Did you know that the Bridal Chorus (you know, the "Here Comes the Bride" music) is not usually played at Jewish weddings — because it was composed by Richard Wagner, a notorious anti-semite whose music and essays are believed to have inspired Hitler?
I didn't either; I just found it out while Googling for Jewish wedding music. So we've ditched the Bridal Chorus in favor of the popular Jewish substitute, Baruch Haba.
I didn't either; I just found it out while Googling for Jewish wedding music. So we've ditched the Bridal Chorus in favor of the popular Jewish substitute, Baruch Haba.
But there is this: This bit of music, from Lohengrin, is not a wedding march, and it is not "Here Comes the Bride", either. It is is an epithalamion, from the Greek thalamos, main bedroom. The wedding, complete with march, happened back at the end of Act II. This music is the beginning of Act III, and takes place in the bedroom, after the reception. Attendants escort the couple to bed and undress them. The lyrics have things like:
Flee now the splendor of the wedding feast,
may the delights of the heart be yours!
This sweet-smelling room, decked for love,
now takes you in, away from the splendor.
Faithfully guided, draw now near
to where the blessing of love shall preserve you!
Not everyone would want that. Also worth noting that the wedding in question was never consummated, and the groom left in the morning. In fact the bride never even got this guy's name. So it may be no great loss.
You might want to check out the whole of Lohengrin if you have a few spare hours.
As for the "Here Comes the Bride" I've always hated it. Can't put it down to any particular thing ... perhaps it's just too much of a cliche. I always liked the "Trumpet Voluntary" (Arne, I believe) or a piece that I heard in the movie "Master &Commander" by Arcangelo Corelli called "Adagio From Concerto Grosso Op. 6. No. 8 In G Minor". When you want romantic music, always go with the Italians!
Slightly OT: I remember a Fark.com thread a couple of years back where someone asked for readers' suggestions for 'wedding march' music. I think he did it for laughs rather than serious inquiries, but it was one of the funniest. threads. evar. to appear on that site. My favorite suggestion came from a guy who claimed his wife surprised him by walking down the aisle to the "March of The Stormtroopers"!
That's the Imperial March. Get it right.
Depends where on the joy/solemnity spectrum you are aiming. Trudging down the aisle or dancing--I know where I fall.
CSO's former maestro, Argentine-born Israeli Daniel Barenboim...
Mmmm, Barenboim. Great conductor, great man. He has worked to set up a youth orchestra with musicians from both Jerusalem and Ramallah. Once in Berlin I saw him conduct all 10 of Wagner's operas in two weeks. Yow.
I consider myself enormously lucky to have been able to hear both Maestros Solti a few times and Barenboim regularly. Pierre Boulez would substitute for Barenboim and is also a great advocate for modern classical music: he always had a selection that I was happy to have heard (not always the case with contemporary compositions).
Oh... The poor musicians. Good Grief.
I have the solution for that: run a caption contest!
It was just a suggestion ... no need to be short.
I went to the opera once. But it was part of a scheme to get laid, so I guess that doesn't really count, does it?
Sure it does, especially if you liked it (the music, that is). Did it work?
GB:
Okay. Guess I can still show up here, then!
Seriously.
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