The Book of Love

In 1999, American singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt released his song "The Book of Love" on CD 69 Love Songs. In the almost spartan-looking original version of Merit's uncut vocal presentation is accompanied only by a guitar. The English singer Peter Gabriel became familiar with the song through a joint appearance with Merritts band in London and subsequently took over the soundtrack to the film "Shall We Dance?". Gabriel's version is much more opulent and orchestral; in this robe, the song gained greater popularity, not least by a new CD release Gabriel in 2010.

In his arrangement, Martin Scharnagl congenially transfers this well-known version to the modern wind orchestra. A favorable factor here was the fact that the wind-sound original key of Ab major could be retained. The romantic intimacy of the string-dominated orchestral sound of the Gabriel version is by no means lost, but is - on the contrary - enriched by other facets.

Serie Sound Classics No. 32