Years ago, a clerk at Tower Records introduced me to Sviatoslav Richter.  His name was Doug.  Doug, the priceless man of knowledge, who became my musical guru, through the pianists, and their greatest performances.  I would go in and say, "Doug, last time I bought the Scriabin, by Ashkenazy", loved it, what do you suggest in the way of Mozart Concertos?"   Doug was this great big tall guy with wild curly hair who led me around the Classical Music section with such enthusiasm and intelligent conversation that for a few hours at a time, many times, I felt transported.  It was so wonderful to explore these rooms of knowledge with Doug.  His enthusiasm infused me with enthusiasm and now I hope to infuse you with enthusiasm for your life... whatever it may be!!! Yipppeee!! If you are reading this.  GO FOR IT!!  FOLLOW YOUR BLISS!!

Seriously..back to my introduction  (ahem)

Whatever and wherever I could learn, I learned.  Music is my passion!!  I love music so much!  I memorize the Piano parts of Concertos... I can hum along with every movement of some of them.  And even so, I have avoided the trap of becoming an audiophile..or a person who is "too selective". I know however that the secret of creativity is to feed it!  (SONGITUDE).   Don't limit your horizons once you see them..  

AND if you limit yourself by tastes only, you may lose a flavor of life.  (SONGITUDE)

Meanwhile....Back to Doug

 So since Doug had recommended Richter playing the Brahms Piano Concerto in Dm once long ago.   I think about Richter whenever I am looking for a piano piece. Richter plays what the composer intended, by doing what he says, is simply "reading the music".  This is what makes Richter so great..besides the fact that his technical skills are amazing..(I say this because it would make a pianist happy)

So I hope you enjoy this short work by Ravel.  I know that some of you have a problem with download times so it is only a 4 minute piece.  I try to keep these interludes in your day.  Short.

Song's Classical Singers' Music Lesson:  INSIDER EDITION

Whoa....what is she singing all those notes for?

Any soprano worth her weight in gold would have learned this song.  In fact, if you know a soprano, you can just ask her the old "have you ever sung, "Oh Had I Jubal's Lyre", and if she says, "nope", well then "what?"  "How could that be?"  ( this is what Song believes..yet  now that I am older, I am no longer grumpy when the young Sopranos tell me they are learning Arielles songs from the Little Mermaid.)

 But nowadays, who knows really...maybe the voice teachers are teaching other things.

Because.... singing, when approached not as a performing Art, but as a personal quest, is one, little tool, for those inclined, to uncover themselves..their essences.  There are a lot of reasons Art exists, but the most seldom explored reason, is that the expression/study of the Arts is a pathway towards a more enlightened person...whether you love to paint, to write, to sing, to play an instrument..You are the territory, you will learn about, and what could be better than that?  Talk about a universe here.. You are one!!  How good can that be??

...secrets...lots of secrets classical singers know...they rarely tell. (too many high notes in the head?, no?)

 The secret of this type of singing, is that if you use your solar plexus, on those long strung together ah! Ah! AHHHS!..you experience a feeling of joy...the respiration, the toning elevates the spirit.  For the listener, it is an acquired taste.  For the singer it is the imperative, toward mastery, as well as a walk into the secret land of composer, to your soul.  When Handel wrote "rejoice" in the music, if the singer sings it right...this is what happens to her, literally!  Many years ago, when singing, "Rejoice Greatly" from the Messiah, I was practically climbing off the walls.. Handel has a knack for writing this stuff..that opens up the singer..

uh huh, its true!

We are talking, mega rejoicing here..

So I guess, really some things happen to singers, that they rarely ever,  tell..I don't know why..maybe they forget..Or maybe like me, they just know, that the Art of Singing, is a sacred Art...composed, when the ego is set aside, of the mysteries of what it means not to play the instrument, but to Be the instrument.  Anyway for those of you who know the difference between Jubal and Tubalcain,,enjoy.  If you don't you can google it...(typical of me I am not really going to deal with those details.)  And here are the lyrics so you can understand just what the singer is singing/feeling and perhaps, intoning to Life.  I have chosen Caballe to illustrate--Her style is fluid, and light, given her size, her ability.  She approaches the song with a fluid lightness...and so, Flyingsong believes for the listener, she is easier on the ears.  

Oh Had I Jubal's Lyre:

Oh, Had I Jubal's Lyre, or Miriam's tuneful voice.

Oh, Had I Jubal's Lyre, or Miriam's tuneful voice.

To sounds like his, I would aspire, to sounds like his I would aspire

In songs like hers, in songs like hers

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, (#of rejoices depends on part)

In songs, In songs, in songs, rejoice, rejoice, in songs like hers, rejoice.

Oh, Had I Jubal's Lyre, or Miriam's tuneful voice.

Oh, Had I Jubal's Lyre, or Miriam's tuneful voice.

To sounds...to sounds, like his I would aspire

In songs, like hers, in songs like hers,

rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice

in songs like her rejoice

My humble strains but faintly show, how much to heavn' and thee I owe

My humble strains but faintly show, how much to heavn' and thee I owe

how much to heavn' and thee I owe

I have had several views of this post, so I  thought I would repost it....A beautiful Erhu solo, which stays with me..hopefully you will feel the same.

I have also included in this post the 12 Girl Band playing Erhu.  Bach's Violin Concerto in A minor.

http://gentledove2.wordpress.com/oh-derelict-so

+

Plus Danny boy sung beautifully by Nana Mouskouri 

In classical music, there are bass, baritone,countertenor, contralto, mezzo-soprano, soprano and of course tenor. But in the house next door to mine, there's just the great bathroom singer...

Yes my neighbour is a bathroom singer or maybe I should say Bathroom Baritone. (Give it more dignified tone) and a loud one at that too. He's a clean man ( I am assuming from the number of showers he takes) because he takes at least 3 showers a day and we always know because he sings loud and proud each time.

Now before we all break out into laughter, lets remember that I didn't say he was lousy. Fact of the matter is, as silly as it may sound, some bathroom singers are pretty good! But sadly for some, the charm only works when confined to the 4 walls of the bathroom. So if you forced/convince/make them pick up a mic and ask them to belt out a tune over the family Christmas gathering...well you'd be inclined to believe that you're a horrible person who's struck another point in the devil's bad book or Santa's naughty list for setting the poor lad up for the embarrassing act.

But back to my neighbour. So no he's not lousy, but I didn't say he was great either. Maybe if he put more  variety into his chosen songs, pick one or two that I've heard before I can make a better/easier judgment of that.

At this point, I can't help but wonder if the songs he sings are those I actually do know but he's spun it so much his own way I can't recognise it or he really isn't that good a bathroom singer after all.

Either way, it's not a crime to sing, in fact it's healthy and expressive...until it gets in the way of other people's lives. But since that's not the case with my neighbour, I say kudos to him to for his love of singing and his bravery to share.

Vanderbilt University psychologists have found that professionally trained musicians more effectively use a creative technique called divergent thinking, and also use both the left and the right sides of their frontal cortex more heavily than the average person.

Read more..

Doubts:

1. Does this only include classical music or what-is-more-recently-perceived-as-music such as rap and belch music?

2.  Does this include only instrumental experts or bathroom singers too?

3. Elevated IQ score?  Sounds far fetched to me, but heck, I am not the expert.

Aaron Copland's music bridged cultures and religions.

Browse here for information regarding the TV show, and Aaron Copland's music.

Browse here for a short bio on Aaron Copland.
~~~~~~
Jew Wishes...Peace to you all.
© Copyright 2007 - All Rights Reserved - No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my express written consent/permission.

The Armenian pianist Sergei Babayan showed he was up to the challenge of the Rachmaninov on Saturday night with a fine performance of the work as the Lynn Philharmonia got its 16th season under way at the St. Andrew's School in Boca Raton.

Appearing with the mostly conservatory student orchestra on the second half of a program led by conservatory dean Jon Robertson, Babayan demonstrated an ability to play the many thousands of notes Rachmaninov wrote and put them into a satisfying emotional context. Babayan gave the piece all the extravagance the score calls for, as well as the tenderness: he was heroic in most of the first movement and tender as he launched the main theme of the second.

The only thing that was missing for me was a certain amount of thematic clarity, especially in the first movement cadenza. One of the problems here is that the climax of this section is on a rather banal motif, and it's supported by huge chords that climb up from the depths. Babayan pedaled through the supporting chords, which helps obscure the weakness of the writing somewhat, but it also sounds like the composer is trying to hide something.

Preferences vary on things like this, but I would rather hear all these sorts of passages played as clean as a whistle; it provides a much-needed astringency to an all-stops-out piece and helps balance it. That said, Babayan certainly gave an exciting rendition of this work, one that had the audience jumping to its feet with the last martial tattoo. The Lynn orchestra accompanied quite well, marred only by some out-of-tune winds in the opening bars that threw some odd harmonic lights onto the austerity of the chant-like opening melody.

Robertson showed admirable control of his orchestra in the Rachmaninov and throughout the concert. He has a very clear idea what he wants, and his charges give it to him.

This was crucial for the first half of the concert, which was composed of a sort of dog's breakfast of three different pieces: an opera overture, a musical-tourism showpiece, and the emotional-heart movement of a gigantic post-Romantic symphony. But Robertson's conceptions were precise enough that the audience was able to enter each very different sound world with ease.

The concert opened with Giuseppe Verdi's overture to his opera La Forza del Destino, which began with those opening six unison hammerblows in the brass thankfully in tune, and played with crispness and power. The opening theme murmured along with the right amount of mystery, though the second theme was much too slow for my taste, if still effective and well-played. Here again, Robertson and the Philharmonia showed themselves well able to handle the different moods and tempi of this stop-and-start overture and make it work; I also appreciated that he was happy to let all of Verdi's colors -- which were critical to the composer's conception of how opera was to be written -- display themselves in their full splendor, as in the big brass section statement toward the end.

The first half closed with the Capriccio Espagnol of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, whose death 100 years ago is being observed this year in the classical world with increased performances of his music. This is tough music to bring across, too, because of its five-section structure. There was some nice solo violin and horn work in the Capriccio, and there was plenty of vigor in the Philharmonia's reading.

But it seemed to lose momentum somewhere before the false ending that is followed by the big brass fanfare. There needs to be a sense of surprise and show-off throughout the work, and to me it sounded dutiful and pleasant rather than exotic and alluring.

The most involving performance came between the Verdi and the Rimsky-Korsakov: The celebrated Adagietto movement from the Fifth Symphony of Gustav Mahler. From the almost inaudibly whispered opening bars to the exhausted ending, the Philharmonia's strings and harp played this famous music with the only kind of naked, rapt emotionalism that can make it so moving (even amid the grinding of the Roberts Hall air-conditioning units in the very quiet moments). Ensemble was admirable throughout, which was demonstrated in particular by the seamlessness of the transition from violins to celli in picking up the chief melody.

It was the kind of reading that made you think: Now what about the rest of that piece? Would it overtax this group too much, or would it be worth trying? That's not a decision for me, but that the thought could occur says good things about this conservatory band.

(The Lynn Philharmonia will repeat the program at 4 p.m. Sunday in Roberts Hall, St. Andrew's School, which is off Jog Road south of Yamato Road. Tickets are $30. Call 561-237-9000 or visit www.lynn.edu)

*Mashups: Dr. Dre is "reinterpreting Chopin symphony stuff." [nymag]

*iPhone: Brian Eno releases Bloom, a music app for the iPhone Applications store. "Part instrument, part composition and part artwork." All, WTF and a good portion I have no idea. [beat portal]

*Conversions: If you want, you can learn how to make albums into MP3s from Wired. OR you could just capture video of the album playing on a record player, post it on YouTube, then scrape it. [lifehacker]

*Big Retail: Wal-mart is leaving their DRM servers up for now. So those consumers who purchased DRM'd music from America's largest retailer have some extra time to burn, baby, burn those discs. [medialoper]

*Politics: John McCain's daughter's playlist includes The Ting Tings, Tokyo Police Club, Zeppelin and Mos Def. The woman knows how to use the internet. [the rap up]

*Politics and cinema: If you would like to see a clip of W. Or maybe you are looking for a break from all that?

*Products: Torque your headphones with freakin' MAGNETS? [joshspear]

*The Annals of Law: Champaign county judge forces hip-hop fan to listen to classical music.

What music do you listen to in order to stay productive in the office?

The Background:

My responsibilities in this current project primarily revolve around data management using Microsoft Access and analytical work using Microsoft Excel. So to say I'm on my laptop "a lot" is quite the understatement. The good news is I'm able to listen to my iPod to help pass the time. That being said, it gets pretty old when you've heard Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" for the third time in a day. Everyday. In addition, there are clearly some genres that are more conducive to working than others.

I've lately picked up an interest in classical music and have been looping through the few pieces I currently have. I've found it to be far more relaxing, and much easier to concentrate than other alternatives. So I contacted one of my high school friends and music guru, Catherine Ho, to ask for some recommendations. She's been very helpful in helping me add to the playlist.

The Discussion:

These are some of my current favorites. Buy a few of these (all available on iTunes) and add them to your own "9 to 5 Playlist" for the week a head. Let me know what you think or any new recommendation in the comments.

Alpine Symphony/Eine Alpensinfonie - (Strauss)

This is currently my favorite. It's about 45 minutes long and takes the listener through an expedition into the wild over 24 hours. Each "song" takes the title of a different part of your journey such as "Night", "Into the Woods", "Over the Waterfall", and "Calm Before The Storm". It's amazing how well they capture each part of the expedition through music.

In general I'm a big fan of "nature" music like Alpine Symphony. Here's some other nature one's I also enjoy.

New World (Dvorak)
Appalachian Spring (Copland)

Symphonie Fantastique - (Berlioz)

From Catherine, "The whole thing roughly tells the story of an artist, his opium, and his unattainable woman." Many different moods throughout the course of the symphony. In particular, the last movement "Dream of a Sabbath Night" was one that I studied in an intro music class and have enjoyed every since. It makes me think of goblins causing mischief in a graveyard in the middle of the night. This will make sense after you listen.

Greig Piano Concerto (Greig)

Rare to hear piano accompaniment in symphony work, so it's nice to listen to something a little different.

Afro-American Symphony - (William Grant Still)

This is a fun one. Catherine emphasized the jazz influence in this so if you want to escape to New Orleans for an hour this is your bet.

Jeremiah - (Leonard Bernstein)

Heavy religious influence on this one and some voice accompaniment in the last movement. The first two movements are absolutely fantastic though.

The War (Before the War, During the War, After the War) - (Steve Reich)

Electric Counterpoint - (Steve Reich)

Probably my favorite composer of the bunch. His symphonies use a lot of very gradual counterpoint (Wiki: the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm, and interdependent in harmony. If you're a Jimmy Eat World fan, imagine "Goodbye Sky Harbor"). This makes the pieces a bit longer in general but really helps pass the time when you've got a long grind ahead.

Now that I've heard each of these far too many times, I need more recommendations. Let me know what you've got on your iPod.

Read "The Nelson Mail - The Nelson Mail"

"World famous Spanish tenor José Carreras was available to perform at next year's Opera in the Park in Nelson, but the budget would not stretch that far, musical director Pete Rainey says."

José Carreras will be performing in New Zealand also on January 31st 2009:

José Carreras, Hastings, 31 January 2009

Elephant Hill

URBANA, Ohio (AP) — A defendant had a hard time facing the music. Andrew Vactor was facing a $150 fine for playing rap music too loudly on his car stereo in July. But a judge offered to reduce that to $35 if Vactor spent 20 hours listening to classical music by the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Chopin.

Vactor, 24, lasted only about 15 minutes, a probation officer said.

It wasn't the music, Vactor said, he just needed to be at practice with the rest of the Urbana University basketball team.

"I didn't have the time to deal with that," he said. "I just decided to pay the fine."

Champaign County Municipal Court Judge Susan Fornof-Lippencott says the idea was to force Vactor to listen to something he might not prefer, just as other people had no choice but to listen to his loud rap music.

"I think a lot of people don't like to be forced to listen to music," she said.

She's also taped TV shows for defendants in other cases to watch on topics such as financial responsibility. As she sees it, they get the chance to have their fine reduced "and at the same time broaden their horizons."

Grr, I need to do something.  I am feeling very crafty but no knitting project thus far has held my interest in the last few hours.

I MUST make/get a cardigan!  This is driving me nuts.  I would make one if my mother would allow me to use the sewing machine.

Oh, I have started a list of necessities to put into my nonexistent bag of everything.  Someday, I hope to have a fantastic bag, and when that happens I will put everything I could possibly need at various times in various situations.  I like being prepared.

JACON ALTON, TURN YOUR MUSIC OFF WHEN YOU LEAVE THE ROOM.  IT IS DISTRACTING ME.

I listened to the Beethoven CD to get to sleep last night, and it worked marvelously.  Much better than the creepy chanting 'classical' CD I checked out from the library some time ago.

I called out at dinner that it made me sick when people name their dogs/whatever after cartoon characters, such as dogs named Scooby Doo.  I have nothing against Scooby Doo, in fact I like him quite a bit, but characters are meant to stay characters.  It seems so unoriginal to name a pet after something else, a cartoon something else.  However, I got in trouble for saying it.  My mother basically said I was out of line (I think that sounds nicer), though actually she just said I was being rude.  As when I put my foot on the table and said I could not wait until my birthday when I would be able to do so without getting in trouble (that is what I did last year, and it was great), my parents were 'disappointed' in me.  I would like to run wild but it seems my parents would get in the way of that, not to mention it would be 'immature.'

Ugh, sorry for the petty complaints.  Starving children in China and everything, I really should not be ranting on about such trivial matters.  I apologize most heartily.

Oh (I use that word a lot; have you noticed?), and I am well over halfway done with Great Mystery Stories.  I could never write mysteries.  There is so much thought put into them, it seems, and the endings are so clever and well-thought-out.  I do not think I have EVER figured out the ending to a mystery before getting to the end, but, then again, that is the fun in them for me.

Oh (there I go again), we got more food from the Food Lion dumpster (ha ha).  Blackberries, blueberries, watermelon, lettuce, tomatoes, and I believe that is all.  There was still a bunch more but my father was paranoid so we left.  I think Jake may go out again later tonight, though it is getting pretty late so maybe not.

SIX DAYS UNTIL PAPER TOWNS!  I am so excited!

Goodbyegoodbyegoodbye.  Oh, and I still need to make the tree for the To KIll a Mockingbird project.*

*There goes that 'oh' again.  Sorry.

Move aside Bach cantatas, Beethoven symphonies, Mozart concertos, Rossini operas, Handel oratorios and Schubert Leider - I'm currently listening to Haydn string quartets.  Yes Haydn wrote a good many of them and although arguably they may not be deep and searching as those of Beethoven they are certainly full of gems.  While the likes of Mozart and Beethoven took the classical forms of string quartet and symphonies to another level - it was the great Haydn that established its very foundations.  Currently I'm listening to a selection of Naxos discs played by the acclaimed Kodaly quartet and their playing is fresh and bright and more than worth at budget price.

↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

It was a dark and stormy night—and the final hours of our three full days of recording sessions with Piffaro. Things had gone fantastically until mid-way through the afternoon session on the last day when one of those tremendous summer thunderstorms ripped through the Great Valley (where we were recording Kile Smith's Vespers, which we had performed in January). This, and the temporary loss of power, forced us to take a long "storm" break. But, the thunder never fully receded and we had no option in our remaining session but to forge ahead, hoping that we would get the best takes between the loudest rumbles. (It also made us realize that Kile's music is not as easy as we may make it look, and not intended for a stormy night!)

But this is not what this little “blog” is about; rather, the above tense and joyful time provided the setting for another of a conductor’s great joys—the moment I receive a new work that our ensemble has commissioned. For, while we were working on Kile’s new music, David Shapiro, another beloved composer in The Crossing family, showed up at St. Peter’s in the Great Valley to listen in and to hand me his first draft of It is time, the first of three new works being written for THE CELAN PROJECT in our coming season, all based on poetry of Paul Celan. This was a surprise, as composers are not by nature “early” people: the work is to be premiered January 4, so David had a delivery deadline of November 1, but this was July 23! (Usually composers call me a week before the due date and ask, “So when do you really need this?”) I told David that I was flying back to Santa Fe in the morning and had a whirlwind schedule heading back to Chicago to start our Lyric Opera schedule in a few days, so I would wait to look at the new piece until I had time to concentrate on it in Chicago—a blatant lie. A couple of hours later I was like a kid handed a present on Christmas Eve and told to wait till the morning to open it; I had David’s music spread out on my hotel room bed and was drinking it in.

A few years ago my friend Ardalan Keramati gave me a volume of Paul Celan poetry translated by Pierre Joris. Ardi didn’t realize that, years before, I had commissioned a new work on one of Pierre’s poems and knew first-hand his vision, sense of reflection, and language virtuosity—a perfect match for Celan’s elusive language, full of imagery, evoking sensations and emotions that leave much to the imagination because they are based on concrete realities that he purposefully loses in translation to art. Much of it is informed by WWII: Celan was born into a German-speaking Romanian Jewish family and lost his parents in the camps.

What Ardi does know is me, and this poetry moved and inspired me. My idea for THE CELAN PROJECT formed as much from Celan’s poems as from his writing about poetry. To another poet he wrote: “to that in your work which did not—or not yet—open up to my comprehension, I responded with respect and by waiting: one can never pretend to comprehend completely—that would be disrespect in the face of the Unknown that inhabits—or comes to inhabit—the poet: that would be to forget that poetry is something one breathes; that poetry breathes you in.” What an attractive invitation to musical composition, since perhaps the most difficult obstacle in setting words to music is taking the concrete and translating it into the abstract, all the while giving it a new definition through the strange ability of music to evoke often universally-recognizable emotions. (That statement may make some musicological friends wince, but I find it to be true.) When I introduced this work to our three 2009 commissioned composers—David Shapiro, Kirsten Broberg, and the above-mentioned Kile Smith—each leaped at the opportunity, dove into Celan’s oeuvre and came back with fantastic ideas. For example, from Kile Smith’s anticipated new work:

Before your late face,
a loner
wandering between nights
that change me too,
something came to stand,
which was with us once already, un-
touched by thoughts.

(“Before your late face,” trans. Joris, 1995)

With its pages strewn across the airport Marriott bed, the wind and thunder still playing outside the window, and the sounds of The Crossing fresh in my mind from four days of singing together, I imagined what David’s new work will sound like to our audience on January 4. I was hardly able to sleep, aching to sing this new music of a composer who has an amazing ability to establish a specific color and tone so that the listener has the feeling they are in the piece—have already been in the piece—and are a part of its emotional environment. From the opening nostalgic melody (Autumn eats its leaf / out of my hand / we are friends) to the haunting repetitive harmonies of the closing bars (It is time / it is time.), it is a painfully beautiful work that should not be missed. Please join us for it on January 4, as we kick off THE CELAN PROJECT—and then come back for the premieres of Broberg and Smith during our MONTH OF MODERNS, May 18–June 5. And, hope the thunder stays away.—Donald Nally

One of the gems of radio in NZ is RNZ Concert. Why is it so cool? Mainly for the immense range of music it presents. Moaning minnies tend to write it off as just 'classical' music. This is wrong on so many levels. The phrase itself is too general to make any sense. Technically it refers to music written between about 1750 and 1800 - the 'Classical' era as the music textbooks have it. Concert plays music that ranges over the last 1000 years or so from all around the world. Commercial stations tend to play a chronologically limited range of music (hits of the 60s, 70s blah blah) These limits are very tight indeed in some cases - I can't imagine Flava or the Rock playing much that dates back beyond the last decade or so. Let alone music in languages other than English and from countries such as the USA, NZ, Aussie etc. So there's a whole heap of geographical, linguistic and chronological limitations there. They tend to have very narrow and confined musical universes due to their functions as money making entities. Not so with Concert. One piece might be from 18th century Mexico and the next from 16th century France followed by something written in Wellington last week (OK, that may be a slight exaggeration - they still do coherent programming) So the range of music featured on Concert is the widest you will find in NZ's commercially straitjacketed radio world.

Along with this range of music comes a committment to the Reithian ideas of informing, educating and entertaining. The music played on Concert is usually placed in some kind of context by the presenters and features such as Composer of the Week are designed to improve enjoyment of the music by providing knowledge. This is a Good Thing in many ways. Whereas mass (popular?) culture derives most of its commercial power by recycling styles and the inculcation of a type of blank minded ahistoricism, Concert ipso facto cultivates a longer view of cultural history by playing old music as well as new. And this includes genres such as Jazz and World Music (An ideologically loaded term if ever there was but let it pass) Out of this emerges the ability to make considered judgements about influences, changes and styles in music and the cultures from which it springs and in turns nourishes. Grand words maybe but I see that as being one the main roles of the media - Reith was no simple minded elitest and believed that the more people had access to knowledge then the more powerful they became. This is something derided by the commercial sector of radio as it pursues only profit.

The idea is to strike a fine balance between high minded and patronising didacticism and simple minded pap. I believe Concert does this. Take BBC3 as an example. In the main it is dry, arid and pompous. Dons talking to dons. On the other hand is ClassicFM which is simple minded drivel. Tightly playlisted and concentrating on the 'top 20' of warhorses it is promoted as 'relaxation' and a 'haven'. So we won't be hearing much there to challenge or stimulate. In between these extremes I think Concert has struck a fine balnce of informed comment and varied entertainment that can also move and provoke. Kate Mead's Soundlounge (Tues 7-midnight) is one of the most provocative radio programmes in NZ. It can make most metal, hardcore and rap sound like Abba. Cadenza (Mon-Fri 5-7) is in contrast a collection of lighter pieces that makes for an enjoyable and interesting drive show that ranges over the centuries and the world. So I think they have got the balance between too much brain strain and bovine entertainment pretty well right.

The main argument against Concert tends to be that it is a waste of public funding as it broadcasts minority music of no interest to anyone. This is nonsense. Its ratings are respectable enough and it functions as a public service. I realise that in an age where our inner lives have been colonised by the commercial imperatives of the culture industries and public discourse is dominated by the language of profit/loss, greed/gain such ideas as public service have little traction with the likes of the corporate drones that dominate commercial NZ radio. They see public broadcasting in general as a waste of potential advertising/profit space and as compeition to the pablum of commercial culture. They are wrong. I believe the media is there to enrich our inner lives, not impoverish them. And there is room for all types of radio. It depends on people choosing to use it. I may not spend much time hiking through national parks but I believe that they provide a valuable public service. So does the public sector media (radio at least - TVNZ is just turgid hellhole of commercialism and stupidity)

I guess there are wider questions here that people may raise about the value of so-called 'Classical' music but these are arguments we can have about any form of music. And Concert is not just about this misnamed form of music. It is by no means perfect as is nothing in this imperfect world but I believe it is one of the most interesting and stimulating radio stations operating in NZ. All it takes is open ears and open minds. And on a lighter note.

URBANA, Ohio — A defendant had a hard time facing the music.

Andrew Vactor was facing a $150 fine for playing rap music too loudly on his car stereo in July. But a judge offered to reduce that to $35 if Vactor spent 20 hours listening to classical music by the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Chopin.

Vactor, 24, lasted only about 15 minutes, a probation officer said.

It wasn't the music, Vactor said, he just needed to be at practice with the rest of the Urbana University basketball team.

"I didn't have the time to deal with that," he said. "I just decided to pay the fine."

Champaign County Municipal Court Judge Susan Fornof-Lippencott says the idea was to force Vactor to listen to something he might not prefer, just as other people had no choice but to listen to his loud rap music.

"I think a lot of people don't like to be forced to listen to music," she said.

She's also taped TV shows for defendants in other cases to watch on topics such as financial responsibility. As she sees it, they get the chance to have their fine reduced "and at the same time broaden their horizons."

ahahahahahha, sucks for that guy. sure he has his rights but he violated other peoples rights when he had his music too loud.

B-Gr@d3

Viene l'autunno con le sue pioggie e dipinge le foglie di giallo, rosso e arancio. Il suo richiamo si fa sentire ancora come ogni anno. Le foglie cadono volteggiando sfiorano la terra .... indifese mostrano con dignità il senso della morte. Questo album è intonato a questa stagione. Ha il sapore delle cose fatte in casa. Malinconico e triste come l'autunno ti porta alla mente ricordi anche molto lontani... l'infanzia ed il grembo materno .... aprendo spazi interiori che credevi dimenticati. E tu uomo riesci a lasciarti morire?

It is autumn with its rains and paints the leaves yellow, red and orange. His appeal is still felt like every year. The leaves fall vaulting touch the earth .... defenseless show with dignity, the sense of death. This album is intoned this season. It has the flavor of things done at home. Melancholy and sad as autumn brings to mind memories too far apart .... child and maternal womb .... opening up interior spaces you believed forgotten. Man can die?

Experts from Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan split pregnant women into two groups, 116 given music CDs and 120 receiving normal pregnancy care and acting as controls.

The study has appeared in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

The women given the music received four CDs, each containing about 30 minutes of music.

One CD featured lullabies, a second contained classical music like Beethoven and Debussy, a third featured nature sounds and a fourth was based on soothing crystal music of Chinese nursery rhymes and songs.

The tempo of the music was set at 60 to 80 beats per minute, the same as the human heart rate. The women were told to listen to at least one disc all the way through every day for two weeks.

Women who listened to CDs of lullabies, classical music and sounds of nature felt more relaxed than those who did not, it found, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.

"The music group showed significant reductions in stress, anxiety and depression after just two weeks, using three established measurement scales," said Chung-Hey Chen, who led the study.

HALLOWEEN!!!

This year I am doing something fairly new for me: I am doing some brief (for me) photomontages set to music on the constants of Halloween.  I have finished the first one and it can be viewed at:

http://video.fotki.com/GwenGuin/

I hope you enjoy this, I had a ball getting it just so.

O pure Goddess, who silver
These sacred ancient plants,
Turn thy beautiful semblance on us
Unclouded and unveiled...
Temper, o Goddess,
The brave zeal
Of the ardent spirits,
Scatter on the earth the peace
che regnar tu fai nel ciel... Thou make reign in the sky...

]]> http://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/?p=5556 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:46:12 +0000 Nikita http://chessaleeinlondon.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/sea-of-dreams/
Sleep and His Half Brother Death
John William Waterhouse
www.illusionsgallery.com/sleep.html

Image: dreams.co.uk
 How do you feel about sleep? Sometimes I can go a whole night without sleep, but I will surely feel knackered two days later! I love being in bed at night when the rain is tapping on the roof. Weekends I like to lie in...and then get a nice breakfast in bed! ...now to the music!  I've these wonderful music, two tracks from a chess friend and he also sent me the third track by Hennie Bekker and suddenly! I found myself busy with an entry on sleep!! I even found you an interesting link about the stages of sleep and one about sleep deprivation...that's for me, actually...lol! It was truly not my intention to blog about sleep when I uploaded these snippets of music, but at the end, after  searching for some images, I came across these interesting info and sites and thought to share it with you as it was interesting to me.  I  blog about stuff which I enjoy/find interesting...apart from chess...my blog is sort of a "gathering space" for info I want to refer back to, but also in the hope that other people will find it useful too or will enjoy it at least. In the same process, I also found music for children with Aspergers! I've worked with children with Aspergers syndrome, Down Syndrome and also Autistic children and they are all a pleasure to work with!

I've come across music for  ASD- the link will open in a new window - which you will find in this post. You can read more  about ASD on the link and there's another link in this post for you to follow up too, if you are more interested in Autistic children.
Seven hours sleep a night helps reduce heart problems. Read the article...the link will open in a new window.
 

Image...see more fantastic images here..http://photo.net/photodb/member-photos?user_id=941594

Firstly, enjoy "Sea of Dreams"...this track is about 5 min, but you get to listen to only a taster of it, as well as the other tracks. Tranquil Realms is about 11 min but the taster only about 2 min. For Afrikaans speaking people, I wonder if you can remember the Afrikaans poem about sleep! Please find it at the bottom of my post, a wonderful poem by DF Malherbe! In this poem he asks God to shut his eyes one day like the little girl's when she falls asleep...
On my blog on this link you can read about dreams...the link will open in a new window.
[audio http://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/files/2008/10/angelle-seaofdreams1.mp3]
Sea of Dreams..by Angelle
[audio http://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/files/2008/10/angelle-sleepytime1.mp3]
Sleepy Time...by Angelle
[audio http://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/files/2008/10/hennie-bekker-tranquil-realms1.mp3]
Hennie Bekker...Tranquil Realms

Read on this link about sleep cycles. The link will open in a new window. Read on this pdf-link on wiki about dreaming.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikibooks/en/e/ef/Lucid_Dreaming.pdf

The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Brain and Behavior
Sarah Ledoux
Sleep deprivation is a commonplace occurrence in modern culture. Every day there seems to be twice as much work and half as much time to complete it in. This results in either extended periods of wakefulness or a decrease in sleep over an extended period of time. While some people may like to believe that they can train their bodies to not require as much sleep as they once did this belief is false . Sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally. After periods of extended wakefulness or reduced sleep neurons may begin to malfunction, visibly effecting a person's behavior. Some organs, such as muscles, are able to regenerate even when a person is not sleeping so long as they are resting. This could involve lying awake but relaxed within a quite environment. Even though cognitive functions might not seem necessary in this scenario the brain, especially the cerebral cortex, is not able to rest but rather remains semi-alert in a state of "quiet readiness" . Certain stages of sleep are needed for the regeneration of neurons within the cerebral cortex while other stages of sleep seem to be used for forming new memories and generating new synaptic connections. The effects of sleep deprivation on behavior have been tested with relation to the presence of activity in different sections of the cerebral cortex.
The temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex is associated with the processing of language. During verbal learning tests on subjects who are fully rested functional magnetic resonance imaging scans show that this area of the brain is very active. However, in sleep deprived subjects there is no activity within this region. The effects of this inactivity can be observed by the slurred speech in subjects who have gone for prolonged periods with no sleep .
Please click HERE more about sleep deprivation and brain behaviour...the link will open in a new window.

The music in 'Sleep' has been designed to be physically relaxing - the program features no distracting surprises and feels like slow, steady breathing, to help transport the listener away from the stresses of the day towards restful sleep.

This CD, with music composed by Hennie Bekker, incorporates scientific principles of sonic response, and is designed to nudge your mind toward deep and refreshing sleep.

On this link you can listen to more snippets of his music. The link will open in a new window.

Hennie Bekker

African Roots
Bekker was raised in Mufulira, a Zambian copper mining town 10 miles south of the Congo border. In those early years, he was captivated by the symphonic sounds of the African wilderness, the haunting harmonies of tribal chanting and the rhythmic dialogue of drummers communicating between camps at sundown. He is a self-taught pianist who had his professional debut at age 15, spending the next decade performing with various bands throughout Zambia, Zaire, Zimbabwe and Kenya. His success as a fusion-jazz musician and band leader elevated him to become the musical director for one of South Africa's largest record companies. Here, he added scores of film, television, radio and commercial music to his list of career accomplishments.
Read more about Hennie Bekker here, the link will open in a new window. If you click on "home", you will find youtube-videos of him to watch.

On the "music" link you will find more albums, even some Africa-music and snippets to listen to.

Asperger’s Syndrome is a condition that was initially described by Dr. Hans Asperger’s 1944 doctoral thesis. It was not until 37 years later, in 1981, however, that Dr. Lorna Wing used the term "Asperger’s Syndrome" in a paper that helped to introduce this condition to the English-speaking world.

As described by Dr. Wing, the primary clinical features of Asperger’s Syndrome include:
naïve, inappropriate, one-sided social interactions
limited ability to establish relationships
poor non-verbal communication
a lack of emotional empathy
pedantic, repetitive speech
intense absorption in certain subjects
clumsy, un-coordinated movements
odd postures

Currently, the prevailing view is that Asperger’s Syndrome is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder which falls at the high end of the Autism Spectrum continuum.

BEHAVIORAL DEFINITION

The autism spectrum extends from "classic autism" -- which lies at the lower end of the spectrum-- through ASPERGER’S SYNDROME, which is characterized as being at the mildest and highest functioning end of the spectrum --or Pervasive Developmental Disorder--Continuum

The major source of stress in life for the person with Asperger’s Syndrome is social contact, and increased stress generally leads to anxiety disorders and depression Attwood, T. Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, 1998, p. 148.
AS represents a neurologically-based disorder of development

AS reflects deviations or abnormalities in four aspects of development:

(1) Social relatedness and social skills
(2) The use of language for purposes of communication
(3) Certain behavioral and stylistic characteristics such as repetitive or persevering features
(4) Limited, but intense, range of interests

These dysfunctional features can range from mild to severe

"The Epidemiology of Asperger Syndrome: A Total Population Study" by Ehlers and Gillberg (retrieve citation) 2001), it is estimated that the prevalence of Asperger is 2.6 per 1,000 individuals. With the population of the U.S. currently estimated at 275 million (July 2000), this would mean an estimated 715,000 people are affected by Asperger’s syndrome in the U.S. alone"
Stewart, K. (2002). Helping a Child with Nonverbal Learning Disorder or Asperger’s Syndrome, p. 148

AS is characterized by:

high cognitive abilities -- or, at least, "normal" IQ level
extending into the very superior range of cognitive ability
normal language function when compared to other autistic disorders
difficulties with pragmatic, or social language
a better prognosis than other Autism spectrum disorders
Please read on THIS LINK more...the link will open in a new window. Click on "products" and it will take you to the music page.

Image: babyzone.com

DF Malherbe (1881-1969)

Slaap

Wat is die slaap 'n wondersoete ding!
Sag op haar bloue oë daal die vaak
soos maneskyn diep waterkuile raak
om daar te droom in silwer skemering.

Vir laas beef oor haar lippe 'n fluistering:
"Nag, Pappie." Ek merk hoe langsaam hy genaak,
wat drome soet tot werklikhede maak:
in vaderarms rus my lieweling.
Sluit so my oë, God, wanneer vir my
u Engel wenk ter laaste, lange rus
en ek van wilde woeling hier moet skei;
dat my dan stille drome huis toe sus
en sterke Hand deur duisternisse lei.
Sluit so my oë, God, as ek gaan rus.

To Sleep
by John Keats.
O soft embalmer of the still midnight!
Shutting, with careful fingers and benign,
Our gloom-pleas'd eyes, embower'd from the light,
Enshaded in forgetfulness divine;
O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close,
In midst of this thine hymn, my willing eyes.
Or wait the Amen, ere thy poppy throws
Around my bed its lulling charities;
Then save me, or the passed day will shine
Upon my pillow, breeding many woes;
Save me from curious conscience, that still hoards
Its strength for darkness, burrowing like a mole;
Turn the key deftly in the oiled wards,
And seal the hushed casket of my soul.

Sea of Dreams...Kelly King ...I've found this book on google-books whilst searching for images and thought it might be on my list to read when I have more time...I've read a couple of books about wars...and for some reason I like to read about it...all part of history.

Sea of dreams by Martin Sramek

Dreams
by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

My Piano....by... artistnina.com