Music Set #287 - Wagner - Bridal Chorus

Richard Wagner

/ˈvɑːɡnər/ [ˈʁiçaʁt ˈvaːɡnɐ]  (1813 – 1883)

Wagner's compositions are notable for their complex texture, rich harmonies and orchestration.

Lohengrin is a romantic opera, whose story is taken from medieval German romance. 

- opera with Spanish subtitles


The most popular and recognizable part of this opera is the Bridal Chorus, better known as "Here Comes the Bride", often played in wedding processions.
                       

Deeply moved by this fairy-tale opera, young King Ludwig II of Bavaria built his ideal fairy-tale castle, dubbed  "Neuschwanstein" ("New Swan Stone"), after the Swan Knight.

Neuschwanstein Castle
(in Bavaria, Germany)

Does it remind you of ..... ?

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Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg / The Mastersingers of Nuremberg

Overture

The story takes place in Nuremberg during the middle of the 16th century, when Nuremberg was an Imperial Free City, and one of the centers of the Renaissance in Northern Europe. 

It revolves around the real-life guild of Meistersinger (Master Singers), who developed a craftsman-like approach to music-making. One of the main characters is based on an actual historical figure: Hans Sachs (1494–1576), the most famous of the historical Mastersingers.

It is his only opera centered on a historically well-defined time and place rather than a mythical or legendary setting. 

Music Set #286 - Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries

Richard Wagner
/ˈvɑːɡnər/ [ˈʁiçaʁt ˈvaːɡnɐ]  (1813 – 1883)

Wagner wrote both the music and libretto for every one of his works. Hitler was a big fan of Wager's dramatic effects.
 

Perhaps the two best-known extracts from his works are: 
- the Wedding March from the opera Lohengrin
- The Ride of the Valkyries in Die Walküre (女武神)

A valkyrie ("chooser of the slain"), in Norse mythology, is one of a host of female figures who decides who falls and dies in battle.  

* In the Apocalypse Now movie 

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Tristan und Isolde  

Wagner referred to this opera (or music drama) not as an opera, but called it "eine Handlung" (literally a drama or a plot). It was notable for Wagner's advanced use of chromaticism, tonality, orchestral colour and harmonic suspension. 

The opera was profoundly influential among Western classical composers and provided inspiration to composers. Many see Tristan as the beginning of the move away from conventional harmony and tonality, and consider that it lays the groundwork for the direction of classical music in the 20th century.

* Prelude and Liebestod 

Music Set #285 - Vivaldi - The Four Seasons

Antonio Vivaldi  - top tracks
(1678 – 1741)
- nicknamed 'il Prete Rosso' ('The Red Priest') because of his red hair

Vivaldi was a priest, virtuoso violinist and composer. His influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe.  He is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, known mainly for composing concertos as well as sacred choral works and operas.  

Le quattro stagioni

The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's best-known work, and is among the most popular pieces of Baroque music. It is a set of 4 violin concertos, each of which has 3 movements, with a slow movement between two faster ones.

At the time of writing The Four Seasons, the modern solo form of the concerto had not yet been defined (typically a solo instrument and accompanying orchestra). Vivaldi's original arrangement for solo violin with string quartet and basso continuo helped to define the form.
                        
                           
                       
                                                                                                                        
* Concerto No. 1 in E major, "La primavera" / Spring

* Concerto No. 2 in G minor, "L'estate" / Summer

* Concerto No. 3 in F major, "L'autunno" / Autumn

* Concerto No. 4 in F minor, "L'inverno" / Winter

Click here for a digital version

                                                                                 
Some of the unconventionals:-

Spring - grand piano quartet                                                 

"Storm" - Summer Movement 3

Autumn                                                                 

 Wintersun - Bond's abridged remix of Winter             

Music Set #284 - Verdi - Nabucco

Giuseppe Verdi  - top tracks

[dʒuˈzɛppe ˈverdi]  (1813 – 1901)

An Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera, Verdi was one of the most influential composers of the 19^th century.

Verdi is considered with Richard Wagner the most influential composer of operas of the nineteenth century, and dominated the Italian scene after Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini. 

Some of his themes have long since taken root in popular culture – such as 
- "La donna è mobile" from Rigoletto
- "The Drinking Song" from La traviata
- "Grand March" from Aida
- "The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves" from Nabucco

Nabucco  

Nabucco follows the plight of the Jews as they are assaulted, conquered, and subsequently exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nabucco.

Hebrew Slaves Chorus

The best-known number from the opera is the "Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves ('Va, pensiero')", a chorus which is regularly given an encore when performed today.

Source: Wikipedia

Music Set #283 - Verdi - Rigoletto

Giuseppe Verdi

[dʒuˈzɛppe ˈverdi]  (1813 – 1901)

Rigoletto 

Rigoletto is an opera in three acts. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play "Le roi s'amuse" by Victor Hugo. 

Its tragic story revolves around the licentious Duke of Mantua, his hunch-backed court jester Rigoletto, and Rigoletto's beautiful daughter Gilda.

Some selections:
Act 1 - Scene 1:  A room in the palace
               - Questa o quella / This woman or that
Act 1 - Scene 2:  A street, with the courtyard of Rigoletto's house
               - Pari siamo! / We are alike!
Act 2 - The Duke's Palace
               - Caro nome / Dearest name - with English subtitles
               - Cortigiani, vil razza dannata / Accursed race of courtiers
Act 3 - A street outside Sparafucile's house
               - La donna è mobile / Woman is fickle - says the Duke
               - Bella figlia dell'amore / Beautiful daughter of love

La donna è mobile

The inherent irony is that it is the callous playboy Duke himself who is mobile.

A full version - with English subtitles

Click here for a full version with Italian subtitles.

Music Set #282 - Verdi - Requiem

Giuseppe Verdi

[dʒuˈzɛppe ˈverdi]  (1813 – 1901)

Last Judgment

[Messa da] Requiem

Section 2 of 7 - Dies irae (Day of Wrath)
         

The 13th century Latin hymn describes the day of judgment, the last trumpet summoning souls before the throne of God, where the saved will be delivered and the unsaved cast into eternal flames.

A full mass:

Music Set #281 - Verdi - La Traviata

Giuseppe Verdi

[dʒuˈzɛppe ˈverdi]  (1813 – 1901)

La Traviata                                      

Act 1: Brindisi / The Drinking Song / Libiamo ne' lieti calici

              

Brindisi / The Drinking Song - in the La Traviata (1982) movie

From the same movie:

* Scene 2: Party at Flora's house
     - Flora calls for the entertainers to perform for the guests

     (1) "We are gypsy girls who have come from afar" 

     (2) "We are matadors from Madrid" 

To view the whole opera.:

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* flashmob at a department store in Amsterdam

* (L) a puppy joins in

 

* (R) "We are gypsy girls who have come from afar"

Music Set #280 - Verdi - Il Trovatore

Giuseppe Verdi

[dʒuˈzɛppe ˈverdi]  (1813 – 1901)

Il Trovatore / The Troubadour / 游唱诗人

It is a four-act opera based on the play El trovador (1836).  Today, in its Italian version, it is given very frequently and is a staple of the standard operatic repertoire.

* Act 2 Scene 1: Anvil Chorus / Chorus of Gypsies

Click here for a full opera

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Bonus:

* A Night at the Opera  (1935) movie

Music Set #279 - Verdi - Aida

Giuseppe Verdi
[dʒuˈzɛppe ˈverdi]  (1813 – 1901)

               
                










* A 2.7-hour version of Aida by San Francisco Opera
                           

* Act 1 - Scene 2 - The grand gate of the city of Thebes
          The Grand March - the returning of the victorious army (with trophy and spoils, including strong or pretty slaves) to Egypt 

* The Grand March - with Danny Kaye conducting, facing the  audience.

Music Set #278 - Williams - Greensleeves

Ralph Vaughan Williams  - top tracks
/ˌreɪf ˌvɔːn ˈwɪliəmz/  (1872 – 1958)

My Lady Greensleeves

An English composer and a collector of English folk music and song, 
Williams composed an orchestral piece in 1934 entitled 
* Fantasia on Greensleeves 

In it, the tune of Greensleeves alternates with that of Lovely Joan. 
Both are traditional English folk songs and tunes.
* Greensleeves with lyrics - background - on harp
* Lovely Joan - lyrics
 

Anne Boleyn & Henry VIII

There is a persistent belief that Greensleeves was composed by Henry VIII for his lover and future queen consort Anne Boleyn. Boleyn allegedly rejected King Henry's attempts to seduce her and this rejection may be referred to in the song when the writer's love "cast me off discourteously". 

Yet, Henry did not compose "Greensleeves", which is probably 

Elizabethan in origin and is based on an Italian style of

 composition that did not reach England until after his death.

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Partsongs  

* Loch Lomond / The Bonnie Banks o' Lake Lomond
   - traditional Scottish, arranged by Williams






* Three Shakespeare Songs - music by Williams, text by Shakespeare:  
   1. Full Fathom Five - The Tempest, Act 1 scene 2
   2. The Cloud-Capp'd Towers - The Tempest, Act IV scene 1
   3. Over Hill, Over Dale - A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II scene 1

Music Set #277 - Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
/ˈpiːtər ˈɪlɨtʃ tʃaɪˈkɒfski/ (1840 – 1893)

Swan Lake / Le Lac des cygnes 
The scenario was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse.

Selections:
* Main Theme
* Simply beautiful
* Pas de Quatre - four little swans
* Black Swan
* The Dying Swan

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Bonus:
* Pas de 'Deux' - two little swans from the Dance Subaru movie
* Swan Lake - Chinese acrobatic ballet 
* Swan Lake also - Chinese acrobatic ballet also
 
Extra:
* La mort du cygne - dying funny
* Hahaha!
* Moon - solo dance

Music Set #276 - Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
/ˈpiːtər ˈɪlɨtʃ tʃaɪˈkɒfski/ (1840 – 1893)

The Year 1812, Festival Overture in E flat major
- aka the 1812 Overture or the Overture of 1812

An overture written to commemorate Russia's defense of Moscow against Napoleon's advancing Grande Armée at the Battle of Borodino in 1812. 
 
The overture is best known for its climactic volley of cannon fire, ringing chimes, and brass fanfare finale. 

Part 1                                                                         Part 2

          








                                                     

Battle of Borodino

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Bonus: 

Anthem of the French Monarchy / Hymne de la monarchie Française - by Tchaikovsky

  

Music Set #275 - Tchaikovsky - Nutcracker

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
/ˈpiːtər ˈɪlɨtʃ tʃaɪˈkɒfski/ (1840 – 1893) 

The Nutcracker
For this 2-act ballet, 
Tchaikovsky ... chose Alexandre Dumas père's "Tale of the Nutcracker", 
which adapted Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King".

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy                                              Waltz of the Flowers

Music Set #274 - Tchaikovsky - Romeo & Juliet

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
/ˈpiːtər ˈɪlɨtʃ tʃaɪˈkɒfski/ (1840 – 1893)

Romeo & Juliet

Love Theme :

An orchestral work styled Overture-Fantasy :

The work is based on 3 main strands of the Shakespeare story:

1. The first strand is the introduction of Friar Laurence - The Friar Laurence theme. Eventually a single B minor chord passed back and forth between strings and woodwinds grows into ...
  
2. the second strand, the agitated theme of the warring Capulets and Montagues, including a reference to the sword fight, with the forceful irregular rhythms of the street music. The action suddenly slows, and we hear the opening bars of ,,,
  

at Juliet's balcony 

3. the third strand, the "love theme", passionate and yearning in character but always with an underlying current of anxiety. The love theme signifies the couple first meeting and the scene at Juliet's balcony. The English horn represents Romeo, while the flutes represent Juliet. 
     Then the battling strand returns with the Friar Laurence Theme. The strings enter with a lush, hovering melody over which the flute and oboe eventually soar with the love theme once again, signaling the development section and their consummated marriage, and finally two large orchestra hits with cymbal crashes signal the suicide of the two lovers. 
     A final battle theme is played, then a soft, slow dirge ensues, with timpani playing a repeated triplet pattern. The woodwinds play a sweet homage to the lovers, and a final allusion to the love theme brings in the climax, beginning with a huge crescendo roll of the timpani, and the orchestra plays homophonic shouts before the final bar, with full orchestra belting out a powerful B natural to close the overture.

Music Set #273 - Tchaikovsky - Sleeping Beauty

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
/ˈpiːtər ˈɪlɨtʃ tʃaɪˈkɒfski/ (1840 – 1893)               

The Sleeping Beauty  
A ballet with prologue & 3 acts.

Two selections:

Music Set #272 - Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
/ˈpiːtər ˈɪlɨtʃ tʃaɪˈkɒfski/ (1840 – 1893)

Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor
It is one of the most popular of Tchaikovsky's compositions and among the best known of all piano concerti. 

1. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito
2. Andantino semplice – Prestissimo
3. Allegro con fuoco


                     
Violin Concerto in D major  
- aka Concerto for Violin & Orchestra in D major

1. Allegro moderato
2. Canzonetta. Andante
3. Finale. Allegro vivacissimo



Symphony No. 6

1.  Adagio – Allegro non troppo
2.  Allegro con grazia
3.  Allegro molto vivace
4.  Adagio lamentoso – Andante



Variations on a Rococo Theme 

The Serbo-Russian March
- aka Marche Slave or Slavonic March

Music Set #271 - Stravinsky - Firebird

Igor Stravinsky
(1882 - 1971)

Firebird / L'oiseau de feu

The Firebird is a ballet created by the composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographer Michel Fokine. The ballet is based on Russian folk tales of the firebird that is both a blessing and a curse to its captor.





 
      * Infernal Dance to beginning of Finale                                   * Finale

* Ballet

Music Set #270 - Richard Strauss - Zarathustra

Richard Georg Strauss  - top tracks
(1864 – 1949)

Also sprach Zarathustra / aka "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"
* It is a tone poem, inspired by Nietzsche (尼采)'s philosophical treatise with the same name, in which Zarathustra is the main character.
* Strauss' music piece is divided into 9 sections, named after selected chapters of the book.

"Sunrise", the first section, is the initial fanfare that became particularly well known to the general public due to its use in 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

In the movie, a supercomputer on a space station accumulated sufficient intelligence to disobey and overpower astronauts. Its name was HAL, each letter of which comes before IBM.

HAL