. Specializing in what we call art music and minimalism. Compared to some of his modern counter parts, I think his music would be one of the easier ones to 'get into', when being introduced to modern classical music. This is due to his more harmonious melodies, and wider use of consonances. More pleasant for the conventional ear than some other composers.

Personally, I think his music is just absolutely beautiful and breathtaking to listen to. Unlike my previous features, with complicated melodies and harmonies and counter harmonies and dynamics and master of all musical techniques. Glass uses simple melody and rhythmic repetitions to pull you into his music. They invoke intense/or just simple emotions, without using all of that extra flare. And it's extraordinary, how something so simple, can bring about so much. Because some of the piano pieces are so simple, it sounds so pure and brilliant and clean, there's room to enjoy each note. Most importantly, it's just so very pretty.

Though, as all musicians come to learn, what sounds easy and simple to do, often, isn't.

Some song recs:

Glassworks - played by Branka Parlic
I just simply love the songs from this series.


The Hours - played by Branka Parlic


Excerpt from Einstein on the Beach
This one's a rather fun/interesting one. I don't remember where I heard this from, but apparently, the counting in the background was not originally planned. Due to the numerous time signature changes, the orchestra had to count out the beats. So, he incorporated the counting in the the song.


The Metamorphosis - played by Branka Parlic
And of course, The Metamorphosis. This is one of my favourite piano pieces from him.
(A funny story, I was writing an essay on The Metamorphosis, by Kafka, the other day while listening to this song. At the time, I did not realize that I was listening to TM by Glass, and I thought to myself; "this song really suits/matches what I'm writing about....." Then realizing, that no duh, because the song is made for the novel. Shows you how well this song captures the book)


Birthdays for today: Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Strauss Sr., Albert Einstein! (Hehehe, Einstein on the Beach XD).
And alas, Pi day!!!

200

Today marks our dear Frédéric Chopin's 200th birthday.
Love him, or hate him, he is still one of the most brilliant musicians of all time.


When I was much younger, Chopin did not make much sense at all. His songs seemed quite boring, and are only to be played because adults seemed to enjoy his songs. But over the years, as I grew up and have (hopefully) matured somewhat, I think I have finally come to an understanding, or at least, my interpretation of him.


As it turned out, he is not boring at all! Nor is it extremely depressing or sad, as some would describe him. No, his music is filled with passion, with such colourful and at times heart breaking chord progressions and melodies. Sometimes with subtle peacefulness, then such fury! Like a fire, an unquenchable fervour, infatuation, excitement, raw emotions that run through your veins. I love his build ups, with the stretto/cresc./ritenuto/con fuoco combination that just seems to forever build up the emotions, the pressure.... Until, suddenly, it is all released, into quiet peacefulness, drifting on such sweet harmonies, lulling you like the calm rocking of the sea, like warm afternoons on the grassy knoll, under the shade. It is absolutely breathtaking. This is romanticism at its finest.


Here are some of Chopin's piano pieces, though I don't know how well one can truly enjoy them, without playing these pieces, feeling the harmonies and vibrations of the notes beneath one's fingers.


My uncle's favourite song in the whole world: Etude op.10 no.3



Nocturne op.9 no.2



This one is relatively easy, and quite possibly overplayed by RCM students, but I absolutely just love this one: Nocturne op.19 no.72



A piece that I'm currently working on; the Revolutionary Etude, op.10 no.12



And at last, the poem about Chopin's defenestrated piano:
Fortepiano Szopena by Cyprian Norwid
http://colecizj.easyvserver.com/ponorfor.htm

I swear, composers have these days where they think, "Hmm.... how shall I torture my students today?". Then they go and make up something like this infamous piece below:

And then, when the students complain about the impossibility of the piece, he would then make them play and memorize the piece's cousin:

At least they are fun to look at....

Though, some of these torture pieces are actually possible, and sound just so lovely.

For example, this one that I attempted (while procrastinating on some other work) the other day.

Hard? A little, but it's really fun to play.

And without further ado, I give you, Prelude and Nocturne for the left hand, by Alexander Scriabin.



Today is the World Day of Social Justice.

What are the chances of both buses being late, for the exact same amount of time, on a transit system that has a good track record of being on time?

...My watch must be slow....

In happier news, Canada won the first medal on home soil (silver in woman's moguls)! Yay! Though, Ms Heil was 'expected' to win gold. We are proud of you anyway :).

Also, today, Feb 13th, celebrates the birthday of Malthus! He turns 244 years old today.

Sadly, it is also the death date of Richard Wagner. So, to end this post, I leave you with the epic "Ride of the Valkyries" from Die Walkure, Der Ring des Nibelungen