Swan Lake, Pyotr Tchaikovsky

What can be better that a magic fairy-tale – a fairy-tale with a beautiful romantic story in its essence, a story that would embed the good and the evil, the love and the hatred, the tears, the caress, the happiness and the death. All that is what’s to be found in the legendary ballet based on Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s music “The Lake of the Swans”. For over years it’s been gathering full theaters being admired by vast audiences.

Even up to now it’s hard to say that there is an ‘original’ version of the ballet. The ballet was staged many times since the 1877 premiere and every time something was changed about it, whether in the music score, or costumes, or decor, or dance movements.  Tchaikovsky himself was not happy at all about the debut performance of his work at the stage, he liked almost nothing about it calling the whole thing poor. But the ballet enjoys great success now, how come? The version staged at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow was revived in 1895 for the Imperial Ballet and the score was thoroughly revised Riccardo Drigo. The choreography was improved along with costumes. That version, both musically and artistically, is now considered a basic starting point for everyone who would consider staging his/her own interpretation of the famous ballet – like this arrangement for oboe trio, for instance. A memorable dance of the fragile devoted creatures with a deep innocent purport.

Toreador Singing to Oboe

One of the most characteristic cultural features of mostly Spain and Latin America (though not only), bullfighting still remains a major attraction luring tourists on visit from all over the world. And that is a pretty rewarding experience, a powerful tradition lasting no less than three thousand years since the times of bull worshiping and sacrificing.

Arenas where traditional corridas are held accumulate a great amount of energy as they become a place of joint emotions transmitted through the interaction of the masterful toreador, the indestructible bull and the stirred audience. The people of art never missed a chance to reflect the strongest emotions through creative work, especially music. And as for the beautiful opposition of the torero and the mighty bull, probably one of the most successful music pictures of that was painted by Georges Bizet in his famous aria from the opera Carmen. Perhaps the ‘peak-est’ moment of the opera picturing all that happens in the bullring, the fight, the cheering, the resistance. Oboists have a chance to sing the bull-fighters song in a new manner now – an interesting arrangement for oboe quintet and an optional cor anglais is up there for corrida music fans.

And the Sky Falls

It was all kept under the seal of mystery since September of 2011 when Adele dropped a by-the-way “I’m working on a special project”. 2012 saw the anniversary of the so called Bondiana – the 50 year old story of the unbeatable and unsurpassed Mister Bond, James Bond; particularly the celebration of the release of the very first movie “Dr. No” in 1962 with Sean Connery in the role of the first Agent 007.

When Adele was spotted at Abbey Road Studios in London, mass media caught up and carefully spread the rumour that she and no one else would be representing the new soundtrack to the promising movie and overall holiday of the "Global James Bond Day". As it was revealed in October 2012, the orchestration was done by J. A. C. Redford and among composers/so-authors were named Adele herself and her producer Paul Epworth.

And what do we have as a result? An epic movie and one of the best or probably THE best Bond theme ever recorded. That’s the first song in the row to win the Academy Award for best original song. The SkyFall also holds the Golden Globe Award and the Brit Award. Adele did make it the pride of the English nation and the record-setting song with the highest number of digital sales within a week – just after 10 hours after its official publishing the hit burst the iTunes beating all the previous records men.