5 on Friday -- Set 248

Spinning Friday tunes since 2010...

For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

Now that November has arrived, it's time for my monthly feature for 5 on Friday -- The Hit Makers.

Once a month I'm going to feature the songs that launched careers. I'll be looking at different musical styles and the groups or singers from those styles who I love the best.

This will come as no surprise to any of you -- my favorite music of all is ballet scores.

I know -- shocking, right?

Here are five of my favorite ballet composers and the scores that launched their careers in that musical form.

1 - Swan Lake main theme - composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikoksky - 1876

Main theme begins at the 1:46 mark and ends at the 3:22 mark

2 - Romeo and Juliet main theme - composed by Sergei Prokofiev - 1935 

3 - The Firebird final theme - composed by Igor Stravinsky - 1910

Final theme begins at the 37:33 mark and ends at the 40:26 mark

4 - Giselle main wilis theme - composed by Adolphe Adam - 1841

Wilis theme begins at the 6:05 mark and ends at the 8:42 mark

5 - La Bayadere's Nikia theme - composed by Ludwig Minkus - 1877

Nikia (who is the temple dancer or bayadere of the title) theme begins at the 0:00 mark and ends at the 3:13 mark

5 on Friday - Set 38

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

Continuing with Halloween Week here at A Piece of My Mind, I've collected five spooky pieces of ballet music that should send shivers up your spines.

1 - Cinderella's Waltz - Cinderella - Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra

Composed by Sergei Prokofiev



2 - Montagues and Capulets - Romeo and Juliet - Stuttgart Ballet Orchestra

Composed by Sergei Prokofiev

The main spooky theme runs till the 1:49 mark.



3 - La mort d'Hilarion (The death of Hilarion) - Giselle - Tokyo Ballet Orchestra

Composed by Adolphe Adam

Giselle is, at its heart, a ghost story. In this scene the vengeful spirits known as the Wilis (pronounced 'will-eeze') - as in, 'you're giving me the willies' - trap spurned lover Hilarion in the forest and force him to dance to death.

In the ballet, the Wilis are the spirits of young betrayed women who were denied their wedding day and died of broken hearts.



4 - The Augurs of Spring: Dances of the Young Girls - The Rite of Spring - Mariinsky Ballet Orchestra

Composed by Igor Stravinsky

The main spooky theme runs till the 1:35 mark. It definitely brings to mind John Williams' Jaws theme, which followed Stravinsky's composition 62 years later.

This particular performance is a reconstruction of the 1913 original choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky. At the turn of the last century, this music and dance's modernism was so disturbing to the audience at the premiere, they literally rioted.



5 - 1st Tableau and The Enchanted Garden of Kashchei (an evil immortal who terrorizes young women) - The Firebird - Bolshoi State Academic Theater Orchestra

Composed by Igor Stravinsky

The main spooky theme runs till the 4:20 mark.

Through the Opera Glasses - 62 - Courage to Climb Higher

It's probably hard to imagine that orchestra conductors don't emerge fully-formed from the womb in white tie and tails.

However, these elite artists have to train like anyone else in order to harness the potential of a live performance.

While I was rooting around on You Tube some time ago for pieces from Stravinsky's Apollo, I came across this clip of a young conductor learning his craft. He takes the orchestra through the second Apollo variation, one of my favorite pieces of music, during a masterclass with Russian conductor Yuri Simonov.

Artists are forever fine-tuning their techniques. Learning and growing should never end for those of us who create. The key is to never confuse instruction with a message of not-good-enough. Embrace refinement of your craft. Find the courage to climb higher.



Travis Cody says "Embrace refinement of your craft. Find the courage to climb higher." I could put that on my 3x5 card I keep in my wallet. That is outstanding advice.

Shelley Munro says I've never thought of a conductor needing to learn his craft before. I don't know why. Maybe I thought they popped out of the womb ready to go. *shaking head*

Janet says I agree with Travis - fantastic advice, Julia. You might just see that on Inspiration Wednesday one of these days - I'm cut/pasting it into my quote document :)