Waltz of the Sirens, by Alma Deutscher

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To me, the most interesting part was the introduction. But the waltzes still put a smile on my face.

👍︎︎ 21 👤︎︎ u/thegooddoctorben 📅︎︎ Dec 24 2019 🗫︎ replies

Obviously she is an extremely talented musician, with a very bright mind. It's a shame she has so many people encouraging her pretentious views. In her quest to be rid of the 'pretentiousness' of contemporary classical music, she has succeeded in becoming the very thing she attacks. 95% of living composers I know do not hold any views similar to what she explains as commonplace, and her condescension betrays her talent in showing that she is very much still, a young and immature, albeit exceptionally gifted musician. Music is not a battle, or a dichotomy, and is becoming especially pluralistic in the 21st century... but hey, the tried and true method of us versus the 'other' seems to be working again, as it has for the entirety of humanity.

👍︎︎ 67 👤︎︎ u/Bodyfreak_ 📅︎︎ Dec 24 2019 🗫︎ replies

This was very good, I was surprised I really enjoyed it. Good work Alma!

👍︎︎ 17 👤︎︎ u/TroyAlexanderA 📅︎︎ Dec 23 2019 🗫︎ replies

I really enjoyed that; the first transition was magical -- brought a tear to my eye.

👍︎︎ 5 👤︎︎ u/MightyBooch 📅︎︎ Dec 24 2019 🗫︎ replies

Look, I don't want to be too biased here...

But good God. Leave the poor girl alone.

I can't help but think that the desire to attack her is formed out of the threat of a young girl surpassing them at something that they wish they were good at...or at least think they know everything about. Her music is wholesome; she is mainly referring to the critics, not the general taste at large.

Then again, how much should any of us listen to music critics anyways? A load of them are full of shit anyways.

👍︎︎ 6 👤︎︎ u/yojimbo2095 📅︎︎ Apr 27 2020 🗫︎ replies

I like that she tried to B natural.

👍︎︎ 24 👤︎︎ u/TaylorANoel6661 📅︎︎ Dec 24 2019 🗫︎ replies

I think this is an excellent piece of music; very strongly melodic and beautifully orchestrated. I hope she continues to write such rich and rewarding pieces of music.

👍︎︎ 17 👤︎︎ u/jthanson 📅︎︎ Dec 24 2019 🗫︎ replies

I'm more impressed by her orchestration than content. Then again I don't imagine string players like glissandos that much...

👍︎︎ 7 👤︎︎ u/licoricestic 📅︎︎ Dec 24 2019 🗫︎ replies

Cheesiness, and cheesisity made flesh.

Sounds like a second rate Elgar, but obviously great for a young child. Hope she spices it up as she goes older

👍︎︎ 9 👤︎︎ u/[deleted] 📅︎︎ Dec 24 2019 🗫︎ replies
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So now I'll tell you a little bit about the Waltz that's coming now because it starts in quite a strange way and I don't want you to get a shock! When I moved to Vienna, one of the first things that struck me was the sound of the police sirens there. They sound very different from the Wailing Sirens like here in America. They go: if you want a closer imitation: And when I heard this Viennese Siren I tried in my mind to continue it as a melody. And since Vienna is the city of waltzes, I thought I should turn it into a Waltz melody! I've always wanted to write beautiful music. Music that comes out of the heart and speaks directly to the heart. But some people have told me that nowadays melodies and beautiful harmonies are no longer acceptable in serious classical music... because in the 21st century, music must reflect the ugliness of the modern world. Well, in this Waltz, instead of trying to make my music artificially ugly, in order to reflect the modern world, I went in exactly the opposite direction! I took some ugly sounds from the modern world and I tried to turn them into something more beautiful, through music. The introduction starts off with the sounds of a noisy street. You'll hear the Austrian police sirens but also the wailing sirens like in America, and cars hooting. So really a complete cacophony. But then, after a short while, the noise of the street dies down and the imagination takes over. And in the imagination, I take these ugly police sirens and try to turn them into something more beautiful, perhaps more in the direction of the sirens in the Odyssey. And then after this long introduction the Waltz itself starts, which is actually a chain of four different waltzes. And the fourth Waltz is the one which is based on the Austrian police sirens. So anyway, don't be scared by the beginning! Free streaming of Alma's opera Cinderella, conducted by Alma. From July 22, 2023 Link to trailer in the text below.
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Channel: AlmaDeutscher
Views: 2,266,673
Rating: undefined out of 5
Keywords: Alma Deutscher, Siren Sounds, Waltz, Sirenenklänge, Walzer, Sirenenwalzer, composer
Id: W0xMpLXQNvM
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 18min 6sec (1086 seconds)
Published: Mon Dec 23 2019
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