My Musical Interlude - Some of the Music I have been Listening to Recently

Pixabay.com: Licensed in the Public Domain

Hello everyone! I have decided to post today about some music that I have been listening to recently. What is life in quarantine if not a chance to listen to music? What is funny is that I started writing up this article before the 100 days of Steem post the other day that was centered around a musical interlude. Here is some of the music I have been listening to. Surprisingly, it is not all classical (though most of it is).

Hallelujah, Amen from Judas Maccabaeus - Handel

We sang this piece this year at a nearby college's festival. It is incredibly exhilarating to listen to. Handel is always just so versatile. His slow music is so incredibly moving. At the same time, the fast music makes you want to get up and dance (You. Not me. God did not give me the natural instinct required to dance, or to improvise Jazz). This piece is just so exciting to listen to!

Skyline Pigeon - Elton John

I discovered this song recently when watching a documentary about Elton John. He played it at Ryan White's funeral. It is incredibly beautiful in terms of its music as well as its lyrics. The lyrics really do demonstrate a talent on Bernie Taupin's part, especially considering they were written when he was teenager. I have been listening to it a lot quite recently because of the fondness I have developed for it.

Nocturne from A Midsummer Night's Dream - Mendelssohn

One of my favorite parts of the summer is listening to this as I look at the stars (what little stars we have in West Chester). This piece comes from the genius mind of Felix Mendelssohn amongst some of his most famous work from A Midsummer Night's Dream (including the ever popular wedding march). The only word that can completely describe this piece is beauty. It depicts such a beautiful image, and brings a certain peacefulness to every listener's mind; no matter the situation.

Ghost Riders in the Sky - Burl Ives

The Johnny Cash recording of this song is quite popular. I like that recording a lot, but I also like this Burl Ives recording a lot too. I feel like the song is a folk song meant to tell a story, and Burl Ives does a very good job of conveying that story even with just a guitar.

The Isle of the Dead - Rachmaninoff

This piece really reminds me of a lot of cinematic music. Specifically for scary or intense movies. The wikipedia page says that Rachmaninoff made the piece based on a black and white recreation of a painting by the same name. When he actually saw the original, he said:

If I had seen first the original, I, probably, would have not written my Isle of the Dead. I like it in black and white.

The original colored painting is the background of this video. The piece utilizes imagery to illustrate rowing, and waves, and even quotes the Dies Irae Plainchant in order to allude to death. However, the wikipedia page also makes the point that the piece's use of 5/8 sometimes gives of the image of breathing. This reflects the idea that life and death are intertwined.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading this! Music is incredible because it can bring us into any emotional state for the time that we listen to it. Beethoven put it quite well in this scene from Immortal Beloved. Though a common misconception is that what a composer writes is what they feel. That is not usually the case. But anyway, I hope you enjoy this music, and I look forward to the next 74 days of Steem!

Message

Generally for the 100 days of Steem related posts, I have been powering up 100 percent. I am going to stop doing that because I am in need of liquid Steem to purchase the bid bots for the discussion posts.

(Note) In order to encourage meaningful feedback on the platform, I will check comment trails of users who leave superficial comments (ie "Awesome post," or "Upvoted.") and will mute any users who exhibit a pattern of leaving "spammy" comments."