Webber's Paranoia

Andrew Lloyd Webber is a very interesting person and a unique composer. He is so considerate and careful about his music that at times his fear of being blamed for the lack of originality may even get paranoid. He is known to have been permanently asking the restaurant staff to turn off the background. The explanation? He was afraid of being charged with music plagiarism. Some say that he also asks his driver to turn off the radio, for the very same reason.

Maybe that is why Andrew’s compositions do sound very original and unique. To take only the famous multi-award winning musical “Phantom of the Opera”, that has been seen by 130 million people in 145 cities in 27 countries. “All I Ask of You” is one of the most loved songs in it. It appears in Act I of the musical when the heroine escapes to the roof to talk with her friend who promises to love her and guard from the Phantom.

Friedrich Nietzsche the composer

We all know him as a prominent philosopher and philologist but hardly would anyone mention Friedrich Nietzsche as a… composer or pianist. However, he was one, and a quite enthusiastic one. His experience as a musician preceded his engagement as a thinker and undoubtedly influenced his philosophy in one way or another. Nietzsche actually moved in well-known composers’ circles and such outstanding music figures as Gustav Mahler, Frederick Delius and Richard Strauss were influenced by Nietzsche’s philosophical thinking which was reflected in some of their music pieces. Nietzsche’s own works were not at all popular during his lifetime but a couple of albums were published later on, “In the Moonlight on the Plains”, “Hymnus an das Leben”, “There Goes a Brook” being among some of the published works. Free from conservatory strictness, today Nietzsche-composer’s music is considered as improvising and fascinating in its own manner.

Duet of light and music - Alexander Scriabin

A hundred years ago classical composers were all absorbed in creating music that, as they hoped, would eventually bear some genius sound. Every each of them was inspired by his/her own muse – women, nature, feelings… For Alexander Scriabin fire and light became those sources of inspiration. And it all resulted in a most amazing of duets – combination of music and light, color music. His SymphonyNo.5 ‘Prometheus. The Poem of Fire’ (so symbolically picked for the Greek God of Fire) was the first to be performed with a color music effect in 1915. Scriabin thus became a pioneer in ‘music coloring’. Today technology has gone so far; now one can enjoy the power of music, laser light and even water fountains combined. But back then it was a truly unique and breathtaking experience.

Ballade for Violin and Piano – Porumbescu

Having once written about J.S. Bach being sentenced to jail for his strong desire to leave his position of concertmaster, I admit that it wasn't a serious law violation. Okay, composers are generally not involved into something of a like kind, however I can't help but recall a case of a greater misdemeanor: a Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu was arrested for his political activity one day. Luckily for us and him, all turned out well and he was able to continue composing. One of the major composers of Romania, he and his quite diverse oeuvre deserve a close look. Here is his Ballade for Violin and Piano.

Der Freischütz Overture – Carl Maria von Weber

Given that fugue is rightly considered to be the most complex contrapuntal form, it is really amazing that it became a German composer Carl Maria von Weber's form of choice when he was only eleven or twelve years old. This and that he had never composed anything before must've been already a good reason for people surrounding him to realize von Weber's name will without a doubt create a stir in music. And so that happened.

I have no evidence whether young Carl was surprised with success of his opera Die Macht der Liebe und des Weins, which was composed when he was 14 – what is important is that he had kept the momentum ever since. Of everything that was written by von Weber particularly interesting is Der Freischütz, a cornerstone of German romantic opera. Find a score of an overture here: Der Freischütz. Ouvertüre, J.277 Op.77.

A Vucchella – Paolo Tosti

Originally Italian, Francesco Paolo Tosti in his life had managed to gain exceptional success abroad: soon after visiting the United Kingdom he became the most popular composer of songs in the country, not to mention that he had got a high position – of singing master to the Royal family, – and was knighted a few decades later. Indeed all of this wouldn't have been possible if Tosti's music wasn't outstanding, but it was: his works have been firmly established in the repertoire of some of the greatest opera singers (particulary tenors), including Enrico Caruso. Download one of the most famous Tosti's compositions here: A Vucchella (for Voice and Piano), – and watch it sung by a great Italian tenor below:

Abschiedslied der Zugvögel, Op.63 No.2 by F.Mendelssohn

Despite what one may think, Abschiedslied der Zugvögel is rather a title of a composition by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy than a tongue-twister. It can with big success be considered the one, though – I think that to hear it pronounced right from a non-native German, the latter should at least be given a Speak & Spell device. Jokes aside, it is a beautiful song – unusually for Mendelssohn, with words this time, – and comforting for anyone saddened that summer has ended – listening to this text about migratory birds, listeners will feel that they are not alone. In this sense, a song is edificatory even – the same as birds in it everyone is free to travel the world, to a place where summer is in full swing... Download it here: Six Songs for Two Voices and Piano, 'Abschiedslied der Zugvögel', Op.63 No.2.