Short music, long tail. Comptine d'un autre ete : L'apres midi
January 17, 2011 9:01 AM Subscribe
Comptine d'un autre ete : L'apres midi is a simple, heart-rending piano piece by Yann Tiersen. It has inspired covers spanning the range of musical expression: classical guitar, violin, harp, and piano and flute. Maybe that's not surprising, but the depth, sincerity, and number of metal covers was.
Yeah, its a beautiful track. As is most of the Amelie soundtrack. Tiersen's soundtrack to the yachting documentary Tabarly is also really good.
posted by memebake at 9:20 AM on January 17, 2011
posted by memebake at 9:20 AM on January 17, 2011
Why is it that, despite the general public's almost complete apathy towards classical music, it's still such a big part of film music? It's a good thing, but I'm baffled by it.
posted by IjonTichy at 9:33 AM on January 17, 2011
posted by IjonTichy at 9:33 AM on January 17, 2011
Call me heartless, but I want to hear this piece in ragtime.
posted by The White Hat at 9:39 AM on January 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by The White Hat at 9:39 AM on January 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
There's really no call to compare this to anything by Chopin or Satie. It's pretty, but this is a looped chord progression with some cliche licks on top.
Not to be a fuddy duddy, but the world of classical music has so profoundly much more to offer. Start by listening to all of Chopin's Nocturnes -- they're accessible, gorgeous, and masterfully composed. Or listen to Satie's Gymopedies, and move directly on to his other works to see what else he had to offer: perhaps the Gnossiennes?
posted by phenylphenol at 9:42 AM on January 17, 2011
Not to be a fuddy duddy, but the world of classical music has so profoundly much more to offer. Start by listening to all of Chopin's Nocturnes -- they're accessible, gorgeous, and masterfully composed. Or listen to Satie's Gymopedies, and move directly on to his other works to see what else he had to offer: perhaps the Gnossiennes?
posted by phenylphenol at 9:42 AM on January 17, 2011
Why is it that, despite the general public's almost complete apathy towards classical music, it's still such a big part of film music? It's a good thing, but I'm baffled by it.
Classical music does not appear to age to the movie going public.
When you watch Apocalypse Now, the dated soundtrack really doesn't do the movie justice. Most movies that have popular hit songs of the day make out alright, but not when it's a composition played with the popular instruments of the day.
posted by notion at 10:04 AM on January 17, 2011
Classical music does not appear to age to the movie going public.
When you watch Apocalypse Now, the dated soundtrack really doesn't do the movie justice. Most movies that have popular hit songs of the day make out alright, but not when it's a composition played with the popular instruments of the day.
posted by notion at 10:04 AM on January 17, 2011
There's really no call to compare this to anything by Chopin or Satie. It's pretty, but this is a looped chord progression with some cliche licks on top.
Unless I'm missing something, no one compared this to Chopin or Satie...
This piece and many others by Yann Tiersen are simple, accessible, easy to learn and easy to memorize (for me at least) while still sounding quite beautiful, and I absolutely adore Tiersen for those reasons. Fuddy duddy.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 10:06 AM on January 17, 2011
Unless I'm missing something, no one compared this to Chopin or Satie...
This piece and many others by Yann Tiersen are simple, accessible, easy to learn and easy to memorize (for me at least) while still sounding quite beautiful, and I absolutely adore Tiersen for those reasons. Fuddy duddy.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 10:06 AM on January 17, 2011
Who compared it to Chopin or Satie?
I think phenylphenol was referring to IjonTichy's calling it "classical". For some people, "classical" music has more genre conventions than just the particular set of musical instruments used.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 10:06 AM on January 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
I think phenylphenol was referring to IjonTichy's calling it "classical". For some people, "classical" music has more genre conventions than just the particular set of musical instruments used.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 10:06 AM on January 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
Mcabe, youtube is full of metal covers of Chopin!
A few weeks ago, my ten year old daughter was noodling around on the piano. Turns out she had figured out how to play the first minute of La Valse d'Amelie on her own. Hearing her work through it is much pleasanter than hearing her last recital piece (The Christmas Song) over and over again.
Tiersen's music may not be Chopin, but it is very nice to listen to and coudd be a "gateway drug" to the "harder" classical music.
posted by vespabelle at 10:20 AM on January 17, 2011
A few weeks ago, my ten year old daughter was noodling around on the piano. Turns out she had figured out how to play the first minute of La Valse d'Amelie on her own. Hearing her work through it is much pleasanter than hearing her last recital piece (The Christmas Song) over and over again.
Tiersen's music may not be Chopin, but it is very nice to listen to and coudd be a "gateway drug" to the "harder" classical music.
posted by vespabelle at 10:20 AM on January 17, 2011
sorry, Mcable not Mcabe.
posted by vespabelle at 10:21 AM on January 17, 2011
posted by vespabelle at 10:21 AM on January 17, 2011
youtube is full of metal covers of Chopin!
For some reason, this makes me very happy.
posted by mediareport at 10:28 AM on January 17, 2011
For some reason, this makes me very happy.
posted by mediareport at 10:28 AM on January 17, 2011
Awesome, this is just like Chopin or Satie!
posted by fire&wings at 10:45 AM on January 17, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by fire&wings at 10:45 AM on January 17, 2011 [7 favorites]
I really enjoyed the song (possibly NSFW) from his latest album. Lyrics were quite surprising as well.
posted by usertm at 10:47 AM on January 17, 2011
posted by usertm at 10:47 AM on January 17, 2011
Who compared it to Chopin or Satie?
The poster of the YouTube video had this to say:
Composed by Yann Tiersen. All the Amelie music bought Yann Tiersen in limelight and now he is compared with other musicians like Chopin, Erik Satie, Phillip Glass and Michael Nyman. His music is recognized by its use of a large variety of instruments in relatively minimalist compositions, often with a touch of either European classical music or french folk music, using primarily the piano, accordion or violin together with instruments like the melodica, xylophone, toy piano, ondes martenot, harpsichord and typewriter.
But yes, really glad to see metal covers of old-school stuff. Paganini, for instance, practically invented shredding.
posted by phenylphenol at 11:01 AM on January 17, 2011
The poster of the YouTube video had this to say:
Composed by Yann Tiersen. All the Amelie music bought Yann Tiersen in limelight and now he is compared with other musicians like Chopin, Erik Satie, Phillip Glass and Michael Nyman. His music is recognized by its use of a large variety of instruments in relatively minimalist compositions, often with a touch of either European classical music or french folk music, using primarily the piano, accordion or violin together with instruments like the melodica, xylophone, toy piano, ondes martenot, harpsichord and typewriter.
But yes, really glad to see metal covers of old-school stuff. Paganini, for instance, practically invented shredding.
posted by phenylphenol at 11:01 AM on January 17, 2011
That third metal cover (by jhnstryt?)? That's how its done, son. WOW.
posted by KingEdRa at 11:48 AM on January 17, 2011
posted by KingEdRa at 11:48 AM on January 17, 2011
Yann Tiersen is currently on tour! He's played a lot of his European shows already, but he'll be in the US and Canada for the next couple of months. Here are some videos from past shows.
Also of note is this video called "The Piano," which uses "Comptine d'un autre ete: L'apres midi." It circulated pretty heavily a little while back.
posted by dcheeno at 12:04 PM on January 17, 2011
Also of note is this video called "The Piano," which uses "Comptine d'un autre ete: L'apres midi." It circulated pretty heavily a little while back.
posted by dcheeno at 12:04 PM on January 17, 2011
And if you want to take the minimalism all the way with this kind of mood, you'll enjoy the works of Federico Mompou -- I know I do!
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 2:19 PM on January 17, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 2:19 PM on January 17, 2011 [4 favorites]
Fantastic post! I love Tiersen's music, his work on Sage Francis' The Best of Times (SLSC) gives the track such depth and beauty.
posted by oliyoung at 4:11 PM on January 17, 2011
posted by oliyoung at 4:11 PM on January 17, 2011
slappy_pinchbottom - Your comment regarding Mompou, made me feel warm and happy, since I posted a rather lengthy one on him previously. Thanks for that.
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 7:54 PM on January 17, 2011
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 7:54 PM on January 17, 2011
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