Air on the G String
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2009) |
The "Air on the G String" is the title used for Air from Johann Sebastian Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068. The title originally referred to an adaptation of Bach's piece for violin and piano arranged by August Wilhelmj[1]. The air is usually played slowly and freely, and features an intertwining harmony and melody.
History
The original orchestral suite was written by Bach for his patron Prince Leopold of Anhalt sometime between the years 1717 and 1723.
The title comes from violinist Wilhelmj's late 19th century arrangement of the piece for violin and piano. By transposing the key of the piece from its original D major to C major and transposing the melody down an octave, Wilhelmj was able to play the piece on only one string of his violin, the G string.
Popular culture
The piece was used as a backing track for a television advertisement for the 'Cellini Collection' by Rolex in the 1970s.[citation needed]
Guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen frequently performs versions of Air on his albums and live shows. His interpretations include "Air on a Theme", "Air on a G String" (on his live album) and "Air" on his album Attack!!. The music of "Prisoner of Your Love" is also an adaptation of the Air.
Bradley Joseph included a solo piano version of this song on his 2009 release, Suites & Sweets.
The piece was utilized in a particularly gruesome scene in The End of Evangelion.
Other songs have used this tune as a background, such as the song "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by Sweetbox.
The tune has been used in several films, such as Seven, Collateral and The Spy Who Loved Me.[2]
The melody was also well known in the UK as the theme music for the long-running series of Hamlet cigar TV commercials.
Audio sample
External links
- Free scores by Orchestral suites at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) (at the bottom)
- Musical score and MIDI file at the Mutopia Project, Orchestral arrangement
- Musical score and MIDI file at the Mutopia Project, Trombone Quartet arrangement
- Free scores by Air on the G String at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- Free typeset sheet music for Trombone Quartet from Cantorion.org
Video clips
- Air on the G String performance by the cellist Julian Lloyd Webber
- Usage in a 1980s TV advert for Hamlet
Audio clips
- Performance in arrangement for flute and orchestra by the Gardner Chamber Orchestra with soloist Paula Robison from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format
- A version of Air on the G String played entirely on the Mellotron
References
- ^ Ewen, David (1965). The complete book of classical music. Prentice-Hall. p. 105.
- ^ Rubin, Steven Jay (2003). The complete James Bond movie encyclopedia. New York: Contemporary Books. p. 469. ISBN 9780071412469.