symphonic
“JESUS CHRIST – SUPERSTAR” – A MASTERPIECE BECOMING A LEGEND
Rock opera Jesus Christ – superstar “Jesus Christ – Superstar” – one of the most famous and greatest rock operas in the world, with a rather long history, which has become a masterpiece and legend in the world of music.
Rock opera became the first musical of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice on the professional stage. And perhaps no other rock opera has undergone so many changes.
“Jesus Christ is a superstar” – the story of the creation of a rock opera
The musical originally came out in the form of an album in 1970, where Ian Gillan, the vocalist of the so-called “golden line-up” Deep Purple, played the lead role. The “live” concert in July 1971 was so successful that it was decided to record and release a record, which was subsequently sold in millions of copies. Until now, the young composer Andrew Lloyd Webber almost immediately became a celebrity. On October 12, 1971, the premiere of the expanded stage version of the rock opera Jesus Christ the Superstar took place on Broadway. Young authors were shocked by the success of the production. Already in August 1972, the show opened in London. Continue reading
The Bat, Johann Strauss Jr.
The Bat is one of the most unsurpassed creations of not only the author, Johann Strauss Jr., but one of the most amazing operettas. According to unconfirmed rumors, Jean Offenbach prompted Strauss to write operettas. One day, while talking with the composer Offenbach accidentally remarked: “Why do you, dear Strauss, stop writing waltzes and start writing operettas?” They claim that Strauss liked the idea very much, and now we can enjoy the magnificent operettas written by the composer. The story of the creation of the operetta “The Bat” confirms that the path from the script to the play is sometimes difficult.
The operetta’s plot was based on the play Revelon (Eve Ball, or Clock with a Fight), the authors of which were famous playwrights Melyak and Halevi, who also wrote the script Carmen, a famous opera by Georges Bizet. Strauss really liked the script, so he wrote the operetta with great enthusiasm. And although he worked mainly at night, he finished it in record time – in 6 weeks or in 42 nights !! Continue reading
THE UNBEATABLE KING OF WALSA JOHANN STRAUS
Dance melodies, which were called music for the feet, were treated condescendingly in any era. Opera, oratorios and symphonies have always been considered noble genres, but all kinds of quadrille, waltzes and polkas were classified as second-rate creations because of their entertaining nature. And only one Austrian composer managed to change this musical hierarchy, raising melodies for dances to previously unattainable symphonic heights. His name is Johann Strauss. He wrote almost half a thousand works. The works of the talented Strauss Jr. sounded in all corners of the world and continue to occupy a leading position in the repertoire of many theaters.
Rival son
Josef Lanner and Johann Strauss Sr. are considered to be the founders of the “Waltz Dynasty”. Their art seemed unattainable to many. But this was so until their main rival appeared on the horizon. Ironically, they became the composer Johann Strauss, the son of Strauss – Johann Strauss, Jr., who was born in Vienna on October 25, 1825. Continue reading