Being On Your Own

Hello, Music Lover!

Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen is an anthem about following what’s important to you, and it was chosen by Pat. Cohen reportedly struggled with this song for a long time, and he achieved little initial success with it. Apparently he wrote as many as 80 verses to it, before paring it down! The song didn’t find popular acclaim until it was covered by several other artists, first by John Cale, but since then it has been used in many film and television soundtracks, and it is considered by some to be one of the greatest folk rock songs of all time.

Designing the square took a bit of time too. In the end I focused on the things that really stand out for me – the fourth, the fifth, the chords, Cohen’s Jewish heritage, the reference to crowning the king, the “lord of song” (the figure of Cohen is holding a crown and an Old Testament style lyre). In the Star of David, I lowered the middle of the top line to represent a minor triad, and then raised it for the major chord. Thinking on it now, I should have just straightened the line again: I’m not sure that a triad with an augmented third would be allowed. But if not, I bet Cohen has used it anyway!

Now I Have the Time by Rod McKuen isn’t really a song, as much as a moving poem, lyrically read against the background of acoustic guitar music. It was requested by Max, who has loved the poetry of Rod McKuen for many years. 

Doing this square was more about focusing on Max while I was mechanically putting it together, since he is currently recovering from a serious accident. I just want him to come out of this experience the same man, fit and healthy, so he can gaze on the water, and dream about a long life to come.

Chopin’s Prelude #4 is from his series of 24, Opus 28. These have often been compared with Bach’s preludes in The Well-Tempered Clavier. Chopin also wrote a prelude in each of the 24 keys, but instead of following an ascending chromatic order, as Bach did, they are arranged in a circle of fifths (with major preceding relative minor). Chopin was known to have studied Bach’s music, although it is not known if he ever performed it in public.

Number 4, the largo in E minor, was played at Chopin's funeral. But it is not necessarily melancholy. In fact, k.d., who requested this piece, feels it is tender, and poignant. She sees both the masculine and feminine in it, in a caressing way. It reminds her of the summertime end of an affair, and of good memories of it, as symbolized by the rose left on the window sill.

Well, that's it for today.

Take care, all.

Susan

Music of the Country

Hello, Music Lover!

Aaron Copeland’s Appalachian Spring was composed as a ballet in 1944, a commission from choreographer and dancer Martha Graham, who performed the lead role. It was composed without benefit of knowing what the title would be, its working title being simply “Ballet for Martha” right up until the eve of its premiere! It was Graham who suggested the title “Appalachian Spring”, based on a phrase from a Hart Crane poem which alludes to a spring in the Appalachians as a source of water. This was an inspired choice as it turned out, since many people feel that the music perfectly captures the character of the Appalachians.

The story line of the ballet is built around a spring celebration of 19th century American pioneers after building a new farmhouse. The scenes of daily activity for the bride and her farmer husband include five variations on a Shaker melody known as “Simple Gifts". In 1945 Copland rearranged the work as an orchestral suite, and it is this version that has proved the more popular. Although most of the music has been preserved, there is much less emphasis on the Shaker melody, which does not appear until the seventh movement. Since it was originally composed for dancing, however, and since the Shaker tune has also been used for a popular hymn “Lord of the Dance”, I wanted to maintain the dance aspect in this square. So I have shown a couple square dancing against a landscape that could be in the Appalachian Mountains, and a river that must have begun as a little spring.

Kathy has made our next square, inspired by Gabriel's Oboe, by Ennio Morricone. It was composed as the theme song for the film The Mission starring Jeremy Irons. His character Father Gabriel, a Jesuit priest, goes to the South American jungle to convert the Guarani community to Christianity, and the music of his oboe captivates the Guarani warriors, and prevents them from throwing him over the falls after his predecessor.

Gabriel’s song on the oboe is about stillness, and the tune swirls like a feather until it gently comes to a stop. The tune, as does any oboe solo, brings back memories for Kathy of her son David practising at home. He played in a community orchestra, and whenever she hears the haunting sound of an oboe, it reminds her of the times he used to practice the oboe sections. Kathy chose to portray a young goatherd playing to his animals, a more pastoral setting than the perilous South American jungle, and without the roar of the falls in the background!

Love Letters Straight From the Heart, from 1945, by Vic Young and Edward Heyman, has been sung by over 30 artists and groups. It was used, without the lyrics, in the movie of the same name.

Every cover of this song (most recently in 2008!) has its own character, but none of them can take away from the classical “box” shape of this song, the aabb rhyming pattern and the irresistibly predictable chord sequence. It’s one of those tunes that gets stuck in your head – ooops - sorry about that!

Talk to you soon -

Susan