5-10-12 - "Morning Mood (Peer Gynt)" ~ Edvard Grieg

Tonight's special: a flash mob on a train.  Copenhagen Philharmonic playing Grieg's "Morning Mood" from "Peer Gynt" (you'll recognize the tune from countless movies / cartoons / commercials).  Flash mobs are so 2011, in a way.  But still, this is a pretty good concept - bringing classical music to commuters to brighten up their morning.  Interesting note: in the original play "Peer Gynt", the scene for which this was written has something to do with fending off a swarm of apes...


Anyway, the flash mob video:

And a piano version of the music:

12-06-11 - "Time" ~ Hans Zimmer

So I know I'm a little late on this, but tonight I watched "Inception."  It was a pretty wild ride, and lived up to the hype in my opinion.  I love a movie that works on the surface levels (action, drama, misdirection) while also requiring the viewer to think.  Christopher Nolan has proven to be adept at creating such films - from Memento to The Prestige to Inception.  The cast is pretty great; a list of actors such as Michael Caine, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio - all names whose films I can't recall not enjoying, at least the ones I've seen.


Without giving away any spoilers, let me just comment that for someone musically inclined as I am, the soundtrack can be a crucial element in the satisfaction taken from a film.  Just as with the director and cast, Hans Zimmer has never let me down as a composer.  The scores comprising his body of work are numerous, including such great films as Cool Runnings, The Lion King, Muppet Treasure Island (I know, right?), Gladiator, The Last Samurai, the Pirates / Batman series... ok, you get the point, a lot of movies with great soundtracks.


So here's a live performance by Zimmer himself, and below is the recorded version:

I imagine it must be great fun to be privy to the deepest secrets of a movie script like this one, and to get paid to imagine the sounds that should accompany such events as are depicted therein...

11-5-11 - "The 1812 Overture" ~ Tchaikovsky

"Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

The Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot."

It's the Fifth of November, and if you're like me, you may watch V for Vendetta tonight.  Mostly because Natalie Portman looks good even with a shaved head, but also because of Occupy Wall Street - standing up to The Man, fighting against... wait, what are we fighting against?  Hopefully something bad...


The movie is about a totalitarian government in the UK in a futuristic dystopian society, and a vigilante who fights against the evils of said government, wearing a Guy Fawkes mask symbolically in reference to Fawkes' efforts to overthrow the British government centuries ago.  There could be a lot of debate about the meaning of the film and the motives of the characters, as well as the justness of their causes.  It's interesting to note the religious side of the original Gunpowder Treason - Fawkes was part of a group of Catholics trying to overthrow a Protestant government and restore Catholicism's power backed by the British crown.  So depending on whether you consider Protestants to be tantamount to Totalitarians...


Of further interest is the use of the end of Russian composer Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture at the climax of the film.  The score has become popular in America and is often used in a patriotic sense here, and it's somewhat implicit in the movie that V is using it to stand for freedom and patriotism as well.  However, despite what most Americans likely think, the music was not composed to celebrate American victory over Britain in The War of 1812 (hmm, more irony that a British freedom fighter would use it, if that were true).  Believe it or not, there was more than one war going on in that year, and Tchaikovsky was actually telling the story of the failed attack by Napoleon's army on Moscow, and celebrating the defense of the Russian city.  Hence the elements of the French national anthem and "God Save the Tsar" within the music.


Bottom line, it's a fine piece of classical music, and the final few minutes - complete with cannon fire which is called out in the score - are spectacular.  To quote the great Calvin: "And they perform this in crowded concert halls??"

I'd love to debate the historical, political, and religious ramifications of all this information with you some time, but for now, just enjoy the music, and remember to stand for what you believe in.

And here's the last two minutes, for those of you who aren't patient enough for the whole thing:

And here's the <SPOILER ALERT> final scene from the film.

11-2-11 - "The Riders Of Rohan" ~ Howard Shore

One of my favorite parts of the trilogy of Lord of the Rings soundtracks, the theme of the Riders of Rohan is weaved into numerous moments in the score, but is first introduced with horns about halfway through this track.  If you've seen the films, you will recognize the music from the first meeting of Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn with the Riders.  The first part of the track is full of chaotic sounds which evoke the tense mood of the meeting, until things are set straight between the two parties.  


It's amazing how a good soundtrack can enhance a movie; this is but one example.

PS - for another occurrence of this theme, this time primarily with strings, check out "The King Of The Golden Hall":

7-1-11 - "William Tell Overture" ~ Gioachino Rossini

You've heard this one, or at least parts of it.  Guaranteed.  It's the overture to a classic piece of classical music - the opera Guillaume Tell.  The third movement, "Call to the Cows", is fairly commonly used in various media outlets, so I bet you've heard it - kind of a "waking up on an early spring morning" feel, used in a Disney cartoon, and I'm pretty sure it was also used in a Bugs Bunny cartoon in that type of setting.  The fourth movement is the part you've definitely heard - it was the theme song for The Lone Ranger (Radio and TV programs), and is used in movies, TV, etc. and sampled by musicians for hip-hop tracks and whatnot.


The full 12-minute overture is good, with the slower first and third movements setting the stage for "The Storm" (second movement) and the finale (the Lone Ranger part) and their fast-paced excitement:


Here it is on Grooveshark:  "William Tell Overture"


You should also read up on the Legend of William Tell - he seems like he was a pretty cool dude, standing up against tyrannical rulers and whatnot.  Yea, he's the one who shot an apple off the head of his son with a crossbow, thanks to the tyrannical ruler's being a jerkface.  Pretty rad dude, that William Tell...

3-20-11 - "Baba Yetu" ~ Christopher Tin

I'm a big believer that it doesn't matter where a song comes from, or how someone finds out about it; what matters is the song's ability to resonate with the soul of the listener.  A lot of pretentious folks out there like to judge people for "only hearing it on that TV show" or toot their own horns for "being a fan when <insert band name here> was still underground."  But hey, even in today's world, even with the powers of the internet, we can't all know about every good artist that's out there before they make it big...


So that's a mini-rant about bands in general, but it applies because this song is from a video game.  The composer, choir, and symphony are all brilliant, so there's no reason to pass judgment based on the source.  I found out about it from my little bro Nate, who's a much more avid gamer than I.  But while I don't spend tons of time gaming these days, I do remember some pretty cool musical themes from various games over the years.


At any rate, here's a pretty cool, uplifting piece that you should check out.