Collection of music videos

Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) was a French composer of Italian origin (born in Florence ) who became a naturalized French citizen at the age of 21 (his real name was Giovanni Battista Lulli ). He quickly distinguished himself as a violinist and dancer, and at the age of twenty, he entered the service of Louis XIV as musical director to the royal family; from then on, his importance in the development of classical ballet was paramount. He also renewed the essence of opera with greater solemnity in its staging, a strong emphasis on the clarity of the text, and meticulous elaboration in its ballets and choruses. His musical output is based primarily on three pillars: opera, ballets, and religious music.

Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme ( The Bourgeois Gentleman ) is a comedy-ballet by Molière in five acts with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully ; it was premiered by Molière 's company on October 14, 1670 at the court of Louis XIV at the castle of Chambord .

Today we offer the March for the ceremony of the Turks performed by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the harpsichordist and conductor specializing in baroque music, Emmanuelle Haïm , who has had important performances at the head of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago Opera or the BBC Proms , among other formations.

Harold Arien (1905–1986) was an American composer of popular music who wrote over 500 songs, some of which became worldwide hits. Born in Buffalo , New York , he learned to play the piano as a child and formed a band in his youth. He achieved some local success as a pianist and singer before moving to New York City in his twenties, where he worked as a vaudeville sideman. In 1929, Arien composed his first known song, " Get Happy " (with lyrics by Ted Koehler ). In the early to mid-1930s, Arien and Koehler wrote shows for the Cotton Club , a popular Harlem nightclub, as well as for Broadway musicals and Hollywood films.

Over the Rainbow . In the mid-1930s, Arien married and spent increasingly more time in California , writing for musical films. It was at this time that she began working with lyricist Yip Harburg ; in 1938, the team was hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to compose songs for the film The Wizard of Oz , the most famous of which is Over the Rainbow , winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Song; furthermore, Over the Rainbow was voted the number one song of the 20th century by the RIAA and the NEA .

Today we offer this song in a version for violin and piano with violinist Claire Bucelle and pianist Dominique Le Guern .

Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (Paris, 1665 – Paris, 1729) was a renowned French harpsichordist and composer, the daughter of Claude Jacquet and Anne de la Touche , both musicians from families of harpsichordists, teachers, and makers. Élisabeth began playing keyboard instruments at a very young age, and her father presented her to Louis XIV when she was only five years old. She soon moved to Versailles, accepting an offer from Madame de Montespan , the French king's mistress, and remained there, delighting the French court with her music until her marriage. In 1684, she married Marin de La Guerre , an organist, and moved with him to Paris , where she continued to perform in public and private concerts, give private harpsichord lessons, and compose works.

One example is her opera Céphale et Procris ; she also composed a ballet commissioned by the court of Versailles , Les jeux à l'honneur de la victoire , which sadly has not survived. Around 1687, she published a book of harpsichord pieces that included some of her most celebrated suites of French keyboard dances, among them Preludes, Chaconnes, and Toccatas . In 1700, she was widowed and also lost her only child, who was just ten years old. Élisabeth ceased composing until 1707, when she published her second book of harpsichord works. She also explored new Italian forms with her violin trio sonatas and cantatas . In 1715, she published her last major work, the third book of Cantates françaises . Her last known work was a chorale commissioned to celebrate King Louis XV 's recovery from smallpox, which gives us an idea of the prestige she achieved as a composer. From then until her death on June 27, 1729, Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre gradually withdrew from public life.

Today we offer his Sonata No. 2 in B-flat major for two violins, cello and continuo, performed by Adriane Post and Boel Gidholm , violins; Lisa Terry , cello; Naomi Gregory , harpsichord and Deborah Fox , theorbo.

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) was an Italian composer of 39 operas, numerous songs, some piano works, and some sacred music. He began composing at the age of 12; Rossini 's early compositions include numerous sacred pieces, an opera, several overtures, and a modest amount of instrumental music, much of it in the style of the early Viennese school of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven . In 1812, he was engaged by La Scala in Milan, where he achieved a memorable success with "The Touchstone." The following year, he premiered his first serious opera, " Tancredi, " in Venice , and soon after, another great success, "The Italian Girl in Algiers . " In 1815, he settled in Naples, where he wrote regularly and without pressure, with regular rehearsals and deadlines. In 1822, he moved to Vienna, where he met the admired Beethoven . From Vienna to London , back to Paris , and after the premiere of his last opera, William Tell , he left opera at the height of his economic and popular success at the age of 37. He died at the age of 77.

Mosè in Egitto (Moses in Egypt) is an opera in three acts with music by Gioacchino Rossini and an Italian libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola , based on Francesco Ringhieri 's 1760 play, L'Osiride . It premiered on March 5, 1818, at the newly rebuilt Teatro San Carlo in Naples . Considered an azione tragico-sacra, the sacred drama, with some oratorio elements, allowed for the circumvention of prohibitions on secular dramatic performances during Lent . Rossini revised the opera for Naples in 1819, introducing Moses ' prayer aria " Dal tuo stellato soglio ," which became one of the most popular operatic pieces of the era, inspired a series of variations for violin and piano by Niccolò Paganini , and survives in concert form. Rossini expanded the work in 1827, this time with a libretto in French . Moïse et Pharaon, ou Le passage de la Mer Rouge (Moses and Pharaoh, or The Crossing of the Red Sea) is in four acts, with a ballet. It premiered in Paris on March 26.

The plot unfolds in Egypt around 1230 BC. The opera was loosely based on the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt , led by Moses , a fact made more appealing to the opera through the introduction of a love story, in which Pharaoh's son, Amenhotep (tenor), plots to prevent their departure, as he loves the Israelite Anaïs (soprano). The opera opens with a dark scene, as the plague of darkness is dispelled by Moses ' prayer, and ends with the spectacle of the Red Sea parting and the drowning of Pharaoh 's army, which "provoked howls of derision" due to the clumsy staging at the premiere, although the opera overcame its technical shortcomings and was a success.

Today the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra with the Simón Bolívar Choir , conducted by the Venezuelan maestro Christian Vásquez, offer us the Venezuelan premiere of the opera Moses in Egypt by Gioachino Rossini.

Willie Dixon (1915-1992) was an American blues bassist, singer, songwriter, record producer, and boxer, born in Vicksburg, Mississippi . He was the music producer for the Chicago-based record company Chess Records and is considered one of the leading figures in the development of Chicago blues . His progress in learning and playing the bass was interrupted by his refusal to be drafted into the army during World War II , for which he was imprisoned for ten months.

After the war, he reunited with Baby Doo Caston , his bass teacher, gradually becoming a prolific and prodigious blues artist, even declaring himself, "I am the blues." He was renowned for his bass playing; he is also mentioned on many of Chuck Berry 's early recordings, providing further evidence of the connection between the blues and the birth of rock and roll . Furthermore, R&B groups of the 1960s constantly drew inspiration from Dixon 's songs. He died in 1992 of a heart attack in Burbank, California , and was buried in Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois .

Idir (1945–2020) was an Algerian singer, considered one of the leading exponents of Amazigh or Berber music. The son of a shepherd, he was born in Ait Lahcène , in Kabylia , eastern Algeria . He studied geology, but his career eventually led him to music. In 1973, he happened to be filling in at Radio Alger , and his Berber song "V vava Inouv a" was played and began to gain popularity. In 1975, he moved to Paris to record his first album, released the following year by the Pathé Marconi label. In 1999, he released his new album, " Identités, " advocating dialogue and fraternity among peoples. Relations with the Algerian regime were not easy due to his advocacy of Amazigh identity. He died in Paris on May 2, 2020.

Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) was an Austrian composer, son of Johann Strauss and brother of composers Josef Strauss and Eduard Strauss . Known during his lifetime as "the Waltz King," he was a key figure in the evolution and sophistication of the waltz, transforming it from a peasant dance into a popular entertainment at the Imperial Court . He is the most famous member of the family for his waltzes, polkas, and marches; he also composed several operettas. His father wanted to spare his son the hardships of a musician's life, so it was his mother who helped and encouraged him to focus on music. His work forms the basis of the repertoire performed annually at the Vienna Philharmonic 's New Year's Concert .

Die Fledermaus (The Bat) is a comic operetta in three acts with music by Johann Strauss II and a German libretto by Carl Haffner and Richard Genée . It premiered on April 5, 1874, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna , Austria . The work is based on a German comedy by Julius Roderich Benedix called Das Gefängnis (The Prison), which in turn is based on a vaudeville, Le Réveillon , by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy . It was translated into German by Carl Haffner as a Viennese stage play, Le Réveillon (A Midnight Banquet); however, in the context of the Franco-Prussian conflict and its aftermath, it caused problems due to its French characteristics. These were resolved by adapting the libretto for Johann Strauss , who transposed Le Réveillon to a Viennese banquet.

Today we offer the pas de deux of act 2 of the aforementioned operetta in a version choreographed by Roland Petit and starring Alessandra Ferri (1962), considered the greatest Italian dancer since Carla Fracci ), and Massimo Murru (etoile of the Teatro de la Scala in Milan)

The marinera is a mixed-gender, free-form couple's dance characterized by the use of handkerchiefs and is the most well-known dance of the Peruvian coast. It originates from the Aragonese jota, the zamacueca , and other dances of indigenous origin, and takes on a nationalist connotation, becoming a version of Peruvian music with its own identity. It is an example of Hispanic-Indigenous-African cultural fusion, among others, and there are various variations theories or schools of thought exist regarding its origin and evolution. On January 30, 1986, the choreographic and musical forms of the marinera, in all its regional variations, were declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by the National Institute of Culture of Peru (INC), marking the first such declaration by the Peruvian State . In 2012, the Congress of the Republic of Peru declared October 7th as the Day of the Marinera .

Chuscada Ancashina. The Ancash huayno, or "chuscada," is a musical genre of Andean music from Peru , originating in the central and eastern highlands of the Ancash region. The writer William Tamayo Ángeles recounts: "When the Liberator Simón Bolívar was traveling from Caraz to Yungay at the end of June 1824, he encountered several peasant couples dancing by the roadside in Punyan . Seeing the grace in their movements and the rhythmic waving of their handkerchiefs, he exclaimed, 'What a beautiful chuscada!' meaning, in the Venezuelan expression of his time, 'beauty with grace and playfulness.'" From then on, in his honor, the people of Ancash decided to distinguish their huayno by also calling it " chuscada ."