Dirge Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 By request, after a fashion. David Cornell's arrangement, on my 81. I've been threatening to learn this one for ages and thought it was time to crack it.moscowNights.mp3 The zoom never seems to be on when I'm playing my best but I'm beginning to think that's just self-delusion. I suspect what really happens is I edit out the rough bits and stitch together a patchwork 'best version' in my mind. (Shame I can't put that straight onto record; it's brilliant...) So I decided this is an honest example of how I'm playing at the moment and that I'd stop being precious and post it for your interest and perhaps pleasure. Choosing a time for this one is tricky; the original Red Army type choral piece is VERY slow and doleful; then there's lot's of jazzed up versions that crack along. I can do the pace but didn't like it. You can see where I settled. Yes, it speeds up and that's deliberate, for once.
Kautilya Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) By request, after a fashion. David Cornell's arrangement, on my 81. I've been threatening to learn this one for ages and thought it was time to crack it.moscowNights.mp3 The zoom never seems to be on when I'm playing my best but I'm beginning to think that's just self-delusion. I suspect what really happens is I edit out the rough bits and stitch together a patchwork 'best version' in my mind. (Shame I can't put that straight onto record; it's brilliant...) So I decided this is an honest example of how I'm playing at the moment and that I'd stop being precious and post it for your interest and perhaps pleasure. Choosing a time for this one is tricky; the original Red Army type choral piece is VERY slow and doleful; then there's lot's of jazzed up versions that crack along. I can do the pace but didn't like it. You can see where I settled. Yes, it speeds up and that's deliberate, for once. Brill! I hope that was because I was prodding you when there was the discussion about the translation of that Russian poem....! It must be catching as i was printing out the notes and words for a 21st birthday party play and singalong on Saturday. Turned up all equipped only to discover it is next saturday....... Here's the dots for those inspired by Dirge, especially with that shift up.. great. :) http://www.8notes.com/scores/5595.asp PS - Dirge, now wot abaht Stenka Razin for your next one = vvvv familiar tune nicked in recent years from Russian folk music and song in 1880s http://www.kaikracht.de/balalaika/english/songs/izza_not.pdf PS I must see if we can sing along to your playing and record -- will advise! Edited February 21, 2011 by Kautilya
Dirge Posted February 21, 2011 Author Posted February 21, 2011 Brill! I hope that was because I was prodding you when there was the discussion about the translation of that Russian poem....! It must be catching as i was printing out the notes and words for a 21st birthday party play and singalong on Saturday. Turned up all equipped only to discover it is next saturday....... Here's the dots for those inspired by Dirge, especially with that shift up.. great. :) http://www.8notes.com/scores/5595.asp PS - Dirge, now wot abaht Stenka Razin for your next one = vvvv familiar tune nicked in recent years from Russian folk music and song in 1880s http://www.kaikracht.de/balalaika/english/songs/izza_not.pdf PS I must see if we can sing along to your playing and record -- will advise! It was your fault, yes; hold on a min., let me see if I can link the actual arrangement;Ah, here we go Doesn't need a huge duet: lowest note A, but DC seems to have set out to create a textbook piece to demonstrate the benefits of proper use of the crossover area, be warned. As for singing along, I await results with interest, not to mention a certain amount of trepidation.
Geoff Wooff Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 Many thanks Dirge... oh, and nice playing too. Thanks also for the link to the score... I have printed it off and will see how much I can make of it on my EC.
Chris Drinkwater Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 Nice. Makes a change from all trad English stuff my head got filled with, after spending a lovely weekend with the folks at the Sidmouth Radway Reunion. BTW thanks again, Mr Timpson for organising it! Chris
Kautilya Posted February 22, 2011 Posted February 22, 2011 As for singing along, I await results with interest, not to mention a certain amount of trepidation. Had a go yday but your super performance is rather fast.Otherwise the phrasing as is is fine. Any chance of another more "romantic" version = I reckon at half the present speed would be fine.
shelly0312 Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 I'm sure that it is ONLY because I do not play a duet that my rendition does not sound nearly as good as Dirge's........????? but don't ya' just love the accidentals in this? Michelle novice in Wis USA
mber Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 Hmm. there is this feel of been rushed. Especially with the oom-pa background, as though a music is been driven by a locomotive. Red Army chorus is very dubious aggregation of professionals, working to satisfy some sort of pompous establishment, so we can ignore it. The tempo is driven by the words.If you set your metronome to 80, it's probably the fastest you can go with this tune. OK, make it 85. 90 will start mush the words. And the melody is written so it's truly unwrapping if played slower. Also, Russian tunes have that relaxed feel, where you can slow down a part and pick up speed at another, take a breath, so to speak. They don't work when squished between the measures. It's like the music is not disciplined, spontaneous. It also works better higher up in the scale.
Kautilya Posted March 1, 2011 Posted March 1, 2011 Hmm. there is this feel of been rushed. Especially with the oom-pa background, as though a music is been driven by a locomotive. Red Army chorus is very dubious aggregation of professionals, working to satisfy some sort of pompous establishment, so we can ignore it. The tempo is driven by the words.If you set your metronome to 80, it's probably the fastest you can go with this tune. OK, make it 85. 90 will start mush the words. And the melody is written so it's truly unwrapping if played slower. Also, Russian tunes have that relaxed feel, where you can slow down a part and pick up speed at another, take a breath, so to speak. They don't work when squished between the measures. It's like the music is not disciplined, spontaneous. It also works better higher up in the scale. Too true - thing is it's a song first so the singer leads rather than being dragged along - which is why Red Army troopers tend to go a little fast but that is why they are kept to the chorus methinks. So,caught between two stools = as they old joke goes there was never any news in Pravda (Truth) and never any truth in Izvestiya (News)......... Up whose scale? Not the singer's! although there a couple of counter tenor versions around which don't seem to work too well!
mber Posted March 5, 2011 Posted March 5, 2011 (edited) Hmm. there is this feel of been rushed. Especially with the oom-pa background, as though a music is been driven by a locomotive. Red Army chorus is very dubious aggregation of professionals, working to satisfy some sort of pompous establishment, so we can ignore it. The tempo is driven by the words.If you set your metronome to 80, it's probably the fastest you can go with this tune. OK, make it 85. 90 will start mush the words. And the melody is written so it's truly unwrapping if played slower. Also, Russian tunes have that relaxed feel, where you can slow down a part and pick up speed at another, take a breath, so to speak. They don't work when squished between the measures. It's like the music is not disciplined, spontaneous. It also works better higher up in the scale. Too true - thing is it's a song first so the singer leads rather than being dragged along - which is why Red Army troopers tend to go a little fast but that is why they are kept to the chorus methinks. So,caught between two stools = as they old joke goes there was never any news in Pravda (Truth) and never any truth in Izvestiya (News)......... Up whose scale? Not the singer's! although there a couple of counter tenor versions around which don't seem to work too well! Vitas is an idiot. Good performer, but an idiot. What can we say? At first I thought it's some sort of a joke. Then I dug up another video and yep, he's up there. No, I meant played higher, when harmonies begin to work. P.s. I quickly grabbed my Baritone Ukulele, looked up chords on the Internet, spent few days rehearsing and there I am. It's on the opposite side of been undisciplined. Measures? What measures? Still working on it. Edited March 5, 2011 by mber
Kautilya Posted March 6, 2011 Posted March 6, 2011 Hmm. there is this feel of been rushed. Especially with the oom-pa background, as though a music is been driven by a locomotive. Red Army chorus is very dubious aggregation of professionals, working to satisfy some sort of pompous establishment, so we can ignore it. The tempo is driven by the words.If you set your metronome to 80, it's probably the fastest you can go with this tune. OK, make it 85. 90 will start mush the words. And the melody is written so it's truly unwrapping if played slower. Also, Russian tunes have that relaxed feel, where you can slow down a part and pick up speed at another, take a breath, so to speak. They don't work when squished between the measures. It's like the music is not disciplined, spontaneous. It also works better higher up in the scale. Too true - thing is it's a song first so the singer leads rather than being dragged along - which is why Red Army troopers tend to go a little fast but that is why they are kept to the chorus methinks. So,caught between two stools = as they old joke goes there was never any news in Pravda (Truth) and never any truth in Izvestiya (News)......... Up whose scale? Not the singer's! although there a couple of counter tenor versions around which don't seem to work too well! Vitas is an idiot. Good performer, but an idiot. What can we say? At first I thought it's some sort of a joke. Then I dug up another video and yep, he's up there. No, I meant played higher, when harmonies begin to work. P.s. I quickly grabbed my Baritone Ukulele, looked up chords on the Internet, spent few days rehearsing and there I am. It's on the opposite side of been undisciplined. Measures? What measures? Still working on it. Rather nice: and just the tempo for what is deffo a romantic serenade!
AnnC Posted March 6, 2011 Posted March 6, 2011 Rather nice: and just the tempo for what is deffo a romantic serenade! Unfortunately I can't get the 'Kenny Ball & his Jazzmen' Midnight in Moscow version out of my head so my attempts at Moscow Nights get played with less romance and more swing
AnnC Posted March 6, 2011 Posted March 6, 2011 Vitas is an idiot. Good performer, but an idiot. What can we say? At first I thought it's some sort of a joke. Then I dug up another video and yep, he's up there. No, I meant played higher, when harmonies begin to work. P.s. I quickly grabbed my Baritone Ukulele, looked up chords on the Internet, spent few days rehearsing and there I am. It's on the opposite side of been undisciplined. Measures? What measures? Still working on it. Lovely
Anglo-Irishman Posted March 7, 2011 Posted March 7, 2011 Rather nice: and just the tempo for what is deffo a romantic serenade! Unfortunately I can't get the 'Kenny Ball & his Jazzmen' Midnight in Moscow version out of my head so my attempts at Moscow Nights get played with less romance and more swing Anlej, I also first heard the tune as "Midnight in Moscow" by Kenny Ball. In fact, that was the only single I ever bought when it was in the Charts! Since then, I've heard enough Russian versions of it and similar Russian tunes to know how to honour it. I'll put it this way: Music consists of melody, harmony and rhythm. What distinguishes different genres of music is the relative importance of each of these elements in them. If you have more of one, you need less of another. "Moscow Nights" has a melody and harmonies that you just have to savour (wallow in?), so rhythm is superfluous. I've always enjoyed playing it with my group. Here, the fiddler plays melodeon, I play the banjo-mandolin (we couldn't afford a bayan and a balalaika just for that one piece) and our guitarist plays a heavy-thumbed, picked accompaniment. Our tempo is about that of the posted baritone uke recording, but it varies, as these Russian ballads frequently do. Each different tempo has a different feel to it, but it's the difference between adagio ma non troppo, adagio, and molto adagio. My favourite rendering is by my Russian friends on bayan and gusli. Everything from wistful to dramatic, but always adagio! Cheers, John
Dirge Posted March 8, 2011 Author Posted March 8, 2011 Missed all this; been in Australia inspecting funnel web spiders and meeting Richard Evans, among other things. I like the uke version too. Anyway it's certainly not the first time I've been told to slow things down. (eh Al?) I'll see if i can do better.
Kautilya Posted March 8, 2011 Posted March 8, 2011 Missed all this; been in Australia inspecting funnel web spiders and meeting Richard Evans, among other things. I like the uke version too. Anyway it's certainly not the first time I've been told to slow things down. (eh Al?) I'll see if i can do better. Well you always have been a bit creepy-crawley :rolleyes: ....... waiting now for your arachnid time to come down to four-time: use this as your metroGnome http://video.aol.com/video-detail/four-legged-spider/3911064887
Tootler Posted March 12, 2011 Posted March 12, 2011 I enjoyed this. I agree with others about the tempo. I would have preferred it a little slower, but that's a matter of personal taste. It was nicely played, though. Geoff.
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