This legendary concert film shows why, for a short time, Guns N’ Roses were considered the greatest rock band in history. They transcended metal, and paved the way for the grunge revolution that was around the corner. In 1988, the original GnR lineup was still promoting their debut album, “Appetite for Destruction,” and three videos from the album were in heavy rotation on MTV. That’s right, MTV still played videos in ’88—They even took requests. Almost all of the “Appetite” songs appear here, along with the first recording of their “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” cover to receive widespread airplay.
03/04/2013
02/15/2013
Deceased Classical Composers and Musicians: Did They Live Lives?
One of the biggest allies most classical musicians have in the professional sphere is the New York Times Magazine. That publication, run by the newspaper from which it gets its name, regularly discusses events going on in the classical music and opera communities in New York and around the world. Its focus on these genres has allowed them to remain in the mainstream, even as pop music has become the world's genre of choice over the course of the past 70 years.
One area where the New York Times Magazine does utterly fail, however, is in its yearly roundup of musicians who have passed away. At the end of each year, the magazine publishes a thorough list and tribute to those who have written or performed music, but will no longer be around to contribute their passion in the future. This list regularly shuns classical musicians, however, raising eyebrows among those in the profession.
A Tendency to Laud Pop Music Stars and Composers
There's no doubt that the most popular and lucrative genre of music today is the aptly named "pop music" genre. With stars that range from the Beatles to Lady Gaga and beyond, this genre has made a ton of money for composers and performers throughout the 20th and 21st century. It makes sense, then, that the vast majority of those artists who do pass on are associated with pop music or its offshoots, like country music and other genres.
The New York Times Magazine regularly enumerates the accomplishment of pop artists, as well as the field's composers and writers and lyricists, without so much as a nod to the classical music community. In 2012 alone, two major Western classical music composers passed away, leaving behind a transformative legacy that was responsible for carrying the genre into modern times. The New York Times Magazine's "The Music They Made" section this year, however, was silent on the matter.
A Matter of Respect and Recognition in the Music Community
Some have argued that the failure to include Western classical music composers and performers is actually deliberate on the part of the New York Times Magazine, largely because the publication considers classical music composers to be of a higher order, not easily lumped in with pop music performers who command an entirely different form of interest and respect. That might be true. It makes sense. But if that were the case, it would behoove the publication to create a special feature solely for the classical music community to honor those who have contributed, transformed, and left behind a thriving community of artists.
In the future, let's hope that the New York Times recognizes its lapse of judgment in honoring the large and thriving community of classical music composers and performers in the 21st century. Whether or not they deserve to be included with pop musicians in the magazine's annual review, they do deserve recognition when they pass away. Their contributions are no less significant, and no less intriguing, than the pop musicians who get a great deal more attention throughout the year.
Clair De Lune by Debussy Provides a Unique Classical Treat for Music Lovers
Among the later classical music composers at the beginning of the 20th century, Debussy introduced a unique twist to his compositions. Clair de Lune by Debussy is both his most famous achievement, and a prime example of the influence of the Symbolist movement on his work.
The movement developed as a response to realism, and sought to delve into the deeper, hidden aspects of the human condition. Debussy created songs that conjure up images of a dark, mysterious landscape trying to reveal itself. Listening to a professional orchestra or solo artist perform this piece can give you the full sense of everything that's in it. For those with their own musical talent, playing the song from the piano sheet music gives it an added dimension. There is not only the dimension experienced by the ears, but one that is experienced by the hands, as they recreate the sounds. This song provides a unique treat for anyone who enjoys making their own music.
Where Have I Heard That Tune - Chopin Sonata No 2
Chances are, you've heard Chopin Sonata no 2, even if you don't realize it. Written in 1839, this was Chopin's second piano sonata. It was made up of four movements. Movements one, two, and four may only be recognized by scholars of classical music, but the third movement is recognized the world over as the Funeral March and sometimes simply referred to as "the dirge". It has been played at the funerals of several world leaders, and was even played at Chopin's own funeral in 1849. It has become the iconic song to represent funerals or death in popular culture. When it was written, music critics of the time were not fond of Chopin's Sonata no 2. They felt that the four movements seemed too different, and were simply lumped together into a non-cohesive composition. It is probably due to this that the single third movement was able to take on such a life of its own, separate from the sonata as a whole.
Jerry Garcia
I could easily dedicate a whole blog to sharing great performances from Jerry Garcia, but for now present just a few:
Garcia, Mickey Hart and Carlos Santana join Baba Olatunji and His Drums of Passion to perform “Fire on the Mountain” at a 1987 benefit concert.
Jerry “Spud” Garcia and David “Dawg” Grisman reinvent Miles Davis’s “So What” live at the Warfield in 1991.
Also from ’91, we find Jerry working hard at his “day job,” performing “Eyes of the World” with the Grateful Dead at Giants Stadium. The Dead had been playing the song live since 1973, and chose to surprise this lucky crowd by opening their show with it for the very first time. That’s Bruce Hornsby on piano. Here’s part two:
Garcia, Mickey Hart and Carlos Santana join Baba Olatunji and His Drums of Passion to perform “Fire on the Mountain” at a 1987 benefit concert.
Jerry “Spud” Garcia and David “Dawg” Grisman reinvent Miles Davis’s “So What” live at the Warfield in 1991.
Also from ’91, we find Jerry working hard at his “day job,” performing “Eyes of the World” with the Grateful Dead at Giants Stadium. The Dead had been playing the song live since 1973, and chose to surprise this lucky crowd by opening their show with it for the very first time. That’s Bruce Hornsby on piano. Here’s part two:
Searching for This Specific Chopin Sheet Music
I was looking for a special rendition of Chopin Polonaise. I tried and tried to find the sheet music for it. My conductor at the amateur orchestra we play at is a purist. Since we aren't all highly paid professionals, he works hard to make our shows really good. Part of the process is to have precision sheet music. We were having a time finding specific sheet music for this Chopin show we were putting on in the local arts theater of our town. We have been doing shows for years and occasionally we will have a high powered guest. We have had symphony conductors and classical musicians come out to hear us play. They know we are not of their caliber but they encourage us so much in what we do. I have even had opportunity to play along with them. I didn't know real classical musicians could enjoy a jam session. I was pleased to have found this source for all of the classical and other music that I play. I thought I lost my last source for good classical piano music.
I Found a Really Helpful Service
It seems like I was just meant to play the piano. Ever since my first lesson at the age of five, I've been in love with the instrument. I've been competing as a pianist for years now, and at twenty two, am set to do a small concert tour. In the past, I had a hard time finding sources of sheet music for the pieces that I wanted to learn or play for contests. Then a friend of mine told me about a website where it's super easy. For example, if I wanted to prepare Chopin Nocturne in E-flat for a recital or concert, I could simply go to the site and download the sheet music. It takes only minutes and the price is extremely reasonable. The site has a huge library of piano sheet music from every classical composer you could name. I've told all my musician friends to check out this site, too.
I Am Trying to Learn Piano
I am trying to learn piano, and I had been making steady progress for the last year or two. It never took me more than a week or so of practicing a song before I could play it from memory, most of the time, or at the least, with very little difficulty. I have been playing causally since I was very young, but I did not seriously try to play anything back then, I was just messing around with the keys. I guess I must have had a bit of an ear for music even back then. Anyway, I have been getting really frustrated lately by playing piano. I have been trying to learn how to play Chopin Nocturne in C-sharp minor but I can't get it down. I try and try again, but my fingers just don't seem to want to do what I am telling them to do, what the sheet music is telling me to tell them to do.
12/30/2012
A note about Maurice Ravel
I have been a music teacher for a long time and as one the principal requested me to try to learn how to play as many instruments as I can. Over the years I have studied to play the violin, the guitar and even drums and others, but the instrument that I am best at is still the piano. I find it really different if a person has been trained ever since he or she was still young. I started learning to play the piano when I was just 7 years old and with the years of playing it I grew better and better. With the other instruments that I just learned however, I never excelled. I can play them but I do not think I will ever be as good as I am with the piano. Playing piano pieces can always make me feel relaxed and I love playing both famous pieces and original compositions. I remember once that I was looking for Ravel sheet music. I have checked through countless books as well as different compilations but I never found it until someone told me to try searching online and so I tried to. That was the only time that I discovered about this great website that had a really extensive collection of pieces. I always thought that books and the library were my best bets whenever I had to go look for the notes of what I wanted to play but I was proven wrong after all.
08/07/2011
How Rembrandts Were Stolen 81 Times
Shortly after midnight on December 31, 1966, thieves employing a drill and a brace to knock out a panel from a seldom-used oak door broke into the Dulwich Picture Gallery in south London. They stole Rembrandt's painting Jacob de Gheyn III, two other Rembrandts, and works by Peter Paul Rubens, Gerard Dou, and Adam Elsheimer.
This was the first time Rembrandt's portrait of the engraver Jacob de Gheyn III was stolen from Dulwich. It was eventually recovered, only to be stolen and recovered three more times—in 1973, 1981, and 1983. The painting, which measures 11.8 inches by 9.8 inches, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most frequently stolen artwork and has become known as the "Takeaway Rembrandt." Read more at http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=3378
This was the first time Rembrandt's portrait of the engraver Jacob de Gheyn III was stolen from Dulwich. It was eventually recovered, only to be stolen and recovered three more times—in 1973, 1981, and 1983. The painting, which measures 11.8 inches by 9.8 inches, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most frequently stolen artwork and has become known as the "Takeaway Rembrandt." Read more at http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=3378