Daffodils, again–bookending the week with everybody’s favorite perennial! This song was a persistent backdrop to my first few months in NYC. Everything in it combines to powerfully suggest the things we can’t communicate: the insistent waves of static harmony, the elusive but urgent text by Pablo Medina (which is here), and the voice, trailing aural phosphenes and finally ebbing away altogether like the impression of light after you close your eyes.
Read MoreTori Amos is a truly captivating performer. Example: I made the mistake of keeping the youtube track running as I was coming up with this intro and quickly forgot how to form words in my brain and type them, as her voice overrode my mental circuits. Amos runs the vocal gamut in Yes Anastasia, which is also quite a compositional feat, positively Schubertian in the cyclical nature of its material.
Read MoreMany works by the famed medieval poet-composer Guillaume de Machaut are formes fixes: complex musico-poetic structures requiring skill and finesse to create. This is an example of one such form, a rondeau. I
Read MoreWhat is it about vocoders? They add a distance to the human voice that, in the skilled hands of Laurie Anderson, renders it omnipotent, supernatural.
Read MoreThe underrated Earl Kim’s setting of Samuel Beckett’s “thither” occurs twice in Now and Then, Kim’s 1981 song cycle for soprano, flute, viola, and harp. At just over 30 seconds, “thither” the song is a haunting shiver, a ghost aria, unforgettable even without the reprise.
Read MoreWhen I think of of exquisite writing for the voice and absolute masterful orchestration, I always think of this piece. For me this is the way to write for voice and orchestra. Absolute care about the registers, and the way Ravel keeps the balances has not been surpassed. On top of that, the gorgeous melodies and harmonies…
Read MoreFor my generation the memory of the Viet Nam War is not just a matter of history; the Viet Nam war is still vivid in our minds. As a young man I remember the horrors of this conflict, one that nobody really comprehended, yet millions had to go and fight not knowing if they would come back safe. Many did not, and others came back with problems and memories that would haunt them forever.
Read MoreThe inimitable Carlos Gardel was known throughout the world as the leading tango singer during the 1930’s. “El día que me quieras” (“The day you will love me”) is not a tango, but since its debut in 1935 this Latin American jewel became inseparable to the voice and the romantic image of Gardel.
Read MoreNo other moment in music comes as close to the ideal of perfection as this trio. The undulating string sounds suggest the soft undulating waves that takes us into the imaginary journey of this delightful farce. The combination of the vocal lines with the different harmonizations is what makes this music so striking. Particularly moving are the last statements of “ai nostri desir”, where on the word “desir” (desire) a dissonant chord of utmost beauty conveys a sense of longing and profound nostalgia. “May the elements respond kindly to our desires” said perhaps with tears in our eyes.
Read MoreThese are the sounds of salsa that I remember growing up in Puerto Rico, and these are the same sounds of Latin Music that could be heard in New York during the 1970’s! The amazing musicianship, timing, rhythm and impeccable musicianship are just masterful. Particularly moving for me is to see this group of Latinos in Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo) bringing Salsa back to its musical roots.
Read More