Collection of music videos

A toccata (from Italian toccata, "to play") is a piece of Renaissance and Baroque music for keyboard instruments such as the harpsichord or organ, usually in free form and generally emphasizing the performer's skill with a succession of fugal sections alternating with other free-style and improvisational sections. In the more advanced stages of the development of toccatas, these fugal sections will be the culmination and will have relative independence; so that in the 18th century the association of toccata and fugue was common.

The fugue is a musical genre in which musical ideas called subjects are superimposed. Several voices or instrumental lines are structured by imitation or reiteration of the same ones that appear in different keys and in the structured development of the themes presented. When this technique is used as part of a larger piece, it is said to be a fugal section or a fugato ; a short fugue is called a fughetta. Until the end of the Middle Ages the term fugue was widely used to describe canonical structures and works, in the Renaissance it was used to specifically designate works based on imitation. It was not until the 17th century that the term fugue would take on its current meaning.

The Toccata and Fugue in D minor , BWV 565 is a piece of organ music written by Johann Sebastian Bach . The piece opens with a toccata section (0´08´´) , followed by a fugue (2´55´´) that ends in a coda (7´59´´) . The first publication of the piece, in the era of the Bach “renaissance”, was in 1833 , thanks to the efforts of Felix Mendelssohn , who also performed the piece in an acclaimed concert in 1840 ; familiarity with the piece improved in the second half of the 19th century and further in the 20th century with the inclusion of the piece in Walt Disney 's animated film Fantasia (in Stokowski 's orchestral transcription), until this composition came to be regarded as the most famous work in the organ repertoire.

Maria Luisa Veneziano is a pianist, organist, musicologist and radio producer, who graduated in piano at the Conservatorio “S. Cecilia” in Rome with M° Aldo Tramma , in Chamber Music with M° Marco Lenzi and in Musicology with M° Lucia Bonifaci and specialized with Andràs Schiff on the keyboard work of Bach . She continued her studies at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome , at the “ G. Rossini ” in Pesaro , in Paris and in Munich . She has participated as a solo organist in numerous and renowned organ festivals in Ljiublijana, Roccamassima, Emilia Romagna, Teramo, Pesaro, Bergamo, Saint Denis in Paris ... where she enjoys great critical and public success and has collaborated with renowned national and international artists.

Amadeo Vives (1871-1932), a composer born in Barcelona , is the author of numerous songs and more than a hundred stage works, among which Bohemios, Maruxa and, above all, Doña Francisquita stand out, considered among the greatest works of the genre. He began receiving music lessons from his brother at the age of five; later he studied piano, harmony and composition with José Ribera ; he collaborated with Lluis Millet in the foundation of the Orfeó Catalá , which began its journey with Catalan songs harmonized by Amadeo Vives . By the age of fourteen he had composed several sonatas and at the age of 24 he premiered his first opera in Barcelona . Later he moved to Madrid where his stage premieres received successful responses and recognized prestige.

Doña Francisquita is a zarzuela, known as a "lyrical comedy", in three acts, with a libretto by Federico Romero Sarachaga and Guillermo Fernández-Shaw Iturralde , based on the comedy La descongelada by Félix Lope de Vega , with music by the maestro Amadeo Vives ; it premiered at the Teatro Apolo in Madrid on 17 October 1923. It is considered one of the greatest zarzuela works, setting a model within the great genre. The libretto portrays romantic Madrid in a poetic and faithful way, creating pictures of great colour and liveliness, without falling into mere historical recreation, this being a work full of freshness. Due to its characteristics, it can also be defined as a high-quality comic opera.

María Bayo (1961 in Fitero , Navarra/Nafarroa) is a soprano who has developed an outstanding international career as a performer of opera, zarzuela and classical song. Although she was born in a hospital in Tudela , she considers the town of Fitero , where her family lives and with which she maintains a close ties, to be her hometown. She has been awarded the first prize in the Belvedere competition in Vienna , the National Music Prize , the Prince of Viana Prize for Culture ; she has been invested as an elected member of Jakiunde , awarded the Humanities Prize of Eusko Ikaskuntza-Caja Laboral , the Traetta Prize of the Traetta Society, the Cadenas de Navarra Prize ... In 2020 she received the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts .

Today we offer the romance of Doña Francisquita , Song of the Nightingale, accompanied on the piano by Brian Zeger .

Giuseppe Torelli (Verona, 1658 - Bologna, 1709) was an Italian composer, violinist and music teacher of the Baroque period . He was the brother of the painter Felice Torelli and is best remembered for his music for stringed instruments and trumpet. He received his first musical training in his hometown under the maestro Giuliano Massaroti . In 1684 he moved to Bologna to study with Giacomo Antonio Perti and on 27 June of that same year he entered the Philharmonic Academy of Bologna as a violinist. Torelli applied the three-movement form (Allegro, Adagio, Allegro) already used by Alessandro Scarlatti to instrumental concertos, and was one of the main proponents of the concerto grosso , whose invention is often attributed to Corelli . He was also a pioneer in the composition of solo concertos for violin and orchestra. A total of 84 works by him are known.

Today the Croatian Baroque Ensemble offers us the Symphony in C by Maestro Torelli , a symphony divided into three sections: I (0´08´´) ALLEGRO .-. II (3´55´´) ADAGIO .-. III (4´15´´) PRESTO.

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) was a French composer, a leading figure in programmatic music and Romanticism in general. He studied in Paris and Rome , where he was on a scholarship, studying the hymns of his teacher, Jean-François Lesueur , and imitating Beethoven , who was then unknown in France , as well as Gluck, Mozart, Étienne Méhul and Carl Maria von Weber. In 1844 he composed the first known work for saxophone, the sextet Canto Sagrado , which was premiered under the baton of Berlioz himself and with Adolphe Sax on saxophone. He also wrote several symphonies (among which his best-known work, the Symphonie fantastique, stands out), overtures, operas, cantatas, sacred music, non-theatrical dramatic works, choral works and numerous songs.

An oratorio is a dramatic musical genre, unlike an opera , without staging, costumes or sets. Generally composed for solo voices, choir and symphony orchestra, sometimes with a narrator, its subject matter is frequently religious (stories from the Bible or the Gospel , from the life of Jesus or the lives of saints, etc.), but can also be secular (mythological heroes, historical themes, a hymn to nature, etc.). Its main characteristics are generally: A) A general structure in several parts, frequently three, (eventually preceded by an instrumental prelude). B) The presence of a narrator (external to the action or identified with a character). C) The alternation between the sung parts of arias and recitatives.

The Infancy of Christ , Op. 25 is an oratorio in three parts for soloists, chorus, orchestra and organ, originally called « Trilogie Sacrée » (Sacred Trilogy); a work by Hector Berlioz created on December 10, 1854 in Paris . FIRST PART (2'35'') Herod's Dream . King Herod , suffering from a recurring nocturnal vision, summons soothsayers who announce to him that « a child has just been born who will make his throne and his power disappear ». In order to counteract this prophecy, he decides to kill all newborns. ( Hector Berlioz 's indication: «after a silence of about 8 or 9 bars, we pass, without further interruption, to the "Nativity Scene"). In a stable, the Virgin Mary tends to the Infant Jesus . The angels confide to the Holy Family that danger threatens them and that they must flee. SECOND PART (44'00'') The Flight into Egypt. The shepherds have gathered in front of the stable. They say goodbye to the Holy Family . Then the journey begins. THIRD PART (1h 0'20'') The arrival in Sais . They are taken in by an Ismaili family. A trio for two flutes and harp is played by the young Ismailis. The reciter is followed by a choir, which concludes the work.

The oratorio is conducted by James Conlon (1950), an American conductor, currently music director of the Los Angeles Opera , principal conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra and artistic advisor to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist. His style, formed during the 1940s, ranged from swing to bop and was part of the classical or traditional jazz movement. A follower of Art Tatum , he was a technically gifted acoustic pianist with a remarkable ability to play quickly and with a great ability to swing , regardless of the tempo of his performance. His performances in small groups and accompanying singers are praised, although his best moments are as a soloist. Peterson is also a composer; for example, he wrote and recorded the famous Canadiana Suite in 1964. He has recorded several of his own works on electric piano. An exceptional vocalist, his voice is very reminiscent of Nat King Cole .

Los Chalchaleros was an Argentine folk group created in Salta in 1948 and dissolved in 2003; even today they are considered the largest folk group in Argentina ; their name derives from a songbird from northern Argentina, the Chalchalero thrush . Their debut took place on June 16, 1948, at the Alberdi Theater in Salta . The first song sung in public was Zamba del grillo . Los Chalchaleros began to become popular in their native province with their first big hit Lloraré. Throughout their career, they released nearly 50 albums, popularizing Argentine folk styles such as zamba, cueca, chacarera, gato or chamamé . They are considered exponents of Argentine music worldwide.

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) was a French composer, a leading figure in programmatic music and Romanticism in general. He studied in Paris and Rome , where he was on a scholarship, studying the hymns of his teacher, Jean-François Lesueur , and imitating Beethoven , who was then unknown in France , as well as Gluck, Mozart, Étienne Méhul and Carl Maria von Weber. In 1844 he composed the first known work for saxophone, the sextet Canto Sagrado , which was premiered under the baton of Berlioz himself and with Adolphe Sax on saxophone. He also wrote several symphonies (among which his best-known work, the Symphonie fantastique, stands out), opertures, operas, cantatas, sacred music, non-theatrical dramatic works, choral works and numerous songs.

The Fantastic Symphony, op.14 , subtitled Episode in the Life of an Artist , consists of five movements: I (0´48´´) DREAMS AND PASSIONS describes the anxiety produced by the protagonist before meeting his beloved; later, the volcanic love that she inspires in him. Towards the end of this movement, we perceive a contrast between the passion produced by the protagonist and the disconsolation caused by the rejection. - II (15´28´´) A DANCE, the reunion with the beloved takes place after the rejection, in a dance. The music then adopts the tempo of a waltz, thus describing the protagonist's restlessness. The “fixed idea” appears briefly interrupting the waltz, reappearing at the end of the movement. - III (22´02´´) SCENE IN THE COUNTRY. It describes two shepherds, represented by the duo formed by the English horn and the oboe, enjoying a wonderful summer afternoon. Towards the middle of the movement, the beloved appears and he is invaded by terrible presentiments. At the end, the English horn reappears, evoking the pastoral theme again and ending with a timpani roll, which produces a mysterious atmosphere. IV (39'00') THE MARCH TO THE GALLOWS. The musician dreams that he kills his beloved and, therefore, is condemned to the guillotine to be executed; at that moment he remembers for the last time the feeling of love. The march is based on two main themes, each played by the strings and the winds. The movement ends with drum and timpani rolls together with chords played by the brass that symbolize the power of justice. V (43'47'') DREAMS OF A NIGHT OF SABBATH. The protagonist witnesses his own funeral, surrounded by witches and spirits among whom he can see his beloved transformed into a harpy. The Dies Irae (a 12th century melody belonging to Gregorian chant, and which forms part of the Requiem ) is introduced in the work together with the round of witches accompanied by the ringing of bells. (Extracted from Digital melomano).

The version we offer today, choreographed by Léonnide Massine , is performed by the Orchestra and Ballet of the Paris National Opera with Emmanuel Villaume at the music stand and Kader Belarbi and Fanny Gaïda in the leading roles.

Colombian Dance . Colombia is a country of unparalleled cultural richness, where each region has its own traditions, rhythms and dances that tell the story of its people. From the Caribbean coast to the Andes , passing through the Eastern Plains and the Pacific , the typical dances of Colombia are a living expression of the cultural diversity that characterizes the country. Each dance, from cumbia to sanjuanero , is a window to the identity and soul of the communities that practice them. These dances are not only a form of entertainment, but also a way to keep traditions alive and pass them on to new generations. In an increasingly globalized world, the preservation of these traditions is essential to maintaining Colombia 's cultural richness. Festivals and cultural events that celebrate these dances are an opportunity for new generations to connect with their heritage and for the world to appreciate the beauty and diversity of Colombian culture. Dance is undoubtedly one of the purest forms of cultural expression, and in Colombia , every step, every turn, and every movement is a testament to the history, identity, and indomitable spirit of its people. May each of these dances continue to be a symbol of unity in diversity and a reflection of the vibrant cultural mosaic that is Colombia . (Excerpted from the Golden Dance Academy Website).

Today we present the Caderona , which is a rhythm from the Colombian South Pacific that was born in the parties that the slave miners held in their different celebrations and comes from African belly dancing.