Music Video Series Friday! Along with the Guitar Video series each Friday will see a new installation for you to use in your classrooms, teaching studios or to set for listening assignments. This week it comes from Igudesman & Joo.
High School students of mine love this video when we are talking about the music of Mozart. Blending Mozart’s Symphony #40 in G Minor, K 550 – 1. Molto Allegro with the theme of James Bond (in a sole minor key) this video demonstrates how minor harmonies can be used in compositions to develop thematic material in a variety of ways. It is amazing to see how Mozart’s sequential figure in the opening theme develops into a rising and falling pattern on the violin whereas the James Bond theme, while following a similar sequential pattern, develops very differently (as you would expect).
The beauty of the video is how, using the minor tonality, the two performers are able to blend these themes and give such inspirational composition/remix ideas. I particularly love the chordal accompaniment on the piano while the violin plays the arching g minor second theme on top, then, both themes are played at once! Makes me think they should have worked in a Bach fugue while they were at it.
To see excerpts of their full act watch below:
