sounds of the 12th century
Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), excerpts from O quam mirabilis, O tu suavissima virga, Ave Maria; Hirundo Maris (Arianna Savall, vocals, et al.), live, 2014
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago (Columbus Park)
sounds of Ukraine
day four
How about something quiet, delicate, beautiful?
Valentin Silvestrov (1937-), Post-scriptum (1990); Movses Pogossian (violin), Alexei Lubimov (piano), live, Los Angeles, 2016
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lagniappe
reading table
Floating on a Marsh
by Wang Wei (701-61), translated from Chinese by David Young
Autumn
the sky huge and clear
the marsh miles from farms and houses
overjoyed by the cranes
standing around the sandbars
the mountains above the clouds in the distance
this water
utterly still
in the dusk
the white moon overhead
I let my boat drift free tonight
I can’t go home.
never enough
This kaleidoscopic collection of miniatures—many lasting less than a minute—I return to again, and again, and again.
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), 24 Preludes, Op. 28; Shura Cherkassky (1909-1995, piano), 1968
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lagniappe
reading table
just one
but he goes honking . . .
departing goose—Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827), translated from Japanese by David G. Lanoue
Why not start the week with something kinetic?
Unsuk Chin (1961-), Gougalōn (Scenes from a Street Theater for Ensemble) (2009-2011); Ensemble Intercontemporain (Duncan Ward, cond.), live, Paris, 2017
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
sounds of New York
day two
Sam Pluta (1979-), Broken Symmetries (2011-12); Wet Ink Ensemble (Sam Pluta, electronics; Joshua Modney, violin; Erin Lesser, piccolo; Alex Mincek, tenor saxophone; Eric Wubbels, piano; Ian Antonio, percussion), live, New York, 2016
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Bellwood, Ill.
string quartet festival
day three
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), String Quartet in F major (1903); Hagen Quartet, live, Austria (Salzburg), 2000
1st movt.
2nd movt.
3rd movt.
4th movt.
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lagniappe
random sights
this morning, Oak Park, Ill.
string quartet festival
day two
Elliott Carter (1908-2012), String Quartet No. 5 (1995); Pacifica Quartet, live, Tokyo, 2004
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lagniappe
reading table
The book itself is sort of a perfect metaphor for a human being. It’s got a front and a back, it’s got a spine, and it’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.
—Chris Ware
string quartet festival
day one
A couple years ago I heard the Chicago-based Spektral Quartet play this piece at the Museum of Contemporary Art—one of the most memorable musical experiences of my life.
Morton Feldman (1926-1987, MCOTD Hall of Fame), String Quartet No. 2 (1983); FLUX Quartet, live, London (The Tanks at Tate Modern), 2016
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lagniappe
reading table
Who has not found the Heaven – below –
Will fail of it above –
For Angels rent the House next ours,
Wherever we remove –—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), 1609 (Franklin)
never enough
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Nocturne No. 15 in F minor, Op. 55, No. 1; Sviatoslav Richter (1915-1997, piano), live, Moscow, 1972
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lagniappe
reading table
Only thing
the thief left behind—
moon in my window.—Ryokan (1758-1831), translated from Japanese by Kazuaki Tanahashi
another take
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Nocturne No. 8 in D-flat major, Op. 27, No. 2; Martha Argerich (1941-, piano), live, Germany (Saarbrücken), 1972
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
music clip of the day 