Music & Education Talks: Musical Voyages II

Hi, to you all from Virtual Sheet Music. I'm Stephanie and this is the second of two videos that deal with pieces which capture, musically, the essence of various nations. Summer holidays are here after all and it's only fitting to start getting inspired as regards holiday destinations. Now if you haven't seen the last video, please make sure you do, and if you have, well, let's get going. After each piece has been introduced, just put the VSM video on hold and grab the link to the work, which is located in the video script. Take the time to listen and reflect on what you've heard and remember to get in touch. Your thoughts and comments are extremely valuable and I really enjoy interacting with you all.

So, the first destination is Russia, and we'll be listening to Rachmaninoff's "Vespers", or rather two of the pieces from his "Vespers". They are entitled, and I will have to excuse my Russian pronunciation "Slava Svyatei", and his "Priidite Poklominsya". Please don't give me a vote for that, huh?

Okay, now, as soon as a language via song becomes an element within the music, a nation's characteristics tend to shine out more clearly. Nonetheless, that these two brief numbers from Rachmaninoff's glorious "Vespers" contain an authority and seriousness that seems to derive directly from the heart of the Russian Orthodox Church itself. The initial male solos are monophony perhaps stemming from early church practices, contrasted by one clear chord from the choir. It is...it's literally appearing like a ray of heaven. As soon as you hear it, you'll know exactly what I mean. And then immediately after a strong, stern choir, which calls for all of us to come and worship, well, there ain't no resisting that message, particularly when it comes from Russia. Put me on hold and have a listen.

Rachmaninoff's "Slava Svyatei"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1HeYgIdtA4

Rachmaninof's "Priidite Poklominsya"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_RIjFhmCco

Okay, now the next destination is Egypt, and this is a piece called Akhnaten, a work called "Funeral of Amenhotep III," and this actually comes from Phillip Glass' opera, "Akhnaten". Not only does this music take you to Egypt, it's serious time travel back to the days where pharaohs ruled the brutes and life and ceremony were inextricably bound. The primitive pounding drums, the musical repetitions almost ad nauseam, in keeping, it has to be admitted with Glass' minimalist style together with that semitonal of the male chorus. Well, all of this brings to mind the idea of human sacrifice, so much a part of that oxymoronic concept of primitive civilizations. Have a listen. It may be that rather than a trip to Egypt, you decide to go to the nearest Egyptian museum, which is not a bad idea anyhow. Put me on hold and have a listen.

Philip Glass's "Funeral of Amenhotep III"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjdiWFgmJDI

Finally, we're going to be listening to Gustav Holst's "Mercury from the Planets". Who says you got to stay on Earth for a holiday when space travel is all the rage, obviously, bank balance dependent. Okay, landing on Mercury is a no-no being the closest of our solar system's planets to the sun and we'd be fried in a nanosecond. But from the luxury of a space capsule, you can start to appreciate Holst's cleverness. The swift, busy movements of orchestral instruments alluding to the dizzyingly fast motion of objects in space. Well all this is complemented by a really thin use of the orchestra generally, which maybe represents the vast emptiness, at least as we perceive it, of space. You know, this is a busy little piece to be sure, but certainly, there are no holiday crowds here. Put me on hold.

Gustav Holst's "Mercury from the Planets"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CilfBWvCSXI

So I hope you've enjoyed musically and destination-wise what's being offered in the last two videos. Please get in touch to offer up more suggestions regarding this theme. And remember to reach out if you're wanting me to deal with some aspect of music, somebody, anybody you feel needs to treat. See you soon. Bye.

Automatic video-to-text transcription by DaDaScribe.com

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