Nyman, who had studied with the noted Baroque music scholar Thurston Dart at King's College London, drew frequently on early music sources in his scores for Greenaway's films: Henry Purcell in The Draughtsman's Contract and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber in A Zed and Two Noughts, Mozart in Drowning by Numbers, and John Dowland in Prospero's Books.
Nyman's popularity increased significantly after he wrote the score to Jane Campion's award-winning 1993 film The Piano. The album ("The Piano") became a classical music best-seller. Although Nyman's score was central to the movie he did not receive an Academy Award nomination despite being nominated for both a British Academy Award and a Golden Globe. He has scored numerous other films, the vast majority of them art films from Europe. His few forays into Hollywood composing have been Gattaca ("Gattaca"), Ravenous (with musician Damon Albarn), and The End of the Affair ("The End of the Affair").
Among Nyman's better known non-film works are Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs (1987), for soprano, alto, tenor and instrumental ensemble (based on Nyman's score for La Princesse de Milan); Ariel Songs (1990) for soprano and band; MGV (Musique à Grande Vitesse) (1993) for band; concertos for piano (based on The Piano score), harpsichord, trombone and saxophone; the opera The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (1986), based on a case-study by Oliver Sacks; and several string quartets.
On children's television shows, Michael has created the music for Katie and Orbie and Titch.
Many of Nyman's works are written for his own ensemble, the Michael Nyman Band, a group formed for a 1976 production of Carlo Goldonip's Il Campiello. Originally made up of old instruments such as rebecs and shawms alongside more modern instruments like the saxophone in order to produce as loud a sound as possible without amplification, it later switched to a fully amplified lineup of string quartet, three saxophones, bass trombone, bass guitar and piano. This line up has been variously altered and augmented for some works.
Nyman also wrote an influential book in 1974 on experimental music called Experimental Music: Cage and Beyond, which explored the influence of John Cage on classical composers. He is generally acknowledged to have been the first to apply the term "minimalism" to music, in a 1968 article in The Spectator magazine about the English composer Cornelius Cardew.
In the 1970s, Nyman was a member of the infamous Portsmouth Sinfonia, the self-described World's Worst Orchestra - playing on their recordings and in their concerts.
He has also recorded pop music, with the Flying Lizards
Dammi la lingua
Michael Nyman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stringi le coscie, e tienim stretto, stretto;
Lasciat′ire a riverso in sul letto
Che d'altro che di fotter non mi curo.
Ai! Traditore! Quant′hai il cazzon duro!
O! come? su la potta ci confetto!
Un dì, tormelo in culo ti prometto,
E di farlo uscir netto t'assicuro.
- Io vi ringrazio cara Lorenzina,
Mi sforzerò servirvi; ma spingete,
Spingete come fa la Ciabattina.
O farò adesso, e voi quando farete?
- Adesso! dammi tutta la linguina.
Ch'io muojo. - Et io, e voi cagion ne sete;
Adunque voi compirete?
- Adesso, adesso faccio, Signor mio;
Adesso ho fatto. Et io; ohimè! o Dio!
The lyrics to Michael Nyman's song Dammi la lingua are both explicit and provocative, as they describe an intimate interaction between two lovers. The title of the song, which translates to "give me your tongue", sets the tone for the lyrics that follow. The opening line "appunta i piedi al muro" instructs the listener to place their feet against the wall, while "stringi le coscie" instructs the listener to squeeze their thighs together. The following lines, "Lasciat′ire a riverso in sul letto / Che d'altro che di fotter non mi curo" suggest that the encounter will be purely sexual.
The tone of the lyrics changes as the dialogue between the lovers unfolds. The phrase "Ai! Traditore! Quant′hai il cazzon duro!" suggests that the male lover's arousal has taken the female lover by surprise. Further into the song, the male lover promises to take his partner anally, which is a provocative and taboo subject. Finally, the female lover begs her partner to use his tongue on her, exclaiming "Ch'io muojo", which translates to "I am dying".
The song's lyrics are graphic and sexual but are conveyed with a sense of humor. The use of Italian phrases and colloquialisms adds to the song's playful tone. The lyrics suggest an intimate and playful relationship between the lovers, which is further emphasized by the use of colloquial language.
Line by Line Meaning
Dammi la lingua, appunta i piedi al muro;
Give me your tongue, press your feet against the wall;
Stringi le coscie, e tienim stretto, stretto;
Tighten your thighs, and hold me tight, tight;
Lasciat'ire a riverso in sul letto / Che d'altro che di fotter non mi curo.
Let me lie down on the bed / As I don't care about anything else but fucking.
Ai! Traditore! Quant'hai il cazzon duro! / O! come? su la potta ci confetto!
Oh! Traitor! How hard your cock is! / Oh! Can we put candy on my pussy?
Un dì, tormelo in culo ti prometto, / E di farlo uscir netto t'assicuro.
One day, I promise you to take it in the ass, / And I assure you to make it come out clean.
Io vi ringrazio cara Lorenzina, / Mi sforzerò servirvi; ma spingete, / Spingete come fa la Ciabattina.
I thank you dear Lorenzina, / I will do my best to serve you; but push, / Push like Ciabattina does.
O farò adesso, e voi quando farete? / Adesso! dammi tutta la linguina. / Ch'io muojo. - Et io, e voi cagion ne sete;
Shall I do it now, and when will you do it? / Now! give me all your tongue. / I am dying. - And me, and do you have a reason;
Adunque voi compirete? / Adesso, adesso faccio, Signor mio; / Adesso ho fatto. Et io; ohimè! o Dio!
Will you complete? / Now, now I'm doing, my Lord; / I did it now. And me; oh no! oh God!
Contributed by Isaac H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.