Trollheart's Theme Park

Trollheart · 10-30-2019, 08:43 PM

Title: "Night on Bald (or Bare) Mountain"
Format: Orchestral work/tone poem
Written by: Modest Mussorgsky
Performed by: n/a
Genre: Classical
Taken from: n/a
Year (Performer): n/a
Year (Composer): 1867
Acclaim: One of the great pieces of classical music that has survived to this day, used in ads and movies and most memorably in the Disney mixed live-action/animated movie Fantasia

The first time I heard this was as an advert for, I believe, yogurt. How inauspicious, huh? But I was quite young at the time. Later I discovered it on one of my classical compilation albums, though I never saw Fantasia. I did research it for my History of Animation journal though. The piece’s history seems odd to me, and I’ve never heard of this situation occurring before, though what I don’t know about classical music could fill several warehouses.

Composed originally by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, the pice was apparently lambasted by his mentor, and later re-recorded by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, for whom we have to thank for "Scheherazade" and "Flight of the Bumblebee". It was with this version that the work found fame, and it’s his version that Disney chose. I knew nothing of this, and I honestly couldn’t tell you which one I heard, though I expect on the CD at least it was surely Mussorgsky’s, or I remember it being labelled so.

A tone poem - a musical piece set to evoke the spirit of a story, basically - it tells of the purported meeting of a coven of witches on a mountain on St. John’s Eve, a summer solstice festival witch (sorry)

takes place over the night of 6 - 7 July, to await the arrival of Satan. As such, it has a lot of dramatic flair to it, as well as darker, ominous tones in (maybe) bassoon and French horn (I know next to nothing about orchestras, don’t get on my case) and ends with a flighty little run of flutes or something that I always thought sounded incongruous, but which I now see is meant to either signify the witches running around and dancing, summoning their dread master, or flying off maybe after the ceremony.

Actually, I see now that what I was listening to was an except from the piece. It doesn’t end that way at all. Ends quite serenely and peacefully, which is twice as incongruous really.

Things I like about this:
The atmosphere evoked by the various instruments
The sense of danger and approaching doom
The power of the piece

Things I do not like about this:
Nothing

Rating:

The video I’ve decided to go with is the one from Fantasia, if only because the animation it’s set to is pretty damn cool, and it is after all eleven minutes long, the kind of length that might test the patience of anyone not into classical. Proles.

Trollheart · 11-03-2019, 11:32 AM

Title: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
Format: Single
Written by: Nickolas Ashford/Valerie Simpson
Performed by: Diana Ross
Genre: Soul/R&B/Motown
Taken from: Diana Ross
Year (Performer): 1970
Year (Composer): 1967
Acclaim: Became a number one hit for Ross (her first) and also earned her a Grammy nomination. Was also successful, though in a lesser way, for its original performers, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1967, reaching number nineteen.

Personally I only know this version, though I read that not only was it not the original (that sung by, as noted above, Gaye and Terrell three years earlier) but that it differs radically from the song as it was written, with strings accompaniment, gospel overtones and that famous spoken-word section from Diana Ross that is not on the original version. Story goes that Berry Gordy, supremo at Motown Records, hated Ross’s version and wanted the speech removed. Well, he may have masterminded the careers of some of Detroit’s biggest stars, but it just goes to show that even an icon like him can have an off day and get it wrong once in a while.

If any single word could describe this song, to me it would be “sweeping”. With mountains mentioned in the title and lyric, I always picture a camera shot diving down a valley and up a snow-capped mountain as the music plays. It’s quite possible this happened, as the song has been used in many TV commercials, notably ones for DHL and KLM, and both of those you could imagine using the idea of transport and scaling or at least flying over mountains as part of their video.

Whatever the case, it’s a triumphant mixture of r&b and gospel, with the protagonist singing of the lover she let go, and assuring him that if he ever needs her in the future, nothing will stand in her way. Apparently Dusty Springfield wanted the song, but writers Ashford and Simpson, who went on to great things, but were just starting at the time, refused and offered it instead to Marvin Gaye. It was however with the ex-Supremes singer that the song found its greatest fame and success, and I think she’s the one we all think of when we hear this song.

The song itself is considered as one the most important Motown songs ever recorded, and the original version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

Things I like about this:

The spoken word section (in your face, Gordy!)
The sweeping orchestral sound
The gospel chorus
The brass near the end

Things I do not like about this:
Not much; maybe the fade-out at the end. I’d prefer it to have had a punchier ending and it kind of just fizzles out.

Rating:

Trollheart · 11-06-2019, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I thought you said the Irish weren't racist nationalists?

Yeah, I lied: we are.

TechnicLePanther · 11-07-2019, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

-snip- just the Sound of Music thing

Climb Every Mountain has got to be the best thing Rodgers and Hammerstein ever wrote, seeing as it's the best song from the best musical they ever wrote. Though there are a few close songs there. I find they tend to be better at writing memorable slow and heavy songs than quick and light ones. 'Edelweiss' is another highlight. Luckily, Sondheim, Hammerstein's protege, ended up covering that base and then some. I would encourage you to go have a listen to the original cast recording of Sweeney Todd if you haven't already. Even a complete musical curmudgeon couldn't help but be won over.

10-30-2019, 08:43 PM	#141 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: "Night on Bald (or Bare) Mountain" Format: Orchestral work/tone poem Written by: Modest Mussorgsky Performed by: n/a Genre: Classical Taken from: n/a Year (Performer): n/a Year (Composer): 1867 Acclaim: One of the great pieces of classical music that has survived to this day, used in ads and movies and most memorably in the Disney mixed live-action/animated movie Fantasia The first time I heard this was as an advert for, I believe, yogurt. How inauspicious, huh? But I was quite young at the time. Later I discovered it on one of my classical compilation albums, though I never saw Fantasia. I did research it for my History of Animation journal though. The piece’s history seems odd to me, and I’ve never heard of this situation occurring before, though what I don’t know about classical music could fill several warehouses. Composed originally by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, the pice was apparently lambasted by his mentor, and later re-recorded by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, for whom we have to thank for "Scheherazade" and "Flight of the Bumblebee". It was with this version that the work found fame, and it’s his version that Disney chose. I knew nothing of this, and I honestly couldn’t tell you which one I heard, though I expect on the CD at least it was surely Mussorgsky’s, or I remember it being labelled so. A tone poem - a musical piece set to evoke the spirit of a story, basically - it tells of the purported meeting of a coven of witches on a mountain on St. John’s Eve, a summer solstice festival witch (sorry) takes place over the night of 6 - 7 July, to await the arrival of Satan. As such, it has a lot of dramatic flair to it, as well as darker, ominous tones in (maybe) bassoon and French horn (I know next to nothing about orchestras, don’t get on my case) and ends with a flighty little run of flutes or something that I always thought sounded incongruous, but which I now see is meant to either signify the witches running around and dancing, summoning their dread master, or flying off maybe after the ceremony. Actually, I see now that what I was listening to was an except from the piece. It doesn’t end that way at all. Ends quite serenely and peacefully, which is twice as incongruous really. Things I like about this: The atmosphere evoked by the various instruments The sense of danger and approaching doom The power of the piece Things I do not like about this: Nothing Rating: The video I’ve decided to go with is the one from Fantasia, if only because the animation it’s set to is pretty damn cool, and it is after all eleven minutes long, the kind of length that might test the patience of anyone not into classical. Proles. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

11-03-2019, 11:32 AM	#142 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” Format: Single Written by: Nickolas Ashford/Valerie Simpson Performed by: Diana Ross Genre: Soul/R&B/Motown Taken from: Diana Ross Year (Performer): 1970 Year (Composer): 1967 Acclaim: Became a number one hit for Ross (her first) and also earned her a Grammy nomination. Was also successful, though in a lesser way, for its original performers, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1967, reaching number nineteen. Personally I only know this version, though I read that not only was it not the original (that sung by, as noted above, Gaye and Terrell three years earlier) but that it differs radically from the song as it was written, with strings accompaniment, gospel overtones and that famous spoken-word section from Diana Ross that is not on the original version. Story goes that Berry Gordy, supremo at Motown Records, hated Ross’s version and wanted the speech removed. Well, he may have masterminded the careers of some of Detroit’s biggest stars, but it just goes to show that even an icon like him can have an off day and get it wrong once in a while. If any single word could describe this song, to me it would be “sweeping”. With mountains mentioned in the title and lyric, I always picture a camera shot diving down a valley and up a snow-capped mountain as the music plays. It’s quite possible this happened, as the song has been used in many TV commercials, notably ones for DHL and KLM, and both of those you could imagine using the idea of transport and scaling or at least flying over mountains as part of their video. Whatever the case, it’s a triumphant mixture of r&b and gospel, with the protagonist singing of the lover she let go, and assuring him that if he ever needs her in the future, nothing will stand in her way. Apparently Dusty Springfield wanted the song, but writers Ashford and Simpson, who went on to great things, but were just starting at the time, refused and offered it instead to Marvin Gaye. It was however with the ex-Supremes singer that the song found its greatest fame and success, and I think she’s the one we all think of when we hear this song. The song itself is considered as one the most important Motown songs ever recorded, and the original version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Things I like about this: The spoken word section (in your face, Gordy!) The sweeping orchestral sound The gospel chorus The brass near the end Things I do not like about this: Not much; maybe the fade-out at the end. I’d prefer it to have had a punchier ending and it kind of just fizzles out. Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018