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Friday, November 21, 2008

Lacrymosa

As I've mentioned a few times in the past my musical taste has stemmed most predominately from my upbringing in a family that loves classical music, and through listening to the classics during my ballet training. So it goes without saying that I lean toward bands and artists with classical backgrounds. I especially lean toward those with symphonic and orchestral sounds. So many of my favorite bands and artists are those like Yngwie Malmsteen, Nightwish, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and of course, Evanescence.

My favorite track of their album "The Open Door" is most definitely "Lacrymosa". The symphonic sound, the chorus in the background, and of course Amy's voice. What many people don't know (though I'm sure die-hard Ev fans, and Mozart fans alike do know)is that the entire backing for this song, not including the electric guitar parts, is Mozart's "Lacrimosa".

"I saw Amadeus when I was nine years old and fell in love with Mozart. The part of Mozart's Requiem called "Lacrimosa" is my favorite piece of music ever. I always wished we could cover it, but with programming and guitars and make it cool. It's our moment to try all the things I wanted to and couldn't, so I started messing with it in Protools. Terry wrote some riffs and turned it into this awesome metal epic." -Amy Lee

And boy is it amazing! I love how well it blended, her vocals and lyrics with Mozart's masterpiece playing in the background. The original Mozart piece has such power in it, yet it's expressed with elegant and mournful notes. It really is quite amazing.

I'd never thought of what would happen if you were to write your own song, but use a classical piece as the basic structure of it. It seemed a bit undo able, that you would butcher the original piece or that it just wouldn't work...covering a classical piece and turning it into something with a metal sound, I knew that would work. It's been done, and done wonderfully, but this was something different all-together, yet it came out utterly perfect.

I really believe this to be Evanescence's best song on an epic scale, and on a scale of sound.

So, To show everyone the bigger picture I'm posting three videos. One, Mozart's original piece "Lacrimosa", two Evanescence's finished song "Lacrymosa", and three and re-mix of Ev's song that is rumoured to be the original version.

Enjoy!

Mozart's "Lacrimosa" (From Requiem)
(The Video Shows The Music For The Vocal Melodies)


Mozart Lyrics

Lacrimosa
Lacrimosa dies illa
Qua resurget ex favilla
Judicandus homo reus.

Huic ergo parce, Deus
Pie Jesu Domine
Dona eis requiem, Amen.


Evanescence's "Lacrymosa"
(Video Is Just Pictures Of Amy Lee and Band)



Evanescence's "Lacrymosa" (Remix)
(This version is rumored to have been written for the opening scene of "The Chronicles Of Narnia" movie, but was not approved because it was not considered "original" because of the use of Mozart's "Lacrimosa")


Evanescence Lyrics

Out on your own,
Cold and alone again.
Can this be what you really wanted, baby?

Blame it on me,
Set your guilt free.
Nothing can hold you back now.

Now that you're gone,
I feel like myself again.
Grieving the things I can't repair and willing...

To let you blame it on me,
And set your guilt free.
I don't want to hold you back now love.

I can't change who I am.
Not this time, I won't lie to keep you near me.
And in this short life, there's no time to waste on giving up.
My love wasn't enough.

And you can blame it on me,
Just set your guilt free, honey.
I don't want to hold you back now love.

3 comments:

Jenna said...

I've always loved this song <3 And I did not realize it was a cover of a Mozart piece!
Wow. That just makes the appreciate this song so much more.

The remix is lovely as well. Too bad the movie producers couldn't appreciate what great lengths Evanescence had gone to in order to record such an "unoriginal" song!

Savy said...

I always thought it was great that Evanescence used Mozart to create this gorgeous piece. That's my mom's fave :)

The remix would have been great for the movie! It's too bad they didn't use it.

Unknown said...

After silence ...that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is Art and Music. Thanks for posted Mozart piece.