Familiar:
Dean Martin Valare 3:02 click here
Dean Martin That's Amore 3:07 click here
Dean Martin Sway 2:42 click here
Frank Sinatra The Way You Look Tonight 3:20 click here
Frank Sinatra I've Got You Under My Skin 3:47 click here
Frank Sinatra Strangers In The Night 2:36 click here
Frank Sinatra Chicago 2:18 click here
So for this week I decided to go with two of my favs Frank and Dean. I love this era of music, I wish I could have seen them in Vegas in the day I am sure it was amazing ( well other than the horrible cloud of second hand smoke I am sure they left behind). I had a hard time deciding which song to talk about they are all great. I chose Chicago because it has such great instrumentation. Frank sings a few songs about Chicago and this is probably not the one you are thinking of, I am guessing you are thinking about My Kind of Town. This song must be 40's or 50's and I love the sound. It starts with brass and then becomes polyphonic with instruments and then homophonic when he sings. The instruments never overpower him but the horns really do a good job with the melody. Frank's voice has such a soothing tone color for me. I could listen to him all day. Dean Martin's That's Amore is another great one though. It has a really great Italian sound with the music. I can't identify all the instruments but I love it. They use imitation in the song with the background vocals.
Unfamiliar:
Mozart Requiem 8:53 click here
Mozart (Just labeled Greatest Violin Piece) 10:01
I chose this because I assume this is what they were working on in the movie...not sure. It is very dark but I guess that would be obvious if it is for a death mass. I think I saw somewhere that it is in minor so that would go along with the darker notes. The dynamic changes really sort of make the song for me. I like that there are some vocals even though I have no idea what they are saying. They have what sounds like soprano and maybe baritone vocals together which adds interest. There were breaks so I am guessing they were different movements?? Not sure. This is not my style of music but I can see why his music has endured all this time. There are some polyphonic moments as well as homophonic. Final appraisal: dark but moving. If I was Saliari I may have tried to take credit for it too. ;)
In the movie, they only gave bits and pieces of the Requiem so it is kind of hard to tell if they are the same piece (you know how movies like to distort things). But yes, I would assume they are at least making the reference to this particular piece. When I was listening to the piece, the end of the first movement reminded me of a final battle where the knight is fighting for his queen and just when the climax hits, the hero dies. Fits right into the darkness, right? I could see how the second half would be played at a funeral as they are lowering the body into the ground and then burying it for the second movement. It has that sort of tone color to the instruments. The third movement, however, could be seen as when the family and friends are gathered after the burial. It has a lighter texture than the previous two movements and I think this is due to the higher pitch notes that the violin is playing and there is not as many notes played by the bass drum. The dynamics definitely play a major role throughout this piece. At some places, I believe the dynamics could have been considered terraced, but others seemed predictable. I think the dynamics gave a lot of personality to the piece. I think the mixture of soprano and baritone, maybe even bass, add to the depressing mood. Sad tones are not always associated with bass pitches and this piece is a wonderful example! So I take it, this would not be your choice of music for your funeral? Just kidding, just kidding!
ReplyDeleteHi Peggy! I don't really know where I have heard Frank Sinatra's name before, but his name sounds familiar, not of his music, though. I like the music that he and Dean Martin play, although it is not my typical style. I agree when you talk about the polyphonic and homophonic textures and when you point out that the instruments overpower him slightly at some points. As for your unfamiliar music, I really like this type of music, and it reminds me of the movie we just watched in class. I also hear the dark sound in the song and the minor part as well. I noticed the drastic dynamic changes as well and also agree that it adds interest to the song. I also don't know if the breaks in the piece are different movements or brief pauses like holds on rests. Although the song is dark, I like it a lot. I like the thick chords that the many voices produce in the song too. I can't really understand what they're saying because I think it's in a different language possibly. This song, as you say, is quite moving, and I think I would definitely cry if I was at Mozart's funeral hearing this song. Thanks for sharing!(:
ReplyDeleteooooo Frank and Dean!!!! If only I could have been around in that era! It is my favorite by far! The romance... The gentleman... This time is when a man was really a man! Lol. Yes, I agree on the instrumental on Chicago. It really makes the song. If it was not there, the song would not have that bang in your face amazing and loud excitement to it. Thank you for sharing these songs!!!
ReplyDelete