DE BEER'S DIAMOND COMMERCIALS
D.G. Spencer Ludgate
I know this question has probably made the rounds already...
What is the name of the piece, and who is the composer of the music that
is played in the De Beers diamond commercials???
I have heard this piece performed in various arrangements, other than
the commercials. I seem to always miss the part that informs me of what
and who I am listening to.
I would appreciate any answers.
Thanx,
Spencer
DG...@DATADEPOT.COM
Gene Gaudette
D.G. Spencer Ludgate <DG...@DATADEPOT.COM>' wrote:
>I know this question has probably made the rounds already...
>
>What is the name of the piece, and who is the composer of the music that
>is played in the De Beers diamond commercials???
>
rec.television
and alt.tv newsgroups.
_____
From the alt.tv.commercials FAQ
DeBeers "Shadows" Ad Campaign Music...
TITLE: Palladio ("Shadows")
COMPOSER: Karl Jenkins (formerly of the fusion band Soft Machine)
BASED ON: The Allegro from Vivaldi's Concerto for Mandolin, Organ &
Strings, RV425
ORIGINAL USE: This music was written specifically for the DeBeers "Shadows"
campaign;
it has been rumored that the ad developers had Jenkins consult with
neuroacoustic
programming specialists to develop music that would maximize "compulsion
impact"
COMMERCIAL AVAILABILITY: Sony Classical CD # SK 62276
SIMILARITY TO: Vivaldi's Concerti Grossi (and The Four Seasons, natch,
because of
the ubiquity of Four Seasons recordings), Zelenka's various Concerti,
Stravinsky's
Danses Concertantes, minimalist music by David Heath, etc. etc.
AS HEARD ON: the DeBeers TV campaigns in the US, UK, Japan, Korea, South
Africa and
France; The Weather Channel (US); ZDF programming reminders (Germany)
FRUSTRATION FACTOR FOR ITALO-GERMAN BAROQUE ENTHUSIASTS: High, as there is
an awful
lot of _bad_ writing (sloppy voice-leading, parallel 5ths and some
harmonization that
sounds downright silly)
PROFITABILITY: Jenkins is raking in royalty checks; good for him, I say!
IF YOU LIKE THE MUSIC, TRY THESE CDs:
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - my fave is the Nigel Kennedy recording on
EMI
Zelenka/Pisendel: Concerti - Freiburg Baroque Orchestra on deutsche
harmonia mundi
LCO 9: "Minimalists: Reich, Glass, Adams & Heath" - London Chamber
Orchestra
on Virgin Classics
_____
From the bi-weekly rec.music.classical posting
Many people write:
> What is the classical piece used in the DeBeers diamond commercial?
The music, which is called "Shadows", was composed specifically for this
commercial by Karl Jenkins (formerly of The Soft Machine), and was first
aired in early 1994. Three minutes and 45 seconds of music exist. As of
August 1995, it is understood that recordings are no longer commercially
available in the U.S.
It is strongly reminiscent of parts of "The Four Seasons", a work for
violin and orchestra written by Antonio Vivaldi and published in 1725.
People are often thinking of this piece when they ask about the diamond
commercial. There are many, many recordings of "The Four Seasons", and you
will find it both less expensive and more rewarding than the commercial
music.
A similarity to Stravinsky's "Danses Concertantes" has also been noted.
This text, and more, is on http://www.x.org/people/dbrooks/diamonds/.
--
David Brooks, Manager, Quality Engineering dbr...@x.org
X Consortium <URL:http://www.x.org/people/dbrooks/>
_____
From the rec.music.classical newsgroup
In <315B19...@spring.ucsb.edu> "Martin J. Hutchinson"
<m...@spring.ucsb.edu> writes:
>The music in the DeBeers diamond commercial is a synthesized version of
the
>allegro from Vivaldi's Concerto for Mandolin, Strings and Organ in C Major
>RV 425. I know that this is no longer a hot topic with this group but I
>wanted to dispute the claim that the piece was composed for the
commercial.
>It would appear that the man who took credit for writing the piece (and
even
>gave it the name "Shadows") is a plagiarist.
>John Hutchinson
Good sleuth work John. I always wondered about that, even after the FAQ
for this newsgroup claimed that it was an original piece of music. You
just don't know who you can trust anymore!
_____
From the CompuServe <R> Music Forum
TO: 100201,3436
FROM: 39455,17
RE: DEVREE [sic] DIAMONDS
DATE: 11/20/95 4:44PM
..[the music] is available in a 5-minute CD format (for $12.00) from:
Diamond Promotion Fulfillment Center
P. O. Box 371
Holbrook, MA 02343
1-800-370-6789
Hope this helps.
Joanna
_____