The Carpenters: Merry Christmas, Darling

Can’t help but proceed sticking to the topic of Holiday and the music that adds up to its atmosphere. I've realized that such a genre as Christmas songs is the type of music I personally feel like listening to only in December. Not that it would hurt listening to them any other time of the year, no, but in December you feel like you actually LIVE this music letting it through yourself.

There are songs that are composed on the eve of Christmas but can live one season only. And there are hits that once composed immediately turn into timeless classics. “Merry Christmas, Darling” no doubt belongs to them – the first and successful attempt of The Carpenters in Christmas music. The lyrics had actually been written long beforehand, by Karen and Richard’s choir director Frank Pooler. But Richard composed the music and Karen decorated it with her angel voice. The song was released in 1970 as part of the album “Christmas Portrait” and is still one of the strongest associations with this holiday. It was covered multiple times and also appeared in TV series like the popular Glee.

All I Want for Christmas is … !

There, there! The festivity of the Christmas month is already in the air! I so love the last weeks of preparations for the holiday. That little Christmas chaos about everything – from the hassle of buying presents for the loved ones and thinking about ‘table issues’ to arranging business stuff. While kids are sincerely believing in Santa Claus (according to stats, 80% do), grown-ups get prepared in their own way. If earlier, when we were kids, dreaming of gifts like a toy, a puppy or a huge candy could be the top of it, now, as adults, we may have wishes of a different nature. A more ‘humanly’ nature… during the most festive moments we long for love, tenderness, safety and happiness of the people we love tenderly.

That is basically the main idea conveyed through one of the most recognizable Christmas songs – written, recorded and performed by a no-less recognizable singer Mariah Carey. “All I Want for Christmas is You” was released in 1994 and is still merrily sung around. The composition received numerous honorable titles by biggest magazines – “one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon” (The New Yorker), “a holiday standard” (Rolling Stone), “most played Christmas song of the decade in the UK” (The Daily Telegraph). One of the reasons for such commercial and popular success is the personal background to the song. It was a dedication to Mariah’s husband which is delivered not only through the intimate romantic lyrics, but also through a literally personal clip that was made from Carey’s personal video archive:

Satie the Gymnopaedist

When presenting himself to the director of a well-known cabaret in Paris, Erik Satie, a man not lacking a sense of humor, declared himself as a “gymnopaedist”, not quite being sure of what it meant exactly but leading the cabaret owner into a bit of a stupor. This small event happened much earlier than the three genius piano compositions titled “Gymnopedies” got written and saw world in 1888. The word itself did not quite exist this way, but versions are that it may signify either dance or antiquity or warfare or even nudity – still no accurate explanation. This way or another, but as unique as the title was, was the nature of these compositions. They are considered to be the predecessors of the modern ambient genre, though not to be confused with Satie’s ‘furniture music’ that was quite similar in essence.

Like mentioned above, there were three gymnopedies but the first and the third one really ‘caught up’. The second one was published many years later and was omitted by Debussy who made orchestration for the first two. And between those ones, number one is a definite leader. Gymnopedie No. 1 was featured by Gary Numan, Vladimir Cosma, Charles Fox, Lana Del Rey, also in numerous films and video games. Due to its soft ‘ambient’ nature, Gymnopedie No. 1 is often associated with autumn. For me, although composed for piano, this piece sounds wonderfully when arranged for cello. Here’s a lovely arrangement for cello quartet by Sheryl Smith.

Let the Bells Jingle!

Every single year, the entire USA, as well as a major part of Europe, and, well, almost the whole Orthodox world actually, look forward to celebrating one of the warmest and kindest holidays on Earth – Christmas. This tradition is no doubt associated with a number of Christmas songs and funny carols. But even the non-residents of the US when asked what song is most of all related with this holiday for them admit that the sounds of “Jingle Bells” can’t help but pop up in their minds reminding of the oncoming fun, tree decoration and merry family reunions.

Written by an American musician James Lord Pierpont and originally published titled as “One Horse Open Sleigh” the song turned into the most commonly-performed piece during Christmas celebrations, even though it was supposed to become a Thanksgiving piece. Once popular in Medford (Massachussets) races in sleighs served Pierpont as the subject of inspiration. Its fruit became one of the most recognizable songs ever, which awarded its author with a place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The list of musicians who performed or recorded the song is so long that it reaches… the space! Yes, that’s not a misprint! This is the 1st song that was broadcasted from the outer space performed on harmonica by Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra in 1965.

The Christmas legend is still being parodied and re-made a lot. And each parody or new version still preserves the magic Christmas charm of the original. One of my favorite arrangements is the piano version of “Jingle Bells” by OLC Barcelona Sheet Music. Happy anticipating!

Scriabin's most recorded work

The main symbolist-composer of Russian music, Alexander Scriabin has been distinguished for his inimitable music style fostered by composer’s adherence to synesthesia, mysticism and theosophy. Sadly, his impact on Russian and world classical music was not properly acknowledged during his lifetime. The famous sonatas had just a few recordings, which, however, changed by our time. Today Scriabin’s sonatas serve as a guideline for professional composers, learning sample for beginning musicians and a source of joy for the general public.

Probably the most innovative of all Scriabin’s sonatas is “Sonata No. 5” which was the 1st one to be composed in one movement. That’s the form Alexander stuck to in future works. The unusual manner of composition might be attributable to the event there were going on in composer’s life. He finally decided to move from Paris to a ‘purer’ area and it gave him more freedom and inspiration for work. The sonata actually took just 6 days to write, and the music milieu accepted it with envy and admiration at the same time. The work enjoyed so much approval that became Scriabin’s most recorded piece.

Fantastic Symphony from Berlioz’ life

Not like many classical composers that are widely praised today, Hector Berlioz was not a born music prodigy who would start composing as early as 6 years old. On the contrary, he just turned out to be a diligent student who would pounce on music books to build a steady theory basis in his head. A simple human, he was full of worries, joy, anxiety, anger and other human emotions that were of course reflected in his creative work. They say that out of all existing emotions love is probably the strongest one and the most powerful. So was it for Hector. Today his “Symphonie fantastique” is in the very forefront of his entire repertoire, and is apparently an outstanding music work not only because of its innovations in the programmatic symphonies form but mostly because of its vigorous send to the listener. The piece has five movements instead of the common four and depicts various scenes from the life of an artist who desperately fell in love and was left without mutuality. Hope, love, despair, death, witches’ Sabbath, joy, magic – all mixed in this masterpiece. The real love story, however, even though without the fairy-tale touch, was even more dramatic and unfortunately ended sadly: Berlioz’ passion Harriet Smithson reciprocated his feelings only after a few years of his fruitless efforts but their marriage broke shortly. 

Satie’s challenging Vexations

Some music pieces written by great composers in fact were not meant to be published during their lifetime. They had been composed either as a personal experiment or as a private gift to someone, not for public display. But the reputation of a good composer, even if appeared after his/her death, can’t leave anything undiscovered in the author’s manuscripts. For example, the controversial work “Vexations” by Eric Satie also belongs to not-to-be-published pieces. But look at what’s happening now: the longest piece in history (instructed to be repeated 840 times by Satie) has gathered a global community of musicians. In order to execute the ‘instruction’ musicians would have to spend over 18 hours playing non-stop. The first one to take the challenge 80 years after Satie’s death was John Cage. The piece was performed in Manhattan. The New York Times critic fell asleep by the end of it and there were only 6 people left out of the big original crowd of listeners.