The Most famous Tango - Isaac Albéniz Tango in D

Today has been a particularly restless Monday! I've been glancing at the clock counting down the seconds till it's time to get away from the office. In an attempt to calm my frustrations from work, I thought of this lovely tango as the perfect song to relax me before my long battle with afternoon rush hour traffic.  

Originally written for solo piano as part of the suite España, Op. 165 in 1890, the Tango in D is one of composer Issac Albéniz's most well-known work. Ironically, the transcribed version for classical guitar is more important today than the original piano piece. Personally, I love them both, but agree with general consensus that the guitar version breathes more life and Spanish flare into the piece. It's a juxtaposition of calm and serenity with the seductive rhythms of a tango. 

If this is your first time getting to know Albéniz, I suggest you google the rest of his translated repertoire for classical guitar. They are definitely all gems!

The Oscars, McDonalds, and Debussy

I was watching the 2015 Oscars Sunday night, and saw this witty and artistic McDonalds Big Mac commercial. It's also being used as Youtube commercials right now, so maybe many of you have also already seen this.

What is that lovely piano piece playing in the background? In my last post, I was just praising Claude Debussy as an outstanding composer of the Impressionistic movement, and specifically talked about Clair de Lune, the third movement of Suite Bergamasque. The piano sheet music can be found on here courtesy of the International Music Score Library Project, otherwise known as the Petrucci Music Library.

This was one of the piano pieces I learned in middle school, but still play often. In my opinion, it has gained somewhat of a 'cheesy' reputation for serious piano pupils, and is rarely chosen for recital or competition. This is probably due to its overwhelming popularity in mainstream media, and the fact that everyone has played this at some time or other and has their own interpretation that they prefer. But even so, its melodies are incredibly serene, and really sets the mood for reflection. Even though the title translates to moonlight, I often randomly come back to this music on a quiet afternoon or a soft rainy day. Enjoy!