My Favourite 1940's Artists

As I didn't get to talk nearly enough of my love for 40's music in my post yesterday, I've compiled a list of some of my favourite artists of the time.

Here they are:


Bing Crosby
                        

The 40's was definitely the era of crooners, and Bing Crosby was one of the biggest crooners of them all! I just love his singing style and the way his songs makes me feel happy and relaxed. I mean, just try to listen to San Fernando Valley, and I dare you to not start smiling inside.
Also, he made a lot of duets with The Andrews Sisters that I just adore!


The Andrew Sisters
                   

Another one of my very favourite artists! And to think I might never have heard of them if Naomi hadn't talked quite enthusiastically about them on her blog around a year ago.
I simply love the swing sound of their songs and the way their vocals blend perfectly together. Some of the songs I love are Oh Johnny! Oh Johnny! Oh (the song that convinced me to keep listening), Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (whose chorus is quite a tongue twister to sing along to) and Pistol Packin' Mama (another duet with Bing Crosby).


Tommy Dorsey                                     
                   

I really have a weakness for the big orchestras of the 40's! A song is just so much more impressing when backed by a full orchestra.
Apparently many famous singers started out singing in orchestras such as this, for instance Frank Sinatra.
Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra was definitely one of the most known throughout the 40's. Some of my favourites include: I'll Never Smile Again (I once listened to it on repeat for an hour because it set the mood for a story I was writing) and Opus One.


Glenn Miller
                  

Can you really talk about 1940's orchestras without mentioning Glenn Miller? I think not! He definitely put his mark on the musical landscape back then, and today when movies need 40's vibes it is almost always Glenn Miller they play.
I don't think I have to explain why I love this artist. Two words should suffice: big band!!
Some of my favourite music by him (and also some of his most famous) are In The Mood and Moonlight Serenade. They were actually played in an episode of Doctor Who set in the 40's, and that's how I discovered him in the first place.


The Mills Brothers
              

Now here's a group who have been persistent. They played together for 54 years!! They're a band that my parents have always been very fond of, so I've been listening to and loving their songs as long as I can remember.
They were amazingly talented musicians and could imitate almost any instrument just using their voices, something that has never stopped impressing me.
Some of their songs from the 40's that I love are Paper Doll and Till Then, but they have made so many other great songs during the years.


I think no one can doubt that I have a weakness for big bands and harmonising groups after this post! And I got to mention more of my favourite songs just like I knew I would:) (for I cannot limit myself when it comes to favourites)

10 Of My Favourite 40's Songs

Ever since I discovered how awesome 40's music is, my list of favourites has been ever growing. Here I have tried to pick out 10 songs that really embodies the best of the musical style of that decade.
(In the name of variation I decided to only have one song from each artist)


1. It's Been A Long, Long Time - Harry James And His Orchestra

Ah, the song that started it all! I remember I was listening to the soundtrack of some movie and then suddenly this number popped up. I was hooked from the beginning and listened to it on repeat for a long time, before the thought hit me that if this was the music style of the 40's, there must be many more enjoyable songs out there to be discovered.


2. It's A Good Day - Peggy Lee

This is such a happy song! Whenever I need some motivation for starting chores or just getting dressed, I always put this song on, for it makes me want to dance around the room while cleaning (a strange urge I know, but very practical)


3. Don't Fence Me In - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters

What would the 40's have been without Bing Crosby? He was the definition of a crooner and I just love listening to him. This song is a favourite of mine because of the laid-back Western style of it. And it makes me happy!


4. Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree - Glenn Miller

Did I mention I love Glenn Miller? It was hard to choose only one of his songs to put on this list. The reasons I particularly like this one are many. I love the big band sound, the composition and the way it's made into a duet and of course the story the lyrics tell. So many of the songs of that time dealt with the theme of being away from your loved ones, and this story about a couple who promise to stay true to each other while they're separated is just so heartwarming.

5. Bei Mir Bist Du Schön - The Andrews Sisters

Technically this particular song is from 1938 but it remained popular during the 40's so I'm including it anyway. The Andrews Sisters were quite iconic back then and they have a lot of good songs, but this one is funny and quirky and beautifully arranged, and it just have that extra something that you can't exactly describe in words. Listen to it and you will understand!


6. That's For Me - Vivian Blaine

This song is from the movie State Fair, which I also love. Movies are a great way to discover new music in my experience. What I love about this song is the singer's deep voice and that it's easy for me to sing along to it. And it makes me happy!


7. It's Only A Paper Moon - Ella Fitzgerald

Why do I love this song? It's a mix of Ella Fitzgerald's lovely voice and the slow but lilting melody. I don't think there's much more to it.


8. Amapola - Jimmy Dorsey

I just love that so much 40's music was played by big orchestras. It just gives it all a little extra...

What I particularly like about this song, is the way it starts out slow and calm and then suddenly becomes quicker halfway through. I love it when there's a little development in the music (kind of like classic music).

9. On The Sunny Side Of The Street - Tommy Dorsey

Another big orchestra number - what a surprise! I gotta say the Dorsey Brothers really knew how to make music. I've heard several versions of this particular song, but I think this version is the happiest one and therefore the one that conveys the message of the song the best.

10. Steppin' Out With My Baby - Fred Astaire

Another song from a movie! I wasn't impressed by Easter Parade when I watched it, but his particular song just hit me from the very opening notes. It's a real catchy swing number that encompasses everything I like about 40's music, so of course it deserved to be mentioned on this list.


And we have reached the end! There are so many other lovely songs that I wanted to mention, but maybe I will sneak it into another post;)

What 40's songs do you like?
I'm eager to discover more music from that time!

A Grand Way To Start The New Year

I have one, and only one tradition for January 1st. I have done it as long as I remember. On this day it is of utmost importance that I am home and seated by the TV when they broadcast the New Year's Concert live from Vienna!

                       

For those of you who haven't heard about the New Year's Concert before, it's a concert of classical music mostly consisting of waltzes and polkas written by the Strauss family (very famous Austrian composer family).
As it has been played every year since 1939 it's filled with traditions and very prestigious.
One of the highlights of the concert for me is that some of the music is accompanied by ballet filmed in beautiful castles in and around Vienna.
In general the concert is just filled to the brim with shots of beautiful architecture, gorgeous costumes and breathtaking vistas.

                            

This year they played my favourite waltz of all time: The Emperor Waltz. And to make it even better - they danced ballet to it! So I was basically flowing on a cloud of bliss for the remainder of the concert, and had to share my feelings on the subject with you all:)

My favourite part of the concert each year are the encores! They are the same every year so you have something to look forward to: The Blue Danube and The Radetzky March. If you haven't heard those pieces you should! TBD is such a tranquil and dreamy waltz and TRM is a true military march that makes you wanna dance around the room.


Another random thing I need to tell you, mainly because I am ridiculously proud of myself right now, is that I finally finished Hamlet today!!

And because this post turned random as of right now, I might as well announce that I am doing the Period Drama Challenge hosted at An Old-Fashioned Charm.
It's a challenge to watch and review as many new period dramas you can in the next 6 months, which is something I always love doing. (And a little extra motivation never hurts)
I've chosen to watch and review 10 films which should earn me the  title of Period Film Devotee.

            

I think that was all for now;-)

Top 5 Period Drama Soundtracks

I love movie soundtracks.
And I love picking favourites too, so I thought it time for a delightful little top 5.

This is by no means a countdown to the all time favourite, for the positions shift almost daily depending on my mood, but one thing they have in common: they rise quite distinctly from the crowd of soundtracks to form a class of their own.

So without further ado...here they are:


Emma
                               

Apart from being a delightful series and one of my all time favourites, it is also filled to the brim with beautiful music. My absolute favourite number is The Last Dance (the music combined with the scene is simply perfection). But I can listen to it all  on repeat for hours and hours (and often do), for it is simply ideal as background music.



The Young Victoria
                                    

A truly wonderful movie filled with just as wonderful music. The music in here is quite varied in its moods; from grand and majestic to quiet and melancholic - it has it all. Picking favourites here is hard...there are so many. But if I have to choose one it must be Marriage Proposal, it contains the love theme that is just indescribably beautiful.



Sense and Sensibility
                                  

What I like the most about the music in this movie is the quiet feel of it. The orchestration is really beautiful and seems quite simple until you listen closely and suddenly discover just how many instruments are being played. I love to listen to this soundtrack just to relax, it is very soothing. My favourite of all the numbers is definitely My Father's Favourite. The simple piano voice is just so beautiful, and really underlines the mood of the song well.



Pride and Prejudice
                                

You can say what you want about the movie, but the music in it is some of the prettiest soundtracks of all  time. I love that much of it is solo piano (it does make it easier for me to play), it makes the contrast so much bigger when suddenly the whole orchestra joins in for the finale. My favourite is an example of just that: Liz On Top Of The World (which by the way is also a gorgeous scene).



The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
                              

When I first discovered this soundtrack on YouTube I didn't listen to anything else for days. I don't know exactly what it is that makes this music so special, but I really love the grand, epic and fairytale like sound of it. It is literally meant to transport you to another world, and it does just that. My favourite piece is Evacuating London. I love how it starts out quiet and sad and then transform into this big fully orchestrated piece that just set the mood for the movie.


So...it seems we have reached the end of this list.
Did we have any favourites in common?
What are some of your favourite soundtracks?

The Joy of Classical Music

The autumn season has come... which for me means that my piano lessons are starting again.
That in turn means, my yearly ritual of browsing through every piece of classical music I have ever known in the search of something new to play, is starting all over again.

It may not sound as something very difficult, but finding a piece of music is the least of the work. When that is done I have to search everywhere for the sheet music, and then also finding sheet music that is neither way too easy or so hard that I give up in advance just by looking at it.

So yes, it is anticipated and feared every time.
But as it happens every year I finally succeeded in finding something.
This season I will be playing the piece "Anitra's Dance" from the famous Peer Gynt suite by Edvard Grieg.   

It is not the most well known music from that composer - I think the piece "Morning Mood" is the one most people know. But I am rather fond of this one, it is so happy and lively, and it just makes you wanna start dancing (it is a dance after all).

So that will probably be the extent of my musical progression the next couple of months. (besides the occasional musical numbers I always manage to sneak in, before and after practice)

Best music in period dramas

It is no secret many period dramas contain a lot of very beautiful music. Thus when I started outlining this post, I realised, I couldn't possibly have it all in just one post. As a result this post in purely dedicated to adaptions of Jane Austen's works.

Sense & Sensibility (1995)
Well - where to start. All the music in this movie is so beautiful, but I have to say my definite favourite is this one:

 My fathers favourite

I don't know exactly why, but that piece just touches something in me. And it fits so beautifully into the scene, where it's played. And some of it is played by a single piano - so I can play it myself.

I also love the songs Marianne sings in the movie. The lyrics were actually real poems from the time period, that the composer made music for. You can hear them here and here.

Another favourite is the piece Combe Magna which is very dramatic - and I have a weakness for dramatic music.

Pride & Prejudice (1995)
This is a completely different style of music. Where the above mentioned are more grand orchestral pieces, the ones in this series are more simple - but still brilliant.

Of course there is always the intro theme, which is almost iconic for any lover of this series.
I don't think I have one single piece that I like above the others, for they are so varied so I often shift between which ones I like the best. Though a piece I really love at the time is the Pemberley theme - it is just so beautiful and builds up to such a beautiful climax.

Other than that is worth mentioning Double wedding (a nice reprise of the general theme), Canon Collins (the style just fits the character so well) and Lydia's Wedding (again - a dramatic piece)


Pride & Prejudice (2005)
When I first listened to the soundtrack of this movie, what struck me the most was that almost all the pieces were played at the piano, and i truly admired the incredibly talented pianist.
I always think it gives a certain beauty when music is very simple, it often underlines the mood of a scene much better.
In this one my absolute favourite is Liz on top of the world. It just has such a dreamy feeling to it.

But again the movie is filled with gorgeous music. Just take Dawn, Georgiana, Leaving Netherfield and Credits to mention a few.



Emma (2009)
The last period drama to feature in this post and also the newest one. I simply love all the music in this series. Though most of it serves best as background music to subconsciously better the mood, there are one or two pieces that stand out in particular.
The Last Dance is one of them:

It takes the theme used many times throughout the series and turns it into this sweet dance melody, which coincidentally is also used in one of the best scenes of the entire series.
The other dance The Ships Cook is also a favourite of mine.
But otherwise, pieces like Emma Woodhouse is borne and Mr Knightley's walk are great for when you wanna listen to something beautiful, but don't want the music to distract you too much.


So that was some of my favourite soundtrack music. I have a lot more, but I will save it for later posts. Do you have some favourites in the movies of this post, that i have forgotten to mention?

Top 10 newly discovered musical numbers

As I have mentioned before, I am currently watching a lot of musicals - both old and new classics. And it has opened my eyes for some wonderful songs, that I didn't even know existed.
I'm not very good at choosing between my favourites songs, mainly because they switch places almost daily, but this top 10 is my favourites right now.

1. Once and for all - Newsies
2. The world will know - Newsies
3. Into the fire - The Scarlet Pimpernel
4. Maybe - Annie
5. Many a new day - Oklahoma
6. The surrey with a fringe on the top - Oklahoma
7. I can't say no - Oklahoma
8. They say it's wonderful - Annie get your gun
9. It might as well be spring - State Fair
10. Santa Fe - Newsies


There it is, it was hard, and I'll admit the top 4 is almost a tie, for I really love those songs at the moment.

The post today is short, but I'm working on another post, with classic musicals I have seen this week, and it should be up in a day or two.
I'm also planning a big post on North & South (the book by Elizabeth Gaskell), but I'm still not quite finished reading it.
Just so you know what to expect in the near future

Classical music in period dramas

Do you know that moment in a period drama where someone starts to play the piano, and you think:
WOW, this is the most amazing piece ever, what is it called, I wanna find it and listen to it forever, find the sheet music and play it myself over and over and over?

Yeah..it's happened to me a few times...or maybe a lot of times.

Some of my favourite classical music I had never heard of before, and then it was in a movie, and I was thinking: Where have this been all my life?

My absolute favourite right now is this one from The Young Victoria

It's called the Swan Song (or Serenade) and is written by Schubert. The theme is used in the movie, when Albert is thinking of Victoria, from afar. It fits perfectly in the mood of those scenes, and then it is just altogether beautiful. I'm trying to play it myself, but it is a bit harder than you would think - but the struggle will definitely be worth it.

Another piece I love, is one i discovered the last time, I watched Pride & Prejudice (1995). It's the piece Georgiana plays at Pemberley, where Darcy and Elizabeth share a tender moment. Again the music is perfect for underlining the scene, but it is also a very nice piece in itself.

 It's called Andante Favori (or Andante in F major) and is written by Beethoven, if anyone is interested.

The country dances in P&P are wonderful too. There are links to all of them at The Republic of Pemberley, but my favourite to play myself is this one:

Some times I am a bit surprised to find which pieces are originally written for the movie, and which ones are actual period music. In Pride & Prejudice (2005) I was certain, that the music Elizabeth and Darcy danced to was specifically written for that scene. And I was very disappointed not to find the sheet music in the soundtrack. But after some research and a brief visit to Imdb, I discovered it was actually a variation of the Abdelazer Rondo. Who would have guessed it? Now I can finally play that one too.

So, yeah...it can be a bit trying sometimes to track down all the music I hear in period dramas, and even harder to find sheet music to it. But I guess that's what you get, when you just have to play the pieces yourself.

So, this was a few of my classical favourites in period dramas.
I'll probably do a post some other time completely dedicated to some of the best original music made for period dramas.