.jpeg)
I realize that the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge of 2014 is now over, but I am posting on a Thursday for a very good reason. It's the first of the month and time for another edition of the twice monthly feature The Battle of the Bands. First conceived by Faraway Eyes at Far Away Series and joined by Stephen T. McCarthy at Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends, I've been also joining in the Battles on the 1st and 15th of each month to add my own twists on the musical mix. Others join in now and then--you will find some of those blogs at the end of this post--and you are welcome to stage your own Battle as well--just let us know in the comments so we'll come visit your contest.
Pardon My French Composer
In this Battle I'm taking a cue from Faraway Eyes. On one of her more recent Battles she used a piece of classical music and I thought that went over rather well. Since I have a number of classical pieces slated for upcoming contests I thought I'd use one of those for my first post A to Z Challenge match-up. In its original arrangement it's a very soothing piece that might be just the thing for some of you after the fast-paced schedule of April.
Though considered in the broad spectrum that is labeled "Classical Music", Gabriel Faure's work should be more accurately placed in the classifications of the music of the Romantic and Impressionistic Periods. His music is a bridge of sorts between those two eras of music. His earlier music was influenced by composers such as Chopin, Schumann, and Mozart. Later his technique followed the modernistic trends as he transitioned into the Impressionism movement and fell under the influence of jazz.
"Pavane" is the piece I've chosen for this Battle. It's an incredibly beautiful passionate work. He made a number of different arrangements and below I've linked to two of them for the purpose of reference for those who have time to listen to them. The first is one for orchestra and choir while the second is arranged for solo piano in a recording taken directly from Faure's own performance of the piece. Please don't use these for voting purposes in the Battle as they are only offered so you can hear how the piece was intended to sound. You might want to let them play in the background while you do something else or you can scroll down to the actual contest.
Here are the links to "Pavane" as originally composed:
And Now the Battle:
Stan Getz "Once (Pavane)" 1966
The first Battle competitor is famous jazz saxophonist Stan Getz in a unique recording experiment using a top rate jazz ensemble with a chorus used to emulate an orchestral background. The album "Voices" that this cut comes from is among the most mellow laid back collections of music that you can find. It's the ideal album for romantic evenings or just quiet contemplative times alone. Why someone decided to call this featured tune "Once" is a mystery to me, but this is definitely Faure's "Pavane" smooth jazz style.
Brian Auger & the Trinity "Pavane" (1969)
Jazz rock keyboardist Brian Auger never made a big splash in the United States, but he has had a long respectable career and is highly regarded among critics and discriminating music fans everywhere. His version of "Pavane" comes from one his best albums, the very eclectic Befour. Like Getz's version this is jazzy, but in a very different way.
And there you have it! Did that pairing knock your socks off or what? How do you choose between two outstanding versions like these? But you must! Please pick one of these two (and not the originals I linked at the beginning).
Now Vote!
Which version do you prefer? Tell us in the comments and let us know why you prefer this version. Then visit the other Battle of the Band participants.
Here are some other bloggers who may or may not be participating in the Battle of the Bands:
Faraway Series
Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends
Your Daily Dose
DiscConnected
Donna Hole
Do you enjoy modernized versions of classical music? Do you prefer mellow or supercharged? Which of the two jazzed versions of "Pavane" do you like best?
