sicilienne - gabriel faure

i like gabriel faure since beginning. mostly the compositions i like is written in minor keys. 

pie jesu, sicilienne, etc.

i personally, do not like watching movies/drama series. accidentally, one day i turn of the tv channel, and found a japanese musical drama titled: 'nodame cantabile'. i love the music. then, again accidentally when i need short movies for training, i visited http://www.viki.com, and found the korean version of nodame cantabile, which titled 'tomorrow cantabile'. i started following the series because of the music. 

in one of the episode, the story focusing on a talented cellist who has tendon problem on his left hand, and he chose sicilienne as his last piece to perform. 

sicilienne op.78, a composition of gabriel faure. actually it is part of incidental music (incidental music, can be translated as a 'background music') for molière's le bourgeois gentilhomme, the piece was never used for it. it was used as a solo for cello (or violin) with piano accompaniment. first published in 1898, it was dedicated to the British cellist william henry squire (1871-1963).

being just composed as a 'background music', this piece becoming a very popular classical music. many arrangements then came up for different instrument. solo guitar, solo piano, flute + piano, harp + flute, etc.

i attached herewith, a score for solo guitar:

below is a youtube clip, of the original version: cello + piano.

dream a little dream of me

if you are a piano lover, or even a pianist. perhaps you have heard about le ru ma (yiruma), a young korean pianist and composer (born: february 15, 1978). graduated from king's college london. perhaps one of his most famous piece is 'river flows in you' which inspired by samuel vallee (a french pianist and composer). 


 
there are some of my yiruma's favourite. dream a little dream of me is one of them. the song itself was a song from 1931. the music was done by fabian andre and wilbur swachndt. lyrics was written by gus kahn. first recording, known was done in 1931. 

   

besides, michael bubble version, i like robbie williams feat. lily allen version. this song is light, and easy to remember.

enjoy!

stars shining bright above you, night breezes seem to whisper, " i love you". 
birds singing in the sycamore tree, "dream a little dream of me". 
say "nighty-night" and kiss me. just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me. 
while I'm alone and blue as can be, dream a little dream of me. 

stars fading, but i linger on, dear. 
still craving your kiss, I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear. 
just saying this: Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you. 
sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you. 
but in your dreams whatever they be, dream a little dream of me. 

stars fading, but i linger on, dear. 
still craving your kiss, i'm longing to linger till dawn, dear. 
just saying this: sweet dreams till sunbeams find you. 
sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you. 
but in your dreams whatever they be, dream a little dream of me.

take five

when i was a kid, i was amazed listening to this lively tunes. besides classical repertoires, jazz always captivate me. i think i have written in my previous post, my dad brought a lot of influence to my music appetite. he played many of world records during my kids time. so rich for a kid.

i was so happy when for the first time, i can play 'take five'. i felt like finding treasure when i found the piano score. i still remember it was during my 1st grade of middle school. it was a special fun for me when i tried to make records on my simple yamaha keyboard of take five. 

the song is a jazz repertoire composed by Paul Desmond and recorded by The Dave Brubeck Quartet on 1959, it is part of The Dave Brubeck Quartet's album Time Out. many decades now, it is still a masterpiece of jazz collections. originally written in the E-flat minor key. The piano music score i attached herewith is also in E-flat minor.

 

blame it on my youth

trying to find information the story behind this beautiful song 'blame it on my youth', but i could not find any, except it was composed by Oscar Levant. 
Edward Heyman wrote the lyrics, and it was recorded back to 4th April 1956. 
The music itself was arranged by Nelson Riddle. 
there are many version of this song records. from Carmen Mc Rae, Nat King Cole, to Matt Belsante, and Emilie Claire-Barlow you name it. but i like best both last versions.

Matt Belsante, i found the record incidentally. i was do a window shopping at one of cute japanese stuff store. i recalled this store always playing beautiful jazzy tunes, they play it pretty loud without disturbing the ambience. badly craving to know who is the singer of 'blame it on my youth', i used shazam (do you know this apps? it can sample any songs and then find the information of title, singer, where you can get it easily. two thumbs up apps!)

other version i like is sung by Emilie Claire-Barlow, which actually part of best audiophile voices V album. vocal + electric guitar accompaniment, blowing my mind to the air. 

herewith i attached the youtube file of Emilie's blame it on my youth.

If I expected love when first we kissed
Blame it on my youth
If only just for you, I did exist
Blame it on my youth

I believed in everything
Like a child at three
You meant more than everything
All the world to me

If you were on my mind all night and day
Blame it on my youth
If I forgot to eat and sleep and pray
Blame it on my youth

If I cried a little bit
When first, I learned the truth
Don't blame it on my heart
Blame it on my youth

If you were on my mind all night and day
Blame it on my youth
If I forgot to eat and sleep and pray
Blame it on my youth

If I cried a little bit
When first, I learned the truth
Don't blame it on my heart
Blame it on my youth

somewhere out there

the lyrics of "Somewhere Out There" convey the love felt by two people separated by vast distances, but cheered by the belief that their love will eventually reunite them to be with each other once again. In the original theatrical production, the fictional characters singing "Somewhere Out There", Fievel and Tanya Mousekewitz, are brother and sister, and the love they share is described as general. however, in the more popular single version of the song, the love is described as more romantic.

this song was a potential Top 40 hit, and popularised by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram. originally written by James Horner, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

listening to this song, gave me courage to sail through the difficult time of living alone. Facing all most possible unhappy situation. he said, survival is the most important thing that I have to learn. And I am learning it now, at this moment and until when in the future I do not know. perhaps it is going to be a lifelong learning. knowing he is there supporting me from vast distance, put me in tears and smiles at the same time. 

  

Somewhere out there
Beneath the pale moonlight
Someone's thinking of me
And loving me tonight

Somewhere out there
Someone's saying a prayer
That we'll find one another
In that big somewhere out there

And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there
If love can see us through
Then we'll be together
Somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true

#love #music