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Uplifting Thoughts for the Isolated and Depressed in Times of Plague
- Thread starter Praefectus Praetorio
- Start date
With Kazakhstan sadly and troublingly in the news, here's Borodin's more romantic vision of the people of the Great Steppe
Polovstian slavegirls dance and sing sadly of their homeland, but in praise of their captor, the Khan -
they don't have much option really, he's offering his honoured guest/ prisoner Prince Igor his choice of them:
plenty of vigorous uplifting and whip-waving by the males -
subtitles in Roman transcript Russian and English (of a sort) in this performance:
I think this performance is better - it ought ot be, it's the Bolshoi -
the orchestra, singing, dancing, and even the subtitles are less clumsy,
but they're in French:
Polovstian slavegirls dance and sing sadly of their homeland, but in praise of their captor, the Khan -
they don't have much option really, he's offering his honoured guest/ prisoner Prince Igor his choice of them:
plenty of vigorous uplifting and whip-waving by the males -
subtitles in Roman transcript Russian and English (of a sort) in this performance:
I think this performance is better - it ought ot be, it's the Bolshoi -
the orchestra, singing, dancing, and even the subtitles are less clumsy,
but they're in French:
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Nice.
A fascinating comparison! Splendid energy in the old Karl Richter recording, certainly uplifting, though the lower pitch and baroque instrumentation seems to find more depth and complexity - and there's always more to be discovered in Bach!
elephas
Senator
Excellent comment, Eulalia, made with a deep understanding of the music! Please note that both orchestras follow the baroque tradition, with the leading musician playing the role of conductor. This concerto is also interesting for its wonderful modulations, that is, transitions from tonality to tonality, from major to minor and vice versa. Also, the Adagio, the second movement, lasts only about 20 seconds as a short break between the fast movements, which is quite unusual.
I hope our dear Praefectus Praetorio would have enjoyed this post. So let's not forget this thread he started, even when the times of plague are over.
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38 years ago I heard this wonderful piece of music for the first time. At Burg Castle (Schloss Burg) in Thuringia. The Silbermann organ there has only recently been overhauled. I find this music really uplifting
Silent_Water
Tribune
Hayley Westenra !!! Wow!
I remarked her for the first time on international stage when this performance was broadcast also on German TV and I loved this version of "Scarborough Fair" more than many, many others:
By the way, I always thought it to be a kind of justice in human history that of all the times when the greatest human music was composed or sung ... the names of the most powerful men of those same times, all the kings' or emperors' names of those times are almost all forgotten ... but songs like "Scarborough Fair" from before 1670 or names like Bach, Beethoven or Mozart will live in eternity because by their talents, they really "uplifted" human abilities and humanity!
I remarked her for the first time on international stage when this performance was broadcast also on German TV and I loved this version of "Scarborough Fair" more than many, many others:
By the way, I always thought it to be a kind of justice in human history that of all the times when the greatest human music was composed or sung ... the names of the most powerful men of those same times, all the kings' or emperors' names of those times are almost all forgotten ... but songs like "Scarborough Fair" from before 1670 or names like Bach, Beethoven or Mozart will live in eternity because by their talents, they really "uplifted" human abilities and humanity!
Silent_Water
Tribune
Isn't it strange, heart moving, incredible and also very uplifting what an effect one simple nice song can have when sung by different human beings in different languages in different places and making one little beautiful girl famous worldwide and immortal for all times by uniting all audiences on this planet in their feelings? :
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elephas
Senator
From the national anthem of Ukraine:
Ще не вмерла України і слава, і воля,
Ще нам, браття молодії, усміхнеться доля.
Згинуть наші воріженьки, як роса на сонці.
Запануєм і ми, браття, у своїй сторонці.
Душу й тіло ми положим за нашу свободу,
І покажем, що ми, браття, козацького роду.
The glory and freedom of Ukraine has not yet perished,
Fate will still smile on us, young brothers.
Our enemies will die, as the dew does in the sunshine,
And we, too, brothers, we'll live happily in our land.
We will lay down our souls and bodies for our freedom,
And we will show that we, brothers, are of the Cossack nation.
Ще не вмерла України і слава, і воля,
Ще нам, браття молодії, усміхнеться доля.
Згинуть наші воріженьки, як роса на сонці.
Запануєм і ми, браття, у своїй сторонці.
Душу й тіло ми положим за нашу свободу,
І покажем, що ми, браття, козацького роду.
The glory and freedom of Ukraine has not yet perished,
Fate will still smile on us, young brothers.
Our enemies will die, as the dew does in the sunshine,
And we, too, brothers, we'll live happily in our land.
We will lay down our souls and bodies for our freedom,
And we will show that we, brothers, are of the Cossack nation.
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I met a former colleague today who is from Ukraine and so I had this song in my mind. I know it was a different country and a different time, but it still fits.
Stay strong Ukrainians
Будьте сильними українці
Stay strong Ukrainians
Будьте сильними українці
elephas
Senator
Last year I have posted Bach's sonata for violin and harpsichord BWV 1017 performed by Menuhin and Gould.
I think all 6 sonatas from this series are wonderful and suitable for this thread.
J.S. Bach - 6 Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord BWV 1014-1019 - Jaime Laredo, Glenn Gould, 1975-1976
J.S. Bach - Violin Sonata No. 3 in E major BWV 1016 - Shunske Sato and Menno van Delft, Netherlands Bach Society, 2015
J.S. Bach - Violin Sonata No. 5 in F minor BWV 1018 - Shunske Sato and Diego Ares, Netherlands Bach Society, 2020
I think all 6 sonatas from this series are wonderful and suitable for this thread.
J.S. Bach - 6 Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord BWV 1014-1019 - Jaime Laredo, Glenn Gould, 1975-1976
J.S. Bach - Violin Sonata No. 3 in E major BWV 1016 - Shunske Sato and Menno van Delft, Netherlands Bach Society, 2015
J.S. Bach - Violin Sonata No. 5 in F minor BWV 1018 - Shunske Sato and Diego Ares, Netherlands Bach Society, 2020
Bach before bedtime - perfect!