Romantic and melancholy classical music. Updates every Wednesday with popular tracks in Africa.

Study Symphonies

[ENG]
"The Truth on Sendai City" is an animated film directed by Marco Bolognesi, known for his distinctive style that blends both traditional and digital techniques. The plot revolves around Sendai, a city ruled by a creature called Big Brain, which feeds on the emotions of its inhabitants. A group of mutants resists the power of cybernation, a process that erases individuality in favor of the collective.
The music helps to create the unique atmosphere of the film, perfectly integrating with the animation and narrative. The composer's experience in combining diverse musical elements enhances the visual experience, emphasizing the themes of resistance and individuality present in the story.

[ITA]
"The Truth on Sendai City" è un film d'animazione diretto da Marco Bolognesi, noto per il suo stile distintivo che fonde tecniche artigianali e digitali. La trama ruota attorno a Sendai, una città governata da una creatura chiamata Big Brain, che si nutre delle emozioni degli abitanti. Un gruppo di mutanti resiste al potere della cybernazione, un processo che annulla l'individualità in favore della massa.
La musica contribuisce a creare l'atmosfera unica del film, integrandosi perfettamente con l'animazione e la narrazione. La sua esperienza nel combinare elementi musicali diversi arricchisce l'esperienza visiva, enfatizzando i temi di resistenza e individualità presenti nella trama.

The truth on Sendai City

10 - Sendai Nocturne

This composition was submitted to the Generace 2024 composition competition. It aims to capture the emotional whirlwind and rapid flow of diverse thoughts that arise before making a pivotal decision. Enjoy the listening experience!”

Moments Before the Decision

Recorded 20250224 with Yamaha C5 - Made in England
It*s an flow out of me .... an ambient improvisation.
Recorded in Rammingen / Family Blomeier
..... 
If you like this kind of music - Here you can find more:
https://soundcloud.com/user-816871923/sets/ambient?si=76fe985328aa404faef0e95862ebe0a2&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

I Am On My Way

Frühlingskonzert 2022

Frühlingskonzert 2022

Here is the story of a little girl learning to play the violin. She struggles to play, and through her struggle she creates a new way of practicing: she imagines bringing her stuffed animal to life; a simple, Orange Elephant. He awakens, sits at a tiny piano (which is the same size as him now) and, for a moment,  plays a tune for her. She is taken by a melody, and plays it, completely enraptured by the intensity and simpleness of the piece.
...you get the idea?

Special thanks to my family who supported me to get to this point. This is an old one I made in 2007-2008 finally finished (I seem to have a large archive of old stuff to finish out). I hope you enjoy the song!

Thanks to MuscScore4 for allowing free use of their software and enhanced audio soundbites. Additional thanks to Yucel Moran for allowing free use of her photo on Unsplash.

© Copyright Feb 2025 Legend eXpress Media. All rights reserved.

The Orange Elephant

우리에게 주 예수님에 대한(2011년 여름훈련_시편(1)결정 연구)

A set of 12 Rhapsodies for the piano.

Composed and Played by Dr Michael Spacie.

The Rhapsodies are Copyright ©

Rhapsody For Piano Op. 9, No. 4. Composed and Played By Dr Michael Spacie. Copyright ©

Whiskeys & Blues

The Last Act of the Horizon

Vivaldi

Concerto 3 - Larghetto

Symbolizing a journey of solitude, freedom, and a hint of melancholy, this album captures the essence of wandering like the wind—observing the world yet remaining unbound by anything.
Each piece tells a chapter of life’s ups and downs, from battles and hope to release and ultimate freedom.
1、無懼 – Fearless (An epic opening, akin to the battles and challenges of life.)
2、希望之翼 – Wings of Hope (After the battle, a spark of hope ignites for the future.)
3、釋放 – Release (Breaking through life’s inevitable bottlenecks with courage.)
4、未知的戀人 – Unknown Lover (The sweetness and excitement of life, experiencing the beauty of love for the first time.)
5、頑皮探戈 – Playful Tango (A carefree and joyful moment in life, like a mischievous child.)
6、晨曦 – Morning Glow (A new day arrives, with sunlight piercing through the darkness.)
7、最深的思念 – Deepest Yearning (Drifting thoughts filled with longing for the past.)
8、逝去的曾經 – Bygone Days (Facing farewells and recollections, with the piano telling a silent story.)
9、夢之湖 – Lake of Dreams (Life flows like fallen leaves in the wind, searching for one’s true self.)
10、寬恕 – Forgiveness (Letting go of the past, learning to forgive, and embracing a new beginning.)
11、大地之呢喃 – Whispers of the Earth (Reflecting on the relationship between humanity and nature, returning to the roots.)
12、海闊天空 – Beyond the Horizon (Finally reaching a state of ultimate freedom, where everything feels light and unburdened.)


象徵著一種獨自飄蕩、自由卻帶點淡然與孤寂的生命旅程。我們如風般穿梭於世間，看盡萬物，卻不被任何事物束縛。這張專輯記錄了人生的起伏與感悟，從戰鬥與希望，到釋懷與自由，每首樂曲都是旅途中的一個章節。
1、無懼 – 史詩般的開場，如同人生中的戰鬥與挑戰。 
2、希望之翼 – 戰鬥之後，心中燃起對未來的希望。 
3、釋放 – 生活當中難免會遇到一些瓶頸，勇敢突破自我。 
4、未知的戀人 – 人生中的甜蜜與悸動，初嘗愛情的美好。 
5、頑皮探戈 – 生活中的趣味與無憂時光，像個調皮的孩子。 
6、晨曦 – 新的一天來臨，陽光穿透黑暗。 
7、最深的思念 – 想念過去的美好，內心的思緒流轉。 
8、逝去的曾經 – 面對過去的離別與回憶，純粹的鋼琴訴說無聲的故事。 
9、夢之湖 – 人生如落葉隨波逐流，尋找最初的自己。
10、寬恕 – 放下過去，學會寬恕，迎接新的開始。 
11、大地之呢喃 – 回歸自然，思考世界與人類的關係。 
12、海闊天空 – 最終達到無拘無束的境界，一切雲淡風輕。


寬恕 (Forgiveness)

Between Chords and Silences

The June Hydrangeas

An album to indulge thoughts about how you can grow to become your best you.

Count To Ten

walking the wire (lovely piano)

Here comes a shortened version of my brand new improvisation. This one is a bit serious, but I still hope that you like it. I played and recorded it today. Just pure piano performance. My improvisations are always "free", meaning that I play without any concept. The music is most spontaneous. Please enjoy and share! You can find the full version here, too. Unfortunately
Soundcloud limits recommendations to ten minutes playtime. Some of my improvisations are much longer and I am not willing to limit myself into any algorithm !!!! 

Improvisation_200825_Thinking Again_shortened

Welcome to my SoundCloud page and a variety of audio recordings. Headphones or speakers are advantageous and recommended for listening. To continue reading, please click 'Show more' below:

Please note: click on any audio track for details about the music. 

A big thank you to all those listeners who have 'liked' tracks; most tracks have now been listened to many times. Statistics are not displayed publicly on this SoundCloud page as all tracks are then presented equally as pieces of music. My thanks to listeners who 'follow' me - thank you for enjoying my music performances and compositions. Thank you also for the messages/comments of appreciation. I hope to share more music with you on my SoundCloud page in the future.

My first piano lesson was on my tenth birthday and ever since, the piano has been a life-long study with a pursuit of classical music. By 18 years of age I was able enough to achieve Grade 8 piano with distinction from The Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music as well as Grade 8 Theory of Music (Grade 8 being the final student Grade) and at the time, quite rapidly discovered that Grade 8 was not the end but just the beginning in terms of musical skill and musical development and knowledge.

Post Grade 8 and after further study I achieved two piano performance diplomas (ALCM) and (DipABRSM), I then went on to be successful with the highly demanding and prestigious Licentiate of The Royal Schools of Music Piano Performance Diploma Examination (LRSM) which is recognized the world over; the LRSM examination involved the performance of demanding repertoire, an extensive viva voce of verbal questioning and also, in my case for the 'Quick Study', a previously unseen baroque-style whole Gigue to prepare and perform with only 5 minutes preparation time; there are several examiners assessing live and the whole exam was audio recorded to ensure a rigour and standard appropriate to holding the LRSM. 

Also, I am twice piano performance Licentiate of Trinity College London (LTCL) with different repertoire, and twice piano performance Licentiate of The London College of Music at The University of West London (LLCM) with different repertoire; this along with other music successes including an academic FLCM (Fellow of The London College of Music) - some of my academic study in music being with the London College of Music at the then Thames Valley University. 

My qualifications in music are as follows:
LRSM (Piano Performance), LTCL (Piano Recital), LTCL (Piano Recital), LLCM (Piano Recital), LLCM (Piano Performance), DipABRSM (Piano Performance), ALCM (Piano Performance), LVCM(Hons) (Piano Performance), FLCM (Diploma in Music Literacy – Research Thesis (Music)), FVCM(Hons) (Musicology (by Thesis)), FVCM(Hons) (Composition), BA(Music), MMus, PhD(Music).

I am an experienced music tutor with advanced piano tuition specialty at higher education level as well as experience in teaching all levels of piano from absolute beginner to performance diploma standard with excellent learner results. One of my students of piano wrote: "Michael is calm, professional, patient, and exceptionally talented."

I have also studied the organ and singing and I also enjoy conducting. In addition, I am an established composer of piano music. My own original piano compositions consist of the following which can all be heard on this SoundCloud page: 
- Opus 1, Reflections Series 13 piano pieces.
- Opus 2, 4 piano pieces dedicated to my wife, Mrs Sandra Spacie.
- Opus 3, 4 contemporary piano pieces.
- Opus 4, A set of 45 Mysteries which have something of an 'other-wordly' sound and ethereal feel. They can be used for general relaxed listening and enjoyment, meditation and spiritual life or to ponder the mysteries of the Universe.
- Opus 5, 4 piano pieces dedicated to my wife, Mrs Sandra Spacie.
- Opus 6, 4 Classical Preludes for Piano. A beautiful set of preludes for piano.
- Opus 7, O Tannenbaum [O Christmas Tree]: Variations and Faux Bourdon Composed by Dr Michael Spacie and Finlandia by Finnish Composer Jean Sibelius: Chorale Variations and Faux Bourdon Composed by Dr Michael Spacie.
- Piano Solo Arrangement: Cantique De Noël (O Holy Night) by French Composer Adolphe Adam.
- Opus 8, Funeral March in D minor followed by modulatory Interlude and Funeral March in C minor followed by concluding Interlude dedicated in memory of two musical associates.
- Opus 9, A set of 12 Rhapsodies for the piano.
- Opus 10, No. 1. Processional Wedding March in D major composed for friends.
- Opus 10, No. 2. Recessional Wedding March in E major composed for friends.
- Opus 11, A set of four pieces for piano 'Stillness in the Music'. A spiritual inspiration of the flowing energy in music. Composed for the piano with many subtle sounds, harmonics, overtones, and infused with delightful multiple colours and layers of musical sound with an ever present 'stillness'.

I was lucky enough to purchase a hand-crafted acoustic upright 'Welmar' piano manufactured by the piano factory Whelpdale, Maxwell and Codd, London. It has a delightful responsive touch and 'warm' sound and resides in my dedicated home music studio.

Each item digitally recorded by me was done without any technological tweaking per se.

Composition:-
This is a lifetime's study and requires much practice to be musically satisfying. Imagination and creativity require quiet contemplation with experience and knowledge of technique in so much as how to play the notes composed in order to produce the best possible sound. My original compositions featured on this SoundCloud page portray self-expression and some insight into the world of harmony sometimes manifesting a musical colouration with mainly diatonicism peppered with some chromatic detail giving rise to various energy levels through dissonance and resolution: there are basic chord shapes which are altered; clusters giving beauty of sound; various tensions arising from chords and melody outside the key centre whether specific or vague and unusual combinations of chords and harmony with an effective intervallic structure. Some of the pieces are evocative and somewhat lyrical whilst others create a mood which is timeless and calming, yet other pieces are haunting, being restrained and subtle. The rhythm can vary from being completely free to measured with some 'rubato' flexibility. Any bar lines are not necessarily part of the mix with a natural accentuation in phrasing often indicating a surreptitious rise and fall of tone levels. The damper pedal gives at times an 'extra-wordly' feel and makes use of the harmonics and overtones which in some instances add atmosphere, mood and character, often giving rise to a combination of sophistication and simplicity of musical content with a feeling of an ebb and flow where nothing is static but an ever changing scene with space for individual freedom and emotion within a framework of appeal and accessibility for the listener.
 
Pianist with advanced performance skill:-
There is no sense of be-all and end-all of piano performance. Nowadays, the term ‘concert pianist’ is very much in vogue, has widespread usage, popular acceptance and is somewhat used mainly for elitist purposes, designation of level and has been since the mid to late 19th-century.
Although certainly not in every single case, the term ‘concert pianist’ somewhat generally carries something of the reality of egoism and showmanship and thus artificial performance which somewhat blights much of the modern-day field of piano-playing and has indeed done for a very long time since the mid to late 19th-century. For example: an unnecessary robust fortissimo followed by a dramatic pianissimo where a composer didn't require it and where it doesn't suit the music which causes a piece to sound rather brittle, artificial and false; for show, a much faster tempo than the composer intended; an engagement with physical complexity for the sake of complexity, a mechanical virtuosity, which is very often the direct antithesis of both emotional awareness and communication and spiritual awareness and communication in music and performance.
Whilst I hold the highly recognised LRSM qualification in piano performance, a qualification for whatever reason many concert pianists don’t hold, I nevertheless simply regard myself as a pianist, a servant of the composer and a servant of the music and it is always my wish that my performances speak to the listener in some profound way rather than simply to impress musically, and that they are primarily free from ‘egoism’, ‘showmanship’ and all things ‘artificial’, but instead to musically communicate and share is one’s desire rather than of show and promotion of the ego.
Prior to the mid to late 19th-century, even the greatest composers and performers performed keyboard works at concert-level by reading from the music and portraying the emotion and spirituality of that music with a very high degree of accuracy without many (if any) wrong notes as well as maturity of contemporary stylistic awareness. I have personally adopted this as my particular performance model (no matter which era of piano music I am performing). This I strive to do with utmost integrity of feeling, to immerse oneself in the wonderment of each subjective interpretation of feeling, of mood and character, atmosphere and new insight with a distinctive tone-quality somewhat unique to me and my playing. And, last but not least, how a subjective interpretation appears and disappears from the ether involving the player but without the player getting in the way!

I can be contacted by email using gmail.com preceded by pianistmusicianmikespacie@

Thank you for visiting my SoundCloud page.

Dr Mike Spacie

Rhapsody For Piano Op. 9, No. 4. Composed and Played By Dr Michael Spacie. Copyright ©

Dr Michael Spacie, LRSM LTCL LTCL LLCM LLCM, etc.

Related tracks