It does start a bit quiet…
There oughta be a term for when you can’t find a video on Youtube due to the original being drowned in spoofs, remixes and other examples of poor production values. I was trying to find a video of Lux Aeterna, aka the arpeggioey theme from Requiem for a Dream, because I was gonna say that:
- “I just watched the film for the first time … blah blah blah … depressing depressing … but not quite as much as with David Lynch.” (That is, “his movies have more of an emotional impact on me.” Not: “Requiem would be more depressing if I watched it with David Lynch”. Though that’s probably true too.)
- “Those crazy kids in the Kronos Quartet played a lot of the soundtrack … blah blah blah … why gosh golly, they sure do get around a lot don’t they?”
HOWEVER. Instead of that happening — which is good, because in retrospect that sounds like an pretty boring blog post — I discovered that:
- The piece has been used in fifty-thousand different trailers, TV shows and adverts. Most famously in the trailer for Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
- Every fanboy (or fangirl/fanperson; we are equal-opportunity makers of derogatory remarks) on the internet has used that piece to put together their own horribly “deep” trailer for their favorite movie, which is usually Lord of the Rings.
- The version they use is inevitably the re-orchestrated score for orchestra and choir, because it sounds more — cough — “epic”.
Which all adds up to it being vaguely impossible to dig out a video of the string quartet orchestration. Or at least one that isn’t filled Hobbits, or have “It does start a bit quiet LOL” (seriously) whacked on the front of it.
Oh well, it turns out after all that I kind of don’t want to hear it again anyway. We can call that the Pachelbel effect.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:41 am
But you still made me to listen to it! ;)
As it was once mentioned in a comment on your blog about Vasks, he wrote his 4th and 5th String Quartet for the Kronos Qt. The 4th has also been recorded by them and released on CD. Anybody heard the 5th, I couldn’t find anything on it?
Btw, the world-premiere of Vasks’ Flute Concerto is going to be on Friday in Cologne. Going to record it off the radio if you’re interested to hear it Ben.
More info on it (only German though) here: http://www.wdr.de/radio/orchester//sinfonie/konzerte/alle_konzerte/Programmhefte/20090123_finnisch_baltisch_impressionen.pdf
January 30th, 2009 at 1:03 am
Sounds interesting Zoltan, drop me a line if you are still up for giving me a copy!
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:42 am
Sure Ben!
Since it’s a recording from a radio broadcast, it shouldn’t cause legal problems.
I think it is a nice work with all the trademark of Vasks’ music.
Enjoy!
http://rapidshare.com/files/189263540/Vasks_Flute_Concerto_-_WDR-Bychkov.zip
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:38 am
Hmm. I wouldn’t be so sure about recordings from broadcasts not putting you at risk of legal problems. At least in my neck of the woods it’s not legal. Blind eyes are turned for personal use, but subsequent distribution, even if not for any kind of profit, is really something else. Not that this Vasks fan and flutist isn’t absolutely delighted in the chance to hear the piece – quite the opposite and a big thank you to you. Just sayin’…