Music for the Lenten Season: He was despised from "Messiah"
>> Saturday, March 20, 2010
Anne Sophie von Otter gives one of the most touching performances of the air, He was despised, I have ever heard.
part one
part two
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Showing posts with label The World's most beautiful music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The World's most beautiful music. Show all posts
Anne Sophie von Otter gives one of the most touching performances of the air, He was despised, I have ever heard.
The World's most beautiful music: Franz Schubert's "Du bist die Ruh"
>> Saturday, November 28, 2009
You are peace,
The mild peace,
You are longing
And what stills it.
I consecrate to you
Full of pleasure and pain
As a dwelling here
My eyes and heart.
Come live with me,
And close
quietly behind you
the gates.
Drive other pain
Out of this breast
May my heart be full
With your pleasure.
The tabernacle of my eyes
by your radiance
alone is illumined,
O fill it completely!
The mild peace,
You are longing
And what stills it.
I consecrate to you
Full of pleasure and pain
As a dwelling here
My eyes and heart.
Come live with me,
And close
quietly behind you
the gates.
Drive other pain
Out of this breast
May my heart be full
With your pleasure.
The tabernacle of my eyes
by your radiance
alone is illumined,
O fill it completely!
Sung by Renee Fleming.
The World's most beautiful music: Mary Queen of Scots, "Think on Me" Arr. by James Mullholland
>> Saturday, November 14, 2009
Mary's original text and tune has been set and arranged by James Mullholland, and in our concert last night was sung by the women of the Stillwater Chamber Singers. In this particular performance at the 2008 Pennsylvania MEA (Music Educator's Association) conference, it is sung by a men's chorus.
When I no more behold thee, think on me.
By all thine eyes have told me, think on me.
When hearts are lightest, when eyes are brightest, when griefs are slightest,
Think on me.
By all thine eyes have told me, think on me.
When hearts are lightest, when eyes are brightest, when griefs are slightest,
Think on me.
In all thine hours of gladness, think on me.
If e’er I soothed thy sadness, think on me.
When foes are by thee, when woes are nigh thee, when friends all fly thee,
Think on me.
If e’er I soothed thy sadness, think on me.
When foes are by thee, when woes are nigh thee, when friends all fly thee,
Think on me.
When thou hast none to cheer thee, think on me.
When no fond heart is near thee, think on me.
When lonely sighing o’er pleasure flying,
When hope is dying,
Think on me.
When no fond heart is near thee, think on me.
When lonely sighing o’er pleasure flying,
When hope is dying,
Think on me.
The World's most beautiful music: Mendlssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, 1st movement
>> Sunday, November 1, 2009
Critics, colleagues and audiences regard Shlomo Mintz as one of the foremost violinists of our time, esteemed for his impeccable musicianship, stylistic versatility and commanding technique alike.
Mr. Mintz regularly appears with the most celebrated orchestras and conductors on the international scene and is heard in recitals and chamber music concerts all around the world. He also frequently performs as a violist with leading chamber ensembles as well as in recitals.
Mintz is the recipient of several prestigious music prizes including the Premio Accademia Musicale Chigiana, the Diapason D’Or, the Grand Prix du Disque, the Gramophone Award and the Edison Award. Since 2004 he is recording for AVIE Records, London.
Born in Moscow in 1957, he emigrated with his family two years later to Israel, where he studied with the renowned Ilona Feher. At age eleven, he made his concerto debut with the Israel Philharmonic. He made his Carnegie Hall debut at age sixteen in a concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and subsequently began his studies with Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School of Music. At age eighteen, he added the role of conductor to his artistic endeavours; since then he has conducted acclaimed orchestras worldwide, and became Music Advisor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra and Artistic Advisor and Principal Guest Conductor of the Maastricht Symphony.
Shlomo Mintz has been appointed as Principal Guest Conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. He will take this role beside his busy soloist schedule from the season 2008/2009 on for 4 years. He is patron and one of the founders of the Keshet Eilon International Violin Mastercourse in Israel, and gives master classes worldwide.
He has been a jury member of several important international competitions including the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in Brussels. He was President of the Jury of the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in Poznan, Poland, and is since 2002 President of the Jury of the Sion Valais International Violin Competition in Switzerland.
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Mozart: Piano Concerto 23 in A-major K. 488, Adagio
>> Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major (K. 488) is a musical composition written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was finished, according to Mozart's own catalogue, on March 2, 1786, around the time of the premiere of his opera, The Marriage of Figaro. It was one of three subscription concerts given that spring and was probably played by Mozart himself at one of these. The concerto is scored for flute, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns and strings.
It has three movements: 1. Allegro in A major and common time
2. Adagio in F-sharp minor and 6/8 time
3. Allegro assai in A and crossed common time.
The second movement, in ternary form, is impassioned and somewhat operatic in tone. The piano begins alone with a theme characterized by unusually wide leaps. This is the only movement by Mozart in F sharp minor.
The World's most beautiful music: Assad Brothers with Yo-Yo Ma: Menino
>> Sunday, September 13, 2009
The World's most beautiful music: Massenet: "Meditation" from Thais
>> Sunday, August 16, 2009
I've always loved this gorgeous piece, but never more than when it is played by the incomparable Yo Yo Ma. Sit back, close your eyes and breathe it in.
The World's most beautiful music: Mozart Sonata for Piano & Violin in E minor, K 304, movement 2
>> Sunday, July 19, 2009
I made a new discovery as I was painting the house yesterday. Although I have owned a recording of Mozart's marvelous sonatas for piano and violin, for several years now, I hadn't paid much attention to it. But yesterday, as I painted the trim over the archway to the dining room of our new house, I was given the opportunity to really listen to and fall in love with these uncelebrated works. I realized then, that it is in Mozart's chamber works that much of his true genius is found.
I've heard several people, upon listening to the chamber works of Mozart, exclaim, "That sounds like Schubert", to which I usually reply, "No, Schubert sounds like Mozart. Mozart did come first, you know."
The World's most beautiful music: Karl Jenkins "Ave verum corpus"
>> Monday, June 29, 2009
I challenge you to listen to this lovely duet setting of the Ave verum corpus, featuring the incredible talents of baritones Bryn Terfel and Simon Keenlyside, and not sigh or perhaps shed a tear. This is one of the most gorgeous settings of the text that I've ever heard. (Thanks Steph, for introducing this to me!)
The World's most beautiful music: Purcell: Rondeau from "Abdelazer"
>> Sunday, June 7, 2009
When I heard this used in the 2005 production of Pride & Prejudice starring Keira Knightly, I thought it was Bach. Silly me, for it wasn't until I started searching for it on YouTube that I found out that it was by Purcell, as the piece used in the soundtrack, (beautifully composed by Dario Marianelli), was entitled A Postcard to Henry Purcell.
Posted here are the original version by Purcell, and the dance sequence from Pride & Prejudice in which this piece was so beautifully incorporated.
Speaking of beautiful...
>> Thursday, May 28, 2009
Celine Dion's early 1990's cover of Eric Carmen's All By Myself based on the second movement of the Rachmaninov 2nd piano concerto in C minor is probably the most amazing cover of any song ever. I'm not a Celine lover by any stretch of the imagination, but you have to be dead not to be moved by this amazing performance.
The World's most beautiful music: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto no. 2, mvmt 2
The C minor has always been among my favorite of the Rachmaninov concerti, and the second movement is some of the most beautiful music ever composed. Played here by the fabulous Russian pianist, Evgeny Kissin with the BBC orchestra. Put your head phones on, lean back and take it in. You'll be glad you did.
P.S. I've added the video of Eric Carmen playing his 1975 hit ballad "All By Myself" based on the 2nd movement of the Rach 2, just for the fun of it.
The World's most beautiful music: Mozart: Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben
>> Friday, May 22, 2009
Zaide is an unfinished opera, K. 344, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1780. Emperor Joseph II, in 1778, was in the process of setting up an opera company for the purpose of performing German opera. One condition required of the composer to join this company was that he should write a comic opera. At Salzburg in 1779 he began work on a new "rescue" opera, Zaide. It contains spoken dialogue, which also classifies it as a Singspiel (literally, "singing play").
Rescue operas were popular at the time, since Muslim pirates were preying on Mediterranean shipping, particularly to obtain female, and male slaves, for various purposes. This story represents a reversal, as Zaide goes to save her beloved, Gomatz. Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, is cast in the same mold, with spoken dramatic dialogue, although it is a husband (a political prisoner) who is saved from death in a Spanish prison.
Mozart was composing for a German libretto by Johann Andreas Schachtner, set in Turkey, which was the scene of his next, completed rescue Singspiel (Die Entführung aus dem Serail). Sadly, he would soon abandon Zaide, to work on Idomeneo, and never returned to the project. The work was lost until after his death, when Constanze Mozart, his wife, found it in his scattered manuscripts in 1799. The fragments wouldn't be published until 1838, and its first performance was held in Frankfurt on January 27, 1866. Zaide has since been said to be the foundations of a masterpiece, and received critical acclaim. The tender soprano air, "Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben" is the only number that might be called moderately familiar.
Information source: Wikipedia
The following performance is by Soprano Sandrine Piau, Christophe Rousset Festival de Saint-Denis, Basilica of Saint-Denis, 2003
The World's most beautiful music: Handel's Sarabande
>> Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Featured in the 1975 epic film, Barry Lyndon, this gorgeous piece of music is one of Handel's most beloved orchestral works, and remains a favorite of professional musicians and amateur music lovers alike. This is Handel in pure heart chakra mode.
The World's most beautiful music: Brahms Requiem, Mvt. 4 "How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place"
>> Sunday, April 19, 2009
I've always loved the Brahms Requiem and this is probably my favorite movement. Preformed here by the Berlin Philharmonic and the Swedish Radio Choir, I hope you enjoy this lovely performance of one of Brahms' most beautiful works.
The World's most beautiful music: Handel: Cara sposa from "Rinaldo"
>> Friday, April 3, 2009
This is it, Ladies and Gentlemen, from the same opera that brought you the gorgeous and heart-wrenching Lascia ch'io pianga, we have yet another heart-wrenching aria, Cara sposa. Originally intended for castrato, this particular recording was made by the fabulous mezzo-soprano, Marilyn Horne.
The world's most beautiful music: Mozart: Ah, perdona al primo affetto
>> Wednesday, March 25, 2009
This is one of the most beautiful duets Mozart ever composed, from his next-to-last opera, La Clemenza Di Tito, an opera he, himself, was not particularly fond of, simply because the subject bored him, (old school Italian opera seria, which he had finished with as a very young man). This duet reveals a mature composer who knew how to evoke emotion.
The characters are Annio, (female trouser role), and Servilia.
Translation,(rough):
Excuse the feelings I just expressed that I really shouldn't have (ill-advised). They just slipped out because once (upon a time) that was how I spoke to you. ie it was the fault of my lips that were used to speaking to you like that in times past. (ie old habits/feelings die hard..).
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