Music & Education Talks: Music to die for.

Hi there. I'm Stephanie together with Virtual Sheet Music. The last six months or so, I've been focusing on topics and producing a series of resources, particularly relevant to classroom teachers, P.S. if you haven't seen these, please do go back and take a peak. Today, however, I'm opening up the conversation tool as I want to talk about death. Yes, you heard me, that ubiquitous event that is as inevitable as tax, as Woody Allen once famously observed.

But how does this relate to music and where is this coming from anyway? Well, I've often wondered what it must be like to go through life without having heard Debussy's Clair de Lune or one of Beethoven's piano concertos. Now, obviously, what you don't know about, you can't miss. So there is some comfort in that thought. However, and without meaning to patronize, there seem to be many of us who sail through life without ever hearing some of the unimaginably beautiful musical essentials out there. So in the hope that you will contribute to this video with your own hit list of beautiful musical must hear's before popping your clogs. Here are three suggestions of mine. The links are below. Presented, not in terms of any particular preference but with respect to the centuries that proceed us.

My number one is Max Bruch's, Scottish Fantasy. This violin concerto, unusually in four movements is divine from beginning to end. The real goosebumps, whoever come in the third movement which screams lushness, Hollywood romance and nostalgia. To be a Scott and not know this work is like voting for Brexit. Depressing.

Video/Recording: Max Bruch's Scottish Fantasy for violin (3rd movement)

Sheet Music: Scottish Fantasy Sheet Music


Over to number two, which is Purcell's, When I am Laid in Earth. This aria taken from Purcell's exquisite opera of 1688, Dido and Aeneas, is equally gorgeous and sung by the main protagonist, Dido herself. Now if you can suspend disbelief at her having taken poison as a result of men problems, you'll be then drawn into the cello's hypnotizing downward to the tomb spiraling ground base, as a mezzo herself tries to resist floating and soaring above, pleading to be remembered, but to forget her fate. Don't you just love tragic endings?

Video/Recording: Purcell's When I Am Laid In Earth

Sheet Music: When I Am Laid In Earth Sheet Music


And my number three. Well, you can't really have a hit list of gorgeous music to hear before you die without Mozart creeping in somewhere or other. But the problem is, which one? Well, I'll vote for his Second Movement of the Harp and Flute Concerto, knowing that I've left out well, just about everything of his anyway.

Video/Recording: Mozart's Flute & Harp Concerto

Sheet Music: Flute & Harp Concerto Sheet Music

So, over to you now and your musical musts to hear before death. I'm dying to hear, and I'm sorry I had to get that pun in. Looking forward to hearing from you soon and listening to your links. Get in touch. Bye.

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