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RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
A musical analysis of two massive hits in the Oasis canon
Analysis: Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger owe their power to pedal notes, a piano ostinato, The Beatles and Pachelbel's Canon in D By , UCD Nothing screams 'mood killer' at a party like a beginner guitarist positioning a capo on the second fret of a commandeered guitar. It's an early signal that those in attendace ought to brace themselves for an unrequested rendition of Wonderwall. This is the exact trope that Greta Gerwig played with in Barbie when Ken announces "I'll play the guitar at you." But just like Led Zeppelin's overplayed Stairway to Heaven or Beethoven's Für Elise, there's something to the simplicity of Wonderwall that cannot be dismissed as simplistic. Ahead of Oasis's long-awaited return to Ireland this weekend, we're heading back 30 years to peer into two colossal hits from (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, the 1995 album that transformed the Mancunian indie musicians into one of the world's biggest bands. Today is gonna be the day... Whether or not it's Oasis's best song, Wonderwall is certainly their best known. With its anthemic chorus, you'd be hard pressed not to sing along to this belter of a tune. The guitar's ever-present droning of the notes E and A offer particular intrigue. Through their unrelenting presence, they create a Möbius strip of tension and relief within the harmony and against Liam Gallagher's grittily sung, bluesy melody. This technique (known as 'pedal notes') is used to similarly wistful effects in A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera's Say Something (I'm Giving Up on You), which opens with a 'D' in the piano that pulses perpetually for the duration of the song. In so doing, it brings listeners on an undulating journey circling despair and hope. The same effect occurs in Coldplay's breakout single Yellow. Here, the guitar's tuning is modified (the high E string is dropped a half step to D sharp) to achieve a pedal note that rings out no matter what chord Chris Martin strums. This creates a particularly melancholic flavour: a major seventh chord, as heard famously in Erik Satie's Gymnopédie No.1 for piano. The instrumentation and arrangement of Wonderwall is a significant appeal. It opens on acoustic guitar, over which Liam Gallagher sings the first verse. This sparse arrangement not only signals the definitive role of the acoustic guitar (its warm timbre, driving strumming pattern, and affecting pedal notes), but the exposing combination also hints towards the song's endearing theme of vulnerability. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, why were tickets for Oasis shows on this tour so expensive and so scarce? The cello's entry in verse two lends gravitas to the production, and the staggered arrival of the drum kit is especially ear-catching. What's more, this entry coincides rather satisfyingly with the lyric "backbeat" — the very term to denote the snare drum accent that occurs here. This lyrical cue brings a new intensity to the ballad-like opening by triggering an iconic drum fill that assembles the full kit for verse two's "that the fire in your heart is out." From here, the bass joins and additional guitars thicken the texture. The chorus is plumped out with a string ensemble, and a piano ostinato brings the song to a sombre close — echoing, but not settling, the Wonderwall dilemma: "Maybe you're gonna be the one that saves me." Slip inside the eye of your mind.. Oasis's 'unconcealed obsession' with The Beatles is hard to miss. Liam Gallagher's sustained John Lennon phase extends to the All Around the World video, which trades a yellow submarine for a yellow flying saucer. There's plenty of allusions to the Fab Four throughout their music - and few less blatant than the opening to Don't Look Back in Anger in how it mimics Lennon's Imagine. Noel Gallagher takes up lead vocals, and his soaring "so Sally can wait" will have all of Croke Park hitting the high notes. His tone is relatively softer, and in switching between a commanding chest voice and gentler head voice, it differs quite substantially to Liam's more gruff Wonderwall. Like the latter, Don't Look Back in Anger contains similar structural components. Neither have a bridge, but both make powerful use of prechoruses — transitional sections between verses and choruses (here, "I'm gonna start a revolution from my bed"). The first half of the prechorus oscillates between F major and minor chords (a prolific technique that conjures forlornness, as also heard in Radiohead's Creep). The second half of the prechorus shifts from C major to A minor, chromatically pulling us through an E major chord that adds notable propulsion to the song's harmony. The verse and chorus feature the same chord progressions, and this series of chords is closely based on Pachelbel's Canon in D, a configuration so classic that there's a dedicated playlist on Spotify of over 100 songs inspired by Pachelbel's Canon. Noel Gallagher's guitar solo here is resplendent with the intricacies that rock fans adore: delicious bends, double stops, runs that span from the lower register right up to the top of the neck, and a healthy dose of overdrive. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, meet the Oasis superfans Oasis's melting pot of rock, balladry and blues helps the band to deliver their tales in unique style. While often donning an edgy front, the lyrics sport a softness. This is not disguised by overly distorted guitars but underpinned by carefully curated instrumentation and meticulously produced music. Despite the notorious turmoil of the sparring siblings, Oasis's musical vision and resultant authenticity has only grown — and it has done so with little pandering to the industry or indeed fans. Combined, these raw attributes offer an intimacy between listeners and musicians, drawing us in and creating a craving for more.
Western Telegraph
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Cleddau Flute Choir performs at St David's Cathedral
Cleddau Flute Choir took to the stage on Saturday, May 31, delivering a performance to a packed audience. The concert featured a varied programme of the group's favourite pieces, including Pachelbel's Canon in D, Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre, and Scott Joplin's The Entertainer. The highlight of the day was the debut performance of Adar Dewi Sant, written and arranged especially for the occasion by American musician Ray Braswell. Alison Blasdale, musical director, said: "We honestly didn't know how many people would come along to listen to us play, so when I turned around to introduce the first piece I was incredibly surprised to see virtually every pew filled. "It made an already special day even more memorable for us all." The Cleddau Flute Choir was formed nearly three years ago and is made up entirely of amateur players, many of whom have returned to the flute after a long break. The group rehearses fortnightly in Pembroke and performs regularly throughout the year at venues including Carew and Pembroke Castles, as well as at local churches.
Epoch Times
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
Endlessly Performed: 5 of the Most Recorded Composers in Music History
Anyone who searches the internet with the question, 'Is classical music dying?,' will encounter hundreds of articles and blogs that take a position on this question. What most of these people really mean is that classical music isn't popular, relatively speaking. For example, while the cellist Yo-Yo Ma has However, one can measure popularity in different ways. In absolute terms, more people are performing and listening to the great composers than they ever have. There are so many recordings of great classical works that even the most die-hard connoisseur finds it impossible to keep track of them all. The following brief list summarizes a few of the most recorded pieces in music history. Learning the sounds of different instruments is the first step to truly appreciating classical music. Ferenc Szelepcsenyi/Shutterstock Pachelbel's 'Canon in D Major,' P 37 Poor Johann Pachelbel. He composed more than 500 works in his lifetime, and now people only listen to one. It has been suggested that he wrote his famous Canon in D Major to celebrate the wedding of Johann Christoph Bach, Johann Sebastian's older cousin. No one knows for sure, but since Pachelbel was friends with the Bach family, this theory is plausible. If it's true, Pachelbel might be reassured if he knew that his piece is now used to celebrate weddings all over the world. The Canon, in which one melody is imitated by two other voices in overlapping layers, is certainly memorable. Just as good, if less famous, is the Gigue for three violins, a lively dance movement that Pachelbel wrote to accompany the Canon. According to Presto Music, a website that maintains an exhaustive discography of classical works, the Canon has been recorded more than 200 times. In the words of the producers of a 1983 recording by the Academy of Ancient Music, it's usually heard 'with the gratuitous addition of viola parts.' Related Stories 3/5/2025 2/8/2025 Those who wish to listen to it in its original purity should seek out arrangements for three violins and basso continuo. Mozart's 'Requiem in D Minor,' K 626 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has sold over 500 million records worldwide. This is roughly comparable with the Beatles, when considering their sales across all formats. If the website 'chartmasters' included dead classical composers in its ranking of the most successful artists, the best ones would, no doubt, knock many modern musicians off the list. In 2016, a complete box set of Mozart's works released by Decca and Deutsche Grammophon topped the Billboard charts for the year, even beating out Beyonce. Posthumous painting of Mozart by Barbara Krafft in 1819. Public Domain Of all Mozart's works, his most adapted is probably his great, unfinished 'Requiem.' Presto Music lists 281 recordings. When Mozart died in 1791, only two of the work's sections were complete, though he left sketches for others. Its unfinished status has prompted different composers to orchestrate the movements, relying on their own interpretations of how Mozart himself might have done it. The most widely performed version today was written by Mozart's pupil, Franz Süssmayr, though there are approximately 15 different versions in all. Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, Op. 49 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is arguably Russia's greatest composer. He wrote the world's most celebrated and frequently performed ballets, and his wonderful melodies have been immortalized in countless films. His most popular work of all, though, is the 1812 overture, which celebrates Russia's victory over Napoleon. With nearly 300 recordings, it's one of the most performed pieces in the classical repertoire. "Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries," 1812, by Jacques-Louis David. Public Domain The Tchaikovsky's original score calls for Beethoven's 'Moonlight' Sonata, Op. 27 Ludwig van Beethoven has Of all his works, the most popular is his Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2, more commonly known as the Most of these are for piano, but every performer seems to have their own interpretation of its emotional expression, tempo, and technical focus. Glenn Gould, for example, has been criticized for playing the piece too fast and not using the pedal enough, resulting in a "Beethoven Sonatas," played by Alfred Brendel. Bach's 'Toccata & Fugue in D minor,' BWV 565 Searching Johann Sebastian Bach's name on the Presto Music database returns Of all these works, the 'Toccata & Fugue in D minor' is the most performed. It slightly edges out Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' as the most arranged piece in music history, with While recordings for organ predominate, the diversity of arrangements is dizzying. The Toccata and Fugue has been transcribed for orchestra, guitar, violin, saxophone, Bach is also the most streamed classical composer on Spotify, with Popularity and greatness are more closely connected than is generally recognized, when considered over the ages. As this list shows, there is a strong correlation between the 'greatest' composers and their level of public esteem, measured by both the number of recordings and listeners on audio streaming services. By almost any metric, classical music is thriving. What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to
