Part Four: Musicals/Classical and World Music

The first 3 are by Andrew Lloyd Webber—a genius for writing melodies, though he needed help from others for the lyrics. From the musical Evita, we have Barbara Dickson with "Another Suitcase in Another Hall".

This song, also from Evita, is a finely crafted one and very ably performed by a mainstay of the musical scene, Elaine Paige. A ravishing melody!

I enjoyed "Tell Me on a Sunday" sung by Marti Webb for some years. It took on a new dimension when I heard Michael Crawford singing it and fully appreciated what a painful song this was as it builds to the climax.

"Feels Like Home" was written by Randy Newman for a musical called Faust, which I have never heard. I was watching a video of the film Michael with John Travolta when out of the blue came Bonnie Raitt's voice. I nearly died!

In fairness, there is another version by jazz singer Diana Krall and rocker Bryan Adams which is very good—but nothing beats Bonnie.

Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil are not exactly household names, even though they did create the music for Miss Saigon and Les Misérables. Two tracks from Les Mis. The first features Lea Salonga, whose performance is sheer perfection. I cannot imagine this being done any better. End game!

Another beautiful song, and so many versions to choose from. I just about prefer this one.

Just 7 pieces with which you may already be familiar. The first is the Pathetique piano sonata written by Herr Beethoven himself and played with great sensitivity by Paul Lewis.

Now, I don't much care for symphonies—often too cacophonous for my ears. Here's a rare exception. It's Dvorak's New World Symphony. I like the orchestral version, but even more so when played by Grimethorpe Colliery Band.

I especially enjoy choral music. We are fortunate in the UK to have some outstanding small choirs (i.e. up to 16 choristers). Not a lot of people know that!

One such is called Tenebrae, and I was all set to play their version of Allegri's Miserere before this upstart sneaked in to claim its place. Stunningly beautiful, though may take a few listens.

On this track we have my favourite composer, Johann Sebastian, plus the best violinist, Hilary Hahn. This is from Bach's Concerto for Two Violins. Exquisite.

Now for something different. Not particularly taken with opera but do like some of the arias. Everyone will be familiar with Puccini's Nessun Dorma as performed by the astonishing voice of Luciano Pavarotti. I have selected a version by English opera singer Paul Potts. He is not in the same league as Pav but puts a great deal of expressive feeling into this performance.

Yet another sumptuous melody, this time from the opera Thaïs written by Massenet and performed by my second favourite violinist, Maxim Vengerov.

I hope you will have stayed thus far as I have left the best till last—and by best I mean my favourite piece of music ever. Samuel Barber was an American composer who, in 1936, wrote a string quartet at the age of 26 which has featured as an orchestral piece in films and has also been transcribed into a choral version.

Barber himself was a depressive man. He had a terrible time being himself—moody, withdrawn, unsocial, anxious, and gay. Maybe because of all that, he was able to create this sublime piece of music known as Barber's Adagio. I love the bare presentation of the original string quartet played by the superb American Dover Quartet. Magnificent.

I am starting off with plugging a YouTube site called Playing for Change, which creates videos by recording musicians across the world all playing the same song. I most enjoyed a set of videos recorded 9 years ago, but this track is a more recent addition.

I have a weakness for women singing to me in Spanish or Portuguese. No idea what they are trying to tell me, and it doesn't matter—as it can sound so seductive.

Brazilian Ana Carolina is a special favourite. On this track, her version of Damien Rice's The Blower's Daughter, she is joined by a male compatriot who also does a good job, though not as seductively, you understand.

I am cheating a bit with this one. Back in the eighties, Cuban-American Gloria Estefan was a popular singer who I enjoyed and who had many mainstream hits. Here she sings Anything for You in her native Spanish.

Back in 1968, Noel Harrison (son of actor Rex) had a hit with a song titled Windmills of Your Mind, written by Michel Legrand. Very good it is too, but Legrand decided to write a French version focusing on the heart rather than the mind. A toss-up which one to choose, but I decided on the latter.

The next song is a folk song—but not as we know it. It's a style which originates from southeastern Italy. I love the singer's raspy voice and accordion playing as well as the driving energy of the band.

One of my very favourite films is Dead Man Walking, which also happens to have one of the very best soundtracks. Well worth checking out. The film is traumatic, and as it ends this beautiful instrumental is a balm for the soul. Ry Cooder and V. M. Bhatt combine and conspire to produce something transcendental.

This next track is called Santa Maria and is a medieval Castilian piece performed by Apollo's Fire, a baroque ensemble from Cleveland, USA. Religious music can be quite gloomy, but this has a very joyful sound.