classical music « Growing Fins

classical music

Sight-reading (mis)adventures and the Lazy Eye

by Niniane on Dec.16, 2007, under Antediluvian Libraries, Reading (Notes), classical music, music-making, writing

Still working on The Apothecary’s Seal. The good news is that I now know my general direction. The bad news is that this is going to be a great deal of work and realistically speaking, there’s no way I’ll be able to finish it next year. If I’m optimistic, maybe it will be done by October 2008, but I’m not. Which is a little daunting, because part of me wants to work on my other novel projects: Saltwater Orphee, the Domus Exsulis novel, and other stuff. But it’s still doable. I am allowing myself short stories, and those can be set in my other worlds.

Reading notes: Finished Tad Williams’s Shadowmarch and Neil Gaiman’s beautiful The Dream Hunters, illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. Currently reading The Sandman: Endless Nights, I will probably finish it by tonight as well. Lovely, lovely stuff. I get to borrow more Sandman books soon, yay!

Music notes: I have moved my List of Songs Last Played here, and it has its own permanent page now. I do not think I will look for a classical guitar teacher until after I’m done with my postgraduate seminars next year and have saved a little money – so, for now, it is self discipline for me. Since my weakest link is now my sight-reading (after months of inactivity, I think my music-reading eye is now “lazy”) as well as my shaky grasp of time-signature, I am going to try to learn at least one new song that I’ve never heard a week. And practice 2 other songs. While I do not have a music teacher, I do know how to set a course of study, so I’ll try to keep to it this time. The only problem is that I’ve chosen 2 baroque tunes and 1 medieval tune to sight-read this week. Sight-reading counterpoint blind for the classical guitar is a little daunting. Fortunately, YouTube helps

Listening to: Le Tombeau de Couperin – Maurice Ravel

hiraeth and Glass in transit

by Niniane on Aug.29, 2007, under Listening (Notes), On Reading, Reading (Notes), classical music

Headphones on, I was not entirely present as I waited, or dreamed in departures while listening to Dancepieces, North Star and some tracks off Einstein on the Beach. Phillip Glass’s music went very well with The French Lieutenant’s Woman, which I have finished reading. Most excellent read, I was pretty much drunk on the prose from the first chapter. I found the character of Sarah even more intriguing than in the movie; dare I even mention that I relate to her particular brand of perversity.

When I was younger I would have probably preferred the first of the two endings the book comes with. But now, I know I prefer the last ending option. I don’t want to spoil much, but I will say that I think she deserves the freedom of the second ending more than the first. And it was more accurate. So that is my preference. Also, the first one made me snort a little, and I cannot help but see it as a parody of the Victorian or even Romantic ending. But perhaps, like life, there can be a mediation between Option #1 and Option #2. And perhaps, if there had to be a true ending, that would be it. Perhaps I still have a little bit of the romantic left in me after all. Who knows?

I read The French Lieutenant’s Woman while waiting to board the plane, on the plane and in stolen spurts throughout the weekend in Singapore, as well as on the trip back. It was pricey but a good way to acclimatize myself w/ regards to aeroplane travel. I will be taking a plane to Brisbane next month, once the visa stuff clears up. And I suspect I will be listening to Phillip Glass all the way. Perfect music for life voyages and changes. And the particular form of hiraeth now experienced.

The ubergeek and I had much fun at WOMAD. We attended all three days of it like old pros at music festivals.

Of course, there is a price to be paid for revelry as I am now quite sick.

Currently reading Charles de Lint’s Widdershins, which I saved for a comfort read. This week seems to be appropriate.

I have uploaded some of the pictures from WOMAD @ picasa, but I’m not done editing and uploading everything else, yet. I will post a notification here when it is done.

Listening to: Ange des Oranges – Phillip Glass

Of Musical Acquisitions

by Niniane on Aug.21, 2007, under Listening (Notes), Reading (Notes), classical music, travels?

Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go is not gripping me as much as his other novels which I have read. It could be due to my current disposition. So, instead I am reading John Fowles’s The French Lieutenant’s Woman.

Not much writing is going on, I am far too distracted by research and work/study-related stuff. As well as music. I have been buying a lot of CDs lately. Mostly Naxos collections because the stuff I want are there and not on the other labels stocked. Here they are:

The Ring: Der Ring des Nibelungen/L’Anneau du Nibelung (Orchestral Highlights) – Wagner (Naxos) [CSR Symphony Orchestra, Bratislava]
Symphony No. 4 in G Major – Mahler (Naxos) [Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra]
Symphonies No. 5 (Op. 47), No. 9. (Op 70) – Shostakovich [BRT Philharmonic Orchestra, Brussels]
Symphony No. 7 ’ Angel of Light’/Angels and Visitations - Rautavaara [Royal Scottish National Orchestra]
Works For Piano (Piano Sonatas 1&2, Icons, Etudes) - Rautavaraa [Laura Mikkola, Piano]
Cantus Arcticus, Piano Concerto No. 1, Symphony No. 3 - Rautavaraa [Laura Mikkola, Royal Scottish National Orchestra]
Live at Sin-e - Jeff Buckley
Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk – Jeff Buckley
There’s No Home - Jana Hunter
Fairytale – Donovan

I am especially enamoured with the Rautavaraa CDs. I’ve been looking for the complete “Angels and Visitations” since 1996! Discovered at the Tower Records sale. There were three Rautavaraa CDs, all of which I grabbed. Similar to what happened when I found the two Jeff Buckley compilations above. One a box set, the other a double CD. Of course, then I had to feel worried because I can’t bring all my CDs with me. Let’s not mention the books which I spent an entire weekend arranging (still not done yet). Hmm, 30 gigs worth of ipodness enough?

Today, I had around 1k songs on shuffle play throughout my 2 hour commute, which had me realizing how classical , world and folk music outnumbered everything else. Although, there were funny moments like Mahler segueing into Echo and the Bunnymen, or the Afro-Celts followed by The New Pornographers. Fun. Kept me awake while driving at least.

Yes, I am in full throes of ipod-love.

Also, going to Singapore this week for WOMAD, but I have not purchased my plane tickets yet. Eek.

Listening to: Symphony No. 3. – Einojuhani Rautavaara