RAIN
Dear Friends,
It’s a rainy week in southwestern Ontario, which has my mind thinking thoughts about music and, well, rain...
About 15 years ago, and at about this time of year, I was in Dresden, Germany to perform at their annual spring music festival. The director at the time was the cellist Jan Vogler, who very smartly put together a list of performers and musical ideas that spanned roughly 500 years or so. One of the headline performers was a Korean pop star named Rain. His concert drew the largest audience of the festival (thousands), and at one point Vogler made an appearance on stage with him performing Bach. Did it translate into those same concert-goers buying tickets for Haydn String Quartets happening the next day? Uh, no.
Rain is a talented guy, and while I don't personally go for the over-produced musical product, many of my Korean students over the years tell me he's as good as it gets.
Have a listen!
Backing up further than 15 years, Johannes Brahms wrote beautiful Rain Songs between 1870-73. One of them is used as the material for the final movement of his Sonata in G Major for Piano and Violin. I found an interesting documentary about this created by the Finnish pianist Terhi Dostal. This documentary is heavy on the music and light on the description (which is just the way I like it!). It is the complete opposite end of the production spectrum of the link above with my students' favourite K-Pop star...
And lastly for today, it is said that this tune was written when its creator experienced roads turning to mud as a result of a torrential downpour in Rio de Janeiro. I first heard this when I was about 18 years old, and it has remained one of my go-to songs when I need a pick-me-up. Rain after all is a transformative force...enjoy!
Join us for the official return of Stratford Summer Music’s Plugged In!
revel will once again be selling our beans all summer in store, and on Thursday, you can grab yourself a fresh cup of our coffee. Join Mark and Crystal as they discuss our upcoming summer programming.
YOU’RE INVITED!
Thursday, May 29 at 11:00 AM
Have a great weekend everyone!
Mark and the SSM Team
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