Cavatina is a classical guitar piece, composed by Stanley Myers. It became famous as the subject of the film The Deer Hunter "The Sniper". The piece of music was recorded by classical guitarist John Williams, long before the film that made him famous. It was originally written for piano but at Williams' suggestion, Myers rewrote it for guitar and expanded it.
There are pieces of music that are wonderful in themselves, but when they manage to pierce the heart in such a devastating way and reach the soul and also manage to be the main theme of a successful film, then we have the keys to their fame and success. The architect of all this was John Williams, American composer and conductor, son of an English jazz guitarist who instilled in him a love of the classical guitar. He learned and mastered the guitar from a very young age, considered by some to be gifted on the guitar. In 1952 he moved with his family to London where he studied at the Royal College of Music and later with the guitarist Andrés Segovia. He rose to popularity in 1979 when he performed Stanley Myers' Cavatina for Michael Cimino's film The Huntsman.
After the release of The Deer Hunter in 1979, Williams' Cavatina instrumental version became a Top Hit in the United Kingdom. Two other versions were also successful the same year, an instrumental recording made by The Shadows, performed by Hank Marvin on an electric guitar, and a vocal version, using lyrics from the Cleo Laine song, by Iris Williams. It was also performed on the piano by the Frenchman Richard Clayderman.
The sweetness and delicacy of this piece is undoubted and shows us once again that the figure of the composer is an increasing value. We must strive in our century and beyond to enhance these natural talents through important scholarships and advanced training studies, as well as cultural relations with other countries, to preserve these musical jewels of incalculable value.
CARisMA Guitar Duo perform 'Cavatina' by S. Myers from the movie "The Sniper" with the Malaysian Symphony Orchestra