Vocal Coach/Musician Reacts: NIGHTWISH 'The Poet And The Pendulum' A Very In-Depth Analysis!
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- Опубликовано: 13 окт 2024
- Welcome to my very in depth analysis of this incredible performance and song by Nightwish. I tried to cover every important phrase, motif and lyric but I’m sure there will be more I can uncover with further listens!
Some extra Nightwish reaction videos you may enjoy:
Tribal: • Vocal Coach/Musician R...
Dead Boys Poem: • Vocal Coach/Musician R...
Last Ride Of The Day: • Vocal Coach Reacts: NI...
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Well this was epic!! I tried to leave no stone unturned. Wow! This video was an early access post over on Patreon, check out all my Patreon has to offer here: www.patreon.com/ninaschofield
You may enjoy watching one of my other Nightwish videos, Dark Chest Of Wonders: ruclips.net/video/7JDI2PpKs7w/видео.html
You asked who arranged this. Tuomas, with a little help from Pip Williams. On the latest upcomming Nightwish album, Yesterwynde, it's James Shearman, (he co-wrote the score for one of the Harry Potter films), the conductor, orchestrator, composer who writes the final orchestration to fit the whole orchestra, based on what Tuomas recorded with a keybord/synth, which is basically everything, including woodwinds and choral parts. See for yourself, explained by Tuomas and Pip.
Nightwish - Making of new album 2015 Episode 8 (only 6 minutes). Nightwish members visiting Angel Studios in London:
m.ruclips.net/video/kbvXn6b_yec/видео.html&pp=ygUibmlnaHR3aXNoIG1ha2luZyBvZiBuZXcgYWxidW0gMjAxNQ%3D%3D
@@Idefixu Thank you, I will have to watch these episodes.
Wham Ban Thank You Mam
The keyboardist Tuomus . He does most of the writing and composition. This is his musical suicide so he didn’t do it in real life.
Notice how throughout the video while a couple of times anyway the two guitarists will go up and check on him to make sure he’s OK . And they record with the London Philharmonic harmonic.
You analyzed so much that you didn't get to experience this song. I hope you will listen to it by yourself so that you can feel it, too.
My no 1 song. A masterpiece.
Arrangements by Pip Williams as always. Goto arranger for all Nightwish
Accumulated notes follow...
This is a 5-part journey through the emotional turmoil following Tarja's departure.
As the founder and guiding light of the band, Tuomas' took much of the flak from those who claimed to be Nightwish fans but we're actually obsessed with Tarja and thought she WAS Nightwish - an idea that the subsequent growth and improvement of the band comprehensively demolished.
Indeed there are still people today who call the "Tarjawish" in some vain attempt to make Tarja something she wasn't. (Don't get me wrong, Tarja can be fantastic, but Nightwish is about Tuomas' and his compositions. We are fortunate he now has Floor to exhibit his works.)
The parts are:
1. White Lands of Empathica (The End) - the end of a band as well know it. Later to become known as the "End of an Era"
2. Home - the breakup of the band and the wish to find a place, home, to go to and get away from the madness of those who hated. Of course, there is a lot more in here too.
3. The Pacific - as usual, Tuomas' needs to reference the oceans, one of his "grounding" themes. His love of the ocean metaphor is well-docunented. He did, of course, originally dream of becoming a marine biologist. Strange that he should have a gnat named after him!
4. Dark Passion Play - the hate of Tarja fans led him into deep depression. However the band were not in good places so he didn't feel he could "cry on their shoulders" so in the end he went back to see his
5. - Mother and Father (and The Beginning) - the lyrics here reflect what his mother said to him at that time. The beginning of a new era and new line-up
BTW, they are not hanging out having a chat as such - see later.
Tuomas refers to the ocean frequently - the second album is called Oceanborn, Dead Boys Poem ends with reference to ocean soul and Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean ends with lyrics about setting the dolphins free and "we shall wash the darkened blood red sea, our voices shall echo over the mountains and seas".
Tuomas is a very special person and this is, for me, the pinnacle of his work.
Nothing surpasses it.
For him it is one of the deepest songs.
Quotes from the band on the making of the album and the song...
TUOMAS: We will never play "Bye Bye Beautiful" or "Master Passion Greed" live again, [sic] because the lyrics are just too unambiguous and personal. There was at least as much gloom behind "The Poet and the Pendulum", too, but it leaves a bit more room for interpretation. It's easily one of our best songs but especially, the "Mother and Father'" part in the end always stirs up such a storm of emotions that it's impossible for me to do it every night. Playing "The Poet and the Pendulum' is a real rollercoaster ride - it makes me feel anxious, blush, laugh, and, in the end, just happy that that part of my life is behind me.
My notes:
My number 1 Nightwish song and for good reasons.
(No 2, Song of Myself, No 3 7 Days to the Wolves.)
This is a deeply emotional and meaningful song with which I empathise and it helped me to see that there was a way forward when depression struck. I am not alone in being "saved" by Nightwish, a fact that Tuomas has referred to and said he could not terminate the band because he knows they have meant so much to some fans who feel their lives have been saved by Nightwish.
He feels that he has a responsibility to the fans - not your standard rock musician then.
Floor is worth watching closely, her facial, hand and whole-body motions reflect the emotions she is portraying. Hands in Mother and Father for example. Tearing her hair in the Dark Passion Play section.
Note that when Tuomas talks about "Poet" he is always referencing himself. It happens throughout his ouvre.
You will see other cross-references too. Tuomas does that deliberately to give the fans a sort of anchor. Meadows of Heaven is another example - a song in itself and often referenced.
For what it's worth, here are are my thoughts and interpretations...
End to beginning - death of one era of the band, beginning of a new era.
Regarding the end of the first Era, I see no point in the blame game.
The band split, that is all we need to know.
Whatever the causes there was bound to be emotion on both sides so I leave it at that.
But this masterpiece is what came out of Tuomas' emotions.
The beginning is a boy soprano, Guy Elliott who also does the spoken parts. The whispering at the beginning is the central spoken section, but played in reverse.
In The Dark Tower fantasy, Empathica, also known as the White Lands of Empathica, is a snowy tundra located in End-World. The residents of Empathica are known for their abilities to empathize and share other people's emotions.
Then we get the whole section "Home".
I see the "shoulder cries more" as having no shoulder to cry on because the other members of the band - his friends - were equally upset.
The "whore for the cold world" I see as the selling of his whole life to the music industry (the metaphorical pimps, hence the "whore" references) which is not interested in the person, only what they can get from the band.
The two faces bit is self explanatory; almost everyone will have been in situations where they have to hide their feelings and present a false front to the world.
The reference to betrayal is again obvious and there are lots of metaphors in the surrounding words. The altar I think, is the tie to the band - these upheavals in 2004/5 were not the first time Tuomas had felt like ending the band.
By the way, note the 3 minutes and counting: exactly 3 minutes later you get the guillotine motion.
By the way, Marco made the demo version of this, with all the lyrics sung by himself and with harsher lyrics at this point too.
Next we get to the Mother and Father section with Floor, Marco and Emppu all sitting, while Floor sings lyrics reflecting the words from his mother when he went back home for a break in the middle of all this turmoil.
These are the words of love and then of advice, that he was given.
Floor here is using her finger movements to accentuate emotion.
This whole section and the way Floor sings it, is packed with those damned Onion Ninjas.
Marco's harmonies are wonderful.
We end with the final ethereal notes from Floor and here is another tingle-factor moment. Then a gentle piano ending, the calm after the emotional storm.
Here, as in Sparkle my Scenery, the choir on the original album is replaced by Floor who wanted to sing them herself (and proved completely capable of it) which Anette could not have done - she could probably get the notes but the emotion is there in the choral original and is amplified when Floor sings it.
The low brass used in many places is really effective.
On the performance itself:
When Emppu goes over to Tuomas and later both Marco and Emppu go over, it is a sign of moral support. They both know how difficult this is for him - eventually he had the vocals turned off in his in-ear, so he didn't have to listen to them because Floor put such emotion into them.
At the end, she does not say "Thank you" immediately, as she does normally. Instead she looks over for a few seconds to check on him from her position.
BTW, I have never bought the theory that Tuomas was "in love" with Tarja. Those who say he asked her to join the band because he knew her from school - she was suggested by Emppu who had known her as an acquaintance at school.
Tuomas' did know her of course and his mother was for a while her piano teacher, but it was Emppu who suggested her.
Thanks for this in depth info!
Very thorough, deep and emotional information and details! Thanks a million to share this!
So much better interpretation than the disjointed, self-indulgent reaction. Some reactors seem completely incapable of LISTENING no matter their technical credentials.
@@richardwest6358 Number 1. Your here to LISTEN to Nina. If you wanna jam to the tunes, they're easy enough to find without commentary.
Number 2. I'll assume your not just a giant douche-canoe and just fail to understand the need to pause and speak during RUclips reactions due to copyright and fair use restrictions.
For me, Floor is the best singer ever and the song is an absolute masterpiece in music history.
This was Tuomas' solution to his self-destructive thought after Nightwish fired Tarja as the lead singer. He gotr a lot of scorn from the fans and was actually on verge of ending his own life. He wrote the song where his life is taken by the swinging pendulum so he wouldn't do it in real life. Like about 95% of the Nightwish songs, he wrote it.
The orchestral arrangement is by Pip Williams. Tuomas composes everything, plays it on the keyboard and Williams arranges it for the orchestra and makes adjustments or additions where needed, in collaboration with Tuomas.
so cool how you can instantly play patterns after hearing it :)
Hello
The song "The Poet and the Pendulum" is a 13 Minute journey through the mind and turmoil of Tuomas Holopainen after the year 2005. It was in that year the band parted with their long-time singer Tarja Turunen and had a personal falling out with her. The pain of the separation was big on both sides, and shown in this song. There is the responsibility that the band and Holopainen had to show towards the fans,. It was the End of an Era for them, and reason for Holopainen being lost as described in these lyrics. We can only of course to a certain degree suppose how much of these are truly Holopainen's feelings, wishes and pains - but we do know that the lyrics of Nightwish have been up to then very personal. Other songs on the album also digest this separation and falling out of the members with Turunen.
This is one of the interpretations and i know lots of fans do not agree, they just need to read the open letter that was given to Tarja by the whole band at her last concert with Nightwish, where they fired her. And the main reason that Tuomas went through a depression was that specially the Tarja fans where furious and showed that in the media and everyone was blaming Tuomas. (the fans spit on his grave). He felt the whole world was against him.
However personal and "real" these thoughts are, I feel like this song definitely takes us not only on a journey with Holopainen but also into ourselves. The music underlines the emotional gravity of the song extremely well. And I believe a lot of people can actually relate to a sense of guilt and being overwhelmed that all they desired for is the safety of home and innocence. While being personal, the song can still ring true to it's listener. That's a quality Nighwish possesses in many, many more songs. The emotional journey is one we can all share and very few bands know how to put that journey into song and especially into sound as well as Nightwish does.
The band remains through all it's shores and Oceans, one of my main favourites and I hold special place for the band in my musical heart. I hope you have enjoyed reading my analysis and share some of my thoughts. If you do have any comments, please feel free to let me know. And remember the beauty of interpretation is that it is subjective; we can see all and feel different things in the same song and continue to love it endlessly.
Lyric analysis by Annika Hausen
Greetings from the Netherlands
This is not just a song, but a full sensory experience; from the initial whispers that's a soprano boy btw (or the male equivalent of it, but many people think is Floor 😊), followed by an instrumental punch, before Floor and Marko's voices enter the scene.
She starts in a semi neutral tone, but the anger builds up slowly, with Marko underneath, giving more weight to her words
Then, the painful, bittersweet memories kick in, right before that unsettling change of pace, the panic, desperation, feeling betrayed by the ones you trusted the most.
My favourite section: chaotic scene, stormy ocean if you will, Marko's masterful display of raw anger. Here, Floor is the perfect complement. Mix of anger, pain, betrayal. All of these at 1000% before that "self-exit" note. The faint "SAVE ME!" Accompanied by Tuomas gesture to slit his neck is still hard to watch.
My second favourite section: a mother soothing her child's pain, letting him know everything will be okay, despite the difficulties he might face. All he needs to remember is the love of those who truly care about him, (parents, true friends, significant others, etc)
In the end, Floor sounds like siren, mourning the loss of her loved one.
Similar to the "Five stages of grief".
When they auditioned Floor they asked,
What style of singing do you do? And she said..."Yes".
What gives me the chills it's when he says "i only have 3 minutes and counting" and EXACTLY 3min later Tuomas do the troath slice....meaning...i died. A masterpiece
This song is way more than what you hear musically.
Definitely
It reaches in and grabs you, unexpectedly.
One of my fav Nightwish songs. The first time I heard it, the "Sparkle my scenery..." section brought tears to my eyes, even though at that time I didn't know what the song was about.
The last section, mother and father, was the section that had tears streaming down my face. Knowing the story behind the song and knowing how down Tuomas was the words spoken by his mother hit my right in the heart. It's such a wonderful song.
"Who arranged this?" I think all comes from a minds of a "modern Mozart" Tuomas Holopainen, with a help of Pip Williams.
Get your tissue ready for the end I cried first time a master master peace😮
awesome reaction. Brilliant breakdown of the piece. This piece has a very special place in my life. I know the back story but this piece is also an anthem for those people with mental health issues such as depression with suicidal thoughts, Yep I am one of those! Also in the Pit and the Pendulum Poe talks about the point at which you both give up hope and accept the end, which you really get the sense of in this.
If I may I would like to give you my interpretation of the lyrics and what they mean to me.
The first part, which you note starts with the words the end!! Is taken from Stephen Kings Tower series, the white lands were the home of a type of vampire that fed on emotions, (empathy), so a person left feeling nothing, empty and without emotion.
In the second part, those lines expressing a feeling of futility, all same old same old yet, hating how you feel, then the verse seems to express the effort of trying to pretend to be ok, hence those two faces, one for everyone else and the real one that is private, no one to turn to for help as the people around you seem as upset as you so no shoulder to cry on so you just carry on pretending becoming that whore for the cold world. Then there is the remembering back to when all was good, yet you cannot get there despite everyone telling you “you are ok, it will be fine” till those words just sink you even further into the mess.
Then we have the Pacific, oh wow, the wishing and planning stage, the beautiful sea, just wishing it was over, that you could be under the waves, beneath the pain tucked into that beauty., last goodnight kiss and a valentine that ends everything.
Then that part that starts with being afraid, being raped, not in the traditional sense but feeling violated, alone and bloody scared, For Tuomas, feeling that those who he felt should have been there for him somehow betrayed him, a not uncommon feeling with severe depression, feeling that even life betrayed you, also again the mention of the tide and drowning, many see it as the perfect death!
On a side note here, three minutes and counting, yep exactly three minutes to the point that Tuomas simulates the blade.
Here also note how the music becomes chaotic, mirroring the thought process of someone planning their own death, no logic, well there is but only to the individual. Yet also a sense of excitement and of a journey, proceeding the calm.
Then the passion play, traditionally passion plays were performed at Easter and were about the death of Christ, and Tuomas plays with us a little here, “second robber to the right of Christ! Well at the crucifixion there was only one robber either side of Christ but in the painting The Last Supper the person second to the right of Christ is Judas!!!!!
Then of course the symbolic death and the slowing faltering heartbeat.
The beginning or last part of the piece are the words that brought Tuomas back from the edge. In his case words from his parents but many of us will have people who were there at just the right time and who cared enough to be the rock and love us enough to hold on.
If there is a message in this work surely it is to be kind, to look out for each other and if you can be there, you never know you may just save a person’s life. As someone did mine.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your lyrical interpretation and sharing how important this song is to you.
I just noticed the sound changed at the three minutes (a typical length of a radio friendly single), "I wish the tide would take me", underwater acoustics.
An absolutely terrific reaction/analysis video, Nina. Thank you!
Quite the Opus! and an emotional roller-coaster! The boy soprano at the start was Guy Elliott from St Mary's Choir School Reigate. If I could have just one favourite Nightwish work, this is it! "Sparkle my scenery...." was sung by another boy soprano on the album but Floor said that she could do it and Tuomas agreed! Arranged by Tuomas Holopainen and Pip Williams, London Philharmonic Orchestra. Timing!!!!!!!! - the boy's voice says "three minutes and counting"... three minutes later Tuomas "cuts" his head off and the heartbeat slows and stops... Better metaphorically than in reality! Tuomas was playing the strings and choir on the keyboards when his fingers were going so fast! Marko sang the original demo - darker angrier and cruder! That keyboard motiff begins a lot earlier, farther from the end and becomes increasingly prominent!......
I could listen to Floor singing nonlyrical vocalizations for hours.
Finally!! Nina analyzing my favorite Nightwish song! “Not just another run-of-the-mill performance!” Thank you for the commentary and insight. Very nice!
Hi Nina - great to see you again doing a Nightwish song. Being a non-musician, I am blown away by how well and how quickly you pick up the music and can replicate it on your keyboard. Great job!!! 😊❤✌🤘
Nina,if I was so much younger I would have put a ring on your finger.
You are amazing.
❤
The whispering in the beginning is the "Three minutes and counting...." part spoken/played backwards.
Oh! Struggling to find an old tape player...
It's my favourite Nightwish song, but I hope Tuomas never feels like this again.
Gut-wrenching emotions. Tuomas has said he couldn't do this night after night, back then.
Was the Wembley performance a one off?
@@stpfs9281no it was not a one off... They did it on that tour, but living it again and again and again was just too much for Tuomas. How many times can you kill yourself even metaphorically??? I would love them to do this again from time to time as it is a bloody masterpiece and pretty much nothing can touch this in the pure emotion involved. But it is what it is... I hope once Floor has her kids sorted out and the new album out they will be out and performing again, but we'll see what happens... Fingers, toes, arms and heads crossed to see them live again.
Great reaction Nina, . The voice at the beginning of the composition was a boy soprano. I have listened to this composition many times, the combination of classical with Metal is a very good match musically. Personally, I found your expression of your face at certain passages very entertaining. From a professional point of view, you are in fact the best of all the reactors, which doesn't surprise me considering your training!😂
Thank you so much!
@@TheVirtualWatcher 'Treble' is a British-English term. For us mainland Europeans, it is called a 'Boy Soprano.'
I haven't watched/listened to this in soooo long... such a beautiful and engaging reaction to this stunning (and rare!) live performance. Thank you, Nina!
Imagine composing something like this...... Tuomas, you are a musical genius and a gift to all. Of course the entire band, ..... And then there's Floor..... what is there to be said...... Perfection.
I have seen and listened to this video hundreds of times with various reviews but I missed this one. A truly beautiful review, so detailed, engaging and professional enough to be transported emotionally and physically on your journey of discovery and knowledge of this epic piece of music. Thank you.😀
The brilliance, nuance and mastery of Tuomas’ songwriting lyrics and composition never ceases to amaze me. 3 minutes exactly from where he says “I have 3 minutes and counting “ is when he simulates with his hand the pendulum cutting his throat.This is just an amazing piece of music art!🤘🤘
not a bird swooping at that moment, notice in the video Tuomas does a chopping motion as if his head is going to be chopped off (the Pendulum) as usual, Toumas puts everything into the music, the background, the visuals, all in the mind of the "Metal Mozart"!!
Welcome Back Nina .......33 minute reaction and I'm here 4 every second .
A masterpiece.
I really enjoy how well you balance background information, live reaction, and professional level musical knowledge in your videos. I’m partial to the nightwish videos, but you always do such a fantastic job with your videos :)
You seemed to miss the significance of the video - the swooping sound was the blade cutting off Tuomas' head. From the point where the lyrics say "three minutes..." is exactly three minutes until Tuomas swings his hand across his neck in a chopping motion. At the end of the song, Empuu and Marko join Tuomas on his platform - they were the three remaining members of the band at the time Tarja was fired.
Try counting time from the spoken word part "three minutes and counting" to the "cutting of the throat" by Tuomas 🤓🤯
Who else but Tuomas could say I only have three minutes and counting then exactly three minutes to the second the blade falls ? Masterpiece
15:40 The music was composed by Tuomas Holopainen and arranged for the orchestra on the backing track by Pip Williams. And all the lyrics are by Holopainen, too.
Floor is so incredibly versitile. And Tuomas is so great at writing and composing to the strength of the members of the band. And everyone delivers exactly what is needed for the song and doesn't try to hog the spotlight.
Congratulations, breaking down this Nightwish epic mind-blowing Symphonic Metal track. I have not heard this in a long time, and it is so refreshing to revisit this track. Tuomas Holopainen is the mastermind of Nightwish, who has such an amazing musical imagination.
I am going to have an epic Symphonic Metal month in September. I am off to see Epica with an Orchestra in Amsterdam, then off to Tilburg to see Within Temptation. Then back to UK, to be welcomed with the new Nightwish - Yesterwynde. Album.
Thank you for an awesome reaction video.
Have you ordered the Limited Edition? :)
@@stpfs9281 I will order the Nightwish 3 disc Artbook edition coming out in September. I am sure the album will be amazing.
A happy Nina makes me smile
I want to thank you because i bet 1000 Euros with my cousin that you were gonna pause more than 30 times....😊 tell me....isn't it a masterpiece?
This is a piece of art that is so rich with emotion and history that its almost impossible to fully comprehend.
This is Tuomas’s way of dealing with the emotions he went trough after Fiering Tarja.
It begins at the end, wich is the low point of his depression. And the beginning is him beginning to crawl out of that deep hole and start to heal.
Its hard for us to understand how bad it got. He even got letters from the president of Finland that told him how he felt about it. This was absolutely huge back then and it really divided the fanbase aswell. I know people who didn’t speak to eachother for years due to thrm not agreeing with Tuomas and the band’s decision.
I really recommend that you read the open Letters that the band and Tarja vrote to each other so that you can get a sense of what was going on.
But the cleverest thing in the whole song is that he managed to write it so that there are exactly 3 minutes from the line “now I only have 3 minutes and counting…. To the point where Tuomas ”cuts his head of” on stage. Its is litteralt on the very second. To me its mindblowing how a person can be able to do something like this.
Thank you for a wonderful reaction and analysis!
Two years ago I had not heard of Nightwish or Floor then I watched and listened to this live performance after a friend kept pestering me to do so and I was blown away and have been ever since. Tuomas at 27:30 gets me every time as does Floor, always. Thank you Nina for an incisive breakdown and appreciation of this masterpiece 🙏👍❤️😊
What a great friend you have. ❤
@@k.l.7788 Yes. I am very grateful 👍😊🙏
Lol... we've told you... 😋
Tuomas on Key boards, is the main composer of Nightwish's music.
We all call him "METAL MOZART".
This song/melody came from Tuomas when he fell into a deep depression; after Tarja, the first singer, got fired from the group, and the "public/fans got "split"; where many blamed Tuomas.
He had to write a song where he basically "killed himself", to stop himself of doing it "for real". 😢
The part "Mother and Father", always makes me cry...
Such an amazingly talented musical piece ❤
Ps: The song/piece starts with "THE END"
; and ends with the words "THE BEGINNING"
So basicly he says, LIFE BEGINS HERE, AFTER THE HARD SHIP.
Don't kill yourself. ❤️
Your excitement is totally understandable. This is a masterwork musically, emotionally and vocally.
I do feel like you missed the forest for the trees a little bit, but that will probably come as you listen to it more often.
This song lets you experience the emotional turmoil that Tuomas went through in some of his darkest hours. To really get that emotion I think you need to turn off the analytical mode as much as possible and just listen to the words and the music.
This was a good reaction thanks, Tuomas created this masterpiece it was about himself, the whispers at the start was ment as voices in his head part 1 was a child singing, when he said 30 seconds the guluteen fell, it might be been helpful to know the back story to this creation beforehand, take care and thanks again.
Marko originally sang this song entirely in the demo form which you can also listen too. The lyrics are abit more RAW at certain points.
Firing Tarja, Tuomas had lost his friend , his muse, the singer of his band and because of her unique vocal capabilities he had lost most of the bands repertoire. The open letter he used to fire her was a poor judgement-call and the backlash of it was intense. Tuomas got severely depressed and suicide entered his mind.
From people dealing with mental health issues I got these meanings:
1. White land of Empathica: ominous traumatic loss of security and everybody is talking about you.
2. Home: Feeling of being uprooted, homesickness even being at home. With raging thoughts on how to escape this feeling and end it all.
3. Pacific: Romanticizing death and how it will bring you the peace your looking for.
4. Dark Passion play: More raging thoughts on what it would mean if you actually end your life. The crocodile tears of those who have betrayed you.
5. Mother and Father: accepting help, accepting the situation and coming to terms with reality
But also there is a lighter way of thinking if you follow the thought pattern of Dead Boy's Poem: in any life-changing event, you are no longer the same person as you were before, therefore the old you no longer exists, therefore the old you is dead. The song is a transition from the old Tuomas to the new. It shows by starting the song with "The end" and ending the song with "The beginning"
Hi Nina. I'm a big fan of yours and your ability to break it down musically and vocally. I believe you would really enjoy this if you go back and watch the video uninterrupted. Also, do a quick search as to the meaning behind and how this song came to be. Your appreciation will grow ten fold. Keep up the great work.
Must say, it’s quite intriguing how fast you pick up, break down and replay / sing this extraordinarily complex composition. As stunning as this masterpiece was, your analysis is well on par. Enjoyed every moment, well done Nina.
Thank you for truly analyzing this and not just admiring! It's a solid piece, and not too much time has been spent explaining to us *why* it is so good.
Please please Nina, react to Wintersun - Time (TIME I Live Rehearsals At Sonic Pump Studios), or Wintersun - Sons of Winter and Stars (TIME I Live Rehearsals At Sonic Pump Studios). Would love to hear your take and analysis on these. Btw Nightiwsh Kai plays the drums in these, and also now, newest member of Nightwish Jukka plays the bass. And ok, have to add, Teemu, the guitarist is now playing on Megadeth.
Another lovely reaction with all your great insights and knowledge! This is Tuomas's most personal and emotional song. It is also very personal and emotional for most fans. For me, knowing the backstory makes the emotional impact of the story even stronger. In 2005 the band had reached a breaking point with their first lead singer, Tarja. Things between her, her husband/manager and the band had been deteriorating for some time and had reached the point where they could no longer work together. The band decided to fire her, which they did via an open letter, right after the End of an Era concert. Tarja responded with her own open letter explaining her side of things. The backlash against the band, but mostly against Tuomas, was massive and very nasty. Tuomas felt betrayed by Nightwish's fans and sank into a deep depression. He wrote this song as way of expressing and exploring all of the emotions of his depression and grief. Tuomas often uses the poet in his lyrics to reference himself and yes, he does have a great affinity for the ocean. He sees it as a place of refugee.
I highly recommend you read the analysis of this song by the artist Annika Hausen. IMO it is a brilliant, master's level analysis that really explains the meaning of the song, lyrically and metaphorically. I would provide a link but every time I do the YT algorithms delete my comment. Just google her name and Poet and the Pendulum. I have heard it posited that the song is written in reverse and I don't agree with that. The end in the beginning is the end of the first version of Nightwish with Tarja. Many fans and Tuomas thought that after firing her the band would be no more. The beginning at the end of the song signifies that Tuomas has decided that the band most go on. There is more music to write and a new version of Nightwish emerges. Each of the sections of the song mirror the steps people with depression and self Ideation go through in order.
So much to unpack lyrically. Annika's analysis does it better then I ever could but a two of my favorites. "One last perfect verse but still the same old song." For me this is Tuomas saying I have nothing new to write for my so called fans, which is like death for a poet like him. The line " A thousand pages of erased text" represents all the songs that Tuomas would have wrote for Tarja but now would never be heard. The blade falls (Tuomas making the slashing motion across his neck). The heart beat slows and finally stops mid beat. The original version of Nightwish is dead. The last part of the song, Mother and Father, gets me every time. The lyrics are actual words spoken by his parents during the depths of his depression. Floor perfectly channeling the anguish of a mother who has lost her child. Then the words, In the Beginning, signaling the birth of a new version of Nightwish.
For me this is Nightwish's greatest song. Their Magnum Opus. Tuomas pouring out his heart and anguish in the music and lyrics. Floor perfectly channeling the anger and pain. It fills me with emotion and lets me connect to Tuomas in a profound way. This song is no longer performed live. Tuomas has said they (him, Empuu, and at the time Marko) are not those people anymore and they have moved on. Performing it just takes Tuomas back to that difficult place emotionally. Emppu and Marko come over and check in on Tuomas through out the song to make sure he is ok emotionally. Tuomas often would have the sound engineers turn off the vocal feed in his in ears because it would make him too emotional. I am so grateful that he chose to write this song and share this part of himself with us. Everything about this song and performance is about making us feel his emotions.
I highly recommend doing a deeper dive into the backstory. Read the open letters. Read Annika's analysis and listen once again and then see if it doesn't hit you even harder. One of the things I love about Nightwish is their ability to evoke emotions in me and their fans and it is precisely what makes this song so amazing.
This will hit differently when you know why and what kind mentality Tuomas created this. After learning my experience of this song changed.
I think he have asked to mute lyrics from his earpiece. Also you may notice/hear that Tuomas was also singing parts of last segments that contained his mother words for him at the darkest time.
it hits so deep, that composition with Floor's performance
The mention of 'The End' at the beginning refers to the End of the Era of Tarja as frontwoman of the band. And 'The Beginning' at the end marks the start of the era of the then new singer Annette.
Now I don't know Tuomas personally, but I think it is deeper than that. If you consider "Dead Boy's Poem" you'll see Tuomas vision of life-changing events: You are no longer the same person afterwards, therefore the old you no longer exists, there the old you is dead. I would say it is the end of Tuomas and the beginning of a new Tuomas...as a person. That could even make the letter firing Tarja Tuomas' own suicide.
@@vogel2280 I suspect you are BOTH right, and there are probably several other meanings that Tuomas has woven into it.
@@okiejohn3925 And let's not forget "The song means what the song means to YOU". But it is always fun to try and figure out what the writers personal intentions were.
I agree Tuomas intentionally puts in ambiguous phrases, so there might be multiple thoughts all captured in one phrase.
@@okiejohn3925 Many coloured yarns, the tapestry of [poetry].
the high voices at the begining is actually the voice of a young boy called Guy Elliott, and at around the 5 minutes mark, in it is another boy called Tom Williams Both are from an Ecclesiastical boys' choir based in St Paul's cathedral in London a choir made up of Christian, Muslim, Bhuddist, and atheist children
the 3min mark always gets me
Byw... "The 3 minutes and counting"....; 3 minutes after that part, Tuomas "slits his throat"
BUT then the "beginning" with his mother and father comes...and hope and love is there. ❤
This song helps me thru depression
It's amazing
This is an Epic performance. ❤❤❤
Yeah, Pip Williams arranged all the symphony part's with Thomas.
BTW! This song must have most ever pauses in NW song. 😂😂
Can't remember if you've done the Greatest Show on Earth song yet. In Webley version you see a surprise quest in very end.
When you understand the context in which this song was written...and you rewatch this video...everyone on stage comes more crystal clear in what they are doing!
AMAZING reaction nina! keep em coming!
Thank you for doing this my delightful 'Margot Robbie' of the music world.
You are such a sweet soul and so talented.
I am in awe. ❤
Aw thank you!
That was the swooping of the blade making it's final cut. You wanna see something really cool, watch the timestamp on the video when the boy says, "Now I only have 3 minutes and counting", and compare it to the death blow.
Thank you for coming back....we have missed you a lot...
Well The Album Dark Passion Play starts with this Song so it was quite a emontionol journy The first Time i listen to it. And love this Song. One of The best album beginning songs.
this song has an history and a motivation from Tuomas. I let you discover it. But never forget that with Nightwish and Floor, tecnics and music's chooses are always great for one only goal: transmit to you so many emotions. please, never forget that in your analyses ;).
Floorever da best. Try devil and the deep dark ocean
From Buenos Aires 2018...
To understand well the Slayer-like interlude, the crows were the "yellow press" and they really did carve their headlines when Tarja was disbanded.
Nina is back, with the Magnum Opus!
Musical analysis should be good...
The beginning: "Theee Eh-eend", a boy soprano,
similar to the TV theme of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", John le Carré 's novel, also about betrayal.
Oh, they're coming on stage... Oh!
Floor doing magical things, the melodies, lifts and drops.
Steps and repetition.
Close collaboration with the players of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the ideas of Tuomas, arranged by Pip Williams.
Decending, into Hell:
The relentless rhyming of Markos words, not the way Tuomas would normally do it...
Catchy bits to sing along, (even though you don't know the words).
The contrasts.
The boys voice.
The "bird swoop", might have been the Pendulum, did you see the gesture by Tuomas?
Cleansing of the waves.
The voice of the mother. "In the end I will always love you"
"The beginning".
The emotions!
Nina, have your seen the 2019 series of "Beste Zangers"? (with English subtitles).
Floor had a lot of surprises for the World!
My finger was strained as I pressed play on this as fast as I could!
This is perhaps the best reaction and analysis of this masterpiece - phenomenal of you Nina 👍
Thank you - you really got the complete emotional story expressed in the music, composition and singing techniques.
Again - phenomenal 👍
The beginning is the end, the end is the beginning…
Amazing reaction to song and lyrics that us Nightwish fans have heard so many times. Thank you.
There is a section of the song, and a lyric mentioning "Dark Passion Play" - this song was on that album. At the time, it was sung by NW 2nd singer Anette Olzon. On tour at one gig, Anette lost a custody battle. During this song during the concert she broke and ran from stage crying. This performance with Floor was extremely moving. However, I believe it was the last performance of this song.
What a lovely analyses, Nina. I always get a "bright" feeling when I see you are going to react and analyse a NW song.
Lots of explaination is already given here, but as the lyrics are real poetry, every one can inetrpret it different.
For me "the shoulder" in "the shoulder cries more" is Tarjas shoulder. I have the feeling that Tarja was more for Tuomas than just the singer, she was his muse and also the girl he grew up with. Also, after Dark Passion Play, the subjects of Tuomas' lyrics changed. Not the toxic love or the impossible love anymore.
This song also has a big hint to Edgar Allan Poe's story The Pit and the Pendulum. That story also starts with The End and ends with The Beginning.
A last note I want to put here, when you play this song for yourself again, pay attention to the "3 minutes and counting" In this song, just 3 minutes after this was spoken the pendulum hits the poet and kills him. This whole song is so much on these details, it is THE masterpiece in songwriting. The subject is very heavy and dark, but the composition is probably the best I have ever heard.
Thank you so much for analyse this song, Nina.
Greetings from the Netherlands.
@15:38 'Who arranged this?' This is part of why I like physical media. Usually you can find that information in the liner notes.
Like fo reaction 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘Hiighwish 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘❤️❤️🤘
"The end" and "the beginning" can also be interpreted to mean end of the old Tuomas and old Nightwish and start of something new.
Parting ways with Tarja ended the original Nighwish and his hopes and vision for it and he almost ended his own life because of losing something so important to him and getting public hate for it. So part of him died, and he decided to kill himself on stage to not do it in real life.
We now know it ended well, but at that point it was not certain if he could ever find a female lead that could truly replace Tarja.
Epic reaction, more Nightwish please.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.
Loved it Nina. This is a very unique song and very important to the history of the band. This was in response to the turmoil that ensued after parting with their first vocalist, Tarja. Tuomas endured hatred and criticism from the fans and the media which lead him to depression and suicidal thoughts and composition of this song. Very emotionally charged.
Have you check out Geoff Castellucci's cover of I See Fire? Amazing.
You are brutaly talented, spot on!!
Great musical analysis, of course. The original(?) Passion Play is the passion of Christ, the Easter story of death and resurrection, so the religious stuff is very appropriate. This has most of the stages of grief in it - there's not much denial I can see, but it goes back and forth between anger, depression, and bargaining, until depression takes us to the final cut. Then, in Mother and Father, we finally get acceptance.
The last part makes me cry everytime
You need the context of the open letter from NW when Tarja was fired, and her open letter (in fairness). You also need to know about the two NW songs: "Bye, Bye, Beautiful" (aimed at Tarja), and "Master, Passion, Greed" (aimed at Tarja's husband). You should also know that these songs triggered a song by Tarja called "Enough".
Of course, Tuomas doesn't work in a vacuum but the vision is all his. Metal Motzart indeed!
The String line halfway through sounds a lot like a simplifies Michael Meyers theme... I'd never noticed it until you played the piano of it... and all of a sudden now, the descending run reminds me of Phantom...
Me asombra la facilidad que tienes para sacar la melodia en el piano con solo escucharla, siempre miro tus reacciones, son muy buenas, saludos desde Chile
Tuomas Holopainen songwriter,composer.
You asked about who are the composer.
Everything is from the mind of Toumas brought on front from the band, backing recorded by London Philarmonic orchestra. And Floor and Marco.
But exactly every note and idea is from the metal Mozart Toumas. Offcourse with input from all the band and their Freedom and skillfulness within he's ideas. And he is writing every note for the orchestras instruments too.
Pip Williams is writing and arranging the notes for the orchestra, not Tuomas :)
To be more precise is The London Session Orchestra ...😊
Tuomas (keyboard) writes and arranges songs (mostly) from NW.
That opening bit - boy. The voices before represent the mental disease of depression. The doubts you have of yourself, all the criticisms you take on circling in your mind. Voices are common in more than one mental illness.
Everything what do Nightwish arrange Tuomas ) He is the One
I wish, you wish, we all wish for nightwish!
Drinking game: Have a sip on every pause = wasted ! 😅 🤪
"Who arranges this??" Tuomas does, with Pip Williams helping with the orchestral parts.
Great analysis. You have a new subscriber. I don't understand people who complain about you pausing the song. If they want to listen to the song go and listen to it....simple.
@ninaschofield Nightwish covers EP when? ;)