Ólafur Arnalds

Got introduced to this guy today, and he’s pretty cool. There’s one piece on his album here that is really sad, but I don’t remember which one it was, so I’ll have to listen for that again.  Anyhoo, check it out!

Repose in Blue — Eluvium

Music for moods.

The Swan — Camille Saint-Saëns, Godowsky version

I first heard this version of The Swan in the Chinese film, Secret, and thought it was just a specially arranged version of the piece by Jay Chou.  The version of The Swan in the Secret piano songbook is much simpler and not that version, so I naturally dismissed any sort of hope finding that version (and transcribing it or learning it by ear would take too long as it’s complicated).

Last week, I somehow stumbled across this Godowsky version of the piece, and lo and behold — it was the same version!  I’ve yet to obtain the sheet music for this version, but print off or find it somewhere and learn it.  It’s been a while since I learned to play anything new… I think this would be a fun one.

Comme une rosée de larmes – Ludovic Bource

I imagine this being played as a guy is waiting in a restaurant on a date.  He nervous — fidgeting with the tablecloth, and adjusting and re-adjusting the utensils on the table to their exact place.  He constantly turns to look at the front of the restaurant, hoping, wishing to see his date.  He waits and waits.  Couples are all around him, laughing, smiling, and enjoying themselves, while he sits alone at his table with a candle burning.  A bottle of red wine sits unopened at the table.  A loyal waiter comes to check on him now and then, but the guy only gets refills of water in his glass.

Hours have passed.  The last couple leaves the restaurant, while the guy still sits there, the last bit of hope in his eyes dying.  He gives the restaurant a last look around, searching for that one person, then lets out a sigh of defeat.  He puts money on the table, gives the waiter a smile for tending to him the entire night, and trudges home.

The waiter goes over to the table, and blows out the now-short, barely flickering candle.

When Love’s Gone Away (Scott’s Theme)

I realized I actually haven’t posted any of my instrumental pieces on my blog, probably because they don’t involve any sort of words, but I could still talk about them.  Which I will!  Starting with this one.

This was written many years ago.  I had just broken up with my first “boyfriend”– I say “boyfriend” because we never physically met, but had been exchanging messages and IM’ing online for quite some time.  After about 2 and a half weeks or something, I had a feeling of insecurity, wondered if he really was who he was.  Instead of showing me who he was, he broke things off, citing that if I wasn’t comfortable with us being together then we shouldn’t be together.  Of course, I was sad and distraught, since I all I wanted was for him to prove to me he still liked me.  I ended up writing this instrumental piece for him, originally called “For a Friend”, then re-titled it because I didn’t feel like it was quite right.  At the same time, Vanessa Carlton just started performing her song “Fools Like Me” live (long before the studio version was ever released), and a lyric in the song, it’s all in the little ways one reveals their love’s gone away/love’s gone away really made me sad.

I’m still constantly reminded that love can go away, that even if I’m in love, it doesn’t mean the other person feels the same.  Everything comes and goes.

It’s been a while since I’ve played this one, but I think I should learn it again.

“Gymnopedie No. 3” — Erik Satie

A piece that will likely be in my short film I’m shooting on Saturday.  It’s so simple and mournful that I couldn’t imagine anything suiting the scene better than this.  I know I’m being vague because I’m not explaining the scene, but if you really do want to know, click on this to find out more details: http://www.indiegogo.com/June-a-silent-ghost-short-film

Perpetuum Mobile — Penguin Cafe

I don’t have much time to write today so I will just leave a link to this fantastic piece for you to listen to.

 

Little Puppet’s Waltz

Sometimes music can be more expressive than words.  As you may know by now, I also write music as well as poems and songs.  The first piece of music I ever composed was back in high school, during my last year.  I was so into my composition, I tried to transcribe it since it was fairly easy.  Eventually, I did, and it’s the only piece I’ve transcribed onto paper without using notation software.  If you’re so utterly impressed with my work of art and would like a copy of the sheet music, just drop a comment with your e-mail and I’ll send it your way.

Enjoy!