Conductor / Composer
Born in London to a Russian … Read Full Bio ↴Alexander Prior
Conductor / Composer
Born in London to a Russian mother and British father, Alexander Prior's passion for music stood out from a very young age. He began composing at the age of eight and he has now written more than 40 works, including symphonies, concertos, two ballets, two operas and a Requiem for the children of Beslan. He has already seen his music performed by respected orchestra and ensembles, and been the recipient of several prestigious composition awards - at 12 he was the youngest commended in the BBC Young Composer Competition. As he began piano lessons, his musical abilities flourished and later he enrolled in the junior department of the Royal College of Music. At 13, Alexander became a student at the St Petersburg Conservatory where he is currently studying composition with Professor Alexander Tchaikovsky and conducting with Professor Alexeev.
Since his solo debut, age 10, at St Paul's Covent Garden, Alexander has been recognized internationally as one of the most promising composers and performers of his generation. He has collaborated with many leading orchestras and ensembles including The BBC Singers and The Enydmion Ensemble. Highlights include a performance of his Sonata for Cello and Piano at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and the selection of a symphonic poem, Stalin's March as part of the Arts Council funded New Music Day with the City of London Sinfonia. Respected British composer, Roxanna Panufnik commented that Alexander's music has 'a seething intensity about it, both rhythmically and harmonically'.
Alexander's Piano Concerto No.1 was premiered at the prestigious V International Piano Festival in St Petersburg in September 2006. This work represented the 21st Century alongside Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1 from 19th and Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No.1 from 20th Centuries. A finalist in this year's International Prokofiev Composers Competition, his Concerto for piano and orchestra No 2 Northern Dances will be performed by the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra at the final round in April 2008. In 2006, Alexander's ballet Mowgli (based on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book) was commissioned by renowned choreographers Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vassilev of The Moscow State Classical Ballet. The first performance, conducted by Alexander himself, was in June 2007 at the New Opera Theatre in Moscow and met with great success. The official premiere took place at the Kremlin theatre, Moscow in February 2008 - also conducted by Alexander, with a tour of the work in the pipeline.
Alexander made his UK conducting debut with The National Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican, and he immediately received a reinvitation. He has also conducted The State Symphony Orchestra of St. Petersburg in a performance of his own String Symphony No.1, in a concert in the St Petersburg Philharmonic Hall entirely devoted to his own compositions.
Volare
Alex Prior Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cantare oh oh oh oh
Let's fly way up to the clouds
Away from the maddening crowds
We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Just like bird of a feather a rainbow together we'll find
Volare oh oh
E contare oh oh oh oh
No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings
Penso che un sogno cosi non ritorni mai piu
Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu
Poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito
E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito
Volare oh oh
E contare oh oh oh oh
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassu
E volavo volavo felice piu in alto del sole ed ancora piu su
Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiu
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me
Volare oh oh
E cantare oh oh oh oh
No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassu
The song "Volare" by Alex Prior is an Italian classic. It is a romantic ballad about escaping reality and flying away with a loved one to find peace and happiness. The song is primarily sung in Italian, but there are several English phrases included that help to convey the meaning of the lyrics.
The song begins with the iconic line, "Volare oh oh, cantare oh oh oh oh," which means "I will fly, I will sing." The first verse talks about leaving the chaos and confusion of the world behind and finding solace and happiness in the stars. The second verse paints a dreamy picture of soaring through the sky, feeling weightless and free. The chorus repeats the idea of the singer's happy heart and how his love has given him wings to fly.
The song's bridge includes the lyrics, "Poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito / E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito," which roughly translates to, "Suddenly I was taken by the wind, and I began to fly into the infinite sky." This line adds to the song's overall theme of transcending earthly concerns and finding escape through love and imagination.
Overall, "Volare" is a poetic and romantic song that celebrates the power of love to lift us up and carry us away from the stresses of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Volare oh oh
Oh how I want to fly
Cantare oh oh oh oh
Singing with joy in my heart
Let's fly way up to the clouds
Let's escape to the highest heights of the sky
Away from the maddening crowds
Away from the chaos and noise of the world
We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of
All alone, we can sing under the light of a familiar star
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
Where two people are at peace and free from worry
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Let go of all doubts and leave behind any confusion
Just like bird of a feather a rainbow together we'll find
We'll stick together like birds of a feather and find the beauty of a rainbow
No wonder my happy heart sings
It's no surprise that my happy heart is singing
Your love has given me wings
Your love has given me the power to fly and soar high
I think such a dream will never come again
I believe that such a dream will never happen again
I used to paint my hands and face blue
I used to paint myself blue
Then suddenly I was grabbed by the wind
Suddenly, I was taken by the power of the wind
And I began to fly into the infinite sky
And then I started to fly, reaching the endless sky
Happy to fly higher than the sun, and even higher
Delighted to fly higher than the sun, and even higher than that
As the world slowly disappeared in the distance
Everything on earth became a blur and I got lost in the moment
Sweet music played only for me
A melody was playing only for me, making me feel special
Happy to be up there in that painted blue sky
Feeling ecstatic to be in that magical blue painted sky
Contributed by Caroline R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gardner von Holt
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Kaylie Mason
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Rachel Dutch Volare
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Rachel Dutch Volare
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Rachel Dutch Volare
😞
Supercars of New York
Hey really love the videos hope all is well! Wanted to know how the industry is set for 2021 Airline pilots plus the future down the road. Would this be a good career or something to re-consider with the pandemic and onward. Thanks!