Saturday 5 July 2025
Italian song by Eduardo Di Capua
Composed in 1899 by Eduardo Di Capua with lyrics by poet Vincenzo Russo, this song was originally entitled “Maria, Marì”, but it eventually came to be known as “Oi Marì” from the first words of its refrain.
The lyrics to this waltz, which are actually in Neapolitan dialect and not in Italian, depict a classical serenade: a window, a girl, and a suitor on the street below.
Open, o window!
Let Maria appear,
As I’m in the middle of the street
Hoping to see her!
I don’t have a moment's peace
I turn my night into day
To be always here
Hoping to talk to her!
Oi Marì, Oi Marì
How much sleep I lose over you!
Let me sleep
Just hugging you!
Friday 4 July 2025
Traditional Irish jig
This lively jig appears to be unique to Francis O'Neill's collection The Dance Music Of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1907.
Thursday 3 July 2025
from “24 Etudes for Flute”
Here is another étude by Danish flutist Joachim Andersen. This Allegro in C# minor is study No. 10 from his Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 33.
Wednesday 2 July 2025
from Mozart's “The Marriage of Figaro”, arranged for two flutes
This famous aria is taken from Act IV of Mozart's opera Le nozze di Figaro. Susanna sings this love song (“Oh come, don't delay”) to her beloved while Figaro is hiding behind a bush; but he thinks the song is for the Count of Almaviva, and becomes increasingly jealous.
Tuesday 1 July 2025
from “Cavalleria rusticana” by Pietro Mascagni
Premiered in 1890, Cavalleria rusticana (literally, “Rustic Chivalry”) is undoubtedly the best-known work by Italian composer Pietro Mascagni. This one-act opera is a concise, passionate tale of Sicilian peasants, with lashings of love, jealousy and tragic death.
A powerful orchestral intermezzo, simply known as “Intermezzo sinfonico”, divides the opera into two scenes. This famous Intermezzo recapitulates, in its 48 bars, what has gone before, and foreshadows the tragedy that is impending.
The piece has figured in the soundtrack of several films, most notably in the opening of Raging Bull and in The Godfather Part III, which featured a performance of Mascagni's opera as a key part of the film's climax.
Monday 30 June 2025
Traditional Irish jig
This tune appears to be unique to Francis O'Neill's collection The Dance Music Of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1907. It is however related to an older Irish tune with an almost identical title, “Old Hag You Have Killed Me”.
Sunday 29 June 2025
from “20 Easy and Melodic Studies”
This easy étude in A minor and F major is taken from the second book of Twenty Easy Melodic Progressive Studies by Italian composer Ernesto Köhler.
