Presto Musical Minds

Good Morning everyone!
Today’s piece of the week is quite a unique one so far. It is entitled, “In the Bleak Midwinter” and was originally a poem written be a poet name Christina Rossetti. This poem was then arranged into a choral work by a famous English composer named Gustav Holst, who is widely known for his “Planets” symphonic suite.

However, today we will be looking at a specific arrangement of this piece that was done by an English singer and music producer named Jacob Collier, who had his birthday on August 2nd. Collier is a Grammy award winning musician and is one of the most talented voices in the industry today. Having perfect pitch is the bare minimum for him as he is know for arranging pieces and adding incredibly complex harmony to whatever he sings. The chords he uses on the fly have so much to analyze and are so detailed and unconventional.

For a bit of background on music theory, the music we listen to generally has 12 different tones. On a piano, this appears as 7 white keys and 5 black keys. These 12 notes will repeat over and over again in different ranges. But, there do exist many other tones that actually lie in between these 12 tones called microtones. For example, between C an C sharp, there also exists a C half sharp. It’s widely unused in common music as our ears are now accustomed to hearing only the 12. Jacob Collier uses these microtones in his arrangement and creates a whole new soundscape, essentially changing his temperament in the middle of the piece! Another way to imagine this is if you were playing a piece on the piano, halfway through the piece you retune the entire piano.

The following video offers a score transcription so you can see the complexity of the harmony in the arrangement.

Jacob Collier - In the Bleak Midwinter (Transcription) To support my projects, visit:https://www.patreon.com/JuneLeeIn the Bleak MidwinterPoem by Christina RossettiMusic by Harold DarkeArranged and Performed by J...

Good evening!
I am happy to show you this week’s piece of the week. The composer we are going to be looking at is a French-American named Leo Arnaud whose birthday was on July 17th. While you may not be familiar with that name, you have most definitely heard the piece “Bugler’s Dream” if you have ever watched the Olympics. With the Olympics currently taking place, it’s very timely to also look at the music of the event.

I’m sure you know a composer by the name of John Williams, who wrote iconic film scores like that in Jaws, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. John Williams compiled many different fanfares from various composers and stitched them together to create the music that we associate with the Olympics. “Bugler’s Dream” is one of these fanfares and it’s epic and grandiose feel has been synonymous with victory and achievement. Please let me know your thoughts on it in the comments below!

Olympic Anthem - Bugler's Dream" - composed by Leo Arnaud Olympic Anthem - composed by Leo Arnaud .Leo Arnaud's "Bugler's Dream" is often considered the most famous Olympic theme. Written in 1958 for Arnaud's Charge...

Good afternoon!
I hope you all have a wonderful July 4th weekend and I would like to share with you a piece to listen to during the weekend. July 4th is a monumental American holiday so it is a great time to recognize one of the most iconic American composers of all time: Bernard Herrmann, who also had a birthday this week on June 29, 1911.

Herrmann is widely known for his work on the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock horror film "Psycho". Herrmann used a full string orchestra to its full capability and his signature in the score of "Psycho" is to create jarring high-pitched, ear-piercing noises which have been synonymous in pop culture with horror and tension. Note the way that the strings are choppily played; this gives that uneasy feel to the music almost as if you were getting stalked. Bernard Herrmann had that ability to make his music atmospheric which puts you into his world when you listen to it in the movie. I will attach a video of the "Prelude" to "Psycho" which is a melody that you have likely heard before.

Please feel free to share your thoughts below. Did the music make you feel unsettled too? I am happy to discuss.

Prelude Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupPrelude · Bernard Herrmann · Joel McNeely · Royal Scottish National OrchestraPsycho℗ 1997 Varese Sarabande Record...

Good afternoon!
I would like to share with you our 4th piece of the week. Today, we will be looking at a German-French composer named Jacques Offenbach whose birthday was on June 20. The piece below is a part of a large comedy opera entitled "Orpheus in the Underworld". The opera's story is based on a Greek story, but Offenbach put a comedic and outlandish twist onto the rather serious story. It follows a guy named Orpheus and his wife. His wife falls in love with Hades, the God of the Underworld, and dies purposely to be with him. Orpheus, unaware of the affair, decides to attempt and fail many times to "rescue" his wife, much to the amusement of his wife and Hades.

This particular piece is known as "Can-Can" and is widely known worldwide due to its heavy use in comedy movies and cartoons. There are 4 distinct themes: the of it which are the intro, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd themes. The 3rd theme is probably what many of you have heard before.

Be sure to listen to this piece and fill out the weekly logs. Also please share any thoughts you have about it by commenting below! I will be happy to engage in further discussion if you are interested in learning more about this music or others like this.

Offenbach - Can Can Music For download - http://www.4shared.com/audio/DYS3BOhd/Offenbach_-_Can_Can_from_Orphe.html?s=1