Music is powerful, even if the lyrics are not in English.
Music stimulates our brain’s emotional and reward centers by releasing the
“feel good chemicals”, dopamine and serotonin. It transcends language, whether they’re in French, Korean, Tagalog, or Spanish. I never thought I would appreciate rap music until
the trio of RM, Suga, and J-Hope of BTS opened my mind to the beauty of music I wouldn't usually listen to. I don’t let my ignorance of the language affect my appreciation of
the music.
Sitting in an opera, the audience is held spellbound, even
if they do not know the traditional Italian, German, or French lyrics. You can
read surtitles (subtitles projected above the stage) or read the libretto with
the translated text beforehand. But when the melodies resonate with you and
touch you, it is beautiful no matter what.
INSTRUMENTALS
What is your favorite instrumental music> Classical or contemporary? The Beautiful Blue Danube, Ballade Pour Adeline, La Vie en Rose, or the joyful Filipino song called Katakataka?
Instrumental music lacks the advantage of on-screen surtitles in opera or the lyrics in a musical video, but it pulls our heartstrings as we recall forgotten memories. The unspoken touches
us profoundly, as we close our eyes and let the music wash over us. The melody brings out powerful emotions that resonate with us and can bring tears to our eyes.
I wrote about the Stendhal Syndrome, also known as Florence
Syndrome or hyperkulturemia, in a previous post. It is an emotional response to
music and art that triggers a physiological response that activates the
parasympathetic nervous system.
https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2024/10/stendhal-syndrome-why-songs-make-us.html
DREAMS
Diana Newell, an 87-year-old Royal Air Force (RAF) veteran,
never gave up on her dreams. Diana participated in Season 3 of the musical
program “The Piano” to find the best amateur pianists in the United Kingdom.
She performed her own composition, written after the death of Phil, her beloved
husband of 63 years. Jon Baptiste, a Grammy-winning artist, was impressed by
Diana’s performance and labelled her “the Queen of England”.
“This piece was born out of loss and grief,” Diana
said. “From a young age, I dreamt of being a concert pianist. And it has
taken all of my 87 years to finally realise that dream. So my message is to
never give up on your dreams.”
ELEGY FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE TSUNAMI OF MARCH 11, 2011
Nobuyuki Tsujii is an acclaimed Japanese pianist and composer who has been blind since birth due to microphthalmia. In 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake triggered a tsunami killing 18,500 people. That same year, Nobuyuki performed his own composition to honor them.
Tsujii was visibly overwhelmed with emotion and burst into
tears while playing this piece, noted as a landmark performance of his career.
The music was haunting and poignantly beautiful.
The accolades for him from other great musicians and music
critics say everything:
"Very seldom
do I close my notebook and just give myself over to it, and he made that
necessary. I didn't want to be interrupted in what I was hearing.”- Richard
Dyer
“His playing goes straight to the heart, propelled by his
phenomenal technique and the uncanny richness of sound he draws from the
piano."- Clemens Trautmann
“For him to play the Chopin concerto with such sweetness,
gentleness, and sincerity -- it's deeply touching. I had to keep from crying
when I left the room."- Menahem Pressler
BALLADE POUR ADELINE
I discovered Richard Clayderman’s music among my father’s
collection of vinyl records and cassette tapes when I was at college. Tatay was
always playing Charlie Rich and Engelbert Humperdinck, so I “borrowed” Richard
Clayderman’s tape and considered it my own property.
Clayderman, born Philippe Pagès in France, often partnered with Olivier Toussaint & Paul de Senneville and enjoyed an outstanding
international career as a pianist. It all started when he recorded the gentle
piano ballad that De Senneville composed for his baby daughter, Adeline.
There had been many versions of the popular ballad, but it
has been his version that I always come back to, as well as his performance of Comme
Amour, Souvenirs D’Enfance, and “Mariage D'Amour”.
LA VIE EN ROSE
Édith Piaf’s
signature song, "La vie en rose," is my favorite French song. Piaf
herself wrote the lyrics, and the music was composed by Louis Guglielmi (also
known as Louieguy). The song was popular in the late 1940s, translated as
"life in pink" or "life through rose-colored glasses,",
Piaf’s lyrics captured the hopeful, yet wistful mood of post-WWII France. The
song inspired many international recordings, notably by Lou Armstrong and even achieved
Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998.
This guitar version by Guitar Baba (real name: Sebastian
Andrade) is a charming recreation of the beautiful melody that I had on continuous loop. He provides simple guitar lessons on social
media for novice learners.
CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE (Cerisier rose et
pommier blanc)
This song was composed by Louis Guglielmi in 1950 and became famous in English as "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)". It has
been played in Latin style as a mambo, with saxophones and trombones.
Hauser is a Croatian cellist who imbues this performance
with his signature sensual and romantic style. Oh, those smoky long-lashed eyes, the swagger, the sexy smile, the come-hither looks. Who can resist?
KATAKATAKA
Katakataka is a Tagalog folk song composed by Santiago
Suarez, and performed above by Rondalistang Parañaque. It is a story of a
budding romance between a boy and a girl, their playful teasing, until the
romance finally became serious.
I included this on the list because the song never failed to make me smile, even though I remember how I was as a miserable rondalla player during my elementary days. I did not make the audition. As consolation, I was one of the dancers for our elementary school presentation.
EL CONDOR PASA
"El Cóndor Pasa" (Spanish for "The Condor
Passes") is an orchestral musical composed by the Peruvian composer Daniel
Alomía Robles in 1913. The song is based on traditional Andean folk music and
is now considered Peru's second national anthem.
Leo Rojas, an Ecuadorian musician, performed on the pan
flute (also known as panpipes or syrinx) on the fifth season of the German
television show Das Supertalent, based on Britain's Got Talent, which he won.
HYMNE À L'AMOUR
Marguerite Monnot composed the melody, and Edith Piaf wrote
the lyrics for her illicit love affair with a married man. Gautier Capuçon
performed this song with the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop.
Celine Dion delivered a stunning tour de force performance
of this song in the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony in Paris, France.
THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE DANUBE
This classical music by Johann Strauss II was played
beautifully by André Rieu & the aptly named Johann Strauss Orchestra. It was recorded
live at the grand Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.
The concert I attended in Elmont, New York, did not have the glittering Austrian skies; the venue was the UBS Arena with the NY Islanders banners in the rafters. Yet, the audience response is the same. As Andre predicted, the aisles were filled with dancing couples as soon as the iconic "The Beautiful Blue Danube" waltz played.
HISTORIA DE UN AMOR
Written by the Panamanian songwriter Carlos Eleta Almarán,
the song was translated in many languages and recorded by various artists
around the world
David Bay performed this song while riding the gondola in
Venice, Italy.
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