Why not begin the week with something beautiful?
Claude Debussy (1862-1918), String Quartet in G minor (1893); Parker Quartet, live, Cambridge, Mass., 2019
**********
lagniappe
art beat: other day, Art Institute of Chicago
Dish, Hellenistic or early Roman; eastern Mediterranean; mid-2nd/early 1st century BC; glass, mosaic glass technique (detail)
breathtaking
Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Sonata for flute, viola, and harp (1915); Emmanuel Pahud (flute), Yulia Deyneka (viola), Aline Khouri (harp), live, Berlin, 2018
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
sounds of Paris
Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996), And then I knew ’twas Wind (1992); Ensemble Intercontemporain, live, Paris, 2017
**********
lagniappe
random sights
this morning, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
Like Rain it sounded till it curved
And then we knew “twas Wind –
It walked as wet as any Wave
But swept as dry as Sand –—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), from 276 (Franklin)
Why not begin the week with one of the most beautiful—and moving—pieces I know?
Morton Feldman (1927-1986, MCOTD Hall of Fame), Rothko Chapel (1971); Markus Creed (cond.), SWR Vokalensemble (Vocal Ensemble), et al., live, Germany (Cathedral of Speyer, Schwetzinger), 2017
**********
lagniappe
art beat: yesterday, Art Institute of Chicago
Mark Rothko (1903-1970), No. 2 (Blue, Red and Green) (Yellow, Red, Blue on Blue), 1953 (detail)
alone
Kim Kashkashian (viola), “In memoriam Blum Tamás” by György Kurtág (from Signs, Games, and Messages for solo viola [1998-2005]), live, Germany (Hamburg), 2020
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago (Columbus Park)
*****
reading table
The world? Moonlit
drops shaken
from the crane’s bill.—Dogen (1200-1253), translated from Japanese by Lucien Stryk with the assistance of Noboru Fujiwara
string quartet festival
day three
Mivos Quartet, Bronx Community College Online Concert Series, 11/30/20: Michaela Catranis, Luminous Animal (2020); Linda Caitlin Smith, String Quartet No. 6 (2013); George Lewis, String Quartet 2.5: “Playing with Seeds” (2017)
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
Old age is
a flight of small
cheeping birds
skimming
bare trees
above a snow glaze.—William Carlos Williams (1883-1963), from “To Waken an Old Lady”
string quartet festival
day two
JACK Quartet (with Conrad Tao, piano), Library of Congress Virtual Event, 12/3/2020*
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
*Program:
1. Rodericus (fl. late 14th century)/Christopher Otto, Angelorum psalat (c. 1390s).
2. Elliott Carter (1908-2012), Duo for Violin and Piano (1973-4).
3. Tyshawn Sorey, Everything Changes, Nothing Changes (2018).
4. Ruth Crawford [Seeger] (1901-1953), String Quartet 1931 (1931).
5. Tyshawn Sorey, For Conrad Tao (2020).
6. Elliott Carter (1908-2012), String Quartet no. 3 (1971).
string quartet festival
day one
Thomas Adès (1971-), Arcadiana (1994); Danish String Quartet, live, New York, 2015
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
sounds of Chicago
Saturday I posted the first of these two (wonderful) performances; here’s the second.
Mars Williams presents: An Ayler Xmas Vol. 4 (Night 2) (Mars Williams, tenor saxophone, toy instruments; Josh Berman, cornet; Jim Baker, piano, viola, ARP synthesizer; Krzysztof Pabian, bass; Brian Sandstrom, bass, guitar, trumpet; Steve Hunt, drums; Peter Maunu, violin), live (performance begins at 5:15), Chicago (Constellation), 12/19/20
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
An empty day without events.
And that is why
it grew immense
as space. And suddenly
happiness of being
entered me.I heard
in my heartbeat
the birth of time
and each instant of life
one after the other
came rushing in
like priceless gifts.—Anna Swir (1909-1984), “Priceless Gifts” (translated from Polish by Czesław Miłosz and Leonard Nathan)
sounds of Chicago
Mars Williams presents: An Ayler Xmas Vol. 4 (Night 1) (Mars Williams, tenor saxophone, toy instruments; Josh Berman, cornet; Jim Baker, piano, viola, ARP synthesizer; Krzysztof Pabian, bass; Brian Sandstrom, bass, guitar, trumpet; Steve Hunt, drums; Peter Maunu, violin), live (performance begins at 3:45), Chicago (Constellation), last night
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago
*****
reading table
Such a moon—
the thief
pauses to sing.—Yosa Buson (1716-1784), translated from Japanese by Lucien Stryk and Takashi Ikemoto
music clip of the day 