Cavatina (song)
Encyclopedia
"Cavatina" is a classical guitar
piece by Stanley Myers
and the theme
from The Deer Hunter
.
The piece had been recorded
by classical guitarist John Williams
, long before the film that made it famous. It had originally been written for piano but at Williams' invitation, Myers re-wrote it for guitar and expanded it. After this transformation, it was first used for the film, The Walking Stick
(1970). In 1973, Cleo Laine
wrote lyrics and recorded the song as "He Was Beautiful" accompanied by John Williams.
Following the release of The Deer Hunter in 1978, Williams' instrumental version of "Cavatina" became a UK Top 20 hit. Two other versions also made the Top 20 the same year - another instrumental recording by The Shadows
, with an electric guitar
played by Hank Marvin
, released on their album String of Hits
with the name "Theme from The Deer Hunter" (#9 in the UK singles charts and #1 in The Netherlands); and a vocal version (using Cleo Laine's lyrics) by Iris Williams
.
The song was also recorded by Paul Potts
on his debut album, One Chance.
There is a gospel version set to Cavatina called "Beautiful" the author is Billy Evmur and it appears in the "Dove On A Distant Oak Tree" collection. Another vocal version with different lyrics was recorded by Vince Hill
(released on the compilation The Ember Records Story Vol. 2 - 1960-1979).
In 2011, the song was recorded by singer Joe McElderry
and guitarist Milos Karadaglic for McElderry's second album, Classic
.
" after Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
toasts the memory of pilots who had been tragically killed doing what they loved. See also Music of Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining). Cavatina was also used to accompany "The Gallery" in the popular UK children's programme Take Hart
in the late 1970s. This was a follow-on from Vision On
where the same music figured. Cavatina was also used for some time in the Seventies as the close-down music when BBC radio
went to sleep at 2 a.m.
It has a reputation as a staple of busker
s, despite its relatively high technical demands. The frequent transitions from one barre chord
to another throughout the song make it difficult to sustain the melody and keep it legato
.
The song featured in the 2005 film Jarhead
.
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
piece by Stanley Myers
Stanley Myers
Stanley Myers , was a prolific British film composer who scored over sixty films. Born in Birmingham, as a teenager Myers went to King Edward's School in Edgbaston, a suburb of Birmingham...
and the theme
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
from The Deer Hunter
The Deer Hunter
The Deer Hunter is a 1978 drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Russian American steel worker friends and their infantry service in the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, John Savage, John Cazale, and George Dzundza...
.
The piece had been recorded
Recording
Recording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
by classical guitarist John Williams
John Williams (guitarist)
John Christopher Williams is an Australian classical guitarist, and a long-term resident of the United Kingdom. In 1973, he shared a Grammy Award win in the 'Best Chamber Music Performance' category with Julian Bream for Julian and John .-Biography:John Williams was born on 24 April 1941 in...
, long before the film that made it famous. It had originally been written for piano but at Williams' invitation, Myers re-wrote it for guitar and expanded it. After this transformation, it was first used for the film, The Walking Stick
The Walking Stick
The Walking Stick is a 1970 film directed by Eric Till and starring David Hemmings and Samantha Eggar. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Winston Graham...
(1970). In 1973, Cleo Laine
Cleo Laine
Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth, DBE is a jazz singer and an actress, noted for her scat singing and vocal range...
wrote lyrics and recorded the song as "He Was Beautiful" accompanied by John Williams.
Following the release of The Deer Hunter in 1978, Williams' instrumental version of "Cavatina" became a UK Top 20 hit. Two other versions also made the Top 20 the same year - another instrumental recording by The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
, with an electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
played by Hank Marvin
Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
, released on their album String of Hits
String of Hits
String of Hits is the twelfth rock album by British instrumental group The Shadows, released in 1979 through Columbia .The album was certified Platinum on the 25th of January, 1980.-Track listing:-Personnel:...
with the name "Theme from The Deer Hunter" (#9 in the UK singles charts and #1 in The Netherlands); and a vocal version (using Cleo Laine's lyrics) by Iris Williams
Iris Williams
Iris Williams OBE is a Welsh singer. Williams reached the peak of her popularity during the 1980s.Williams was born in Pontypridd, South Wales. Brought up in a children's home, she won a scholarship to the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama...
.
The song was also recorded by Paul Potts
Paul Potts
Paul Robert Potts 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...
on his debut album, One Chance.
There is a gospel version set to Cavatina called "Beautiful" the author is Billy Evmur and it appears in the "Dove On A Distant Oak Tree" collection. Another vocal version with different lyrics was recorded by Vince Hill
Vince Hill
Vince Hill is an English traditional pop music singer, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
(released on the compilation The Ember Records Story Vol. 2 - 1960-1979).
In 2011, the song was recorded by singer Joe McElderry
Joe McElderry
Joseph "Joe" McElderry is an English singer and model. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Charts. He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, two...
and guitarist Milos Karadaglic for McElderry's second album, Classic
Classic (Joe McElderry album)
Classic is the second studio album by British singer Joe McElderry. It was released by Decca Records on 19 August 2011 in Ireland and on 22 August 2011 in the United Kingdom...
.
Other media
This piece of music is also played at the end of the Battlestar Galactica episode "ScarScar (Battlestar Galactica)
"Scar" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on February 3, 2006....
" after Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
Kara Thrace
Kara Thrace is a fictional character in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica franchise. Played by Katee Sackhoff, she is a revised version of Lieutenant Starbuck from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
toasts the memory of pilots who had been tragically killed doing what they loved. See also Music of Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining). Cavatina was also used to accompany "The Gallery" in the popular UK children's programme Take Hart
Take Hart
Take Hart is a British children's television show about art, fronted by the late Tony Hart. It took over from Vision On, and ran from 1977 until 1983. The show featured Hart and the animated Plasticine character Morph, and other characters created by David Sproxton like 'Smoulder the Moulder',...
in the late 1970s. This was a follow-on from Vision On
Vision On
Vision On was a British children's television programme, shown on BBC1 from 1964 to 1976 and designed specifically for deaf children. It was conceived and developed by BBC producers Ursula Eason and Patrick Dowling to replace a monthly series For the Deaf, a programme paced slowly enough for...
where the same music figured. Cavatina was also used for some time in the Seventies as the close-down music when BBC radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
went to sleep at 2 a.m.
It has a reputation as a staple of busker
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
s, despite its relatively high technical demands. The frequent transitions from one barre chord
Barre chord
In music, a barre chord is a type of guitar chord, where one or more fingers are used to press down multiple strings across the guitar fingerboard , enabling the guitarist to play a chord not restricted by the tones of the guitar's open strings...
to another throughout the song make it difficult to sustain the melody and keep it legato
Legato
In musical notation the Italian word legato indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, in transitioning from note to note, there should be no intervening silence...
.
The song featured in the 2005 film Jarhead
Jarhead (film)
Jarhead is a 2005 biographical drama war film based on U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford's 1991 Gulf War memoir of the same name, directed by Sam Mendes, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Swofford with co-stars Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, and Chris Cooper. The title comes from the slang term used to refer to...
.