Something for the weekend. It rather astonishes me how time has flown, but in October The American Catholic will be celebrating its third anniversary which puts me in a nostalgic mood. This is one of the first of the music videos that I run on Saturdays, from October 18, 2008. Two versions of Franz Waxman’s immortal Ride to Dubno, aka Ride of the Cossacks:  dueling pianists and the full Hollywood treatment in the 1962 movie Taras Bulba for which the song was composed. Great to listen to if you need an energy boost.
That was great – too bad the guy played the B-flat instead of the B-natural at the 3:38 mark. If not for that, it would have been perfect!
You noticed that too, huh Larry? 🙂
This is a bit off topic.
PBS is airing the first performance of the NY Philharmonic Orchestra’s 170th season. To my delight and mild surprise, it began with our National Anthem.
Well done!
And, the tuxedoed and gowned audience, as well as the conductor, sang it all.
PS: Do any of your wive’s allow you to watch football? Meanwhile, I retire to the back yard to smoke a cigar and think happy thoughts.
What relief from the humidity.
Hope the American Catholic carries on for Reason the way the music and the troops do in the video. That would be a great rally for joining in prayer during the upcoming 40 days for Life.
Congratulations on three years but if you want inspiration I recommend the following clips…the second has musical accompanyment. Despite the colorful legends that have been prepetuated about the Cossacks the reality is somewhat less fanciful…most Cossacks in the time of Tarus Bulba were lowly infantry rather than cavalry. The cavalry were mainly the Cossack nobility, and they while they were very good horsemen and could show off, they were not very good at fighting other cavalry, particularly the Poles, unless they had overwhelming numbers or allied with the Turks or Tartars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4GFsafg59E
In the 17th century the Cossacks were largely infantry. Good raiders and river (and Black Sea) pirates, their besetting military sins were a lack of discipline and effective supply. Crimean tartars did make up their lack of cavalry when they fought the Poles.