Claire de Lune On Marimbas? Why not!

Claire de Lune, how famous has this piece become since 1905! So many arrangements and recordings of Suite Bergamasque have since fought for becoming the most popular and successful. Many have heard the versions by Cailliet, Stokowski, Caplet, Tiomkin – and those are amazing works!

However, some of the interpretations remained aside and did not spread as broadly as the mentioned above. This fact does not make them any less intriguing and ear-pleasing. I have found a couple of really interesting arrangements of Claire de Lune for the most unexpected instruments like marimbas, recorder, vibraphone. And all are equally unique and noteworthy.

I have also learnt that Debussy’ close friend, French composer André Caplet, made his own orchestral version of the piece. And I must say it impressed me!

"Per aspera ad... Astor", dedication to Astor Piazzolla

The name of Astor Piazzolla is one of the first associations with the tango music. Hardly was there any composer who has done to this genre more than Astor. A revolutionary approach took tango as it was to an absolutely different level.

Astor Piazzolla playing bandoneon

Astor Piazzolla is known for adding to the traditional sound of tango the elements of Jazz and Classical Music. What appeared as a result of that fusion is often called ‘nuevo tango’ (‘new tango’), and it really did become something new. Moreover, the composer was also an extremely talented bandoneon player and he performed most of his works on that instrument, which made them even more exotic for that time.

I have come across a really beautiful dedication to the great tango composer. It is played in a duo of violin and piano (with piano obviously in the lead) and it’s got a perfect title – "Per aspera ad... Astor", highlighting the distance it takes to come at little a bit closer to the level of the virtuoso genius.

Brahms' Advanced "Nänie" for SATB and Orchestra

You won’t hear Brahms’ "Nänie" often. Have you ever heard it performed by a choir at all, by the way? Most of you probably haven’t and there is a simple explanation to that. It is very beautiful music piece, lyrical and deeply emotional, but the level of its difficulty makes it unpopular for choirs and orchestras. "Nänie" is one of the most difficult SATB pieces out there.

German classicist painter Anselm Feuerbach
(self-portrait)

Brahms composed it in 1881, deeply touched by the demise of his friend and Germany’ leading painter Anselm Feuerbach. Friedrich Schiller’s poem Nänie (‘nenia’ from Latin – ‘funeral song’) seemed to perfectly convey the composer’s emotions so he set it to music. As one of the poem’s sentences goes, ‘even the beauty must die’. Thus, Brahms expresses his lament on the inevitable death of everyone and everything.

Due to the complexity of the composition, there are not too many choirs that are experienced enough to be able to perform this piece brilliantly.

Beethoven's Fifth and 100 Drones

The Guinness World Records Book stores so many cases that would seem impossible if told you as stories by some unknown person. You could become the only one of the kind in basically every sphere of life – you just need to be unique, literally.

Music is also one of the ‘disciplines’ where Guinness Records were set many times already. Among such records you can found out about ‘a piece with most instruments used’ or ‘the fastest piano juggler’ or ‘the largest orchestra’ and many others impressive things in that sphere.

The video below is not exactly from the musical arena, rather from technology, but I still found it quite charming, the delivery I mean. The only musical thing in it is that an orchestra played live Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony to accompany the show. Meanwhile, 100 drones flew up above the orchestra and were simultaneously putting up a coordinated show. Together with such a dramatic ‘sound effect’ the performance turned out to be quite bright and mesmerizing!

Big Violin for Little Kid

Do you remember your early-early childhood well?  When I was 3 years old I was playing with my favorite toys in the playground and was a most carefree kid. Those are some lovely yet quite scarce memories, and they are not in any way connected with music. Not at least with classical music and concert performances at high level with renowned musicians.

But for Akim Camara it’s all a different story. At the age of 3 he was at the center of all that. At this video the kid was exactly 3 years old. And see who he’s performing with and what he’s performing. The creator of the Johann Strauss Orchestra, Dutch conductor and violinist André Rieu is introducing the little Akim to the public. They are playing the Ferdinand Küchler’s Concertino in G Major for Violin and Piano, Op.11. And are playing is marvelously.

I have never been a strong supporter of the early-age music stars, for I’m afraid they are somehow deprived of the best childhood years intended for contemplating and absorbing this world without responsibility and concern. But I understand that sometimes their prodigy talent just can’t be hidden, ignored or ‘postponed’. Well, in that case, I’m wishing the best of luck to kids like Akim in their life and music career.

P.S. Today Akim is 16 and his interest in violin and professionalism only grew with years.