Terrific choice. I remember the 1990 World Cup on the BBC and this was the piece they chose as their theme music ..
Yes, that's where I first heard it too BBC's Italia 90 coverage. Still makes me think of that World Cup every time I hear it.
Terrific choice. I remember the 1990 World Cup on the BBC and this was the piece they chose as their theme music ..
The lyrics to the song "Adiemus" aren't in English or any other "real" language. According to the Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, who wrote the piece, "The text was written phonetically with the words viewed as instrumental sound, the idea being to maximise the melisma (an expressive vocal phrase) by removing the distraction, if one can call it that, of words."
YouTube: video
I can only think of one non-English song right now and it's L'appuntamento. I have two versions, one by Ornella Vanoni and the other by Andrea Bocelli.
... Also, on this topic, take a listen to the Fourth Movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony; it is the only choral piece in a Beethoven Symphony and it is simply sublime .
... Another, equally compelling piece form Karl Jenkins is 'Sanctus', which is spell-binding.
I had the rare and wonderful privilege of hearing it performed live, at a Christmas Day Mass two years ago; magnificent.
Beethoven's music is genius; "Ninth" especially so. I'm rather fond of Gustav Mahler's orchestration of the Ninth, but I suppose purists might feel otherwise.
Jenkin's "Sanctus" is a favor of mine, as is "Dies Irae" from his "Requiem", along with numerous other pieces he's written. I love the fact that Jenkins isn't afraid to use various languages within a given composition (as he does in "The Armed Man", for example) or "invent" a quasi-language. His "Dona Nobis Pacem" (Part I & II) are pleasantly unconventional. But then, I'm fond of Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Dona Nobis Pacem" as well. Such an intense and complex piece. His use of text from a House of Commons speech is interesting touch, but I suppose I'm wandering off the (non-English) libretto topic...
That must have been wondrous. There's nothing quite like experiencing a live performance... Especially in a well designed hall, large enough for the laws of physics to work its sonic magic.
Got to enjoy Rammstein when my Son was in high school, but I can't say favorite.![]()
One of my favourites - whether English or non-English is the wonderful, immortal, unforgettable: "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" by Edith Piaf.