Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times. The central norms of this tradition became codified between 1550 and 1900, which is known as the common practice period.

European music is largely distinguished from many other non-European and popular musical forms by its system of staff notation, in use since about the 16th century. Western staff notation is used by composers to prescribe to the performer the pitch, speed, meter, individual rhythms and exact execution of a piece of music. This leaves less room for practices such as improvisation and ''ad libitum'' ornamentation, that are frequently heard in non-European art music (as in Indian classical music and Japanese traditional music) and popular music.

The term "classical music" did not appear until the early 19th century, in an attempt to "canonize" the period from Johann Sebastian Bach to Beethoven as a golden age. The earliest reference to "classical music" recorded by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' is from about 1836.

Characteristics

Given the extremely broad variety of forms, styles, genres, and historical periods generally perceived as being described by the term "classical music," it is difficult to list characteristics that can be attributed to all works of that type. Vague descriptions are plentiful, such as describing classical music as anything that "lasts a long time," a statement made rather moot when one considers contemporary composers who are described as classical; or music that has certain instruments like violins, which are also found in other genres. However, there are characteristics that classical music contains that few or no other genres of music contain.

Literature

The most outstanding and particular characteristic of classical music is that the repertoire tends to be written down. Composers and performers alike are typically highly literate in understanding notation and the written quality of the music has, in addition to preserving the works, led to a high level of complexity within them.

Instrumentation

The instruments used in most classical music were largely invented before the mid-19th century (often much earlier), and codified in the 18th and 19th centuries. They consist of the instruments found in an orchestra, together with a few other solo instruments (such as the piano, harpsichord, and organ). The symphony orchestra is the most widely known medium for classical music. The orchestra includes members of the string, woodwind, brass, and percussion families.

Electric instruments such as the electric guitar appear occasionally in the classical music of the 20th and 21st centuries. Both classical and popular musicians have experimented in recent decades with electronic instruments such as the synthesizer, electric and digital techniques such as the use of sampled or computer-generated sounds, and the sounds of instruments from other cultures such as the gamelan.

None of the bass instruments existed until the Renaissance. In Medieval music, instruments are divided in two categories: loud instruments for use outdoors or in church, and quieter instruments for indoor use. The Baroque orchestra consisted of flutes, oboes, horns and violins, occasionally with trumpets and timpani. Many instruments which are associated today with popular music used to have important roles in early classical music, such as bagpipes, vihuelas, hurdy-gurdies and some woodwind instruments. On the other hand, instruments such as the acoustic guitar, which used to be associated mainly with popular music, have gained prominence in classical music through the 19th and 20th centuries.

While equal temperament became gradually accepted as the dominant musical temperament during the 19th century, different historical temperaments are often used for music from earlier periods. For instance, music of the English Renaissance is often performed in mean tone temperament. Keyboards almost all share a common layout (often called the piano keyboard).

Form

Whereas the majority of popular styles lend themselves to the song form, classical music can also take on the form of the concerto, symphony, sonata, opera, dance music, suite, étude, symphonic poem, and others.

Classical composers often aspire to imbue their music with a very complex relationship between its affective (emotional) content and the intellectual means by which it is achieved. Many of the most esteemed works of classical music make use of musical development, the process by which a musical idea or motif is repeated in different contexts or in altered form. The sonata form and fugue employ rigorous forms of musical development.

Technical execution

Along with a desire for composers to attain high technical achievement in writing their music, performers of classical music are faced with similar goals of technical mastery, as demonstrated by the proportionately high amount of schooling and private study most successful classical musicians have had when compared to "popular" genre musicians, and the large number of secondary schools, including conservatories, dedicated to the study of classical music. The only other genre in the Western world with comparable secondary education opportunities is jazz.

Complexity

Performance of classical music repertoire demands a significant level of technical mastery on the part of the musician; proficiency in sight-reading and ensemble playing, thorough understanding of tonal and harmonic principles, knowledge of performance practice, and a familiarity with the style/musical idiom inherent to a given period, composer or musical work are among the most essential of skills for the classically trained musician.

Works of classical repertoire often exhibit artistic complexity through the use of thematic development, phrasing, harmonization, modulation (change of key), texture, and, of course, musical form itself. Larger-scale compositional forms (such as that of the symphony, concerto, opera or oratorio, for example) usually represent a hierarchy of smaller units consisting of phrases, periods, sections, and movements. Musical analysis of a composition aims at achieving greater understanding of it, leading to more meaningful hearing and a greater appreciation of the composer's style.

Society

Often perceived as opulent or signifying some aspect of upper-level society, classical music has generally never been as popular with working-class society. However, the traditional perception that only upper-class society has access to and appreciation for classical music, or even that classical music represents the upper-class society, may not be true, given that many working classical musicians fall somewhere in the middle-class income range in the United States, and that classical concertgoers and CD buyers are not necessarily upper class. Even in the Classical era, Mozart's opere buffe such as ''Così fan tutte'' were popular with the general public.

Classical music regularly features in pop culture, forming background music for movies, television programs and advertisements. As a result most people in the Western World regularly and often unknowingly listen to classical music; thus, it can be argued that the relatively low levels of recorded music sales may not be a good indicator of its actual popularity. In more recent times the association of certain classical pieces with major events has led to brief upsurges in interest in particular classical genres. A good example of this was the choice of ''Nessun dorma'' from Giacomo Puccini's opera ''Turandot'' as the theme tune for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which led to a noticeable increase in popular interest in opera and in particular in tenor arias, which led to the huge sellout concerts by The Three Tenors. Such events are often cited as helping to drive increases in the audiences at many classical concerts that have been observed in recent times.

History

The major time divisions of classical music are the early music period, which includes Medieval (500–1400) and Renaissance (1400–1600), the Common practice period, which includes the Baroque (1600–1750), Classical (1750–1830) and Romantic (1815–1910) periods, and the modern and contemporary period, which includes 20th century (1900–2000) and contemporary (1975–current).

The dates are generalizations, since the periods overlapped and the categories are somewhat arbitrary. For example, the use of counterpoint and fugue, which is considered characteristic of the Baroque era, was continued by Haydn, who is classified as typical of the Classical period. Beethoven, who is often described as a founder of the Romantic period, and Brahms, who is classified as Romantic, also used counterpoint and fugue, but other characteristics of their music define their period.

The prefix ''neo'' is used to describe a 20th century or contemporary composition written in the style of an earlier period, such as Classical or Romantic. Stravinsky's ''Pulcinella'', for example, is a neoclassical composition because it is stylistically similar to works of the Classical period.

Roots

The roots of Western classical music lie in early Christian liturgical music, and its influences date back to the Ancient Greeks. Development of individual tones and scales was done by ancient Greeks such as Aristoxenus and Pythagoras. Pythagoras created a tuning system and helped to codify musical notation. Ancient Greek instruments such as the aulos (a reed instrument) and the lyre (a stringed instrument similar to a small harp) eventually led to the modern-day instruments of a classical orchestra. The antecedent to the early period was the era of ancient music from before the fall of the Roman Empire (476 AD). Very little music survives from this time, most of it from Ancient Greece.

Early Period

The Medieval period includes music from after the fall of Rome to about 1400. Monophonic chant, also called plainsong or Gregorian Chant, was the dominant form until about 1100. Polyphonic (multi-voiced) music developed from monophonic chant throughout the late Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, including the more complex voicings of motets. The Renaissance period was from 1400 to 1600. It was characterized by greater use of instrumentation, multiple interweaving melodic lines, and the use of the first bass instruments. Social dancing became more widespread, so musical forms appropriate to accompanying dance began to standardize.

It is in this time that the notation of music on a staff and other elements of musical notation began to take shape. This invention made possible the separation of the composition of a piece of music from its ''transmission''; without written music, transmission was oral, and subject to change every time it was transmitted. With a musical score, a work of music could be performed without the composer's presence. The invention of the movable-type printing press in the 15th century had far-reaching consequences on the preservation and transmission of music.

Typical stringed instruments of the Early Period include the harp, lute, vielle, and psaltery, while wind instruments included the flute family (including recorder), shawm (an early member of the oboe family), trumpet, and the bagpipe. Simple pipe organs existed, but were largely confined to churches, although there were portable varieties. Later in the period, early versions of keyboard instruments like the clavichord and harpsichord began to appear. Stringed instruments such as the viol had emerged by the 16th century, as had a wider variety of brass and reed instruments. Printing enabled the standardization of descriptions and specifications of instruments, as well as instruction in their use.

Common Practice Period

The Common Practice Period is when many of the ideas that make up western classical music took shape, standardized, or were codified. It began with the Baroque era, running from roughly 1600 to the middle of the 18th century. The Classical era followed, ending roughly around 1820. The Romantic era ran through the 19th century, ending about 1910.

Baroque music

Baroque music is characterized by the use of complex tonal counterpoint and the use of a basso continuo, a continuous bass line. Music became more complex in comparison with the songs of earlier periods. The beginnings of the sonata form took shape in the canzona, as did a more formalized notion of theme and variations. The tonalities of major and minor as means for managing dissonance and chromaticism in music took full shape.

During the Baroque era, keyboard music played on the harpsichord and pipe organ became increasingly popular, and the violin family of stringed instruments took the form generally seen today. Opera as a staged musical drama began to differentiate itself from earlier musical and dramatic forms, and vocal forms like the cantata and oratorio became more common. Vocalists began adding embellishments to melodies. Instrumental ensembles began to distinguish and standardize by size, giving rise to the early orchestra for larger ensembles, with chamber music being written for smaller groups of instruments where parts are played by individual (instead of massed) instruments. The concerto as a vehicle for solo performance accompanied by an orchestra became widespread, although the relationship between soloist and orchestra was relatively simple. The theories surrounding equal temperament began to be put in wider practice, especially as it enabled a wider range of chromatic possibilities in hard-to-tune keyboard instruments. Although Bach did not use equal temperament, as a modern piano is generally tuned, changes in the temperaments from the meantone system, common at the time, to various temperaments that made modulation between all keys musically acceptable, made possible Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.

Classical period music

The Classical period, from about 1750 to 1820, established many of the norms of composition, presentation, and style, and was also when the piano became the predominant keyboard instrument. The ''basic'' forces required for an orchestra became somewhat standardized (although they would grow as the potential of a wider array of instruments was developed in the following centuries). Chamber music grew to include ensembles with as many as 8–10 performers for serenades. Opera continued to develop, with regional styles in Italy, France, and German-speaking lands. The ''opera buffa'', a form of comic opera, rose in popularity. The symphony came into its own as a musical form, and the concerto was developed as a vehicle for displays of virtuoso playing skill. Orchestras no longer required a harpsichord (which had been part of the traditional ''continuo'' in the Baroque style), and were often led by the lead violinist (now called the concertmaster).

Wind instruments became more refined in the Classical period. While double reeded instruments like the oboe and bassoon became somewhat standardized in the Baroque, the clarinet family of single reeds was not widely used until Mozart expanded its role in orchestral, chamber, and concerto settings.

Romantic era music

The music of the Romantic era, from roughly the second decade of the 19th century to the early 20th century, was characterized by increased attention to an extended melodic line, as well as expressive and emotional elements, paralleling romanticism in other art forms. Musical forms began to break from the Classical era forms (even as those were being codified), with free-form pieces like nocturnes, fantasias, and preludes being written where accepted ideas about the exposition and development of themes were ignored or minimized. The music became more chromatic, dissonant, and tonally colorful, with tensions (with respect to accepted norms of the older forms) about key signatures increasing. The art song (or ''Lied'') came to maturity in this era, as did the epic scales of grand opera, ultimately transcended by Richard Wagner's Ring cycle.

In the 19th century, musical institutions emerged from the control of wealthy patrons, as composers and musicians could construct lives independent of the nobility. Increasing interest in music by the growing middle classes throughout western Europe spurred the creation of organizations for the teaching, performance, and preservation of music. The piano, which achieved its modern construction in this era (in part due to industrial advances in metallurgy) became widely popular with the middle class, whose demands for the instrument spurred a large number of piano builders. Many symphony orchestras date their founding to this era. Some musicians and composers were the stars of the day; some, like Franz Liszt and Niccolò Paganini, fulfilled both roles.

The family of instruments used, especially in orchestras, grew. A wider array of percussion instruments began to appear. Brass instruments took on larger roles, as the introduction of rotary valves made it possible for them to play a wider range of notes. The size of the orchestra (typically around 40 in the Classical era) grew to be over 100. Gustav Mahler's 1906 ''Symphony No. 8'', for example, has been performed with over 150 instrumentalists and choirs of over 400.

European cultural ideas and institutions began to follow colonial expansion into other parts of the world. There was also a rise, especially toward the end of the era, of nationalism in music (echoing, in some cases, political sentiments of the time), as composers such as Edvard Grieg, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Antonín Dvořák echoed traditional music of their homelands in their compositions.

20th century, modern, and contemporary music

Modernism (1905–1985) marked a period when many composers rejected certain values of the common practice period, such as traditional tonality, melody, instrumentation, and structure. Composers, academics, and musicians developed extensions of music theory and technique. 20th century classical music, encompassing a wide variety of post-Romantic styles composed through the year 1999, includes late Romantic, Modern and Postmodern styles of composition. The term "contemporary music" is sometimes used to describe music composed in the late 20th century through to the present day.

Significance of written notation

Modernist view of the significance of the score

The modernist views hold that Classical music is considered primarily a ''written'' musical tradition, preserved in music notation, as opposed to being transmitted orally, by rote, or by recordings of particular performances. While there are differences between particular performances of a classical work, a piece of classical music is generally held to transcend any interpretation of it. The use of musical notation is an effective method for transmitting classical music, since the written music contains the technical instructions for performing the work. The written score, however, does not usually contain explicit instructions as to how to interpret the piece in terms of production or performance, apart from directions for dynamics, tempo and expression (to a certain extent). This is left to the discretion of the performers, who are guided by their personal experience and musical education, their knowledge of the work's idiom, their personal artistic tastes, and the accumulated body of historic performance practices.

Criticism of the modernist view

Some critics express the opinion that it is only from the mid 19th century, and especially in the 20th century, that the score began to hold such a high significance. Previously, improvisation, rhythmic flexibility, improvisatory deviation from the score and oral tradition of playing was integral to style of music. Yet in the 20th century, this oral tradition and passing on of stylistic features within classical music disappeared. Instead, musicians use the score to play music, yet even given the score, there is considerable controversy about how to perform the works. Some of this controversy relates to the fact that this score-centric approach has led to performing styles that emphasize metrically strict block-rhythms (just as the music is notated in the score).

Some quotes that highlight this criticism of modernist overvaluing of the score:

''[...]one of the most stubborn modern misconceptions concerning baroque music is that a metronomic regularity was intended'' (Baroque Interpretation in Grove 5th edition by Robert Donington)

''Too many teachers, conditioned to 20th Century ideas, teach Bach and other Baroque music exactly the wrong way. This leads to what musicologist Sol Babitz calls "sewing machine Bach."'' ''[...] tendency to look alike, sound alike and think alike. The conservatories are at fault and they have been at fault for many years now. Any sensitive musician going around the World has noted the same thing. The conservatories, from Moscow and Leningrad to Juilliard, Curtis and Indiana, are producing a standardized product. [...] clarity, undeviating rhythm, easy technique, "musicianship". I put the word musicianship in quotes, because as often as not, it is a false kind of musicianship – a musicianship that sees the tree and not the forest, that takes care of the detail but ignores the big picture; a musicianship that is tied to the printed note rather than to emotional meaning of a piece.The fact remains that there is a dreadful uniformity today and also an appalling lack of knowledge about the culture and performance traditions of the past.'' (Music Schools Turning out Robots? by Harold C. Schonberg)

Improvisation

Improvisation once played an important role in classical music. A remnant of this improvisatory tradition in classical music can be heard in the cadenza, a passage found mostly in concertos and solo works, designed to allow skilled performers to exhibit their virtuoso skills on the instrument. Traditionally this was improvised by the performer; however, it is often written for (or occasionally by) the performer beforehand. Improvisation is also an important aspect in authentic performances of operas of Baroque era and of bel canto (especially operas of Vincenzo Bellini), and is best exemplified by the ''da capo aria'', a form by which famous singers typically perform variations of the thematic matter of the aria in the recapitulation section ('B section' / the 'da capo' part). An example is Beverly Sills' complex, albeit pre-written, variation of ''Da tempeste il legno infranto'' from Händel's ''Giulio Cesare''.

Its written transmission, along with the veneration bestowed on certain classical works, has led to the expectation that performers will play a work in a way that realizes in detail the original intentions of the composer. During the 19th century the details that composers put in their scores generally increased. Yet the opposite trend – admiration of performers for new "interpretations" of the composer's work – can be seen, and it is not unknown for a composer to praise a performer for achieving a better realization of the original intent than the composer was able to imagine. Thus, classical performers often achieve very high reputations for their musicianship, even if they do not compose themselves. Generally however, it is the composers who are remembered more than the performers.

Another consequence of the primacy of the composer's written score is that this has led to the state, where today improvisation plays a relatively minor role in classical music, in sharp contrast to musicians who lived during the baroque, classical and romantic era. Improvisation in classical music performance was common during both the Baroque era and in the nineteenth, yet lessened strongly during the 2nd half of the 19th and in the 20th centuries. Recently the performance of such music by modern classical musicians has been enriched by a revival of the old improvisational practices. During the classical period, Mozart and Beethoven often improvised the cadenzas to their piano concertos (and thereby encouraged others to do so), but they also provided written cadenzas for use by other soloists. In opera, the practice of singing strictly by the score i.e. ''come scritto'', is famously propagated by Maria Callas, who called this practice 'straitjacketing' and implied that it allows the intention of the composer to be understood better, especially during studying the music for the first time.

Relationship to other music traditions

Popular music

Classical music has often incorporated elements or material from popular music of the composer's time. Examples include occasional music such as Brahms' use of student drinking songs in his ''Academic Festival Overture'', genres exemplified by Kurt Weill's ''The Threepenny Opera'', and the influence of jazz on early- and mid-20th century composers including Maurice Ravel, exemplified by the movement entitled "Blues" in his sonata for violin and piano. Certain postmodern, minimalist and postminimalist classical composers acknowledge a debt to popular music.

There are numerous examples of influence in the opposite direction, including popular songs based on classical music, the use to which ''Pachelbel's Canon'' has been put since the 1970s, and the musical crossover phenomenon, where classical musicians have achieved success in the popular music arena.

Folk music

Composers of classical music have often made use of folk music (music created by musicians who are commonly not classically trained, often from a purely oral tradition). Some composers, like Dvořák and Smetana, have used folk themes to impart a nationalist flavor to their work, while others (like Bartók) have used specific themes lifted whole from their folk-music origins.

Commercialism

Certain staples of classical music are often used commercially (either in advertising or in movie soundtracks). In television commercials, several passages have become clichéd, particularly the opening of Richard Strauss' ''Also sprach Zarathustra'' (made famous in the film ''2001: A Space Odyssey'') and the opening section "O Fortuna" of Carl Orff's ''Carmina Burana''; other examples include the ''Dies Irae'' from the Verdi Requiem, Edvard Grieg's ''In the Hall of the Mountain King'' from ''Peer Gynt'', the opening bars of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Wagner's ''Ride of the Valkyries'' from ''Die Walküre'', Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee", and excerpts of Aaron Copland's ''Rodeo''.

Similarly, movies and television often revert to standard, clichéd snatches of classical music to convey refinement or opulence: some of the most-often heard pieces in this category include Mozart's ''Eine kleine Nachtmusik'', Vivaldi's ''Four Seasons'', Mussorgsky's ''Night on Bald Mountain'', and Rossini's ''William Tell Overture''.

Education

Throughout history, parents have often made sure that their children receive classical music training from a young age. Some parents pursue music lessons for their children for social reasons or in an effort to instill a sense of self-discipline. Some believe that knowledge of important works of classical music is part of a good general education.

During the 1990s, several research papers and popular books wrote on what came to be called the "Mozart effect": an observed temporary, small elevation of scores on certain tests as a result of listening to Mozart's works. The approach has been popularized in a book by Don Campbell, and is based on an experiment published in ''Nature'' suggesting that listening to Mozart temporarily boosted students' IQ by 8 to 9 points. This popularized version of the theory was expressed succinctly by a ''New York Times'' music columnist: "researchers... have determined that listening to Mozart actually makes you smarter." Promoters marketed CDs claimed to induce the effect. Florida passed a law requiring toddlers in state-run schools to listen to classical music every day, and in 1998 the governor of Georgia budgeted $105,000 per year to provide every child born in Georgia with a tape or CD of classical music. One of the co-authors of the original studies of the Mozart effect commented "I don't think it can hurt. I'm all for exposing children to wonderful cultural experiences. But I do think the money could be better spent on music education programs."

See also

Notes

References

Kennedy, Michael (2006), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'', 985 pages, ISBN 0-19-861459-4

Further reading

Copland, Aaron;(1957) – ''What to listen for in music''. McGraw Hill.-10: 7018981026 (paperback).

Grout, Donald Jay; Palisca, Claude V. (1996) – ''A History of Western Music'', Fifth Edition. W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-96904-5 (hardcover).

Hanning, Barbara Russano; Grout, Donald Jay (1998 rev. 2009) – ''Concise History of Western Music''. W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-92803-9 (hardcover).

Johnson, Julian (2002). ''Who Needs Classical Music?: Cultural Choice and Musical Value''. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-514681-6.

Kamien, Roger (2008) – ''Music: An Appreciation'' Sixth Brief Edition ISBN 978-0-07-340134-8

Lihoreau, Tim; Fry, Stephen (2004) – ''Stephen Fry's Incomplete and Utter History of Classical Music''. Boxtree. ISBN 978-0-7522-2534-0

Scholes, Percy Alfred; Arnold, Denis (photographer) (1988) – ''The New Oxford Companion to Music''. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-311316-3 (paperback).

Taruskin, Richard (2005, rev. Paperback version 2009) – ''Oxford History of Western Music''. Oxford University Press (USA). ISBN 978-0-19-516979-9 (Hardback), ISBN 978-0-19-538630-1 (Paperback)

External links

Historical classical recordings from the British Library Sound Archive

Category:European music

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Name	Paul Potts
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Paul Robert Potts
Born	October 13, 1970, Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom
Genre	Classical, Pop Opera
Occupation	Tenor musician(Formerly employed by Carphone Warehouse)
Years active	2007–present
Label	Syco, Columbia (2007–2010)
Website	paulpottsofficial.com }}

Paul Robert Potts (born 13 October 1970) is an English pop opera tenor who won the first series of ITV's ''Britain's Got Talent'' in 2007, singing an operatic aria, "''Nessun dorma''" from Puccini's "Turandot". As a singer of operatic music, Potts recorded the album ''One Chance'', which went to #1 in nine countries. Prior to winning ''Britain's Got Talent'', Potts was a manager at The Carphone Warehouse and also performed in amateur opera from 1999 to 2003.

Early life

Potts was born in Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, England and raised in Fishponds, Bristol, by his father Roland, a bus driver, and mother, Yvonne (''née'' Higgins), a supermarket cashier. He has two brothers and one sister. Potts attended St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, where he developed his love of singing. He also sang with the choir at Chester Park Junior School and with the choirs at several Bristol churches, including Christ Church. Potts said in interviews that he had been bullied in school, and that experience may have made him lack self-confidence. He has also said that his voice had always been a source of solace in the past when he was bullied.

He earned an Honours degree in 1993 from University College Plymouth St Mark & St John, majoring in Humanities. In 1996, Potts was elected the youngest member of Bristol City Council; a Liberal Democrat, he served until 2003. Potts was a manager at mobile phone store Carphone Warehouse in Bridgend and lived in Port Talbot. After winning ''Britain's Got Talent'', Potts took a six-month sabbatical from his job and resigned on 5 March 2008.

Singing career

Potts first sang opera in the minor roles of ''The Prince of Persia'' and the Herald in Puccini's ''Turandot'' for the Bath Opera, an amateur company, in 1999. He then performed leading roles on four occasions: Don Basilio in Mozart's ''Marriage of Figaro'' in 2000; Don Carlos in Verdi's ''Don Carlos'' in 2001; Don Ottavio in Mozart's ''Don Giovanni'' in 2003; and Radames in Verdi's ''Aida'' in 2003. He also performed the role of the Chevalier des Grieux in Puccini's ''Manon Lescaut'' for the Southgate Opera Company in London, an amateur company, in May 2003. Additionally, he sang with a small ensemble from the Royal Philharmonic in front of an audience of 15,000 and toured northern Italy as a soloist as part of his music classes there.

In several interviews, Potts revealed that he performed ''Aida'' despite doctors' wishes to remove an adrenal tumour they had discovered during his illness from a burst appendix, and shortly after the tumour surgery performed ''Manon Lescaut'' . Potts broke his collarbone and suffered whiplash in a bicycle accident in 2003. The mishap and financial difficulties that followed led him to enter ''Britain's Got Talent'' despite not having sung in years.

He also participated in the soundtrack of epic Korean drama ''Queen Seondeok (TV series)'', singing two major characters', ''Deokman'' and ''Yushin'''s love theme "Passo Dopo Passo" in Italian, meaning "Step by Step". He has also performed a duet with world famous soprano, Hayley Westenra, ''Sei Con Me'', featured in his album ''Passione''.

''Britain's Got Talent''

Potts auditioned for Simon Cowell's new talent show ''Britain's Got Talent'' at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on 17 March 2007. The audition was televised on ITV1 in the UK on 9 June 2007. Potts sang the full rendition of Giacomo Puccini's "Nessun dorma", which was condensed for broadcast, and he received a standing ovation from the audience of 2,000 people.

In the semi-final on 14 June 2007, Potts performed the main verses of Andrea Bocelli's "''Time To Say Goodbye''". He progressed to the final after receiving the highest public vote in that show. He performed "''Nessun dorma''" again for his finale on 17 June 2007, as well as an encore after he won the competition. Potts defeated the bookmakers co-favourite Connie Talbot, and received the highest percentage of two million votes cast to win £100,000, and the honour to perform at the ''Royal Variety Performance'' on 3 December 2007, in front of Queen Elizabeth II. His version of "Nessun Dorma" on ''Britain's Got Talent'' has over 100 million combined views on YouTube.

Doubts over amateur status

''The Sun'' newspaper received complaints following allegations that Potts had been "coached by Pavarotti". There was anger that he was portrayed on ''Britain's Got Talent'' as a simple mobile-phone salesman, whereas he had in fact appeared in six amateur opera productions and in a concert for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and had plans for a summer tour with that orchestra. Potts responded that he had not claimed to be completely untutored, only that he had never performed any concert for pay and was therefore an amateur. He also said that the Pavarotti masterclass he attended in Italy was paid for from his own savings and was a single masterclass, not regular coaching.

Post-BGT career

In the United States, he was profiled on a National Public Radio programme called ''Day to Day'', and appeared live on NBC's programme ''Today''.

In July 2007, Potts performed his rendition of "''Nessun dorma''" at a Katherine Jenkins concert at Margam Park. On 16 July 2007, his debut album ''One Chance'' was released in the UK, and claimed the #1 spot in the UK Album Chart the following week. In December 2007, Prime Minister Gordon Brown presented Potts with a platinum disc for having sold 2,000,000 copies of his album.

On 13 December 2007, he performed in Leipzig in the live television broadcast of the 13th annual José Carreras Gala, accompanied by the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg under the direction of Scott Lawton. In January he began his concert series of 97 concerts in 85 cities across 23 countries; this ended on 12 November. This included three outdoor classical music concerts with the Finnish violinist Linda Brava and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra at Sofiero Palace, Sundbyholms Castle and Slottskogsvallen from 24 to 26 July. In the semi-finals of the 2009 series of Britain's Got Talent, Potts appeared in a comeback performance.

International celebrity

Potts was invited to appear on the ''Oprah Winfrey Show'' whose topic was YouTube, because clips of his performances had been viewed by millions there; as of April 2009, his first appearance on Britain's Got Talent was the fourth most viewed YouTube video in the UK. On 24 November 2007, Potts was interviewed on the National Public Radio programme ''Weekend Edition''. On 15 August 2008, he performed before the German football season opener match between Bayern Munich and Hamburger SV in front of 69,000 visitors as well as on 2 September 2008 during the farewell game for Oliver Kahn.

In July 2008, Deutsche Telekom began using a TV and cinema advertisement centred on his ''Britain's Got Talent'' performance. In August 2008, he did a now famous duet with Daniel Powter on the Wolfbaggin' Tour. In October 2008, Paul Potts sang in Japanese TV advertisements for Ryukakusan Direct throat medicine manufactured by Ryukakusan. Potts received two nominations at the Echo Awards 2009 in Germany: Best International Male Artist and Album of the Year. He won the 2009 Echo Award for Best International Male Artist on 21 February 2009. On 22 April 2009, Potts was the guest co-host on the Australian television programme ''The Morning Show'' with Kylie Gillies. Expanding his talent to the online world, Paul Potts recently performed an exclusive in studio performance for AOL Sessions. He collaborated with Swedish singer ''Carola Häggkvist'' on her Christmas album ''Christmas in Bethlehem'', singing the "O Holy Night.". Potts has appeared twice on the popular Korean Talent TV show "Star King", first in 2008 and once again in 2010.

Potts was spotted in Toronto on 10 November 2010 performing a "flash opera" at the Union Subway Station to a moderately-sized crowd and finished to loud applause.

Financial

As of May 2009 he had assets of £5 million. 

Personal life

Potts has been married since May 2003 to Julie-Ann (née Cooper) whom he met in an Internet chat room. They met in person for the first time at Swansea railway station in February 2001. She had the upper hand at this "first meeting" as she had a photograph of Potts, but he had no idea what she looked like. Since becoming famous Potts has moved house, but continues to live in Port Talbot.

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions															! rowspan="2"	Sales
		! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	CANClass	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"
2007	style="text-align:left;"			* Released: 16 July 2007	Syco, Columbia Records>Columbia	1	1	1	1	1	—	1	1	1	1	2	3	4	9	23		* UK: 2× platinum	* SWE: 3× platinum	* GER: 5× platinum	* NZ: 3× platinum	* AUS: 2× platinum		* GER: 1,000,000+	* UK: 680,000+	* AUS: 140,000+	* SWE: 120,000+
2009	style="text-align:left;"			* Released: 1 June 2009	* Label: Syco, Columbia	5	—	—	5	4	—	6	6	1	3	9	5	9	20	33				* SWE: Gold	* NZ: Gold	Taiwan>TAI: Platinum		* SWE: 20,000	* US: 16,000+	* NZ: 7,500+
2010				* Released: 15 October 2010 (Germany)	* Label: Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH	—	—	—	9	65	1	—	—	—	40	—	—	—	—	—

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions						Album
		! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"
2007		100	12	2	2	13	52

The song "Nessun Dorma" got the 19th best-selling single of 2008 in Germany and was certified as Gold for selling more than 150,000 copies.

References

External links

Paul Potts at Sony BMG

Paul Potts biography from BBC Wales

Paul Potts interview on The Hour

Paul Potts Official site.

Paul Potts on Avex Taiwan

Category:Opera crossover singers Category:English tenors Category:English male singers Category:Reality show winners Category:Britain's Got Talent contestants Category:People from Kingswood, South Gloucestershire Category:People from Neath Port Talbot Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Sony BMG artists Category:Avex Trax artists Category:Alumni of University College Plymouth St Mark & St John

cs:Paul Potts cy:Paul Potts da:Paul Potts de:Paul Potts es:Paul Potts eo:Paul Potts fr:Paul Potts ko:폴 포츠 it:Paul Potts nl:Paul Potts ja:ポール・ポッツ no:Paul Potts pl:Paul Potts pt:Paul Potts ru:Потс, Пол fi:Paul Potts sv:Paul Potts th:พอล พ็อตส์ zh:保羅·波茨

Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet () (May 12, 1842August 13, 1912) was a French composer best known for his operas. His compositions were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and he ranks as one of the greatest melodists of his era. Soon after his death, Massenet's style went out of fashion, and many of his operas fell into almost total oblivion. Apart from ''Manon'' and ''Werther'', his works were rarely performed. However, since the mid-1970s, many operas of his such as ''Thaïs'' and ''Esclarmonde'' have undergone periodic revivals.

Biography

Massenet was born in Montaud, then an outlying hamlet and now a part of the city of Saint-Étienne, in the Loire. When he was six, his family moved to Paris due to his father's ill-health. There his mother (Adélaïde Massenet, ''née'' Royer; her husband's second wife) started taking piano pupils. She also taught Jules so well that at the age of 11 he was able to enter the Paris Conservatoire. He was still a student when his family moved from Paris to Chambéry, but Jules returned to Paris after a few months, living with a married member of his father's family by his first wife. To support himself during his studies, he worked as timpanist for six years at the Théâtre Lyrique, playing also other percussion instruments in other theatres, and working as a pianist in the Café de Belleville.

Although at first some of his teachers had not predicted for him any career in music, this changed in 1862 when he won the Grand Prix de Rome with his cantata ''David Rizzio'' and spent three years in Rome. There he met Franz Liszt, at whose request he gave piano lessons to Louise-Constance "Ninon" de Gressy, the daughter of a wealthy lady named Mme Sainte-Marie. Ninon became Massenet's wife in 1866.

His first opera, ''La grand' tante'', was a one-act production at the Opéra-Comique in 1867. Nevertheless it was his dramatic oratorio ''Marie-Magdeleine'' (first performed in 1873) that won him praise from the likes of Tchaikovsky, d'Indy (who afterwards turned against him), and Gounod. His real mentor, though, was the composer Ambroise Thomas, a man with important contacts in theatrical milieux. Another important early patron was his publisher, Georges Hartmann, whose connections with journalistic circles aided him in becoming better known during the difficult initial years of his composing activity. Even Massenet's marriage to Ninon helped him a great deal in securing commissions and garnering fame in important social circles.

Massenet took a break from his composing to serve as a soldier in the Franco-Prussian War, but returned to his art following the end of the conflict in 1871. From 1878 he worked as professor of composition at the Paris Conservatory where his pupils included André Bloch, Gustave Charpentier, Ernest Chausson, Reynaldo Hahn, Georges Enesco, and Charles Koechlin. His greatest successes were ''Manon'' in 1884, ''Werther'' in 1892, and ''Thaïs'' in 1894. Notable later operas were ''Le jongleur de Notre-Dame'', produced in 1902, and ''Don Quichotte'', produced in Monte Carlo 1910, with the legendary Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin in the title-role.

In 1876 he received the Légion d'honneur, and was appointed a Grand Officer in 1899. In 1878 he was elected a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, to the exclusion of Camille Saint-Saëns. He was only 36, the youngest member ever elected to the Académie.

In addition to his operas, Massenet composed concert suites, ballet music, oratorios and cantatas and about two hundred songs. Some of his non-vocal output has achieved widespread popularity, and is commonly performed: for example the ''Méditation'' from ''Thaïs'', which is a violin solo with orchestra, as well as the Aragonaise, from his opera ''Le Cid'' and the ''Élégie'' for cello and orchestra (from his incidental music to ''Les Érinnyes''). The latter two pieces are commonly played by piano students, and the ''Élégie'' became world-famous in many arrangements.

There have been periodic performances and recordings of Massenet's orchestral music, especially the seven suites. Naxos has issued the complete suites, as well as ballet music from ''Herodiade,'' as performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jean-Yves Ossonce.

Massenet died in Paris at the age of 70, after suffering from a long illness (cancer).

Being a very prolific, hard-working composer (over 25 extant operas, with his daily schedule starting frequently from as early as 4 am), he created his pieces not "at the piano" (as so many other composers do), but entirely from his imagination. That ability greatly helped him to achieve his high standards as an orchestrator. Even in his loudest passages, the instrumental texture is always lucid. It is curious that he was also known to avoid all public dress rehearsals and performances of his works; often he would have to be informed by others of his own operatic successes.

The only known recording by Massenet is a scene from ''Sapho'' where he accompanies the soprano Georgette Leblanc on the piano; never published, it is in the Historical Sound Recordings collection of Yale University.

Compositions

Operas

See List of operas by Massenet

Oratorios and cantatas

''David Rizzio'' – 1863

''Marie-Magdeleine'' – 1873

''Ève'' – 1875

''Narcisse'' – 1877

''La Vierge'' – 1880

''Biblis'' – 1886

''La Terre Promise'' – 1900

Ballets

''Le carillon'' – 1892

''Cigale'' – 1904

''Espada'' – 1908

''L'histoire de Manon'' (arr. Leighton Lucas) – 1974

Orchestral compositions

''Première suite d'orchestre'' – 1867

''Scènes hongroises'' – 1870

''Scènes pittoresques'' – 1874

''Scènes dramatiques'' – 1875

''Scènes napolitaines'' – 1876

''Scènes de féerie'' – 1881

''Scènes alsaciennes'' – 1882

''Fantasy for cello and orchestra'' – 1897

''Piano Concerto'' – 1903

''Ouverture de concert''

Overture to Racine's ''Phèdre''

''Sarabande espagnole''

Incidental music

''Les érinnyes'' (containing the famous ''Élégie'') – 1873

''Un drame sous Philippe II'' – 1875

''La vie de bohème'' – 1876

''L'Hetman'' – 1877

''Notre-Dame de Paris'' – 1879

''Michel Strogoff'' – 1880

''Nana-Sahin'' – 1883

''Théodora'' – 1884

''Le crocodile'' – 1900

''Phèdre'' – 1900

''Le grillon du foyer'' – 1904

''Le manteau du roi'' – 1907

''Perce-Beige et les sept gnomes'' – 1909

''Jérusalem'' – 1914

Song collections and cycles

''Poëme d'Avril'' (Armand Silvestre), Op. 14, songs, declaimed poems and piano solos, c.1866, published 1868

''Poëme pastoral'' (Florian and Armand Silvestre), baritone, 3 female voices, piano, 1870–72, published 1872

''Chansons des bois d'Amaranthe'' (M. Legrand, after Redwitz), four solo voices (SATB) and piano, 1900, published 1901

Songs

À Colombine (Serenade d’Arlequin) (Louis Gallet)

À la trépassée (Armand Silvestre)

À la Zuecca (Alfred de Musset)

À Mignonne (Gustave Chouquet)

Adieu (Complainte) (Armand Silvestre)

Adieux (Gilbert)

Anniversaire (Armand Silvestre)

Aubade (Gabriel Prévost)

Automne (Paul Collin)

Berceuse (Gustave Chouquet)

Bonne nuit! (Camille Distel)

Ce que disent les cloches (Jean de la Vingtrie)

C'est l'amour (Victor Hugo)

Chant provençal (Michel Carré)

Crépuscule (Armand Silvestre)

Dans l'air plein de fils de soie (Armand Silvestre)

Declaration (Gustave Chouquet)

Élégie (Louis Gallet)

Epitaphe (Armand Silvestre)

Être aimé (Jules Massenet after Victor Hugo)

Guitare (Victor Hugo)

La mort de la cigale (Maurice Fauré)

La veillée du Petit Jésus (André (Theuriet)

La vie d'une rose, Op. 12, No. 3 (Jules Ruelle)

L'air du soir emportati (Armand Silvestre)

L'âme des oiseau (Elena Vacarescu)

Le portrait d'une enfant, Op. 12, No. 4 (Pierre de Ronsard)

Le sais-tu? (Stéphan Bordèse)

Le sentier perdu (Paul de Choudens)

Le verger (Camille Distel)

Les alcyons (Joseph Antoine Autran)

Les bois de pins (Camille Distel)

Les enfants

Les femmes de Magdala (Louis Gallet)

Les mains (Noel Bazan)

Les oiselets (Jacques Normand)

L'esclave, Op. 12, No. 1 (Théophile Gautier)

Lève-toi (Armand Silvestre)

Loin de moi ta lèvre Qui Ment (Jean Aicard)

Madrigal (Armand Silvestre)

Musette (Jean Pierre Claris de Florian)

Narcisse à la fontaine (Paul Collin)

Néére (Michel Carré)

Nouvelle chanson sur un vieil air (Victor Hugo)

Nuit d'Espagne (Louis Gallet)

Ouvre tes yeux bleus (Paul Robiquet)

Pensée d'automne (Armand Silvestre)

Pour qu'à l'espérance (Armand Silvestre)

Prélude (Armand Silvestre)

Première danse (Jacques Clary Jean Normand)

Puisqu’elle a pris ma vie (Paul Robiquet)

Que l'heure est donc brève (Armand Silvestre)

Rêvons, c'est l'heure (Paul Verlaine)

Riez-vous (Armand Silvestre)

Rondel de la belle au bois (Julien Gruaz)

Roses d’Octobre (Paul Collin)

Sérénade (Molière)

Sérénade aux mariés, Op. 12, No. 2 (Jules Ruelle)

Sérénade de Zanetto (François Coppée) *Sérénade du passant (François Coppée)

Si tu veux, Mignonne (Abbé Claude Georges Boyer)

Soir de rêve (Antonin Lugnier)

Soleil couchant (Victor Hugo)

Sonnet (Georges Pradel)

Sonnet matinal (Armand Silvestre)

Sonnet payen (Armand Silvestre)

Souhait (Jacques Normand)

Sous les branches (Armand Silvestre)

Souvenez-vous, Vierge Marie! (Georges Boyer)

Souvenir de Venise (Alfred de Musset)

Stances (Gilbert)

Sur la source (Armand Silvestre)

Un adieu (Armand Silvestre)

Un souffle de parfums (Armand Silvestre)

Voici que les grans lys (Armand Silvestre)

Voix suprême (Antoinette Lafaix-Gontié)

Vous aimerez demain (Armand Silvestre)

Other

Miscellaneous piano pieces

Massenet completed and orchestrated Léo Delibes' unfinished opera ''Kassya''.

''Prelude'' in C major for organ.

Media

References

;Notes

;Cited sources

Full text of ''My recollections'' at archive.org

External links

for cello and orchestra.

Masters of French Music: Jules Massenet by Arthur Hervey

[ All Music biographical notes on Massenet (in English)]

Extensive biography with list of references and compositions (in French)

Scores and Vocal Scores on Indiana University Bloomington Libraries:

Werther: Full orchestral score, French text only

Manon: Full orchestral score, French text only

Don Quichotte: Vocal score (piano reduction), French and English libretto

Category:1842 births Category:1912 deaths Category:People from Saint-Étienne Category:Romantic composers Category:Opera composers Category:French composers Category:Ballet composers Category:Prix de Rome for composition Category:Honorary Members of the Royal Philharmonic Society Category:Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur

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name	Gucci Mane
background	solo_singer
birth name	Radric Davis
born	February 02, 1980 Birmingham, Alabama
origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Rapper
years active	2001 – present
label	1017 Brick Squad Records, Asylum, Warner Bros.
associated acts	1017 Brick Squad, OJ Da Juiceman, Yo Gotti, Soulja Boy, Shawty Lo, E-40, Nicki Minaj, French Montana, Ludacris, Devin the Dude, Waka Flocka Flame
website
notable instruments	}}

Radric Davis (born February 2, 1980), better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with ''Trap House'' and followed with albums such as ''Hard to Kill'' in 2006, ''Trap-A-Thon'' and ''Back to the Trap House'' in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album ''The State vs. Radric Davis'' was released. Gucci Mane has released many other mixtapes as well.

While serving a six-month jail term for assault in late 2005, Davis was charged with murder, though the charges were later dropped due to a lack of evidence. In 2009, he served a year-long prison term for violating probation for his 2005 assault conviction.

Biography

Early life

Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and later moved with his single mother to Atlanta. He enjoyed writing poetry as a child, and began rapping at age 14.

2005–2006: ''Trap House'' and ''Hard to Kill''

In 2005, Davis released his independent debut album entitled ''Trap House'', which featured the successful single "Icy" with Young Jeezy. Disputes over the rights to this single caused a rift between the two artists. ''Hard to Kill'' followed in 2006. ''Hard To Kill'' included the hit single "Freaky Gurl". The song peaked at number 12 on the Hot Rap Tracks, number 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and at number 62 on the Hot 100.

2007: ''Back to the Trap House''

The official remix of Freaky Gurl featuring Ludacris and Lil Kim was included on his 2007 commercial debut album ''Back to the Trap House''. Gucci Mane appeared on OJ da Juiceman's "Make Tha Trap Say Aye" and began working on various mixtapes. Gucci Mane signed to Warner Bros. Records in May 2009.

2009–2010: ''The State vs. Radric Davis''

He appeared on remixes of the songs "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas, "Obsessed" by Mariah Carey and "5 Star Chick" by Yo Gotti and made a guest appearance on Mario's "Break Up" (he has made 17 guest appearances total in 2009). Gucci Mane's second studio album ''The State vs. Radric Davis'' was released under the label Warner Bros. Records on December 8, 2009. Its first single, "Wasted" featuring Plies, was originally from Mane's 2009 mixtape ''Writing on the Wall''. It peaked at number 36 on the Hot 100, number 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and number 3 on the Rap Songs making it Gucci Mane's most successful single to date. The second single is "Spotlight" featuring Usher. The third single is "Lemonade". The fourth single is "Bingo". On October 2, 2009, Gucci Mane was listed at number 6 on MTV's annual Hottest MC in the Game list.

2010–present: ''The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted''

After being released from jail, Gucci Mane stated that he would start or change the label name from So Icey Entertainment to 1017 Brick Squad Records. ''The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted'', was released on September 28, 2010. The first single from this release was titled "Gucci Time", produced by Swizz Beatz. It premiered on Gucci Mane's official MySpace page on August 6. The single features Swizz Beatz and was released to US urban radio stations on August 24, 2010.

Legal issues

In April 2001, Davis was arrested on cocaine charges and sentenced to 90 days in county jail.

On May 10, 2005, Davis was attacked by a group of men at a house in Decatur, Georgia. Davis and his companions shot at the group, killing one. The corpse of one of the attackers, Henry Lee Clark III, was found later behind a nearby middle school. Davis turned himself in to police investigators on May 19, 2005, and was subsequently charged with murder. Davis claimed that the shots fired by him and his party were in self-defense. The DeKalb County district attorney's office dropped the murder charge in January 2006 due to insufficient evidence. The previous October, in an unrelated matter, Davis had pleaded no contest to a charge of assault for assaulting a nightclub promoter the previous June; at the time the murder charge was dropped, he was serving a six-month prison sentence for this. Davis was released from jail in late January 2006.

In September 2008, Gucci Mane was arrested for a probation violation for completing only 25 out of 600 community service hours following his 2005 arrest for assault. He was sentenced to a year in jail but was released after six months. He was incarcerated in the Fulton County jail for probation violation and released on May 12, 2010.

On November 2, 2010, Gucci Mane was arrested for driving on the wrong side of the road, running a red light or stop sign, damage to government property, obstruction, no license, no proof of insurance and other traffic charges. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

On January 4, 2011, A judge in the Superior Court of Georgia’s Fulton County ordered rapper Gucci Mane to a psychiatric hospital, according to court documents. The documents reveal that his lawyers filed a Special Plea of Mental Incompetency on Dec. 27 arguing that he is unable “to go forward and/or intelligently participate in the probation revocation hearing.”

Discography

Studio Albums

2007: ''Back to the Trap House''

2009: ''The State vs. Radric Davis''

2010: ''The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted''

Compilations

2011: ''Global Attack Mixtape, Vol. 1''

References

External links

Official website

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:American people convicted of assault Category:Asylum Records artists Category:People convicted of drug offenses Category:People from Birmingham, Alabama Category:Rappers from Alabama Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Warner Bros. Records artists

de:Gucci Mane es:Gucci Mane fr:Gucci Mane ko:구치 매인 hr:Gucci Mane it:Gucci Mane hu:Gucci Mane ja:グッチ・メイン pl:Gucci Mane pt:Gucci Mane ru:Gucci Mane simple:Gucci Mane fi:Gucci Mane

Phamie Gow is a Scottish harpist, pianist, singer and composer. 5 solo albums released to date entitled, Winged Spirit, Lammermuir, Dancing Hands, Moments of Time, and La Vida Buena - The Good Life.

Phamie was invited to perform in The Carnegie Hall in New York by Philip Glass for the 2008 Tibet House Benefit Concert. She performed with Band of Horses, Marisa Monte, Ashley MacIsaac, and Ray Davies. She has performed on the Regis and Kelly Show USA.

Her piano composition "War Song" has been released on 2 Classic FM/Universal compilation albums and is reaching well over 100,000 hits on her youtube video. Her works on piano are regularly given airplay on Classic FM and recently got to number 6 charts of the most played tracks in UK's Caffe Nero stores.

Phamie has performed all over Europe, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and is soon to give a tour of China later in the year.

References

External links

http://www.phamiegow.com/

http://www.myspace.com/phamiegow/

http://www.myspace.com/phamiegow_moments/

Category:Living people Category:Scottish pianists Category:Scottish harpists Category:Scottish composers