The other day, I was talking to my friend about music, over text. I wanted him to listen out for something I knew was coming up on the radio, which I’d heard a few times recently and begun to really enjoy. I knew that he would reach that point too, but was also aware that in my experience anyway, it is difficult with classical or film music to become particularly attached to something the first time you hear it, because part of the attachment is the familiarity around it. So I wanted him to listen out for it and begin his journey to loving it, even if it didn’t completely attract him first time. He agreed with my suggestion that you have to listen to something multiple times to really fall in love with it. And I do still believe that – but I found an exception today.
I then found myself late this afternoon , most unusually, listening to Spotify. The reason for this is that I played it instead of the radio when I was on my own in the office on 30th April and realised I still had loads of data left. May as well use it on Spotify! I decided in the morning to listen to Enya – a stalwart of my teenage years. I then broke from Enya in the afternoon to listen to some Vangelis music on shuffle, as I only knew two pieces – “Chariots of Fire” and “Conquest of Paradise”, both of which I adore, and the former will I’m sure be mentioned in its own right in a blog before too long (as will the latter, but I regret probably not because I’ve just heard it on the radio). I had no idea what the rest of his music was like, but I thought judging from those two it must be pretty wonderful.
I found it sadly lacking – not in quality but in what I could take from it. Almost psychedelic, and much more synthesising than I was hoping for. It wasn’t that I just hadn’t heard it enough times to appreciate, I just decided it wasn’t for me.
This evening, finding myself with my headphones in, I decided whilst on WiFi to give dear Vangelis another chance. A couple of pieces played, which made a pleasant but not beloved backdrop to my digital jigsaw puzzles. Then one came on which sounded as much like “Conquest of Paradise” as it could without actually being that piece. I don’t mean in melody or rhythm, but in feel. Before a minute was up, I had tears in my eyes and had to stop puzzling so I could close my eyes and realise that this was something I had fallen utterly in love with at first listen. Me, who doesn’t tend to do that!
The piece in question, I discovered at the end when I had come to my senses, was called “El Greco”. I immediately went into YouTube and listened to what I assumed was the whole album, but nothing sounded familiar – all was very clearly Vangelis, and tracks 6 and 7 were particularly enjoyable – but I was listening for what I had heard on Spotify, and I couldn’t find it. Did it just only sound powerful the first time? Surely not. There were drums, and a choir, and all the passion of “Conquest of Paradise”, maybe more. I knew I hadn’t found it.
So I went back to Spotify (I don’t have Premium, so my ability to go back through it was limited). And I found what I had listened to. Later research showed that what I had found on YouTube was an earlier version – from 1998 – and what I had found on Spotify was from the 2007 film “El Greco” about the life of the Greek painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos. Further research indicated that this was the third series of tracks produced by Vangelis about El Greco – one from 1995, the one I have just listened to in its entirety from 1998, and 2007. The three are not linked musically at all. I’ve only listened to Part 1 from the 2007 soundtrack – I think I’ll leave the rest to another day. I don’t want to overdo it, but if it’s anything like the first part, I’m in for a real treat.
Sometime I’m sure I’ll also examine tracks 6 and 7 from the 1998 album, and who knows, maybe I’ll continue listening to Vangelis more now and find some new gems. But for now, just enjoy this absolute beauty.
I would just love to sing this sometime too.
ClassicAlly 