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Monday Music: Love’s Philosophy (Roger Quilter)

I’m a bit of a latecomer to Quilter, and indeed, English Art Song in general.  But last year, when Allan’s was closing down, I saw a book of Quilter art songs on special, and thought I’d take a look inside.  After all, one shouldn’t shun a whole genre without trying it.  Then I opened the book, and made a marvellous discovery – Art Song in English is basically really gorgeous poems set to music!

(yes, OK, I’m slow, but it hadn’t occurred to me.  I’ve only ever sung art-song in other languages, and hadn’t really registered that the lyrics were written by Real Poets, as opposed to lyricists…)

Anyway, having made this delicious connection, the first thing I did was to take the book along to my singing teacher and basically say “Where do I start?”  And she sang me this.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3CDDaMAoQk&version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0]

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Friday Fun: Spera e godi, il mio tesoro (Handel)

I went to see Opera Australia’s production of Partenope on Wednesday.  It’s a wonderful, insane production of a wonderful, bonkers opera.  The plot concerns Partenope, the soprano and the Queen of Naples, who is beloved by everyone, including Arsace (a mezzo), who she favours, and Armindo (a male alto), who is in love with her but too shy to say so.  Unfortunately, Arsace has abandoned Rosmira (another mezzo), who decides to take her revenge by dressing as a man (as you do), pretending to be in love with Partenope, and making it her business to torment Arsace, who recognises her, but for some reason says nothing about this.  There is also a random tenor prince who is trying to invade Naples because he is in love with Partenope, but that’s sort of a side issue in all the general crazy.  This particular production – which I will review when I am not busy making myself late to work – was rendered extra-specially mad by adding a lot of surrealism, making the invading tenor prince into an analogue of photographer Man Ray, and making everything even more sexualised than it was already.  Which is saying something.

Anyway, I was rather taken by the aria which Partenope sings right after Rosmira (still pretending to be a man) reveals Arsace’s perfidy – Partenope immediately turns to Armindo (who she has previously been treating in a mildly mocking fashion) and informs him that they will be living happily ever after now, but has to keep looking back over her shoulder to sing invective at Arsace.  As you do.

Unfortunately, I’ve only been able to find one recording of this, and it has a lot of background laughter, though it is beautifully sung.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vNXj_A4pSM&w=560&h=315] Continue reading →

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Friday Fun: The Song Song (Simon Taylor)

This song needs no introduction.  No really, it really doesn’t, though as you will hear, it has one.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjCpTyCXvgA?rel=0]So dreadfully, wickedly clever.  I love it to bits, and really must find the music for this one if I can.

Nope, sorry, that’s all you get.  Mostly because it appears that I’m much more interested in listening to the song again and seeing if I can memorise the words than actually writing about it…

Have a wonderful Friday, and remember: a good chorus needs repetition (and some oh, oh, ohs).

 

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Monday Music: Plaisir D’Amour (JPE Martini)

Here’s something so soothing that it will probably send you wafting back to sleep again, but it truly is gorgeous.  If you’ve only ever heard the Nana Mouskouri version, please do give this one a listen, because it’s really quite different.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knmQ0-mDETg&hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0]

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Friday Fun: Lost Forever (Van Canto)

Something a bit different today.  Van Canto is a German ‘hero metal’ band with a difference – their only musical instruments are their voices and a drumkit.  They do all the guitar riffs and other accompaniment with their voices.  And they are bloody good at it.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ0n-1FmFiw&hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0] Continue reading →

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Monday Music: Erlkönig (Schubert)

It’s a Monday morning in Autumn, and time for a bit of Sturm und Drang.

(and this is where I confess that I just had to look up ‘Drang’, which turns out to mean stress.  There you go.  We all learned something new there…)

Erlkönig is, when it comes down to it, just a fabulous piece of music.  It’s clever, clever musical writing that builds on Goethe’s spooky poem until you can just about hear what’s going on without understanding the words.  Incidentally, this is another one of those pieces of music where you slightly hate the composer for composing something so spectacular at the age of 18 – not to mention for writing something with such a wrist-destroying left right hand part (all those octave triplets are just cruel).

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8noeFpdfWcQ&version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0]

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Friday Fun: Away with these self-loving lads (John Dowland)

… and then, of course, there are the times when Dowland took the day off from being depressed and reverted to that other classic of Elizabethan song-writing: innuendo.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS2NRgBBn-M&hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0]

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Monday Music: Flow my Tears (John Dowland)

I was up way too late last night, trying to get organised for the week ahead, and failing.  It is to weep.  And who better to weep with than John Dowland, the author of such cheery works as ‘Weep, O mine Eyes’, ‘Weep ye no more sad fountains’, ‘Lachrimae, or Seven Tears’, ‘I saw my lady weep’, and, of course, ‘Flow, my Tears’?

(I must admit, whenever I read my way down a list of Dowland song titles, I find myself becoming increasingly concerned for the man’s mental health.  He wasn’t a happy man, that’s for sure.)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7vLOjzG4no&hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0]

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Plotting a Programme, and Come Unto These Yellow Sands (Linley)

As I think I’ve mentioned, I’m planning (hoping?) to do my ATCL singing exam this year, and got all excited about creating a Shakespeare / Renaissance-themed programme, with just  a little baroque to spice things up (because I cannot resist baroque music).  Only my programme has been blowing out to a ridiculous length, and is full of depressing Italian arias, which is not ideal.

Then, last week, I found a whole series of John Donne sonnets set to music by an Australian composer, Dorian Le Gallienne.  They are all horribly atonal, which is a pity, and of course, I don’t exactly need *more* repertoire (says she who accidentally downloaded a whole book of 50 songs inspired by Shakespeare last night, including a truly appalling Victorian attempt to make Desdemona’s Willow Song in English scan to the Rossini Italian), but singing through them last night brought me a brainwave – if I take all the arias gleefully out of context, but stay true to the textual and emotional content, I can have a recital not merely with a theme, but with a plot!  Of sorts.  Assuming I can find that top D flat for the Lady Macbeth. And assuming that Trinity isn’t so appalled at my operatic blasphemy that they fail me on the spot.

Anyway, here’s the opening of my story…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiA84oXv_HE&w=420&h=315]

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