Barry Manilow’s disco-era classic “Copacabana” received a dazzling second life in this show-stopping orchestral arrangement by Dutch composer Emma Wieriks, transforming the 1978 hit into a cinematic, symphonic masterpiece. The performance opens with a lone, melancholic oboe melody evoking the faded glamour of Lola’s story, before swelling strings and pulsing timpani launch into the iconic chorus—now richer and more dramatic than ever. Wieriks’ genius shines through in her layered brass fanfares, cascading harp glissandos, and lush woodwind countermelodies, which amplify the song’s tragic narrative while preserving its irresistible Latin rhythm.
The original’s punchy disco beat is replaced by rolling snare drums and castanets, giving the arrangement a Golden Age Hollywood flair, as if ripped from a 1940s noir film. Manilow’s vocals, seamlessly woven into the orchestration, take on new emotional weight when underscored by sweeping cello lines and mournful French horns during the bridge’s “her name was Lola…” refrain.
The climax is pure magic: a full-throated orchestral crescendo—complete with crashing cymbals, triumphant trumpets, and a final, lingering violin harmonic—leaving listeners breathless. This rendition doesn’t just revisit “Copacabana”; it reinvents it as a timeless tragic symphony, proving Wieriks’ arrangement isn’t just brilliant—it’s a revelation.