Francis Poulenc‘s first song cycle was Le bestiaire. It was never a “smash hit” as far as Art Music goes, but it remains in the repertory for a number of reasons. It demonstrates Poulenc’s compositional talent, early in his career, while he was still serving in the French army during World War I. It’s not exactly avant-garde, but it’s modern enough to catch you off-guard if you’re not used to the Art Music of the 20th century. And, if you do find the modern sound a bit challenging, the pieces are short and sweet, and the subject matter, fun (animals!) Finally, it helps to introduce French Art Song, or mélodie, to budding voice students.
What if your life got caught in some sort of endless time loop? What if you were forced to live the same day over and over again?
What if your music got caught in some sort of endless time loop? What if you were forced to play the same measure over and over again?
Steve Reich is an American composer best known for his minimalist compositions – put simply, pieces that use a minimal number of musical resources (especially pitch and rhythm). His Piano Phase remains one of the defining pieces of the movement. Two pianists play a short phrase of music over and over again; one speeds up just a tiny bit, and eventually the two pianists are one note off from each other. The same pianist speeds up again, and then they are two notes apart. And so on. Because the piece is so repetitious, a subtle change becomes a tremendous moment.
A marvelously simple piece, fiendishly difficult to perform. This music can put you in a trance, or drive you crazy, or maybe both. But so would living the same day over and over again.
most performances take over 15 minutes … I was very happy to find this 5-minute version!
If you ever want to lose your faith in humanity, just read the comment section of any YouTube video. However, once in a while, there is a comment of pure genius. The top comment of this video is perfect:
Pretty sure this {video} was a practical joke, in which the orchestra grabbed a drunk man off the streets, gave him a bouquet of flowers, and said, “Stand here and make vague waving gestures at the orchestra.”
Mikhail Glinka‘s opera Ruslan and Ludmila was never a hit, but the overture became an instant favorite among audiences. Even when played at a moderate tempo, it sounds like the strings have had about three cups of coffee too many. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I found a video where the strings have had too much coffee after overdosing on speed.
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