Wednesday 23 January 2013

Anne Boleyn (Rick Wakeman, 1973)

This track taken from Wakeman's "Six Wives of Henry VIII" album is one of my favs ever. Firstly, it contains two very good themes and so many variations on them; secondly, it's a well balanced composition and Heaven knows this is not always the case with Rick's production; thirdly (of course) there's a remarkable performance on keyboards, half a dozen of them. The track includes  Bill Bruford's drum and an additional theme from the classical piece "The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended" written by the victorian hymn writer John Ellerton.

Anne Boleyn's protrait.
 
It's amazing: even with so much ideas and materials in it, this song is as light and bright as a butterfly. I do think Rick succeeded in painting Anne Boleyn's romantic and delicate soul. Well, I hope she was that...

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