Mid-year in 2005, my best friend, KV first suggested that I record a project to include seven (7) musical selections of his choice. As background, the number “7” is significant in a mock-superstitious (cross my fingers) fashion to my friend. Each of these songs also has definite significance to me. I agreed to record his selections and intended to make the CD recording project his birthday gift for later that year (Sagittarian November).
I confess to being unduly prone to procrastination. Beginning the “KV Picks Seven (7)” project was no exception to my tendency to “think about” a task rather than beginning it. I am not making excuses as I recollect that my progress on the project was hampered by the slowness of the ancient computer I was using then. I did not complete the project for KV’s 2005 birthday as I had hoped. In the fall of 2006, I replaced my ancient “Beige G3 Mac” and obtained my current “Mac Pro™.” Finishing “KV Picks Seven (7)” was the first project on the then-new computer. Also new to me then were the Synthogy “Ivory” pianos. I re-recorded all these pieces (originally performed in 2005) using the Synthogy Ivory Bosendorfer Ivory piano.
The remarks below include my notes on each of these songs. I hope that you enjoy reading these personal reflections and listening to KV’s 2006 birthday present.
I believe that KV first heard me play the then-well-known Roger Williams arrangement of “Autumn Leaves” during our 1969-1970 freshman year at Birmingham-Southern College. Unfortunately, during the subsequent years I lost the book containing the Roger Williams arrangement. The version of “Autumn Leaves” recorded for this collection is my arrangement. Its harmony is deliberately chromatic and exploits the combination of piano and backing “Strings” that are available in Synthogy Ivory.
Maybe, I will eventually return to this song to record Roger Willams’ version of it
Tammy was an attractive, young, travel-agent who befriended and assisted my Mother significantly while planning one or more of my Parents’ overseas trips. Despite my best efforts to attract Tammy’s attention, I was never successful. The song that I wrote for Tammy survives as the only thing remaining of our relationship. It has been very heartening to me that KV has always been graciously complimentary to me about this song. And, I have played various versions of it for him on the too-infrequent occasions that he visits nowadays.
I recently listened to the 1999 “Girl Songs” version of Tammy and realized that several portions of the original melody are altered, and even omitted in the version recorded in this collection. Better, worse? You’ll have to be the judge…
I am certain that I first played “Jean” on the piano around 1969 and have played it many more times since then. KV owned the 1969 Oliver LP with the version of the tune which was used in the soundtrack to the film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.” I believe that we were also aware of the composer, Rod McKuen — and, perhaps we were also familiar with his rendition. Or, KV’s appreciation for the song: “Jean” might also have been related to his memories of a high-school relationship with a young lady named “Jean.”
This song is the theme from the movie: “An Affair to Remember,” which starred Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. The version of the song that I recorded was arranged by Carmen Cavallaro, who was a well known pianist, band-leader, and arranger of popular music (including movie music) during the 1940-50’s. It is said that he greatly influenced the then-young Liberace.
After watching the movie and listening to the piano version of the song in the movie, I believe that the arrangement recorded here is precisely the one that was used in the film.
I first heard this song on Chick Corea’s “My Spanish Heart” LP. To me, the lyrical, almost Chopin-like style of this song was significantly contrasted to most of Chick Corea’s other jazz-fusion styled compositions. The breadth of Chick Corea’s compositional styles causes me to nominate Chick Corea as one of the modern giants of piano jazz composition and performance.
his is another of the wonderful piano pieces taught to me by my Mother sometime during my junior-high-school years (1964-1966). During one of those summers, probably around my ninth-grade year (1965), our family was on vacation when I discovered that the camp where we were vacationing had a weekly talent competition. I could not resist the opportunity to compete (and, “show off,” of course). However, the contest had a strict time-limit for each performance. I had hoped to perform the entire Rhapsody in Blue, but it was too long to perform in its entirety. So, I spent that afternoon with pencil (and eraser) – marking up my (still existing) copy of the Rhapsody to omit enough to produce a performance that would meet the imposed time limit.
When KV requested an abridged version of RIB for this collection, I knew immediately that I would resurrect the version that I first arranged in 1965. And, that is the version of the piece recorded for “KV Picks Seven (7).”
This is my arrangement the theme from the Otto Preminger movie: Exodus starring Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint and several other well-known stars. Although I cannot remember having seen “Exodus,” I have played this song since my childhood. Because of significant childhood religious instruction, I was, even as a child, quite familiar with the meaning of this song concerning fulfillment of Biblical prophesy of the reestablishment of the State of Israel.
My Mother, who was my then-piano-teacher, selected Fireflies (composed by Oscar L. Fernandez, (1897-1948)) as my National Federation of Music Clubs“Festival” piece for 1962, which would have been my 7th-grade year. The piece was fiendishly difficult for me at the time (because I started 3rd grade at 6, I would have been 10-11, in the 7th grade) and had a difficulty-rating of “Very Difficult II.” The constantly-changing meters and unusual gait made it seem all that much more “strange” to me.
I remember diligently preparing for that competition: “Festival,” it is called. Actually, I remember having extra time immediately before the competition in Florence, Alabama (USA) that day (at what was then Florence Teacher’s College; now, the University of North Alabama). Having an hour or so available before performing, I searched for somewhere I could practice “a little more.” Fortunately, I found an empty practice room in the nearby basement of the college music building. There were unusual acoustics in that basement practice room; there was an unusual amount of reverberation that gave me an entirely different perspective of the piece. After that basement practice-session, I performed “Fireflies,” and received a “Superior” rating. Funny, I no longer remember what was the other piece that I played that day.
Later that year, I selected “Fireflies“ along with a left-handed arrangement of Londonderry Air as my program for entry into my junior-high-school talent show. This particular memory is how I definitely know that this was my 7th-grade year. For my talent-show routine, I came on-stage with my right arm in a sling and said that I had hurt my arm but would attempt to play “Londonderry Air” with my left hand only. Of course, it had been arranged for left-hand, but the audience didn’t know that. I garnered some sympathy, I’m sure. After that, I said that there was no way that I could play “Fireflies” with one hand and that I would remove my sling and attempt to play it. I did. And, I won the talent contest that year. The next year I entered again but didn’t even make the first cut…
In my recording of the piece, I have added a little more reverberation than I normally include — to simulate the “extra” echo that helped me to finally comprehend this piece in that basement practice room, minutes before my festival performance — so long ago.
I used my computer tablet to create the original version of the “Fireflies” painting featured in the post. However, after becoming friends with Sally Smith Atkins, I commissioned her to “redo” (overhaul) my painting, shown holding fireflies in my hands —with a mountain, presumably Green Mountain, in the background. Her artwork is acrylic on canvas.
I created this Blender 3D animation in September, 2024 —fifteen (15) years after originally recording the audio. In the animation, I read MIDI data into Blender 3D using the Python programming language. Then, I am able to synchronize the “on/off” display of the objects that I previously created and placed.
From the day that I heard of the August 8th, 2008 wedding plans of my good friends: Alana and Eric, and their appointment with a harpist to select wedding music, I knew that my wedding gift to them would be a recorded series of (my) arrangements of (their) wedding music. The notes that follow are based on the notes I wrote for the “A Wedding Dedication” CD insert.
I hope that you enjoy these dedicated performances.
“Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” is the tenth piece, a Chorale, from J.S. Bach’s Cantata 147. Musical lore recounts that this piece was written during a period of Bach’s career in which he was writing one cantata per week to satisfy his responsibilities as choirmaster. This recording was conceived and performed using public-domain notation of the original score. This arrangement includes pipe-organ and harpsichord accompaniment. Bach would likely have only used organ. In this arrangement, violins, violas, cellos, and (string) basses have been substituted for the original Chorale’s voices: sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses (respectively).
2) Entry of the minister and the groom:Hymne by Vangelis
I transcribed the notation of the Vangelis “Hymne” from online recordings. This arranger attempted to keep the arrangement similar in length, tempo, and instrumentation to Vangelis’ original recording.
3) Entry of the bride with her father: Canon in D Major by Pachelbel
Written around 1680, the “D Major Canon” is Pachelbel’s best known piece; and, is one of the world’s best known “rounds” (like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”). The original manuscript is scored for three violin sections with a bass part that repeats over, and over (basso continuo). This performance was created from a public-domain version of the original score. Violins I are staged far-right, Violins II are far left, and Violins III are center. Cellos play the bass part and sit near center-stage. A stage-left harpsichord outlines the harmonies implied by the combined string parts.
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (1824) includes a setting of Fredrich Schiller’s poem “An die Freude” (“Ode to Joy” published, 1786). The tune has been so well-loved through the years, that in modern day it is used both as the Anthem of the European Union and as the well-known church hymn: “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” It is the hymn version of this song that I have arranged. The arrangement consists of two verses of the hymn with solos, duets, and trios by various combinations of clarinet, oboe, and flute, and violins. At the middle of each verse, a trumpet fanfare reinforces the regal nature of the tune. String-basses enter in the last phrases of the second verse to provide a solid bottom to the final cadence.
This is the title-song from Enya’s 1989 album with the same name. I transcribed this song from an audio version provided by a mutual friend. In the arrangement, I attempted to remain faithful to the spirit of the Enya’s original performance (key, tempos, and instrumentation including Enya’s slightly detuned/chorused acoustic piano).
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