Tis the season and everywhere we go the music of the season rings out. I have many Christmas favorites from traditional to a few modern renditions. I have to admit I especially drawn to creative people who present the beauty of music in unusual ways.
I've always loved Tchaikovsky. He's one of my favorite composers, in part, because of his ability to tell a good story. His medium happened to be music and he touched the senses with those stories. His passion imbues his music. Tchaikovsky could tell a tale dark and ominous and do it well. He could also create whimsical fantasy with his music. He was willing to try different things to create the sound and mood he wanted. In one of my favorite sounds of the season, The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky used a celeste to create the sounds for the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. It was a new and different instrument in his day. Instead of typical piano this keyboard had a four octave range and attached to hammers which struck graduated steel plates. It was both a percussion and keyboard instrument. It created a different sound. It was unusual.Below, is another rendition of Sugar Plum Fairy, and is played on another unusual instrument, the glass harp. I have a few more traditional Christmas songs played on unusual instruments that I'll share in a few more posts. Meanwhile, enjoy this one!
- Do you have a favorite Christmas carol?
Disclaimer: Although I'm curious how many bottles of good wine it would take to fill these glasses I did not help them empty wine glasses before they were played. Just sayin' J
