If you’re interested in soprano and harp and have not heard it before, I recommend Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. The Interlude for solo harp is especially moving.
@@DBruce The only ones I have head live in Europe is "Mariachi Fiesta México" in Stockholm, but googling "Mariachi" and "London" brings several results. I suspect just picking a convenient time zone and go trough the bigger cities will give you an ample list to choose from. A first scan of the London results results is that "Mariachi Las Adelitas UK" seem good and having a complete lineup of the main instruments, with most others being smaller and usually lacking the Guitarrón. Both these bands seem still active and have youtube channels you can check out. You can of course consider bands outside of Europe, but then your question is basically equivalent to asking if someone knows any rock bands, you're probably better off narrowing it down. You can try asking on twitter if anyone knows a Mariachi with some members either teaching or having studied in a conservatory, that ought to yield a reasonable list.
The climax "I miss you in so many ways" line was absolutely breathtaking. Ben always provides for quirky and whimsical music, but man does his sensitive side deliver. I'm stunned.
This sounds like the music of an Opera where a cat called Lydia is travelling to Pompeii aboard a ship called the 'Billy o' Tea' and ends up getting killed by a medic and it finishes with the owner singing the O'Lydia poem! Such amazing work as always!
Ben's videos are so out there, it catches you by surprise to find he has such a deft hand with melody. It's apparent in othe 5 Composers compositions, too.
I disagree, it resolved on the teaspoon, a weird resolve, but it felt like one, strong ending. (in my humble opinion ofc lmao, everyone experiences it differently, but i like thinking about it this way)
David's felt like he had so much familiarity with the 2 instruments that he could take them to places the others wouldn't be able to. However, Adam's also brought significant maturity. Sometimes it's fun to see what people can accomplish when they are significantly out of their element (not just being safe) and sometimes it's fun to see a master at work. This video brought both.
I love Ben's compositions so much. the power of "I'm coming home" not resolving to a 'home' chord. She's coming home, but she's not there yet... I love it, so powerful.
At first I thought it was a nice touch that Ben instructed them to make two cups of tea, the I realize THE PERFORMER MADE THAT CHOICE AND IT WAS PERFECT. AHHHHHHHHH
Ben's actual instruction was to sing as if to oneself while doing a mundane task. It's perfect. And yes, making two cups of tea and then taking only one was probably the performer's decision, and it worked so well.
Ben setting text: achingly beautiful song perfectly suited to the themes of loss & grief that he has been presented with Ben choosing text: here are a few of my favorite Tweetes
00:00 - Introduction 02:18 - 8-bit Music Theory (intro) 03:11 - The Wellerman (performance) Text: Wellerman Restriction: Do not repeat any phrases 07:35 - Ben Levin (intro) 10:24 - Lydia, Oh Lydia (performance) Text: "Lydia: A Song" (poem by Nolte's mother-in-law) Restriction: Use only one non-diatonic chord 14:11 - Aimee Nolte (intro) 15:17 - The Last Days of Pompeii (performance) 18:48 - alternative ending to The Last Days of Pompeii Text: Movie poster from "The Last Days of Pompeii" (1935) Restriction: Quote "Eruption" by Van Halen at least once 19:23 - Adam Neely (intro) 20:55 - That Moment (performance) Text: Tweet by @matthewgoldin on 2020-10-22, "That moment when … " Restriction: At least 40 seconds of the 60-second piece must be pianissimo 24:23 - David Bruce (intro) 25:35 - Moving to California (performance) Text: "Cleo's" story from Felines of New York Restriction: Use only pentatonic scales (in any key) 31:26 - Final thoughts and outro
Thank you, thank you Ben Levin, for “Lydia, Oh Lydia”. It brought me to tears for the loss of my dear mother. Thank you for your sweet and tender rendering of the text.
First Five Composers Adam Neely: "Why aren't we all writing for button accordion?" Latest Five Composers Adam Neely: "More people should write for soprano voice and harp!"
8Bit: Britten folk-song deconstruct. Nolte: Sarcastic epic film score. Levin: DISARMING SINCERITY. Neely: Ives!!! Bruce: Joanna Newsom writes an opera. Just damn lovely to hear how each composer gave each harp-lied a real sense of dramatic movement in different ways.
8 bit music theory’s piece and how it’s written reminds me a lot of Britten’s vocal writing, it has that dream-like quality reminiscent of Turn of the Screw (not to mention the nautical theme of Peter Grimes 😅) [snap, David - I posted this before I got to the commentary section]
Comment might get buried along. Every time these 5 composers videos come out they make me shed some tears of joy (this time also chuckles) and remind me why I love music so much. Thanks to everyone involved for this moment of cherish.
I like how the Lydia and the cat song were kinda like music videos, with the singer "acting" more. I especially appreciated how she was simply making her tea while singing Lydia.
Ben being unable to sit still because he's so excited by that pedal buzz from the harp in Adams piece is incredibly relatable. I've jumped up and laughed like a maniac in front of my PC screen on many an occasion.
So validating to see 8-bit Music on here. I’m in total agreement with David-his content is very high-level, insightful and binge-worthy (via video game music). He totally belongs here. Nice job to everyone.
Unreal, every 5 composer project I see I get emotional. Is it because the composers are musical geniuses that surprise me everytime or the absolute amazingly positive feedback all the artists give to each other. It's quiet wholesome and beautiful to watch!
I bet that Mary and Eleanor had a really fun time recording that. I agree with all the composers: harp + soprano is a great combo and it´s way more versatile than one would imagine.
This absolutely made my morning! Art song is so very dear to my heart. Would that I could add all of these to my rep. But alas I am stuck being a jealous mezzo. :’) Some comments: 8-bit’s was a WONDERFUL example (maybe even a textbook example) of word-painting. He did such a great job conveying the story through the notes alone. Ben’s was gorgeous! It brought me to tears. He did justice to the beautiful text, the emotion and passion and tenderness were clearly evident. Aimee’s was so funny to me. It was absolutely not the tone I expected it to be, given the text, but the grand ballad-y approach was pleasantly surprising and I think it worked super well! (And the harp gliss gave me shivers.) Adam’s was so fun. (As we all know, limitations breed creativity.) I love the way he writes for harp, that trembling texture was so exciting and the crescendo was amazing. But David’s was by far my favorite. I love how cat-like it is- the harp sounds like a kitten running around and the long drawn out vocal lines were perfectly meow-y. He used the pentatonic scales to such great effect. And the ending- the ending was PERFECT. Don’t know how else to put it, it was just so right. Awesome job everyone!!!
I've been waiting to watch this for a while (I really wanted to focus on it, instead of just watching in the background). This was amazing, David and co. Mary and Eleanor are astonishing. This might be my favourite 5 composers to date. Also, why do I always feel harp + voice sounds like Britten!?
That was terrific, I really enjoyed all the pieces, and the singer and harpist were both absolutely terrific! I was also pleased that Adam mentioned Alice Coltrane, who did some stunning jazz harp work. So yes please: more music for harp and soprano and if it's jazzy, great! Classical great too.
God... I was just so emotionally struck when I heard Ben Levin's melody. That was absolutely beautiful and legit made me cry, such a simple yet effective melody and an achingly beautiful communicator for telling a heartbreaking poem. Just gorgeous.
oh my, congratulation on a stunning collection of spellbinding musical collaborations. Lydia is such a timeless love song / lament. A concert including these collaborations would be an absolute joy and treasure .
I thought bens was off the charts I basically woulda cried, but the Pompeii one surprised me , fitting for a world full of rising tensions and conflict etc at the moment
Wow, another amazing one in the series. As always, the musicians are great and yet again a surprising concept. Some thoughts on the pieces: 3:12 The most surprising one to me: I've heard the wellerman so many times as a shanty that it was impossible to imagine it as anything else, but 8-bit really pulled it off. I love how the music represents elements in the story, reminds me of Shubert's lieder. 10:23 To me, this piece is such an upgrade to the poem. When Aimee read it, I was not a big fan, but Ben's take completely changed my mind. The contemplative mood works really well with the lyrics. 15:17 Oh yeah, the grotesque text became a great piece feeling like a heroic epos... something medieval with slaying dragons and stuff. I prefer the original ending, with the little pause before the last chord, very dramatic, perfect ending for the piece. 20:54 Again turning silly lyrics into a great song, nice textures, but I'm mostly blown away by the soprano. In the beginning I was like, "this is not really pianissimo"... boy was I wrong. 25:36 And of course a great final piece by the master, with the most interesting harp part in my opinion. I also love the long repeated notes at the start of the vocal part, gives me a real uninterested cat vibe. And of course, the most important thing: none of the restrictions were obvious in the pieces. Thank you all for making my day!
Aimee Nolte's contribution was the only one that actually honestly gave me chills even with David Bruce's lavish use of the pentatonic scale. She managed somehow to do more with less. Ben Levin's unresolved ending provided like an absence of chills which can also be rewarding. Like staring into the void and seeing the void wink back at you. Lovely staging of Mary Bevan making two cups of tea. Nice touch. Rarely think of harp and soprano as being a go to when in the mood for music but it may be its own genre in my head now. I'd like to hear Mary Bevan and Eleanor Turner's take on a medley of the Cats' soundtrack. Or just Memory by itself maybe.
These are so much fun. I've had occasion to show them to non-classical music fans as a gateway into more appreciation for the art. And Ben is right, you always seem to have spectacular performers. Thanks for this.
The Wellerman is so moody! You couldn't have got farther from the original "working beat" raison d'etre of the song. Lovely storytelling. Lydia was absolutely stunning. GREAT job, Ben. And to the singer... excellent touch, leaving the one teacup behind... I agree with Adam about the Last Days of Pompeii, it's very intense... I want to hear a full orchestra behind that! Wow, Ben, cool choice of lyrics for Adam to work off. And Adam, you really transformed that from comedy to suspenseful and tought provoking. Love the pluck! David, I love that introduction! And "Stressed a-meow-t it, is brilliant. Love the piece. Very catty! This was fun, all, thank you so much.
The second hits me hard, the way it leaves off on this leading kind of note, where its said I'm coming home, but it never resolves to home. It hits in that discomfort, it's stuck. The way Grief lingers, and you don't know where home is anymore. So beautiful in her full rich voice. Absolutely stunning, wonderful work Ben! And truly powerful words in that poem!
Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 1:42 - The Composers 2:14 - 8-Bit Music Theory Interview 3:11 - The Wellerman 4:39 - The Wellerman Reactions 7:34 - Ben Levin Interview 10:22 - Lydia, Oh Lydia 12:03 - Lydia, Oh Lydia Reactions 14:10 - Aimee Nolte Interview 15:17 - The Last Days of Pompeii 16:23 - TLDoP Reactions 19:22 - Adam Neely Interview 20:53 - That Moment 22:18 - That Moment Reactions 24:21 - David Bruce Interview 25:35 - Moving to California 27:30 - MtC Reactions 30:58 - Outro 1: Recap Thoughts 32:16 - Outro 2: Special Thanks
Lovely as always. Your channel is such a font of inspiration:) While the composer seemed more interested in the harp (who wouldn't) it was really interesting to hear everyone writing for a singer. The absolute dream would be to have the 5 composers write for a barbershop quartet:) But I'll be eagerly awaiting whatever you choose. Thanks for being brilliant in these non-brilliant times, you've just got yourself a new patreon sub:)
I’ve enjoyed all the 5 composers videos so far, but this one is something special! My expectations were admittedly quite high when I saw that Mary Bevan and Eleanor Turner would be performing these compositions, and I was definitely not let down. Great compositions, performed absolutely wonderfully! Thank you and please continue making these!
Mr. Bruce, you continue to surprise me and expand my appreciation for all styles of music. My understanding of composition deepens. And my respect for talented performers grows. As a voice in a crowd, please extend my admiration and appreciation to yourself and all you work with. This series is a treasure and we are all better for experiencing it. Thank you, all of you.
Wow, Mary and Eleanor sound so damn good! Thanks for having me!
Good Job, Adam👍
I'm gonna be scared of you whenever you start speaking softly from now on :-)
They are lucky that they had the chance to attend this amazing project! And your music was so good!
If you’re interested in soprano and harp and have not heard it before, I recommend Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. The Interlude for solo harp is especially moving.
Shoulda gave David the extra sauce. Only use 4 of the 5 pentatonic notes, your choice of which, but you're locked into those 4.
This was so fun to be a part of! Thanks so much for having me, David!!
Well done! :) It was amazing!
Very Britten like writing!
Awesome!! Huge fan =]
You look like I always imagined you to look like!
it was amazing :^)
Sweeties? *check* Cuties? *check* Gorgeous Music? *check* Form complete, I'm calling my mom and bragging. Thank you David for this bright light!!!!
Thank you my bioluminescent buddy.
You did such an amazing job with this challenge Ben!
Your song made me tear up. The empathy behind your music is absolutely thicc.
Dude, your song got me crying over here. Amazing.
@@episodicstudiosllc Currently crying.
THE ERUPTION QUOTE IS THE VERY FIRST THING THAT THE HARP PLAYS. 😂🙃
I was hoping it would be in the vocal
Well masked!
Quoting Eruption quoting Kreutzer études
ngl, I was waiting for the tapped arpeggios the whole time.
I could feel something familiar in there, thanks for locating it though! :D Great piece!
5 COMPOSERS 1 MARIACHI BAND
Now that I would love - do you know any? :-)
@@DBruce unfortunately no! Haha
@@DBruce The only ones I have head live in Europe is "Mariachi Fiesta México" in Stockholm, but googling "Mariachi" and "London" brings several results. I suspect just picking a convenient time zone and go trough the bigger cities will give you an ample list to choose from. A first scan of the London results results is that "Mariachi Las Adelitas UK" seem good and having a complete lineup of the main instruments, with most others being smaller and usually lacking the Guitarrón. Both these bands seem still active and have youtube channels you can check out.
You can of course consider bands outside of Europe, but then your question is basically equivalent to asking if someone knows any rock bands, you're probably better off narrowing it down. You can try asking on twitter if anyone knows a Mariachi with some members either teaching or having studied in a conservatory, that ought to yield a reasonable list.
But do they write the drill too? Who does the guard work?
Also: 5 MARIACHI BANDS 1 COMPOSER
She made two cups of tea and only took one. So simple in it's storytelling yet so captivating. God that song was beautiful.
god i just realised that :c
great... now that I realized that I'm crying even harder, dang bruh *:c*
I knowww😭, it's so beautiful yet so heart-wrenching, wow I love it
The climax "I miss you in so many ways" line was absolutely breathtaking. Ben always provides for quirky and whimsical music, but man does his sensitive side deliver. I'm stunned.
Yeah, I teared up.
Amazing experience all-around, David. Thank you to you and the performers!
You're the best Aimee! Thanks for being such a great part of this one. You definitely had the most challenging text!
The poem you read brought a tear to my eye. Beautifully written and quite emotional.
I wish I could join this challenge as well! ;) I loved your music so much! Thank you :)
Has she heard this? It's such a stunning rendition!
Your piece felt like a Celtic air. And for some reason, I also feel like I’m being introduced to something. I liked this a lot.
I am here because drunk Neely said it was gonna be good.
Also wow Aimee and 8 Bit, rad grabs.
Wait WHAT
Tell us more man, where did you see drunk Neely?
@@WesCAddle90 Twitter
Dam I need to sub his patrion again
Adam neely realizing that 8-bit couldn't repeat or legitimize
_sweating_
Adam with tears in his eyes: "But.... i always thought.... i always believed repetition legitimizes" *goes on to have a full mental breakdown
"Music makes you feel feelings, lyrics make you think thoughts, songs make you feel thoughts." ~Ben Levin
...EY Harburg
I was looking to see if anybody else put that, 22:24 if you’re wondering
A great quote
It's not Ben's quote, but it is a favourite of Ben's
Yip Harburg said that 70 years ago.
"Please sing as if you are singing to yourself while doing a mundane task that reminds you of someone you" is the best direction ever
yes! Ben always kills with directions that seem vague at first glance but end up being actually perfect.
This sounds like the music of an Opera where a cat called Lydia is travelling to Pompeii aboard a ship called the 'Billy o' Tea' and ends up getting killed by a medic and it finishes with the owner singing the O'Lydia poem!
Such amazing work as always!
It makes roughly the same sense as most operas but it's bloody beautiful and full of emotions.:-)
Of all the composers in the world, I never imagined Ben Levin would move me to tears.
Ben's videos are so out there, it catches you by surprise to find he has such a deft hand with melody. It's apparent in othe 5 Composers compositions, too.
He really put his heart and soul into that piece. You can see it by his reaction while listening to them perform his piece.
A lot of his music can make me pretty emotional
Sometimes I put off watching his videos because I find them a little too intensely emotional. Gotta wait for the right mood.
Ben can touch the right fibers
When Ben's piece didn't resolve, that spoke to me so much...
wow
Ben's pieces in these videos almost always make me cry and I'm not sure how he does it
I disagree, it resolved on the teaspoon, a weird resolve, but it felt like one, strong ending. (in my humble opinion ofc lmao, everyone experiences it differently, but i like thinking about it this way)
And let it not go unremarked that Mary and Eleanor did a wonderful job with the different sets and camera angles.
And staging! Was not expecting staging -- understated and evocative. A very nice embellishment
Yeah I did enjoy the changes to the staging and camera angles which just added to the different feel of each piece.
That was such a nice detail
I see you remark and raise you a replied remark.
@@thejameslehman aha! A veritable hit! Touché!
I wish I could see the faces on everyone who experiences Ben Levin here for the first time, then goes to visit his channel.
Lol. As I read this I had just finished Ben's piece lol. You should've seen my face then haha
Aimee getting more and more frightened as 8-bit Music Theory reads the text @14:22 is hilarious
The "Lydia" piece wrecked the hell out of me.
David's felt like he had so much familiarity with the 2 instruments that he could take them to places the others wouldn't be able to. However, Adam's also brought significant maturity. Sometimes it's fun to see what people can accomplish when they are significantly out of their element (not just being safe) and sometimes it's fun to see a master at work. This video brought both.
"I'm dying to be restricted!" Oh ben you naughty little boy
"Soprano makes tea and breaks my stupid little heart."
"Music makes you feel feelings, Lyrics make you think thoughts, songs make you FEEL THOUGHTS, and that's what's going on today, baby!" -Ben Levin
"I just want the boxes to be empty again" is too good a line for a cat book.
Ben's piece did bring a tear to my eye. We suddenly lost a family member last night.
I’m very sorry for your loss and I hope you and your family are doing well
same
I love Ben's compositions so much. the power of "I'm coming home" not resolving to a 'home' chord. She's coming home, but she's not there yet... I love it, so powerful.
Ben missed the opportunity to write "Oh, Lydia" in Lydian.
i guess missing lydian implies to not have it
This comment caught me off-guard
Yeah, it offended me
Fauré quotes the Lydian mode in his song Lydia.
Well maybe that was part of the point. Lydia is, in fact, conspicuously absent in the poet's life.
At first I thought it was a nice touch that Ben instructed them to make two cups of tea, the I realize THE PERFORMER MADE THAT CHOICE AND IT WAS PERFECT.
AHHHHHHHHH
Ben's actual instruction was to sing as if to oneself while doing a mundane task. It's perfect. And yes, making two cups of tea and then taking only one was probably the performer's decision, and it worked so well.
I was completely unprepared for a song that starts with “that moment when”
Ben setting text: achingly beautiful song perfectly suited to the themes of loss & grief that he has been presented with
Ben choosing text: here are a few of my favorite Tweetes
“..read various shirts from the people who stormed the capitol.” hahahaha - that idea has legs
I cried my ass off listening to "Lydia, oh Lydia", thanks Ben and Aimee's mom :')
You could say Adam made you use the catatonic scale
I was searching for this exact comment.
Thank you.
00:00 - Introduction
02:18 - 8-bit Music Theory (intro)
03:11 - The Wellerman (performance)
Text: Wellerman
Restriction: Do not repeat any phrases
07:35 - Ben Levin (intro)
10:24 - Lydia, Oh Lydia (performance)
Text: "Lydia: A Song" (poem by Nolte's mother-in-law)
Restriction: Use only one non-diatonic chord
14:11 - Aimee Nolte (intro)
15:17 - The Last Days of Pompeii (performance)
18:48 - alternative ending to The Last Days of Pompeii
Text: Movie poster from "The Last Days of Pompeii" (1935)
Restriction: Quote "Eruption" by Van Halen at least once
19:23 - Adam Neely (intro)
20:55 - That Moment (performance)
Text: Tweet by @matthewgoldin on 2020-10-22, "That moment when … "
Restriction: At least 40 seconds of the 60-second piece must be pianissimo
24:23 - David Bruce (intro)
25:35 - Moving to California (performance)
Text: "Cleo's" story from Felines of New York
Restriction: Use only pentatonic scales (in any key)
31:26 - Final thoughts and outro
Thank you internet stranger!
@@julianhaupt1480 you're most welcome :)
Mvp
thanks!!
thank you so much ahdjfjf
My eyes actually welled up with tears during Ben's "Lydia" song. Wow.
Do a five composers challenge with brass quintet
Boost this, what a good idea!
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Thank you, thank you Ben Levin, for “Lydia, Oh Lydia”. It brought me to tears for the loss of my dear mother. Thank you for your sweet and tender rendering of the text.
I didn’t expected that Ben Levin’s piece would be so heart-touching. I literally cried💔 and I really loved it
Aimee's song sounds like it should be a heartfelt moment in a Broadway show just before the eruption.
Man the second made me cry
The soprano sang it incredibly and the acting with the tea was compelling
And the poem was just beautiful
First Five Composers Adam Neely: "Why aren't we all writing for button accordion?"
Latest Five Composers Adam Neely: "More people should write for soprano voice and harp!"
I'm a simple man. I see David bruce ft. Adam Neely, 8-bit Music Theory, Aimee Nolte & Ben Levin, I click
Poor Adam had to wake up early for his meeting with Bruce lol
loll
Next one: 5 composers, 1 recorder ensemble. Should be an interesting challenge
I'd absolutely love this. Great idea!
Recorders are so underrated
I love how the soprano makes the her best acting it all out. The last one especially, but the face at Adam Neely's end was precious too.
8Bit: Britten folk-song deconstruct.
Nolte: Sarcastic epic film score.
Levin: DISARMING SINCERITY.
Neely: Ives!!!
Bruce: Joanna Newsom writes an opera.
Just damn lovely to hear how each composer gave each harp-lied a real sense of dramatic movement in different ways.
God the players are SO GOOD, incredible. The subtlety in their performances OH!
I wasn't ready to hear Ben Levin talk about his lost doggy. That gentle soul hit me too hard.
8 bit music theory’s piece and how it’s written reminds me a lot of Britten’s vocal writing, it has that dream-like quality reminiscent of Turn of the Screw (not to mention the nautical theme of Peter Grimes 😅)
[snap, David - I posted this before I got to the commentary section]
I saw this on Adam Neely's story and I literally bolted upstairs to my computer to watch this. Hooray!!!!
10:23 - leaving a time stamp for Ben’s piece so I can find it quickly when I need to cry again
It worked
@@spacelevator It always works, yes.
These videos always brings me to tears. Like Aimee said, it’s like little plays. The human touch. Nothing like it.
Ben Levin's composition is unironically one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard
More lied should be sung while making a cup of tea.
And David’s whole world in a song should be expanded to a whole evening. Someone get the theatrical rights to Felines of New York?
@@oldvlognewtricks crossed my mind :-)
@@DBruce Can I pre-order a ticket/sheet music? 😍
She's a good actor as well as a singer, isn't she? I imagine that the staging of that was her own choice.
Comment might get buried along. Every time these 5 composers videos come out they make me shed some tears of joy (this time also chuckles) and remind me why I love music so much. Thanks to everyone involved for this moment of cherish.
It gave me the chills when the non diatonic chord hit in Ben's piece, he is just so great at evoking emotion.
I like how the Lydia and the cat song were kinda like music videos, with the singer "acting" more. I especially appreciated how she was simply making her tea while singing Lydia.
She made two cups of tea and took only one. That was a very nice touch.
Oh, that poem and Ben's piece made me cry. I didn't expect that when I started this video.
this is INCREDIBLE! I’m a soprano and really want to sing this little song cycle you’ve all created! ❤️
Ben being unable to sit still because he's so excited by that pedal buzz from the harp in Adams piece is incredibly relatable. I've jumped up and laughed like a maniac in front of my PC screen on many an occasion.
Oh that poem. It hit me in a totally unexpected way. Thank you so, so much.
I cried 3 times during that performance. Absolutely inspired.
@@sigmaclass The staging and acting (make two cups of tea, and then take only one) helped too.
So validating to see 8-bit Music on here. I’m in total agreement with David-his content is very high-level, insightful and binge-worthy (via video game music). He totally belongs here. Nice job to everyone.
Unreal, every 5 composer project I see I get emotional. Is it because the composers are musical geniuses that surprise me everytime or the absolute amazingly positive feedback all the artists give to each other. It's quiet wholesome and beautiful to watch!
I never knew the harp could have so many different textures! Absolutely loved these
I bet that Mary and Eleanor had a really fun time recording that. I agree with all the composers: harp + soprano is a great combo and it´s way more versatile than one would imagine.
Ben's song was just breathtaking.
Ben's piece actually made me tear up.
from now on when I tell someone off, I'll just say "ben, that's jazz" in a disappointed tone
So much creativity in all of them on all levels: when composing, when performing, even when creating tasks.
Ben's song brought me to tears; such a heartfelt choice of melody for the lyric.
Oh that moment she leaves behind the teacup that she just prepared... so moving
This absolutely made my morning! Art song is so very dear to my heart. Would that I could add all of these to my rep. But alas I am stuck being a jealous mezzo. :’)
Some comments:
8-bit’s was a WONDERFUL example (maybe even a textbook example) of word-painting. He did such a great job conveying the story through the notes alone.
Ben’s was gorgeous! It brought me to tears. He did justice to the beautiful text, the emotion and passion and tenderness were clearly evident.
Aimee’s was so funny to me. It was absolutely not the tone I expected it to be, given the text, but the grand ballad-y approach was pleasantly surprising and I think it worked super well! (And the harp gliss gave me shivers.)
Adam’s was so fun. (As we all know, limitations breed creativity.) I love the way he writes for harp, that trembling texture was so exciting and the crescendo was amazing.
But David’s was by far my favorite. I love how cat-like it is- the harp sounds like a kitten running around and the long drawn out vocal lines were perfectly meow-y. He used the pentatonic scales to such great effect. And the ending- the ending was PERFECT. Don’t know how else to put it, it was just so right.
Awesome job everyone!!!
I've been waiting to watch this for a while (I really wanted to focus on it, instead of just watching in the background). This was amazing, David and co. Mary and Eleanor are astonishing. This might be my favourite 5 composers to date. Also, why do I always feel harp + voice sounds like Britten!?
So happy you invited Aimee on, and so happy you keep inviting Ben back, because these things would just not be the same without him!
Ok imma need that ben levin piece on spotify or something ASAP
That was terrific, I really enjoyed all the pieces, and the singer and harpist were both absolutely terrific! I was also pleased that Adam mentioned Alice Coltrane, who did some stunning jazz harp work. So yes please: more music for harp and soprano and if it's jazzy, great! Classical great too.
God... I was just so emotionally struck when I heard Ben Levin's melody. That was absolutely beautiful and legit made me cry, such a simple yet effective melody and an achingly beautiful communicator for telling a heartbreaking poem. Just gorgeous.
those are all amazing but the 'last days of pompeii' one is my fav. it sounds like a legit musical theater number and i love it
oh my, congratulation on a stunning collection of spellbinding musical collaborations. Lydia is such a timeless love song / lament. A concert including these collaborations would be an absolute joy and treasure .
I thought bens was off the charts I basically woulda cried, but the Pompeii one surprised me , fitting for a world full of rising tensions and conflict etc at the moment
Wow, another amazing one in the series. As always, the musicians are great and yet again a surprising concept.
Some thoughts on the pieces:
3:12 The most surprising one to me: I've heard the wellerman so many times as a shanty that it was impossible to imagine it as anything else, but 8-bit really pulled it off. I love how the music represents elements in the story, reminds me of Shubert's lieder.
10:23 To me, this piece is such an upgrade to the poem. When Aimee read it, I was not a big fan, but Ben's take completely changed my mind. The contemplative mood works really well with the lyrics.
15:17 Oh yeah, the grotesque text became a great piece feeling like a heroic epos... something medieval with slaying dragons and stuff. I prefer the original ending, with the little pause before the last chord, very dramatic, perfect ending for the piece.
20:54 Again turning silly lyrics into a great song, nice textures, but I'm mostly blown away by the soprano. In the beginning I was like, "this is not really pianissimo"... boy was I wrong.
25:36 And of course a great final piece by the master, with the most interesting harp part in my opinion. I also love the long repeated notes at the start of the vocal part, gives me a real uninterested cat vibe.
And of course, the most important thing: none of the restrictions were obvious in the pieces. Thank you all for making my day!
Good thoughts. You think good
My jaw physically dropped when this video appeared on my feed. This is the greatest series!
27:35-27:54, I love this clip with all my heart
not as much as me :-) Ben later emailed me and said we'd probably both just be sitting on the boat feeling sad for how much we miss our wives :-)
The Lydia song makes me cry every time I listen to it. So many times
is it a coincidence my cat started meowing wildly when listening to “Moving to California” 😹❤️🎶
Absolutely not. Even I started meowing whilst listening to "Moving To California."
Aimee Nolte's contribution was the only one that actually honestly gave me chills even with David Bruce's lavish use of the pentatonic scale. She managed somehow to do more with less. Ben Levin's unresolved ending provided like an absence of chills which can also be rewarding. Like staring into the void and seeing the void wink back at you. Lovely staging of Mary Bevan making two cups of tea. Nice touch. Rarely think of harp and soprano as being a go to when in the mood for music but it may be its own genre in my head now. I'd like to hear Mary Bevan and Eleanor Turner's take on a medley of the Cats' soundtrack. Or just Memory by itself maybe.
I would have totally made someone go through the ordeal of writing a soprano and harp piece to the lyrics of What’s my Age Again by blink-182
I love this idea way too much, lol!
These are so much fun. I've had occasion to show them to non-classical music fans as a gateway into more appreciation for the art. And Ben is right, you always seem to have spectacular performers.
Thanks for this.
The Wellerman is so moody! You couldn't have got farther from the original "working beat" raison d'etre of the song. Lovely storytelling. Lydia was absolutely stunning. GREAT job, Ben. And to the singer... excellent touch, leaving the one teacup behind... I agree with Adam about the Last Days of Pompeii, it's very intense... I want to hear a full orchestra behind that! Wow, Ben, cool choice of lyrics for Adam to work off. And Adam, you really transformed that from comedy to suspenseful and tought provoking. Love the pluck! David, I love that introduction! And "Stressed a-meow-t it, is brilliant. Love the piece. Very catty! This was fun, all, thank you so much.
The second hits me hard, the way it leaves off on this leading kind of note, where its said I'm coming home, but it never resolves to home. It hits in that discomfort, it's stuck. The way Grief lingers, and you don't know where home is anymore. So beautiful in her full rich voice. Absolutely stunning, wonderful work Ben! And truly powerful words in that poem!
Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction
1:42 - The Composers
2:14 - 8-Bit Music Theory Interview
3:11 - The Wellerman
4:39 - The Wellerman Reactions
7:34 - Ben Levin Interview
10:22 - Lydia, Oh Lydia
12:03 - Lydia, Oh Lydia Reactions
14:10 - Aimee Nolte Interview
15:17 - The Last Days of Pompeii
16:23 - TLDoP Reactions
19:22 - Adam Neely Interview
20:53 - That Moment
22:18 - That Moment Reactions
24:21 - David Bruce Interview
25:35 - Moving to California
27:30 - MtC Reactions
30:58 - Outro 1: Recap Thoughts
32:16 - Outro 2: Special Thanks
Lovely as always. Your channel is such a font of inspiration:)
While the composer seemed more interested in the harp (who wouldn't) it was really interesting to hear everyone writing for a singer. The absolute dream would be to have the 5 composers write for a barbershop quartet:) But I'll be eagerly awaiting whatever you choose. Thanks for being brilliant in these non-brilliant times, you've just got yourself a new patreon sub:)
Watching Ben in this, I'm so sweetly charmed. Somehow I had never noticed how dear he is!
Yes, the composers... But the performers! It’s such a level... Thank you so much for sharing...
Weird that this totally avoided my recommendations but one of the best of this series!
I’ve enjoyed all the 5 composers videos so far, but this one is something special! My expectations were admittedly quite high when I saw that Mary Bevan and Eleanor Turner would be performing these compositions, and I was definitely not let down. Great compositions, performed absolutely wonderfully! Thank you and please continue making these!
All the songs are beautiful, but the interpretations are HUGE. I really enjoyed to hear this exercise
Mary Bevan is so good at physicalizing her melodies to make the emotion come out more naturally.
Mr. Bruce, you continue to surprise me and expand my appreciation for all styles of music. My understanding of composition deepens. And my respect for talented performers grows.
As a voice in a crowd, please extend my admiration and appreciation to yourself and all you work with. This series is a treasure and we are all better for experiencing it. Thank you, all of you.
That soprano was soooo good. Bringing all these texts to life.