When Opera Isn't Opera

Until I stumbled across the video that is included below, I had no idea that one of my more favorite classical pieces was actually part of an opera.  I heard the Monteverdi piece on an LP many years ago and just loved the way that the song played out (the piece was also on one of Wendy Carlos' electronic interpretations of classical music on the Moog synthesizer).

L'Orfeo was written in 1607 by Claudio Monteverdi (Libretto - the words of a musical piece of work that are to be sung - by Alessandro Strigil).  As I said, I had only heard the overture, so I had no idea until doing some research on the piece, that it was actually part of an opera.

The opera is based on the Greek legend of Orpheus, in particular, his descent into hades to bring his bride back into the world.  The libretto was based on books 10 and 11 of Ovid's Metamorphoses among many varied sources.

The version that follows is footage from the Opera as presented in Spain.  The dramatic entry of the conductor heightens the overture.  I just love the drummer - he could make a nice Dumbledore or Gandolf!  Placing the trumpets and drums in the alcove boxes on the sides of the stage was a very neat touch, adding drama and flair to the opening.

I will watch the entire two hours at some point soon, but for now, just enjoy the 2-3 minutes of the overture:

L'Orfeo - Monteverdi

Movies as modern classical music - continued ...

John Williams is one of our great modern composers of classical style music, especially in the movie genre.  It is interesting to me how certain styles of music become associated with specific activities.  In this score, we start out with a beautiful violin solo (technically not a solo since there is another instrument, the guitar, accompanying the violin).  This is perhaps one of the most beautiful violin passages ever written; the violin almost cries.  Interestingly, the theme of this solo both opens and closes the score.  In the middle, we crescendo to full orchestra, with interplaying melody and harmony, and then, finally, to fife and drums with horn overlay - handling the melody, absolutely stirring, which set the time of this film at the American Revolution.  As I said, styles are associated with activities.

The Patriot (John Williams)

The film is actually based on a real figure of the revolution, Francis Marion, aka "The Swamp Fox", one of South Carolina's most famous sons.  He operated, on at least one occasion, not far from where my father grew up in the Lancaster area of South Carolina, but most of his activity was around the coastal areas of South Carolina - deep in the swamps.

Music for a basketball rivalry (Duke and UNC)

I first heard the song on a US Marines commercial twenty-something years ago.  I even used it as the background music for a video that I have posted on Facebook about a trip I took to castle Chillon a few years ago.  It is an epic song with a lot of force and always seems to evoke feelings of war.  That is what the Duke - UNC basketball game usually resembles ... WAR.

Carmin Burana - O Fortuna (Andre Rieu)

I never understood the lyrics, but it seemed not to matter.  The lyrics are part of a Latin poem from the 13th century.  It is all about luck and fortune.  It was set to music by Carl Orff (Germany) in the 1930's as part of a cantata that he wrote.  The lyrics and translation (courtesy Wikipedia) are given below.  It actually speaks of impending doom!

O Fortuna velut luna statu variabilis, semper crescis aut decrescis; vita detestabilis nunc obdurat et tunc curat ludo mentis aciem, egestatem, potestatem dissolvit ut glaciem. Sors immanis et inanis, rota tu volubilis, status malus, vana salus semper dissolubilis, obumbrata et velata michi quoque niteris; nunc per ludum dorsum nudum fero tui sceleris. Sors salutis et virtutis michi nunc contraria, est affectus et defectus semper in angaria. Hac in hora sine mora corde pulsum tangite; quod per sortem sternit fortem, mecum omnes plangite!

O Fortune, like the moon you are changeable, ever waxing and waning; hateful life first oppresses and then soothes as fancy takes it; poverty and power it melts them like ice. Fate – monstrous and empty, you whirling wheel, you are malevolent, well-being is vain and always fades to nothing, shadowed and veiled you plague me too; now through the game I bring my bare back to your villainy. Fate is against me in health and virtue, driven on and weighted down, always enslaved. So at this hour without delay pluck the vibrating strings; since Fate strikes down the strong man, everyone weep with me!

Open the Brandenburg Gates

While we are on JS Bach, I love the Brandenburg Concertos.  Being a math/science guy the physics of the air vibrations that create sound coupled with the math of frequencies, harmonics, and beat frequencies all intrigue me.  Put on top of that the variety of instruments capable of producing the vibrations and it really just comes together.

I don't think there were many better than Bach at putting everything together.  The Brandenburg concertos were presented to Christian Ludwig, Margrave (medieval military commander's title for leaders of border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire) of Brandenburg-Schwedt in 1721.  Bach was essentially giving a gift based on the Margrave's love of music, Bach's in particular.

There are six concertos in this group, which were given to the Margrave as a single group.  My particular favorite is Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major (BWV 1047 - the six comprise BWV 1046 - 1051).  Concertos are usually in three parts.  The word is an apparent combination of two latin words for "join" and "compete".  This is usually the case as in the concerto the first movement places almost all of the instruments into a complex presentation, the second usually highlights a few instruments, and the third brings all together again.  For concerto number 2, the key instruments are the recorder, trumpet, oboe and violin supported by a group of strings and the harpsichord.  By the way, the third movement was inscribed onto the Gold Record that is attached to the deep space Voyager spacecraft launched in the 1970's and now out of the solar system.

For your enjoyment, using much of the instruments of the period ...

Brandenburg Concerto Number 2 - Freiburger Barokorchester

A little piece for Halloween (All Hallows Eve)

JS Bach was such a prolific composer across a wide variety of instruments it is hard to stay on the topic of organ music too long.  Nonetheless, I was listening recently to the Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565) and it made me remember when my kids were young that I used to set up the stereo speakers near the front door and play this in a loop on Halloween.  It was dark outside and there was a stuffed man (pine straw jammed into pants and shirt) hanging from the tree in the front yard.  We had a headstone in the flower bed and I dressed up as the silent scream.  Kids would tremble as we gave out the candy!

This piece starts out stark and bold and then goes through the middle section where, the various hands play melody voices on top of one another and the repeating off beat notes that stand out so well against the main theme.

There is a lot of shifting back and forth between loud / stark to subtle and flowing.  The piece finally finishes up with a strong combination of runs punctuated with powerful chords.

Interestingly, there is some question as to the authorship of the piece.  Parts of the themes come from Pachabel, but borrowing themes was common as a way to bring new versions of themes into broader interpretation.  Most of the issues are attributed to several structural issues of the piece not being in keeping with the traditions of the time when Bach was alive.  I like to believe that such a creative individual was into experimentation and was simply unique.

The following version of the piece demonstrates one interesting thing about classical music in general and organ music in particular and that is the interpretation of both tempo and tone.

Toccata and Fugue in D minor - Stewart Foster

Take a good trip through YouTube's various versions and you will hear a wide variety of styles for this particular piece.  Nonetheless the same dark and foreboding feeling is invoked by all of them.  This particular video is really nice because of the complexity of the organ being played and the way that you see how the organist works - turning pages, adjusting his bench, utilizing his feet only at times and jumping between the different keyboards which have been set up to provide different tones from the pipes.

More than graduation

Sir Edward Elgar was a bridge in classical music from the baroque period to the modern period.  Elgar married up in society to a Ms. Caroline Alice Roberts, daughter of a wealthy military man.  She was disinherited by her family because they considered Elgar unworthy because he was both a Catholic and the son of a piano tuner - a common shop worker.  Alice got the last laugh because, although penniless at her marriage, she ended up quite wealthy.

Most of us know Elgar through our graduation marches from high school and, sometimes, college.  The seemingly endless march is actually a segment only of Elgars "Pomp and Circumstance" number 1, clipped from the middle of the march and repeated until all graduates have entered.

My favorite of the 6 Pomp marches is actually number four.  I heard it first in its clipped version in the soundtrack to the move "A Clockwork Orange".

For your enjoyment, here are Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstance' marches number 1 and 4:

Pomp and Circumstance march number 4

Pomp and Circumstance number 1

Sleepers Wake

I have been fortunate enough to hear organ music in peaceful repose at several great cathedrals in Europe and at the distinctly unique Duke Chapel (below).  Organ music is one of the genres of classical music that is almost uniquely associated with sacred music.  It is not surprising that the best places to hear such great music is in a cathedral where the sound can resonate amongst the stone walls, floors and grandly arched ceilings.

One of my favorite things about watching someone play the organ is the fact that they play with their hands in a similar way to a piano player, but usually on two or more different keyboards at different heights, and, simultaneously, use both of their feet!

One of my all time favorite selections is Bach's Wachet Auf.  What we usually hear on the organ is the choral prelude which Bach transcribed from his sacred Cantata by a similar name (BWV 645 - nice thing about many classical composers is that someone takes the time to catalog all their work in simplified form so you don't have to look it up by title).  The cantata was written for the 27th Sunday after Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost).

The following link takes you to the choral prelude (BWV 140).  Listen closely as the right hand begins with the melody and the feet take up the harmony.  Soon, a second melody is brought in with the left hand while the right continues with melody and simultaneous harmony.  This pattern goes back and forth throughout the piece using tone and timbre as well as volume to shift your focus from point to point in the music.

Sleepers Wake (Wachet Auf) - Organ Version

I suggest listening to it twice.  The first time, watch the video to see the movements of the organists hands and feet and then a second time with your eyes closed and try to follow the pattern of one or another melody or harmony.

Ancient Music = small groups

I had my first exposure to small groups in the third grade when a small chamber group came to our school and talked and played for groups of 5-6 students at a time.  They had an oboe, bassoon, french horn and clarinet.  It was fascinating listening to each of them talk about their instruments and what it took to play them.  I particularly remember the oboe player who explained that you have to puff up your cheeks with air and force it through the tiny reed with such pressure that you thought your head might explode.  His whole face went red and with his puffed out cheeks he looked a bit like a beet.

Fast forward about 40 years and I heard a group on National Public Radio playing what they called "ancient" music.  It was music of the medieval period, generally used for dances.  The period instruments they played had strange names: sackbut (precursor to our trombone), shawm (a double reeded wind instrument that has morphed into the oboe), dulcian (double reeded wind instrument that became the bassoon), and crumhorns, lutes, and bagpipes.

The group is called Piffaro and is based in Philadelphia.

This is one of my favorite songs of theirs ... Anonimo Suite

Piffaro - Anonimo suite

Its sound takes you into a medieval English town, perhaps in the time of Shakespeare ...