Cold Song (Purcell) | Aksel Rykkvin (boy soprano 14y) | The Trondheim Soloists 

Thanks! Training as a baritone at the moment, and going to New York in January to sing as a baritone for the first time to a public audience - very excited :)

Merci beaucoup!

Happy new year to you as well!

Quite difficult, yes. Thanks!

Por favor sube más videos

:)

Thanks!

Same here, Reaumur G. All we can do is be in the moment, immersed in Aksel R's grand performance.

Glad to hear it! Merry Christmas to you too

Thanks!

Thank you, always happy to hear about such emotions, and glad you liked also this unusual song :) Merry Christmas!

Yes, an unusual song. And while more profoundly understood, there are metaphors by which the author shows or unveils a clearer message. The lyrics express man's sadness and unwillingness and fear and unbelief as to going on living in an improper, "icy" world, facing the hardships and unrighteousness of life while becoming a winner at last, a champion who can overcome them and turn life into a better one - the best one - through faith in God, who will reward winners - those who live a righteous life. And instead of man's fear and refusal, as seen in "Let me, let me freeze again to death", man is directly or indirectly urged to believe in being a winner, one who can overcome the "cold", that is to say the vicissitudes of life, enjoying finally a wonderful life, eternally. There is a great promise in the Bible: "Death - the last enemy of man, shall be destroyed" and humanity shall then be forever happy with the Lord. It is well-known that all dedicated classical composers had a close and faithful relationship with God. This is why the Lord gave them this noble gift of composing and singing, so that all generations of singers and all people can understand, acknowledge and accept - through noble music, as well as through other heavenly gifts - God's love for humanity and His intervention for a truly good world, the best life man can ever dream of. The poet John Dryden also had a sound religious education and collaborated well with Henry Purcell. The original poem, "The Cold Song", had a few more lines and I don't know if it still exists. The music suits very well the lyrics. And finally, your vocal artistry and the orchestral artistry soar above, expressing so vividly the literal and symbolic message of "The Cold Song". Literally, if sung during the winter, this song has a funny nuance too. It depends upon the listener's perspective. And yet the author's message and perception prevails, which means the keen reader or listener perceives well the author's intentional message. And in writing this poem, John Dryden was surely driven by his desire and love for God's righteousness in a world of partly troubled times during his lifetime, considering the socio-cultural context of his writings in general.

Thank you, I had mostly thought of it as an aria of the grumpy Spirit of Winter, but what you say is interesting.

I also see it as an aria of the grumpy Spirit of Winter. And I am impressed by the maturity of the aria in its entirety (music and lyrics) and by the masterly performance - all in all, a great one! Purcell would be proud of you all!

Thanks!

eleonore pibot i

That's great to hear :) There are some great performances of this song out there, Klaus Nomi, Andreas Scholl etc.

Helps to keep in shape with football, I guess, and the director of the Children’s Chorus at the opera helped us a lot with choreography :)

Yes, it's kind of crazy how modern this sounds. Another of my favourites is "Under this stone lies Gabriel John" - heard it when I had a role in an opera based on Purcell's music (Miranda).

Danke schön!

Yes, trying to avoid colds. Btw my voice changed recently, so I am now training as a baritone. Check out my Facebook page for up-to-date news. Thanks!

Great!! A baritone, hey?! Cool! Can't wait to hear you sing with your matured voice. I will check out your Facebook page, for sure, Aksel! All the best to you and your family! Maybe one day, you can come to Australia! :-)

I would love to. We'll see! First New York in January.

Good luck in New York, Aksel! Hope you have many people attending your performances, being enthralled by your voice, and your choice of songs! Hope to see videos of your tour of New York. :-)

Grazie mille!

Probably you know his baritone-version, also amazing...

Thank you! What is really cool is that I will perform again with the same orchestra in November, and we will do this same song again... Didn´t understand that thing about the cameraman?

Great - that will be fabulous! I was referring to the FB video with you practising this which ends in the terrible sight of you just about to eat the videographer facebook.com/akselmusic/videos/1770330659704879/!

Thanks! Since this was from end of July there was no need for hot chocolate, even here in Norway :) Merry Christmas!

Then I will quote Shakespeare: "Thus sometimes hath the brightest day a cloud; And after summer evermore succeeds Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold: So cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet." ( King Henry VI, Part II; Act 2, Scene 4) Your singing brought "nipping cold"

Hehe :) Yes, people say that was more intense. Merry Christmas!

Aksel Rykkvin Sure. Has to be. A concert rendition, no matter how well performed, can’t pack the same dramatic intensity. Best wishes for 2018 and the tenor voice!

Merry Christmas to you too!

Thank you! I think maybe I prefer the slower tempo in the other version, but it's nice to have full string orchestra accompaniment here :)

Yes, from the opera King Arthur.

Thank you, not yet, will check it out :)

Thanks! I now like the baritone version best 😜

@@AkselRykkvin I think a baritone version with baroque orchestra would be even better!

Baritone at the moment, but I wouldn't mind becoming a tenor in time. Not so sure about countertenor, for now.

You're right, and I think it was why choreographer Ina Christel Johannessen asked me to sing this song for her dance performance Frozen Songs www.zerovisibility.no/performances-1/2017/6/22/frozen-songs

C'était l'une de ses dernières performances en tant que meilleure boy soprano du monde (30 juillet 2017). Depuis 2018, il est un jeune baryton. 😀

Yes, it was noticeable in late summer also :)

before i was a soprano when i was around 14 but when I turned 15, i went to tenor which is much harder for me to adjust. But now I sing tenor voice now. I know you'll do great job aksel. god's will

before i was a soprano when i was around 14 but when I turned 15, i went to tenor which is much harder for me to adjust. But now I sing tenor voice now. I know you'll do great job aksel. god's will

before i was a soprano when i was around 14 but when I turned 15, i went to tenor which is much harder for me to adjust. But now I sing tenor voice now. I know you'll do great job aksel. god's will