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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

From the Library: Movie Magic!

Today's programme in our series From the Library features primarily instrumental film music from movies released in the 1930s onwards. The earliest film score represented is probably Sir Arthur Bliss's stunning music for the film adaptation of HG Wells' Things To Come, arguably one of the best science fiction films ever made, despite being very much of its era. From the Thirties and Forties we also present music by British film music composers such as William Alwyn and Richard Addinsell, and there are contributions from William Walton. American composers are also represented, including Steiner, Silvestri, Mancini and Goldsmith. You'll encounter quite a wealth of John Williams today too, from Star Wars to Harry Potter, and in addition we'll be featuring pieces of classical music that have played a vital role in the movies.

As always, there are a few wild cards too. Richard Addinsell's Warsaw Concerto, from Dangerous Moonlight, is featured. This Rachmaninov-esque miniature piano concerto was allegedly written because Rachmaninov was not interested in contributing a piece for the film – but it became a huge hit in the early 1940s and spawned a series of works in a similar vein, collectively known as the "Denham Concertos" after the film studios in Denham, Buckinghamshire, where many British wartime films were made. Thus you will also hear Trevor Richardson's enthralling London Fantasia, which tells the story in music of life in a major British city in wartime. Another wild card is music from a movie that was never actually made, although it should have been: the marvellously atmospheric score by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois for a film about the Apollo space missions.

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Caledon Library in Second Life. Today's programme was produced by Elrik Merlin.

You can listen now at http://music.radioriel.org - the ideal URL for you to use in your home parcel media address in-world - or simply visit any Caledon Library branch in-world and press Play on your embedded music player.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

World Wednesdays: Klezmer

I'm happy (and somewhat daunted) to announce that the premiere episode of World Wednesdays, a new weekly one-hour show on Radio Riel, will be tomorrow, January 7, 2009, at 6 pm SLT in Wyre. The show will be broadcast on http://music2.radioriel.org. Please join us or listen as you are able. A program schedule will be publicized on the Radio Riel calendar.

For this first show, I will be playing a variety of Klezmer and Klezmer-inspired musicians. Klezmer is a highly varied musical tradition of Ashkenazic Judaism that began in 15th-century eastern Europe. It includes both instrumental and vocal music, the latter traditionally sung in Yiddish.

From the Library: Beethoven and Haydn

Today Radio Riel offers two standards of the Classical repertoire: Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven.

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Caledon Library in Second Life. Today's program was produced by Otenth Paderborn.

For more information on the Caledon Library, current exhibits and the work of Second Life reference libraries in general, please visit the Caledon Library Web site, or one of their locations in-world.

You can listen now at http://music.radioriel.org - the ideal URL for you to use in your home parcel media address in-world - or simply visit any Caledon Library branch in-world and press Play on your embedded music player.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Magic Kingdom Monday

You've seen the movies (or your kids have)... you've heard the songs... and maybe you've even been there. The Magic Kingdom – the fantastic creation of characters, places and music that sprang from the mind of Walt Disney.

Today, Gabrielle Riel presents a Magic Kingdom Monday, with all the best in music and sounds from everything Disney: Disneyland, Disney World, and classic Disney movies.

The Disney organisation works with some of the top composers and artistes in the world, and it shows – even the humblest ride at Disneyland includes music and sound with a level of professionalism and sheer brilliance that is guaranteed to move you and bring alive a unique sense of magic.

Think of the music to It's A Small World.... (oops, sorry, now you won't be able to forget it!) for example, and you know you're listening to a truly accomplished and beautifully-crafted arrangement.

So.... take your mind off work and take yourself off to the Magic Kingdom for a day – Magic Kingdom Monday!

• Image: Wikimedia Commons