WTF: Music

Classical Music: It's not as boring as you think.

[wthefmusic]

I seriously promise a video is coming. I am actually in the editing process. I swear.

[wthefmusic]

Hello darling who are still following me!

I'm sorry to have been so inactive. My recital just ended last week, so I've had time to actually think out a new video topic.

I'm not sure how long it will take me to actually put the video together, but I can tell you that another video is officially on its way!

[heaveninawildflower]

‘Score of Baude Cordier’s chanson “Belle, bonne, sage,” from The Chantilly Manuscript, Musée Condé 564. The manuscript is one of the classic examples of ars subtilior, which requires red notes, or “coloration” to indicate changes in note lengths from their normally written values. This chanson, a dedicatory piece on the love of a lady and a lord written in the shape of a heart, opens the corpus. Note the heart of notes within the larger heart.’ Circa. 1350-1400.

Wikimedia via vintageprintable.com

[wthefmusic]

Very apt for the day

[wthefmusic]

I can't believe I've only just remembered this video, but in my defense I watched it ages ago before this blog existed.

This video is a great example of what I'm talking about with classical music. Take an opera by the plot itself and you get some serious racy shit. (And honestly this opera isn't even the half of it. One of these days I've give a rant on Salome... or Elektra)

So enjoy this telling of Don Giovanni!

[operarox]

Soprano Jessye Norman and the psychedelic version of Schubert’s “Erlkonig”

[wthefmusic]

Franz Schubert wrote this song at the age of 18. Do you feel inferior yet?

Schubert also wrote this song intending for a man to sing it, but that's because he'd never met Jessye Norman. 

(But yes, in reality mostly men sing this song. But I love Jessye Norman so this is the recording you are getting)

[fenixfilia]

Man on skis plays Ride of the Valkyries on trombone.

[wthefmusic]

This is definitely relevant to something.

[goodgodawful]

I wish I could find longing as sweet as you do.

Clara Schumann, in a letter to Brahms, 1858. (via goodgodawful)

[wthefmusic]

Black Angels by George Crumb. This is movement 1. Departure.

Welcome to contemporary classical music. This piece is for string quartet, along with other various percussion instruments, nothing very standard though. There are things like crystal water glasses and other things (you can find a full list here). Also only the four string players are performing the piece, so they are switching between their instrument and other percussive things throughout the piece. Another fun thing is that part of the percussion sounds are actually from the violin: either they're tapping on certain parts of the violin body or playing on the fingerboard or tapping on the bridge. 

It's an ingenious time of music. Rules get broken all the time and people are constantly discovering new ways to make new sounds.

[wthefmusic]

I'm glad that you're glad! Thanks for being so supportive of my videos :D

[classicalmusichumor]

Classical Music: Interpretations

[wthefmusic]

This time we're talking all about the joys of castration and what it's contributed to the music world... that's right people I'm talking about castrati!

Enjoy me talking about castration while I make a decent attempt at a Porky Pig impersonation.

As always, please like, comment, subscribe, and share!

Also, in the three days between recording this video and posting it, I gained two new followers! Make that thank you to 10, not 8.

Annnnd... now my previous post makes a lot more sense now, yes?

Also... I'm a big dork. In case that wasn't obvious yet.

[jculbert]

Contralto Nathalie Stutzmann sings the aria Ombra mai Fu the opening aria from the 1738 opera Serse by George Frideric Handel. Stuzmann sings from the podium as she conducts her early music ensemble Orfeo 55. If you have never heard a woman’s contralto voice (rather than a man’s countertenor voice), listen to this.

[wthefmusic]

Hello relevancy to my latest video (that is coming I swear)! This aria was originally written for a castrato to sing, but now it's only sung by countertenors, mezzo-sopranos, or contraltos! (The last of these being the case here)

On a personal geek moment note: I love that she's not only singing but conducting as well. This lady is awesome.

[salon97]

[wthefmusic]

This links to a really interesting article where brainwaves are used to create music. Actually the first thing is in the article is the video about the Landfill Orchestra (something I posted a while back), but if you scroll down you'll find some really interesting stuff about using brain waves as a medium for composition. (Super cool!)

[onmilwaukee]

How and when to introduce kids to classical music

“…Children who grow up with classical music are much less likely to develop a barrier and stigmatize it as boring or old fashioned,” says Larsen. “I think it’s really important to play it for them from a very young age.”

Larsen’s son, now 18 months old, was exposed to classical music – particularly the sounds of the oboe – since before he was born and therefore identifies the sound of the instrument with his mother.

Recently, Larsen played a Christmas service. Her son sat in a pew with her family and could not see his mom playing because she was behind them in the loft but as soon as he heard the oboe he started looking around for her…

Continue reading “How and when to introduce kids to classical music” on OnMilwaukee.

[wthefmusic]

This is a great article about the effects of classical music on young kids, as well as good "starter pieces" to play for kids to get them engaged. 

I'm mostly posting this because I definitely agree that being exposed to classical music at a young age makes it seem less "weird" and more awesome! I probably wouldn't be trying to be an opera singer right now if not for my dad exposing me orchestral music (as well as Gilbert and Sullivan). 

[classicalnewb]

How to get fired: make a song about your boss in the bathroom

So Lully wanted to get fired by Anne Duchess of Montpensier, who until this point was her boss and protector. What should a young ambitious man do?

Write a musical piece about the music that she makes when using the potty. Just in case it was too subtle, he wrote a nice poem to be sang along with it. That Lully!

[wthefmusic]

Video is almost done. Just need to finish up editing tomorrow. 

[floodinginthegarden-deactivated]

Inspirational video on vocal technique, and musicianship from Cecilia Bartoli’s mother

[wthefmusic]

If you don't know who Cecilia Bartoli is, go watch her singing Non Piu Mesta. She's notorious for making some of the most ridiculous facial expressions while singing (for the best ones are around the two minute mark), and she's also very talented. 

She has only had one voice teacher ever, her mom. This video shows a bit of one of her lessons, as a singer it's very interesting. (Also, just think about working with your mother all the time. It's really impressive that they haven't killed each other)