Siècle Saturé de Sons

2007-05-16T21:53:00.000-04:00

Jesus, Berlioz was a looker.

SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE
by Hector Berlioz

"Marche au supplice" (the fourth movement) is the coolest thing ever. Listen from the idée fixe (4min4sec) until the end after reading this, and you will jump out of your seat due to the COOL. Wikipedia:

The fourth movement... describes a dream, in which the artist is executed for killing the love of his life. It uses a grotesque version of the theme by Berlioz's extraordinary technique of orchestration, mixing string pizzicato, woodwind staccato, brass chords and a single loud stroke of percussion, forming a highly unusual series of tone colors. The scene ends with a single short fortissimo G-minor chord that represents the fatal blow: the dropping of the trap door, or perhaps the guillotine blade; the series of pizzicato notes following can be seen to represent the rolling of the severed head into the basket. Immediately prior to the musical depiction of the beheading, there is a brief, nostalgic recollection of the idée fixe in a solo clarinet, as though representing the last conscious thought of the executed man; after his death, the final nine bars of the movement contain a victorious series of tutti G major chords, seemingly intended to convey the cheering of the onlooking throng.

There is no question here. This guy was the man.

My final assignment in the Music Theory course I'm taking is to write a movement of a symphony by writing a story and using the music to develop a theme. I'm pretty sure my theme is going to be Alex Zapherson and myself being madly in love, but this is definitely still up for debate, since Alex usually tries to ignore me when I initiate flirtatious conversation with him in the hallway. Oh well.

In other news, I've been speaking in a Russian accent on and off for about thirty hours now.

2007-05-14T15:12:00.000-04:00

Ahhhhhh!!

Here is the deal: I am going to see Lavender Diamond in Boston in a little more than 2 weeks and besides Dr. Doo and Kites, Entrance was added to the bill! Wow, I love Guy Blakeslee and I am going to go crazy at this show.

Entrance is a Psychedelic/Blues band, comparable to the likes of Devendra Banhart, Jana Hunter, and Viking Moses.

Entrance - Pretty Baby
Entrance - Cocaine Blues

BUY ALBUM HERE

2007-05-07T20:51:00.000-04:00

Ever since I dug out my parents' old records a few years back, I've had this weird obsession with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young / Crosby, Stills & Nash.

You should, too.

1) Carry On
2) Our House
3) Helplessly Hoping
4) Woodstock
5) Four Dead in Ohio

2007-04-26T21:27:00.000-04:00

Exactly one week ago, I saw Avishai Cohen play at The Blue Note in New York.
Avishai's drummer = Mark Guiliana.
Mark Guiliana's side-project= Heernt.
Heernt= Sweet.

Heernt features drums, electronics, electric bass, tenor saxophone, and a Juno-60.
Other instrumentals include misc. percussion, cajon, trombone, typewriter, steel pan, guitar, flute, clarinet, alto saxophone & voice.

You're in for a treat:
1) Nice
2) Johnny2Rocketime
3) Aaaahh
4) Pi~3.1415

2007-02-05T20:54:00.000-05:00

Richard Addinsell & Roy Douglas
Warsaw Concerto
(1941)

I played this piece as an intermediate concerto for the piano... It must have been five years ago now! Just hearing the orchestration brings back memories, ha. Yeahhhh... Nobody listens to classical music. Bye.

2007-01-27T15:59:00.000-05:00

Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
(To be released next month)
I said I wasn't going to do this, but I NEED TO RAVE ABOUT PATRICK WOLF'S NEW ALBUM. Who knew that he could successfully follow Lycanthropy and Wind in the Wires?! Never underestimate the Wolf Man, I suppose.

I'll get sued if I upload the whole album, so whatever.
Here two some songs that I did not upload myself:

Also, here is the article I wrote about Patrick Wolf at Serial Slingshot.
And here is my favorite Patrick Wolf song ever: Teignmouth.

Bye.

2007-01-10T16:24:00.000-05:00

What a fox.
Léo Delibes (1836-1892)

Chorus master, organist, and composer of the nineteenth century most famous for his operas and operettas. He inspired great composers such as Saint-Saëns and Debussy; Tchaikovsky even had a higher regard for him than he had for Brahms (which is saying something!).

Dôme Épais (The Flower Duet)

You may have heard it in movies such as Superman Returns, Tomb Raider, and True Romance. It's used in advertising, most notably for British Airways.
Really beautiful lyrics. I love this song, maaaan.

2007-01-07T22:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, call me LAME, but I decided that I want to start writing about classical music in here. Exclusively? I'm not really sure yet. I just want to learn shitloads about the great composers that I should really know about if I'm pursuing a career in music.

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
He was best known for his "Adagio for Strings". He also composed three concertos, three operas and a piano sonata that was first performed by Vladimir Horowitz (biiiig deal).

Adagio for Strings
You might have heard this in Amélie (one of the greatest French movies out there) or the Tenacious D movie that came out last year (which I have NOT seen, by the way).
Around 5min 47sec until 6min 13sec is pretty much the most intense thing I've ever heard, EVER.

Later!

2007-01-06T00:44:00.000-05:00

I was driving home tonight, and two things happened.
1) It was very foggy.
2) I almost fell asleep.

Whateva, though, because I was listening to MIRAH! What a delight she is.

Have some Mirah mp3s:

Yes, Mirah is a ladyfolk wonder. She can be honest while retaining her class; she can explore lightness while keeping substance to her creations. I never feel let down by her. That's all that really matters, RIGHT?!

BYE.

2007-01-02T21:41:00.000-05:00

El Bola
(2000)
Director: Achero Mañas
IMDB rating: 7.6
Giselle rating: 7.2

I put this on my Blockbuster queue when I found out that it had won four awards from the Spanish Cinema Writers Circle (Best Actor, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film). The screenplay was indeed worthy of the win. I love the story, however tragic it is. Also, I have to go read "My Oedipus Complex" by Frank O'Connor, so this will have to be an abrupt adieu.

... Bye.

2007-01-01T18:10:00.000-05:00

Hi, this is Giselle from Serial Slingshot. I am going to start posting about music again. You may also catch me writing about films or television. I'm just sneaky comme ça.

I posted about Menomena at SS, but I'm listening to "Under an Hour" (released in 2005), and it's WILD!, kind of. The three instrumental tracks ("Water", "Light" and "Flour") over fifty-four minutes are barely even comparable to their previous release, "I am the Fun Blame Monster" (2003), which I wrote about last year (POST HERE).

In any case, check out
"Under an Hour"

courtesy the Post Rock Exchange
over at Livejournal.
Yeah!!
Buy it here.

---------

Also check out mp3s from
"I am the Fun Blame Monster"

Cough Coughing
Strongest Man in the World

Okay, bye.
-Giselle