El personaje es el príncipe Luís Fernando de Prusia -Louis Ferdinand Prinz von Preußen (1772/1806)-, príncipe, soldado y músico. A pesar de su corta vida -apenas 34 años- nos dejó unas cuantas buenas historias de hechos militares, personales y musicales. Feroz combatiente en las Guerras Revolucionarias Francesas y, más tarde en las Napoleónicas, fue varias veces herido en combate hasta que el 10 de octubre de 1806 resultó muerto en la batalla de Saalfeld: “El suboficial aposentador de los húsares franceses, Jean-Baptiste Guindey, le ofreció la oportunidad de rendirse, pero el príncipe rechazó la oferta. Atacó con su sable al sargento francés causándole una herida grave en el rostro. Sin embargo, la respuesta del francés le atravesó el pecho, muriendo de inmediato”. Fin de la historia.

Grabado del célebre dibujante militar y creador de la Uniformología, el alemán Richard Knötel (1857/1914) en el que interpreta la muerte de príncipe Luis Fernando a manos de los húsares franceses en la batalla de Saalfeld.

En lo personal nos dejó diversas aventuras y escarceos amorosos fruto de los cuales fueron sus, al menos, tres hijos ilegítimos y uno más habido en su matrimonio morganático -entre dos personas de distinta clase-. En lo musical nos dejó la lamentable pérdida de quien probablemente haya sido el personaje de la realeza con más talento para la música, tanto en su faceta compositiva como interpretativa. En este último campo hay que destacar que no solo fue alumno de Beethoven, sino que éste le dedicó su Concierto para Piano y Orquesta Nº3, alabando sus grandes dotes interpretativas.

En cuanto a la composición su catálogo es bastante breve -apenas 13 obras catalogadas-, algo lógico teniendo en cuenta su temprana muerte y su repleta “agenda de actividades extra-musicales”. Dicho catálogo se concreta en principalmente en piezas de música de cámara con alguna incursión orquestal. Sin embargo, esta brevedad compositiva se ve acompañada de una calidad fuera de toda duda y que nos hace soñar, una vez más, con lo que pudo haber sido y no fue.

Rondó Brillante, tercer movimiento del Gran Trío -Großes Trio- en mi bemol mayor, Opus 10, perteneciente al primero de los tres volúmenes que componen la integral de tríos.

Recientemente el Trio Parnassus, a través del sello alemán MDG [+], ha publicado la integral de Tríos con Piano en tres soberbios discos compactos que reflejan perfectamente tanto las dotes compositivas del irrepetible príncipe prusiano como las interpretativas de este gran trío. Que ustedes lo disfruten.
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Las piezas incluidas en esta bitácora se muestran a modo de ejemplo. Si te gusta alguna de ellas, compra el disco en tu tienda o a través de los enlaces que te proponemos. Ayudarás a los artistas a seguir con su trabajo y a todos nosotros a disfrutar del mismo. Gracias.

As a musician, visiting Vienna was a long dream. Although I was sad to leave Budapest (it somewhat captured my heart), I was excited to finally arrive in Vienna via train.

The architecture had a general Western European look. I noticed that I didn’t really try taking a lot of pictures (or asking people to take pictures of me). Maybe it was just because the city looked like many places I have gone to.

The music is wonderful, and it needs a separate post, but I will be honest – Vienna turned out a lot calmer and less lavish and dreamy than expected. Perhaps music is the only thing going there. Still, I will share a few highlights with you.

MozartHaus

Of course, there were many houses of famous musicians scattered in Vienna. I didn’t go to Beethoven’s or Schubert’s, but I visited the Mozart House. This is the biggest apartment that Mozart lived in during the time period when he was the richest. Although generally Mozart seems a bit too commercialized in Vienna, it was still cool to walk around the museum and see what his personal life was (sort of) like. No, the movie Amadeus isn’t all accurate, friends.

I said commercialized because there were too many shops, cafes, and more touristy shops with the word “Mozart” in the names and Mozart’s picture on the sign and logo.

Sachertorte

A Viennese specialty!

Zentralfriedhof (Cemetery)

I took the train out to Simmering on the second day. This cemetery has a huge musician section where graves of Mozart, Beethoven, the Strauss family, Schubert, etc were at. In the picture, I was standing next to Mozart’s memorial (his is right in the front) with Beethoven’s in the back on the left side. I felt a bit weird taking pictures of individual tombstones, but I think this is an exception. Notice the bag I bought from the Mozart House – with Mozart’s quote and everything in German! I figured I might as well go along with the city and be cheesy.

Hundertwasserhaus

This is actually a social housing project, built by Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

Kunsthaus Wien

It’s a museum! Unique architecture, isn’t it?

I also visited the Schonbrunn Palace on my last day. I don’t have a picture to show you – the weather was bad and my feet were soaked 10 minutes after walking out of the hostel. I was just not in the mood to take pictures while climbing up the hill in the rain. It is a nice place to visit though!

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Finally, I leave with you a food picture. Viennese food has a lot of influence from Germany and Hungary. I met up with my Viennese friend (met in Copenhagen!), and she took me to a traditional Viennese restaurant near St. Stephan’s Cathedral.

Beef goulash with gnocchi-like pasta – Hungarian influence.

Este ora 11 :26 si cateva secunde… pana voi termina articolul va fi vreo 11:30 – 11:40.

Dupa cum spuneam, e ora 11:26 si vreau muzica… Vreau shoogy-dooghy-boogy sau shooby-dooby-wooby cu un pic de chuba-chuba si mai mult da-dam-ta-dam. Vreau Ray Charles, vreau Elvis Presley, vreau Hit the road Jack, vreau blue suede shoes. Vreau energie, vreau sa zbarnaie toata lumea, vreau sa vibreze viata in tot ce vad! Ma plictisesc de… tot. Nimic nu mai e shooby-dooby…

Apoi intru in cadere si ma rasucesc la 180 de grade, incepand sa-mi doresc un blues, un jazz, ceva mai elevat, sau daca nu, mai trist, mai molcom, mai “neiesit din randuri”, ceva lipsit de energie. Vreau un… Dream a little dream of me sau un wish you were here, sau un slow a la Led Zeppelin. Of… balonarii astia le au cu muzica. Mai ales cu bluesurile. Asculta tu dazed and confused sau babe, i’m gonna leave you si spune-mi apoi ca esti indiferent… muzica asta te atinge.

Te, sau ma resemnez/i si incep/i sa ies/i din starea asta si cautam un Beethoven sau un Brahms sau oricare alt clasic, ceva sa ne calmeze, sa ne neutralizeze, sa ne aplatizeze iesirile din comun si asculti asculti simfonia a 5a de Beethoven si..gata? Esti normal? Sunt “neiesit din comun”? Vorbim despre mine sau despre tine? (m-am incurcat ).

Ma duc apoi la culcare in ipostaza normalului, simtindu-ma neutru, comun, “normal” sau “cum ar trebui sa ma simt inainte de alta noapte obisnuita, in care voi avea un somn obisnuit” si visez cu ochii deschisi pentru ca mintea mi-e prea incarcata. Oricat incerc sa ma comport normal nu pot si asta se reflecta asupra somnului. Si tu probabil ai o “neregula”, un semnal care urla “NU ESTI NORMAL! NU ESTI LA FEL CA CEILALTI! Pentru numele lui Dumnezeu, ati avut parinti diferiti!!” . Si stau apoi minute sau ore in pat pana adorm; deobicei tot cu o melodie in gand, deobicei ceva ce am auzit in ziua respectiva si nu-mi pot scoate din minte, oricat  de nasoala ar fi melodia dupa standardele mele.

…camera de hotel…. pat…lumina puternica… soare…. balcon…. briza diminetii….iar soarele ala tampit… ceata…. CEATA?! Casc ochii mai bine, ma frec pertinent la globii oculari si-mi dau seama ca iar e ceata de-o tai cu cutitul si ca “paradisul” maritim inca nu s-a mutat in fundul asta de tara; nu se vede blocul de peste strada. Ma uit la ticaitor: 5:40. Ieeee… iar o zi interesanta (cu 3-4 ore de somn din 8 minimum recomandate, orice e interesant) pornesc laptopul si muzica. Hm…ce sa aleg? E o dimineata imputita… deci muzica trebuie sa fie… optimista! orice dimineata trebuie inceputa optimist, cu un dus de ala comunist, cu apa la -0 grade, cu paine uscata, ceai in care ai scapat prea multa miere, eventual ai inlocuit mierea “din greseala” cu dulceata sau unt (cum fac eu cand zbarnai prea puternic de energie…), un gand de ala fericit care te duce la cele 2 lucrari si tema la franceza nefacuta care te asteapta azi la scoala eventual alta sinapsa care-ti aduce o imagine fericita a unei “ea”; aici renunt la ironie si spun ca asta iti mai aduce un ranjet idiot pe fata . Te gandesti la “ea” sau “el”( “el” daca din diferite motive iti lipseste testosteronul) si incepi sa pui inca o doza de unt in ceai si miere pe fata de masa, incepi sa razi pana vine maica-ta si-ti insenineaza iar ziua cu un dragastos “la ce ora te-ai culcat, ai capiat?! daca nu dormi..blabla”. Te scoli frumusel de la masa si antrenezi boxele intr-o vibratie optimista a lui Bobby McFerrin si incepi sa-ti trantesti competent manualele si ce-a mai ramas din caiete in ghiozdan. Se termina melodia, iti pui stiloul in compartimentul ghiozdanului, te murdaresti de cerneala, iti imbraci hainele, te uiti la paleta larga de incaltaminte care iti sta la dispozitie si optezi din nou pentru tenesii jegosi care cad in fiecare zi la datorie cu inca o cusatura, le ceri parintilor niste parale, daca ai bafta primesti, daca nu …. soarta ) si o tai pe usa. Iti pui muzicantul de servici sa-si faca treaba, te impiedici de aceeasi brodura ca in fiecare dimineata si incepi sa fredonezi ce se nimereste din playlist, in cazul meu, asta imi comenteaza fiecare dimineata .

Apoi te lasi in plictiseala orelor, o dai in bara la o lucrare, iei un 2 la franceza si te intorci acasa fericit ca ai scapat la mate. Ii explici lui maica-ta cum ai facut-o de fasole la biologie numai din cauza lui Marte care azi a intrat intre Luna si Pamant si a lui Jupiter care s-a uitat cas la Pluto care facea sarmale la 2 dimineata, cu slitul deschis. Ajungi in pat te trantesti, o ignori pe saraca si omniprezenta mama care iar isi respecta cu strictete programul, astfel ca la orele 2:20 ale dupa-amiezii te informeaza ca va certati iar daca nu-ti depui geaca in cuier… apoi urmeaza alte maruntisuri, apoi alte ganduri, alte conversatii interminabile cu o anumita X, alte discutii monosilabice cu Y, alti pumni in cap ca nu ai adus vorba de un subiect anume, ca sa mai prelungesti discutia inutila si sa-i auzi vocea, iar regrete ca nu ai avut curaj s-o inviti afara dupa ore, iar invatat, iar somn prost, iar, iar,iar si iar pana vine sfarsitul de saptamana, 2(acum 4 ) zile de leneveala, de relaxare, iesit cu Y afara, de castigat pariuri pentru X, ce mai, weekend, din care nu va lipsi muzica . Pana atunci va las cu dumnealor:

27 de noviembre de 2009. Beethoven Blues Bar. 23:45h.  The Fritos en Beethoven Blues Bar. Carolina Coronado 27. Madrid.

Eram mic. In clasa a 5-a.  La ora 6 urma sa am primul meu concert. Primul concert… Cantam un menuet. Sol major. De la ora 4 pana la 5 jumate il cantam intr-una. Mi-era frica.  La 5 jumate a venit profesoara mea, mi-a luat flautul din mana si mi-a zis sa ma duc sa ma aerisesc pentru ca n-o sa am probleme.  Tremuram tot. Am intrat in sala. Doua trei sute de oameni. Vorbeau intre ei. Era si mama. Era si profesorul de teorie. Profesoara de pian. Diriginta. Multa lume.. stateau si pe scaune, si pe scari.. era plin. Eu stateam pe scaun, cuminte, nu spuneam nimic, asteptam.

A cantat primul copil, al doilea, al treilea, toti aplaudau. Erau bucurosi sa-si vada copiii cantand pe scena.  Dupa vreo 5-6 piese am auzit, asa , ca un zgomot de fundal “In continuare il vom asculta pe Ionut Andrisan intepretand Menuet de Beethoven”. M-am urcat pe scena. Am incercat sa ma uit in sala, insa reflectoarele imi bateau exact in ochi.  Am inceput sa cant. Nici nu mai stiu daca aveam ochii inchisi sau deschisi.  Era o piesa grea pentru mine.  Incet, incet, am uitat de scena,  uitasem de oameni, pur si simplu traiam piesa. Imi imaginam o sala mare si pustie, o scena prafuita si goala. Cantam acolo.  Am cantat ireprosabil. La urma, oamenii din sala s-au ridicat in picioare si au inceput sa aplaude. Au aplaudat mult.  M-am inclinat spre ei, am multumit si m-am dus inapoi la locul meu. Eram fericit. Imi iesise tot. Sau nu. Nu stiu. Nu ma interesa. Oamenii m-au apreciat. Eu m-am apreciat.  Inocenta mea de atunci, munca imensa pe care am depus-o, emotiile alea, sala aia, aplauzele alea, muzica aia, n-am sa le uit niciodata.

 Ala eram eu..

A rash of the Muppets performing their rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody has infested the internets today, appealing to people nostalgic for The Muppet Show and Queen. I’m glad to report that this is not just a passing fad, the Bohemian Rhapsody video being but a string in the strong presence that the Muppets are carving for themselves in the digital realm. We’ll report more on this development after the jump, but first, the aforementioned cover:

Jim Henson created more than a trademark, developing puppetry into a national hallmark from the dregs that it had found itself, creating family-friendly television that appealed both to children and their handlers. Thankfully, despite his untimely passing, the bar he raised remains high and apparently in good hands, with this coming computer-addicted generation-to-be still capable of getting their hands on good, educational programming.

The Muppets have always married entertainment to education, and continue in this excellence by creating digital shorts that showcase classical works to a new audience in a timely, humorous fashion. Take for instance Beaker’s rendition of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement, commonly known as
Ode to Joy :

That video was in fact a response to this video:

which demonstrates that the marketing department for the Henson Company are on their A-game. They’re keeping on top of trends and topics and are adapting their campaign to match not just what people are watching, but what they’re doing too.

Following that same theme, they came out with this video, introducing to many net surfers I am certain, Johann Strauss’ An der schönen blauen, known to the English-speaking world as Blue Danube, via Gonzo and his “Pitch Perfect Poultry”:

Furthermore, the Henson Company is foraying into public consciousness and seemingly attempting to fix other companies’ screw-ups with human culture. Remember MTV’s Carmen: A Hip Hopera? (The audio synch on this video is screwy, but this is probably the best part of the whole debacle, and that’s only because of Mos Def.)

Well, The Swedish Chef, Beaker, and Animal take a shot at making you forget it all about it (sorry to have brought it up again) by taking on Georges Bizet’s most famous aria, Habanera from the opera Carmen:

Now, in closing, I would like to point out the Muppet’s social commentary, which there is a strong history of as well. This is made even more prevalent at the tail-end of those videos, where Waldorf & Statler (the grumpy old men in the box) comment on the videos they have just “watched” via the internet. If you haven’t watched these videos through to the end, go back and finish the Muppet ones, I’ll wait.

Waldorf and Statler continue with their acerbic remarks, but now through the safety of their office chairs, as here:

So not only is the Henson Company utilizing the magnificent tool that is the internet, but they’re also mocking it, gratuitously and defiantly? These guys are the epitome of digital productivity, deserving kudos, accolades, and commendations all around. Not only do they see the future, they’re actively working to make it a brighter place.

Avvertenza: se è la prima volta che vi imbattete sulla legge dell’attrazione universale e volete conoscerne il segreto, dovete leggere prima l’introduzione e proseguire in ordine con i vari capitoli, altrimenti sarà dura poter capire bene come stare meglio! Introduzione.

Pensate ad un’auto che viaggia nella notte, la luce dei fanali illumina la strada solo per cento metri, eppure potete percorreremigliaia di chilometri guidando nella notte perchè vi basta vedere i cento metri davanti a voi. E’ così che la vita si snoda, e se crediamo che dopo questi cento metri di strada i fanali dell’auto illumineranno i prossimi cento, la vita continuerà ad illuminarsi fino alla vostra destinazione, otterrete qualunque cosa vorrete solo perchè la volete!

“Salite il primo gradino con fiducia.
Non occorre vedere tutta la scala,
salite il primo gradino.”
M.L.King

Un’altra cosa che la gente si chiede è quanto tempo ci vorrà, quanto tempo occorrerà perchè si manifestino quell’auto, quella relazione, i soldi o qualunque cosa sia. Non esiste nessun libro d’istruzioni che dice se ci vorranno 30 minuti o 3 giorno oppure 30 giorni, dipende soprattutto da quanto voi siete sintonizzati con l’universo. Le dimensioni delle cose non contano per l’universo, sul piano scientifico non è più difficile attrarre qualcosa che per noi non è più enorme piuttosto che attrarre qualcosa che hai nostri occhi appare infinitamente piccola. L’universo fa tutto quello che fa con uno sforzopari a zero. L’erba non fatica per crescere, lo fa senza sforzo, è il grnde disegno. Dipende da tutto quello che succede nella nostra mente, da come vediamo le cose, se pensiamo che il tempo è proporzionale alle dimensioni del desiderio ci sbagliamo. Per l’universo non esistono regole, inviategli la sensazione di avere quello che volete e lo avrete!

Molti hanno più facilità con le cose piccole perciò è meglio cominciare con qualcosa di piccolo, un caffè per esempio, datevi l’intento di attrarre un caffè ogg. Provate ad immaginarvi di parlare con un amico che non vedete da molto tempo. Per un motivo o per l’altro qualcuno vi parlerà di quella persona. Quella persona vi chiamerà o avrete un suo messaggio.

“Molti si meravigliano di come riesco a trovare parcheggio, è sempre stato così dal giorno in cui ho capito il segreto. Mi basta visualizzare un parcheggio libero nel punto in cui io lo vorrei è il 95% delle volte lo trovo li pronto per me. Il 5% delle volte aspetto un minuto o due prima che qualcuno mi liberi un posto. Funziona sempre.” David Schirmer.

Here are the cool cards Mario sent when I finally got off my lazy butt and sent him a SASE:

First the 2009 Upper Deck Football Heroes...

I’m trying to spread the love by sending and trading most of the cards received from Mario to those who will appreciate them more than I could ever hope to.  Paul Hornung is offered to Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius, and Tony Dorsett is now officially offered to BigD of Hey That’s Mine.  I’m giving both Big Bens to a Steelers fan I know (other one coming up).  The Maynard/Biletnikoff is the only for sure keeper from this scan, although the Alan Page is tempting, to get a TTM auto maybe.  How epic would that look?

As it is, Alan Page, Plax, Calvin Johnson, Romo/Aikman, and the volleyball dude are available.

Beethoven, Florence Nightingale, and a couple Chicago legends...

Bobby Hull and Mike Ditka are the reason I got these cards in the first place, so they ain’t going anywhere.  I dunno about the historical peoples though.

Kristi Yamaguchi and some rock-headed Presidents...

I used to have a crush on Kristi in my teenage years.  Heh… :d

Do the Presidents look a lil’ toony to anyone else, or is it just me?

Yeah Woodstock! Woo!

Are there any bloggers out there who were at the original?

Malkin/Big Ben

This is also going to my Steeler fan friend.

Now we get to the higher end, a rare taste for me.  But a yummy taste it is.

Prime Jersey or Patch (whichever you prefer) #ed /50

This one I offered up for BigD’s Hines Ward collecting son.  I got a little something for the whole gang, if they want ‘em, that is.

And if they can wait till 2010 to pull off the trade.  I’m a slow trader (slow at doing nearly everything, really) to start with, but I think I’ve got trades going with half the card bloggers right now.  At least it seems that way, not to mention McCann’s great card blogger Secret Santa thing.  I’m very excited about dat though, and hopefully the person I drew will be too.

Prime Time Prime (Jumbo) Jersey #ed 3/5!

I’m not trading away this one, I really like this one.  It’s purrty.  I may have to sell it at some point sadly though.   I’m poor like dirt.  I have iffy mental health as an excuse, but I’ve got to try and make good, the sooner the better, and that’ll take some moneys to start with.

Incidentally, if you’d like to commission a sketch card, gimme a shout.  You can see a few recent examples on my blog.  I’m okay I guess, especially with portraityness.

Enough shameless and very awkwardly done self-promotion.  Last card!

More prime jersey patches, going way back with Frank Gifford #ed /25

That was a heckuva box Mario busted, all three game-used being of the prime jersey variety, if not the sickest of patches.  I like Absolute Memorabilia, one day I will be able to afford a box of it without breaking the bank, or even poking it softly.  I have no intention of being a poor bum my whole life.

That’s all for what I got from big man of the blogosphere.  Maybe I’ll win some stuff from him again (and sign up for Card Corner Club @VOTC) if I can figure out what the heck happened with my Ning password. :/

Oh yeah, congrats to Real Salt Lake on taking down the evil empire of David Beckham and Landon Donovan.  I hope it doesn’t effect the value of my Beckham jersey card though (scans to come when I get it scanned).

And big ups for Matthew Stafford showing some Leftwich-ian toughness in getting the win against the Browns in a surprising shootout.

Until our next…(Besos)

While some writers need absolute silence to write, I need music to get the creative juices following. Here’s my top 10 albums for writing:

10. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D

I love this piece of music. It is the musical equivalent of the Roman virtue of gravitas – dignified and solemn. How I wish I could achieve the same goosebumpyness in my writing! Bonus fact: “Beethoven didn’t finish the music until the last minute.” (gee, I wonder what that feels like…)

9. Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony

Schubert’s music is great for writing: triumphant in some moments, spooky in others. Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony even sounds like a film soundtrack. And the fact that it is an unfinished masterpiece is comforting for people like me whose hard drive is cluttered with false starts.

8. Bach’s Goldberg Variations

Wistful and lovely. Very soothing. The BBC describes the variations as taking one from the “sublime to delightfully silly.” I am a fan of the piano version, which you may recognize as the music that Hannibal Lecter air conducts in Silence of the Lambs.

7. Phillip Glass: Notes on a Scandal (Soundtrack)

I love Philip Glass’s soundtracks, and this is one of the best. Lots of intense oboes and clarinets that reflect the psychological complexity of the film. It helps me get into the heads of characters and reminds me how good intentions can go awry.

6. Vivaldi’s Violin Concertos

These short pieces for violin are a wonderful alternative for those suffering Four-Seasons-fatigue. Like a good sentence, the orchestration is crisp and precise. I often feel inspired to take different directions while listening to the taunting violins.

5. Beethoven’s Symphony No 5
This is the dur-dur-dur-dur one. Someone once said, and it might have been Niki Gemmell, that you should write as if you were dying. The dur-dur-dur-dur is Fate, knocking on Beethoven’s door, waking him from sleep. Motivating stuff if one has a deadline.

4. Mozart’s Requiem

From the pounding Rex Tremendae to sweeping sadness of Lacrymosa, Mozart’s Requiem takes me outside of myself for a while, which is ideal for the creative process.

3. James Horner: Titanic Soundtrack.

Go on. Have your snicker. Titanic is very goofy and a little familiar but I find it invaluable for creating suspense and drama. In the early stages of a manuscript, it is a time for fun and being uncritical, although you have my permission to skip the Celine Dion track.

2. Phillip Glass: The Hours Soundtrack

Like Notes on a Scandal, the sharp, repetitive themes of The Hours help me enter the interior life of the characters, even characters I thought as being minor or unlikeable. Both movies were based on books, which might explain the complex moods of the music.

And the best music for writing ever is….

1. James Horner: A Beautiful Mind Soundtrack

Whoa. I love this soundtrack – and I’ve never even seen the film! Never heard anything quite as haunting, and it always gets me in the mood for writing marathons. Don’t think there is much more I can say about how much I love it!

Warning:

NEVER listen to music while re-reading and editing. In movies, even theworst dialogue feels poignant if accompanied by beautiful music. To spot bloopers, cliches, and typos, the text must be read in unforgiving silence. (I learned this the hard way when a mediocre short story felt more wonderful than it really was.)

What do you write to? Nothing? What’s your favorite? What have I missed?

Ludwig Van Beethoven, one of the most influential composers of all time, started to lose his hearing in his late-twenties and as a result, although he continued to compose, distanced himself from friends and family. At the age of 32, following bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts, he wrote the following letter – now known as the Heiligenstadt Testament – to be opened by his brothers after his death, in which he explains his anti-social behaviour and affliction. Curiously, he chose not to write his brother Johann’s name anywhere in the letter, instead leaving blank spaces.

Beethoven died 25 years later.

Translated Transcript

For my brothers Carl and [Johann] Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven
Heiligenstadt,
October 6th, 1802

Being a music lover without listening to late Beethoven or Mahler is like being a mountaineer and staying only amoung the hills.

I can’t imagine life without knowing late Beethoven or Mahler or many others. We are not all deep thinkers but at some point we face mortality, right? We question our purpose? We reach new levels of understanding regarding love and so forth. All of this is explored in Mahler and in Beethoven. In fact, it is taken to the highest degrees of soul searching, the lowest depths of despair and the most moving moments of transfiguration. It is music too. Music is such a powerful and loved art form in the world. I wish more people took this journey, the one I have taken. It adds so much to a life, I feel. Things to do before you die. Forget running all over the world trying to see tourist attractions, take the journey from your armchair.

All about good music, bad music and why we don’t get those nice melodies any more…….

And now to continue my story……..

What do Abba and Mr Beethoven have in common?

Beethoven concerts will always “put bums on seats”.
Conversely contemporary classical music invariably keeps bums off them. Surely that tells us something?
There is probably an element of reputation in Beethoven’s popularity but then how did he get that reputation? Other composers of his time composed huge numbers of works but are not as popular. For example Haydn (also a superb composer) composed 104 symphonies; Beethoven composed 9. Guess who is more popular? I put it down to Beethoven’s strong melodic lines; music that makes you want to dance and sing; music that you can whistle in the shower.
Beethoven is of course not the only popular composer from that period. Mozart has also provided us with innumerable beautiful melodic lines and has huge and continuing popular support. And this is over 200 years after he died! (It is worth noting too that all these early composers wrote some forgettable music; it is seldom played.)
I return to one of my opening questions: why have there been no composers approaching their stature in the last 100 years? Surely they didn’t use up all the nice melodies?

Fast forward to rock ‘n roll

Skip forward 150 years from Beethoven’s heyday to the start of popular music as we know it today. Arguably it started with Bill Haley, then Elvis. The Coasters. The Platters. The Beatles. The Rolling Stones….the list is interminable and everyone has their favourites.
These early rock bands/groups had that extra special “something”, principally strong rhythms and melodic lines that still keeps them popular 50 years after they recorded. How many Elvis impersonators in your town? Want to get everyone dancing at a party? Put on The Beatles. Or Abba, arguably one of the most melodic groups of all time and still hugely popular. But not just The Beatles and Abba. Many other bands and groups from the mid-50’s to the late 70’s will just as quickly get everyone up and dancing at any party. What is the common denominator? Strong melodic lines – just like Beethoven! (There is a notable postscript to this. One of the most popular musicals of recent times is Mama Mia which is all Abba. Strong melodic lines win again.)
Popular music seems to be going the same way as classical, in that the melodic lines that used to stick in our minds do not seem to be happening anymore. Perhaps this is why the music of 30, 40, 50 years ago is still so popular. But at this point I will exit the discussion about popular music because that is a whole new subject. Maybe someone out there would like to kick it off? (Don’t forget to include jazz and musicals which have strong parallels.)

Musical “fashion”

Some would have us believe that certain styles of music are no longer “fashionable”. Unfortunately fashion has always played a major role in contemporary composition, even in Beethoven’s time, but I suggest that fashions are not dictated by the public. Conversely popular public taste is often referred to derisively as “populist”, not fashionable.
Historically critics and other music professionals have been at the forefront of fashion with documented examples of rejection at best and scathing criticism at worst, of “unfashionable” music. Unfortunately there seems to be fewer recorded examples of the public reaction to those pieces, but subsequent history has clearly shown wide public support for those works.
There are of course exemptions, and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring ballet score is the most notable of those. Briefly, the first performance in 1913 in Paris resulted in public riots in protest at the music.
We are told that it can take time for new musical styles to become popular and that even Beethoven stretched the boundaries of what was publicly acceptable – but when that guy died 20,000 mourners lined the streets for his funeral. Today that would be equivalent to half a million on the streets of New York. It didn’t take long for Beethoven to get the public on his side!
Whoever or whatever is dictating the current “fashion” in contemporary classical composition, the public are just not buying into it. The public do not want atonal. They don’t want experimentation for the sake of it. Music is not an intellectual exercise. The poor old public much prefer the simple melodies and harmonies which are largely ignored by contemporary composers. This is why the public stick with all the old favourites; they provide something the public can just be able to “sit back and enjoy”.
Faced with 150-year-old music and traditions, or bewildering cacophonous contemporary music, it is no wonder that classical music is regarded as “elite” by so many.
How has this come about? Could it be that the professionals enjoy atonal, experimental music because their musical tastes are more highly developed than those of the public and hence their preference for intellectual music? Thus composition graduates will conform to those preferences, and the cycle continues.
We do not need fashion in classical music and in fact fashion could be said to be the western equivalent of Shostakovich’s Soviet repression. We – the consumer, the customer, the audience – pay the piper. We should also call the tune!

Have I been a bit harsh?

To those who feel compelled to strongly protest I repeat my personal concerns:
1. Most regular attendees of classical concerts view new compositions with apprehension.
2. In general only classical music more than 100 years old is universally popular with paying audiences.
3. There has not been a single classical composer with the universal stature of the 18th and 19th century greats, in the last 100 years.
4. Most new classical music has few or no memorable melody lines.
If you still think I’m off beam maybe you would like to point out where I’m wrong!

Some thoughts to ponder

Somewhere, somehow, the world of contemporary composition has headed down a very narrow path and has lost sight of its supporters, the public at large. However I would like to end on a positive note.
1. Ignore experts. One of the few real freedoms we have left is to choose whether to like or dislike. If you like a piece of music, don’t be talked out of it – even by me. Enjoy it, support it and feel the freedom! I have had many people say to me that they “know little about music but rather enjoyed a piece of music.” My invariable response is that they don’t need to know anything about music. It is enough that they enjoyed it.
2. Be adventurous. Try a new musical genre. Try a new composer. Try a new band. The worst that can happen is that you have wasted the price of a ticket. The best that can happen is that a whole new world opens up to you, as it has for me in the last 15 years.
3. Don’t create fashions! Producing hordes of latter-day Beethoven or McCartney clones would again make us slaves to music fashion. Total freedom in music must be encouraged. If you want to compose saccharine ballads, go for it! If you want to compose a concerto for tuba and side drum, go for it! Our budding composers should be actively encouraged to do what they want to do, but to do it well. To be able to compose Country and Western so sad even your dog will start crying. Or try to take over Mozart’s mantle if you’re brave (or silly) enough. The public will soon let you know if you get it right.
4. Contemporary music isn’t all bad. I clearly recall the first visit to New Zealand of the Eroica Trio, an extremely talented piano trio from USA. As part of their concert they performed a new piece by a local college girl and it was very enjoyable. Lovely harmonies, a beautifully structured piece that was pleasant to listen to. Our applause for that piece was genuine affirmation.
I recently attended a composers’ workshop and had several days of wall-to-wall contemporary classical music. Some of it was outside my comfort zone but some of it I genuinely enjoyed.
5. WE MUST STILL SUPPORT NEW COMPOSERS AND EXPERIMENTATION. I do not advocate banning experimental music. I just want to encourage more classical composers (and writers of popular music) to provide for those of us with traditional, simple, tastes in music.
The ones that get it right will get a rewarding career. The ones that get it wrong may need to revise their ambitions, and I include myself in that category.
6. Most importantly. History has shown us that the public are the best judges of music that will endure. Composers who want to bring enjoyment to a wide audience should let only the public and history be the judge of their success.
As a budding composer, have I put my money where my mouth is? Judge for yourself with clips of my first composition. They may not be Mozart (I wish!) but the melodic lines are strong.
I hope I haven’t lost you with my ramblings. However I started by asking if all the nice tunes been used up. My response is: NO! There are innumerable melodies still to be written. They must be written. There is a huge audience just waiting for those nice, simple melodies that they can sing to themselves, and they can relate to. Composers and songwriters: rediscover your roots!

beethoven memorial, photograph

“You can either buy clothes or buy pictures.”

- Gertrude Stein

All artists love art collectors – it’s just so darn hard to find them!

I’ve been reading an interesting book by Brooks Jensen (editor of Lenswork Quarterly) called Single Exposures: Random Observations on Photography, Art & Creativity in which he presents some interesting views about pricing your artwork and getting it out in the market. He suggests offering your art in some form that the average person can actually collect, ie afford. Everyone is a collector of something (books, CDs, paint supplies, etc.) but most of these items are far less expensive than the $500, $1000 or more pieces of art most of us put out there in the hopes of landing the big kahuna collector. Maybe we’re thinking of collectors in the wrong way.

This is an interesting concept that I’m going to explore more in my own work. I’ve always avoided making cards out of my work, for example, because it seemed to trivialize the artistic integrity of the pieces and it also seemed that without a major distribution channel I’d never sell enough to make any money anyway. It’s hard to think of a card as a work of art.

But is there an alternative that is clearly still a real piece of art but is affordable enough that the average person might be interested? Something that people might actually become repeat buyers, real collectors? Do you do anything in your art practice to make your work financially accessible to the average person, or is this not even a priority for you?

Do artists have any social responsibility to make their work affordable? Is it actually in our own self interest to do so? Are we preserving some insane and artificial valuation scheme that has been forced upon us by galleries, museums, etc.?

Disclaimer: I don’t know anything at all about music. I don’t even know what I like.

Last night we went to an Australian Chamber Orchestra Beethoven 4 concert at Angel Place. I went mostly for the company, I confess, but I ended up enjoying myself hugely. The first piece was Testament by Brett Dean, a Brisbane born composer: I’d had transport troubles so slipped into my seat without a chance to read the program, so the first whisper on the snare drum (I think) caught me off guard, and I stayed of guard for the whole exhilarating tinnitus-dominated piece. I didn’t have the tinnitus thought until I read the program notes, where we’re told this was the intention, but I certainly got the effect, so that when sweet melodies emerged from the ‘glassy noise that seems to be losing its grip on sound’ is fabulously moving. After interval, we had Beethoven’s  fourth symphony, which was wonderful.

But it was the second part of the pre-interval program that thrilled me – Beethoven’s fourth piano concerto, with Croatian Dejan Lazic on the piano. He was a complete revelation: flamboyant as you’ve never seen unless in a Warner Brothers caricature of a concert pianist, he had vampirish pallor and sleeked back hair, at times hunched Igor-like over the keyboard, or mouthing the notes like a genius baboon. He looked as if he was making it up as he went along, playing back-and-forth with the orchestra, leaping from intricate exhibitionism to sweet contemplation in a moment, raising his left hand in limp-wristed command to the orchestra, turning to the leader (Richard Tognetti – not exactly a bland presence himself) as if to ask permission to stop for a moment. He inhabited the music. Or maybe he inhabited the ghost of Beethoven. At one stage in the first movement, I laughed out loud, which I only realised because the woman in front of me turned around and – thank God! – smiled with broad fellow feeling. At the end, when he thanked us for the applause, I was almost surprised that he was capable of human speech.

I found this on YouTube, where he’s playing some Beethoven with cellist Pieter Wispelwey. You get at least some idea of his style.

ABC, 20 de Noviembre de 2009

La Audiencia avaló la edad del pirata Willy con la radiografía de otro.

De la Audiencia, el Willy y el Alakrana estoy hasta la Punta de la Estaca de Bares.

Van Rompuy, un gris conservador belga, elegido primer presidente de la UE.

No, si allí todo es gris, pero joder cómo gastan y cómo viajan. Cuando preguntas para qué demonios sirve todo este eurotinglado te contestan con la Novena de Ludwig Van y soltando palomitas.

Los Príncipes en Rabat

Hale, a saludar a otro tirano. No desuncimos ¿eh? España, el país abrazatiranos.

Los corsarios persiguen a otro pesquero a las 48 horas de liberar al Alakrana.

A por ellos, que estos gilipollas de españoles pagan…

(pie de foto) Silvia Albés, esposa de uno de los marineros

Que no está que nada mal…

‘Tenemos elementos suficientes para decir que Kalashov es un vor’

¿Jarrrrl?

Un consejero catalán votará por la independencia en la consulta del 13-D

Esta noticia es como las de que fulanito o fulanita va a salir caricaturizado en Los Simpson: Sencillamente me-la-su-da.

(Publicidad de Renfe) Viajamos contigo.

Sí, pero con la misma frecuencia de trenes que hace doce años en Majadahonda, sólo que antes sabíamos a qué hora pasaban y ahora es un lotería. Pedazo de sinvergüenzas, menos publicidad y más mejorar vuestro pésimo servicio.

Camps quiere que el Santander compre las oficinas sobrantes de una fusión CAM-Bancaja.

POLÍTICOS FUERA DE LAS CAJAS ¡¡¡YA!!!

La madre de Sandra Palo pide protección policial por miedo.

Porque el hijoputa que mató a su hija ya anda suelto, gracias a la mierda de justicia que hay en España.

243 años de cárcel por 17 violaciones.

O sea, que dentro de dos o tres añitos más o menos ya se puede pasear por la calle.

Algunas mujeres embarazadas de tres embriones optan por eliminar uno o dos por la dificultad de criar varios hijos a la vez.

‘Verás, hijo, érais tres, pero me cargué a tus dos hermanos. Tú estás aquí de chiripa’. Qué bonito es ser papá.

La revista ‘Zero’, en concurso de acreedores por la crisis.

Si es que la cosa no daba pa más.

(el Ministerio de) Cultura no admite preguntas.

En la más pura línea talante-zapateril.

El planeta fútbol, con Irlanda

Apúntenme también, por favor.

El Rastrillo abre hoy sus puertas.

(bostezo)

Dudley Moore făcând un mișto crunt de Beethoven. Și oricine a cântat o sonată pentru pian de Beethoven o să zică „da da da da da da” și o să moară de râs. The rest of you… I dunno… Do you get it? 

O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!

Sondern laßt uns angenehmere

anstimmen und freudenvollere.

Freude!

Freude, schöner Götterfunken

Tochter aus Elysium,

Wir betreten feuertrunken,

Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!

Deine Zauber binden wieder

Was der Mode Schwert geteilt;

Bettler werden Fürstenbrüder,

Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.

Wem der große Wurf gelungen,

Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;

Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,

Mische seinen Jubel ein!

Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele

Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!

Und wer’s nie gekonnt, der stehle

Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!

Freude trinken alle Wesen

An den Brüsten der Natur;

Alle Guten, alle Bösen

Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.

Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,

Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;

Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,

und der Cherub steht vor Gott.

Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen

Durch des Himmels prächt’gen Plan,

Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,

Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.

Seid umschlungen, Millionen!

Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!

Brüder, über’m Sternenzelt

Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.

Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?

Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?

Such’ ihn über’m Sternenzelt!

Über Sternen muß er wohnen.

Freude, schöner Götterfunken

Tochter aus Elysium

Seid umschlungen, Millionen!

Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!

§

INNO ALLA GIOIA

Amici, non questi toni!

un canto più grato leviamo al cielo

di gioia!

Gioia!

Bella scintilla degli dèi

Figlia dell’Eliso,

Noi veniamo, ardenti in viso

nel tuo tempio glorioso.

Il tuo fascino affraterna

ciò che la spada della moda separò;

i mendicanti saranno fratelli dei prìncipi

Là dove le tue dolci ali riposano.

Che colui che ha la fortuna

d’essere l’amico d’un amico;

che colui che ha conquistato una dolce donzella,

divida la sua allegria!

Sì, e anche colui che non ha che un’anima

Sulla terra!

E che colui che non ha mai conosciuto tutto ciò s’allontani

piangendo dalla nostra cerchia!

Tutti gli esseri bevano la gioia

in seno alla natura,

Tutti i buoni, tutti i malvagi,

Seguano le sue tracce di rosa.

Essa ci dà abbracci e vigna,

L’amico, fedele nella morte,

La voluttà è donata al verme,

E il cherubino è davanti a Dio.

Felici, tali soli volano

Sul piano vermiglio dei cieli,

Correte, fratelli, sulla vostra via,

Felici, come un eroe verso la vittoria.

Che si avvingano tutti gli esseri!

Un bacio al mondo intero!

Fratelli, nel più alto dei cieli

un Padre amoroso deve abitare.

Tutti gli esseri si prostrano?

Senti il creatore, Mondo?

Cercalo al di là dei cieli stellati!

Al di sopra delle stelle deve abitare.

Gioia! Bella scintilla degli dèi

Figlia dell’Eliso,

Siate uniti, esseri, a milioni!

Che un solo abbraccio allaccia l’universo!

FRIEDRICH VON SCHILLER

Symphony Orchestra

One thing that is important to the future of Western Art Music is getting the younger generation connected to the music.  Many orchestras and other organizations accomplish this with the typical instrument petting zoos and “kiddie concerts.”  An article from the Guardian in the UK discussed what are the most popular ‘classical’ works for children and you will notice that the pieces listed are 1. typical for ALL kiddie concerts 2. programmatic and 3. generally related to Disney.  RBD and I (mda) decided we would discuss this list and see if it really is good for an introduction to Western Art Music for children.  So let’s start this:

mda: Hello Rich, how are you this fine evening?

RBD: I’m doing rather well thank you very much. Looking forward to this blog.

mda: So you read the list.  Let me first start with an overall question of “what do you think of the list?”

RBD: Well, I couldn’t help but notice two things: 1. Every piece is connected to a character or story, and as you mentioned, generally via Disney. 2. I’m assuming that anything with an orchestra is considered ‘classical’ to today’s youth. I’m also curious    just how this survey was done. Did the kids get a list from which to choose? Overall, though, anytime a youngster is exposed to classical music, via cartoons, movies, commercials, that’s fine with me….er, well, as long as the kids understand to what they are listening!

An Instrument Petting Zoo!

mda: Yeah, unfortunately the article does not discuss how the list was created.  The programmatic aspect is something that strikes me quite a bit.  Obviously, it is easier to introduce a young child to a piece of music if there is a story to tell/describe/promote.  I am fine with that.  Much like you, any way to introduce a child to the wonderment of classical music is fine by me.  However, by doing this are we ultimately shrinking the amount of music to introduce to the children?  First thought…will this make children expect a story behind each piece?  What about Renaissance music (which I know you are not a fan), or Mozart, or Beethoven?

RBD: Good points. Let’s think about these pieces as ‘gateway’ pieces. As mentioned, these pieces have a story to tell, they depict something via music. Now, in classical ‘kiddie concerts’ why not do the same things with different pieces? Play something ’sad’. Play something ‘happy’. Show the audience, the children, that music can do a lot more than tell a story! After demonstrating how music can portray different emotions, then the orchestra can ask the kids to make up a story/emotion about another piece that they play. …(and now the ‘idea wheel’ gets moving, but the ‘knowing how to implement it’ wheel is a tad rusty) Maybe even send to the classrooms a week or two ahead of time, a piece of music, or send the kids back to school with a different piece of music, and have THEM make up a story! What does that piece of music say to them? Turn it into a contest/game/fun!! All in the name of getting the youth involved!

mda: Good idea.  Do you think orchestras are doing this?  Obviously you have a little more knowledge with this than I as there isn’t much need for a classical saxophonist in an orchestra.  However, I still feel like it puts too much emphasis on the story in the live performance.  The kids are getting introduced to a non-programmatic work BUT they are listening to it as a recording

Sergei Prokofiev

and not a live performance.  Am I being too picky with this? Also…hang with me here my brain just left……would it be better to introduce the children to music before they witness a live performance?  i.e. they study Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet first to understand the music and then use the live performance to strengthen their thoughts and then throw in non-programmatic works to expand their brains?  Answer that and then let’s move on to another question.  If you had the ability to introduce young children to a piece of music…any piece…what would it be?

RBD: Introduce the music to the kids BEFORE they get to the concert? Well, I think that makes the most sense ON THE PLANET! For all of the ‘kiddie concerts’ I’ve done and all the ’school gigs’ I’ve played, I keep thinking: ‘These kids are REALLY getting into this! They LOVE us!’ Then I think, ‘What if these kids had been exposed to some of this material a week or two ahead of time?’ Can you imagine playing a piece the kids have studied/heard before? They would LOVE it! Why do you think they love ‘pop’ music so much? Well, one reason is because they hear it all the time!!! Anytime you get kids listening to classical music and thinking about classical music, getting them invloved…something good has happened! Now to answer your question…What piece of music would I use to introduce classical music to kids? That’s a good question. I’m going to have to think about that for a few minutes…

(insert 5 minutes here)

…well, there are so many wonderful pieces out there. On one hand you want to present them with something beautiful, and I know we are trying to be idealistic here, but I’m going to try to be practical. Having a piece with a HUGE orchestra and choir are not cost effective. Having a smaller orchestra doesn’t expose the students to all the instruments. So, I’m going to go with…part of or the entire 1st movement of Shostakovitch 5th symphony! Hell to the Y-E-S!! What a great historical place Shostakovitch has in classical history, not to mention Russian history. There are hints of atonality in there, a march and the repression! The pain of creating music under those confines….WOW! So engaging, especially if they get to discuss it before they come to the concert hall. Now, ideally…? Mahler, anything, I’d say Mahler 2, or the fugue at the end of Beethoven 9th. How many lives can be changed with music that powerful? Hmmm….
So, what would you choose?

Ludwig von Beethoven

mda: Well I was going to say Bach B Minor Mass or Beethoven 9…how perfect is Beethoven 9.  You have a great story of the composer, the use of the choir, the ultimate story of Bernstein using it for the fall of the Berlin Wall.  But you bring up an interesting concept with being cost effective these days.  You know….maybe I would chose a Haydn symphony because they generally have a story of some sort hook to them.  How about the Surprise Symphony or the Farewell Symphony?  Now granted, it is pretty structured in the composition, but I think it could be a great introduction.  In perfect world?  I would have to chose Mahler or Bartok!  Bartok I think would be an interesting choice.  It is quite accessible, full of folk music and fun to listen to.  Thoughts?

One of our favorites! Bela Bartok

RBD: Bartok, yeah, I didn’t think about that, of course there are so many pieces from which to choose, anything can work and for a number of reasons. This has been fun my friend!

mda: Thanks for doing this with me.  And please NEVER wear sleeping/lounge pants with dogs on it when you go out in public.  I think I would stop talking to you if that happened.

RBD: Done and Done!

So, what piece of music to YOU think would be great to introduce to our youth? What piece of music would you have liked to have heard when you were young? Were you exposed to classical music as a child? If so, what pieces?

Thanks for reading and sharing

~RBD
~mda

Classical music has its fair share characters. In fact, its hard to be a genius and not have some crazy quirks. And besides, classical music can’t be all seriousness and several composers are known for having a rather unique sense of humor. Beethoven was just such a genius and here is a few short anecdotes of Beethoven’s mischievousness.

While still in Bonn, Germany, Beethoven served as an organist at the Electoral Chapel. In a service during Holy Week, the Lamentations of Jeremiah were sung by a single voice on a psalm tone, during which, the organist was allowed to indulge his fantasy so long as he did not exceed the solemnity of the service. However, young Beethoven, began to modulate so wildly, yet keeping the psalm tone in his little finger, that the cantor was unable to find the final cadence. A complaint was entered against Beethoven to the Elector, who reprimanded him out of duty, but it’s probable the young Elector was quite amused by the incident.

One of the bass singers to perform in the premiere of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, was overly confident in his abilities, in other words, he was extremely cocky. Beethoven, to make a point, wrote a special aria for the singer in which the voice mimicked the line of the cellos and basses, but with one small problem: the voice always started on the note a half-step below the cellos and then resolved up into the cellos’ note. Now, a singer of any real worth would not have had trouble with such a trick, but this particular singer was unable to sing the line. Once the singer was humbled, Beethoven replaced the aria with a new one more fitting to the piece.

In another similar instance, Daniel Steibelt, a virtuoso pianist and also very stuck up, challenged Beethoven to a contest. I mean, if your an arrogant musician how can you possibly not challenge the leading musician of the day, right? Beethoven consented to the challenge. Steibelt played first and then Beethoven. However, when Beethoven turn came, he put Steibelt’s score on the piano and turned it upside-down. Beethoven’s improvisation on the piece was so incredible that it’s said that Steibelt became pale and left the room. Futhermore, from that day on Steibelt would only perform if Beethoven was not present.

(clicky) Quiet Storm (album download) (clicky)

Okay, this is the final part of the stories behind the tracks on my album Quiet Storm.  Parts 1, 2 and 3 can be viewed if you click on those little numbers, and I want to thank everyone once and again for supporting my album and my blog.  I really appreciate it, and I hope that these behind-the-music notes have added a little to your enjoyment of my music.  On with the show!

18. Role Model (Interlude)

This was originally an entire song which was a rap song with a sung chorus. You can hear the original full version on my High Fashion mixtape but although the lyrics were kinda cool, I wasn’t too keen on my flow in places and I thought that I would rather not have the raps as part of my album.  Nevertheless, I appreciated the idea of the chorus and feeling misrepresented in society as a young person, a gay man, a singer, my music tastes, where I come from, my heritage… all those things are categorised and yet how many of us actually fit the stereotypes for those categories?  I felt that it led into the next song well, as it is about exposing who I am as a person, and not letting anyone’s pigeon holes or preconceived notions dictate who I am.  This is me, and this is…

19. The Truth

This song is probably the most heartfelt I’ve been in any of my songs recorded to date.  It discusses my relationship with my family, life and death, my emotional state and insecurities, my childhood, my education, and music.  It is the truth of who I am – sometimes we feel sad or hard done by, and other times we remember how happy we have been and whatever happens, we just have to keep going and get on with it anyway.  This song is a bit scratchy due to the fact that I have recorded myself playing acoustic guitar on the track (yes, that is me!) and it didn’t work perfectly, though I think it did the job.  I liked the guitar and the piano and the beat – it combined together well to be a midtempo R&B joint that was musically quite stable and almost sunny, yet anchored in place by some really heavy lyrics.  I thought it would originally have been the album closer, but then you’ll see I changed my mind about that.

20. Last Chance

I wanted the last song proper on the album to be a dance song – something that really went out with a bang! I decided this because sometimes (in keeping with the nocturnal theme of the album) you’re not ready to go home at the end of a night, until the DJ has played one final song that really gets you to annihilate the dancefloor and you can just let yourself go with the music before calling it a wrap.  This song is that song – I was inspired by “Work” by Ciara (sampled on the track!), “Get Me Bodied” by Beyoncé, “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas and just any song that really makes me want to move.  Other songs sampled in this are Paulina Rubio’s “Sexi Dance” (at the very end when the track fades out) which gives the song a late-night / early morning sensuous hue, and Beethoven’s “Für Elise” – just because it worked! I was crafting this track for a really long time, and between utilising the beat at the end of “All Night Long” to give the album a sense of circularity and closure, and trying to really fire up the beats and make them incendiary, I just tried to be as crazy as possible.  The rap, the off-kilter song structure with multiple hooks and instrumental at the beginning, the extended coda – it’s really going for broke! And that was what I wanted for the last song.

21. Close

To once again fit with the theme of closure and circularity, this is the “outro” of the album, to pair with the “Open” intro – again, I wanted to use the word “Close” in two different ways, both signifying the end of the album and also bringing in the idea of just wanting someone to hold you close, and desiring that intimacy (not necessarily sexually) at the end of the night, just before the sun rises and you’re feeling contemplative.

22. Lucky To Have You (Bonus Track)

My grandfather passed away during the creation of this album, and I remember being at Oxford and hearing on the telephone from my mother and grandmother that his health was really deteriorating. I wrote this song to comfort him (though he never heard it, and neither has anyone else in my family) as he passed away – I wasn’t allowed to go home and see him because it was in the middle of my finals, and he died and the funeral was held all while I was stuck in Oxford and expressly forbidden to come home.  I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forget that – feeling so helpless far away and yet just glad his suffering was over (his illness was long and protracted).  This song is really personal and dedicated to him; it doesn’t fit with the rest of the album, but I nevertheless wanted to include it somewhere so I thought a bonus track was the best opportunity.

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That’s it!  Once again, please download my album if you haven’t already, and check out my blog! Thanks for all the support – I really appreciate it and I’ll keep the posts coming!

(clicky) Quiet Storm (album download) (clicky)

Ich bin begeistert über die Krativität mit der an die Ereignisse von vor 20 Jahren gedacht wurde.

Einzigartige Momente im Leipziger Hauptbahnhof: 20 Jahre nach dem Mauerfall singen hunderte Menschen gemeinsam Beethovens “Ode an die Freude”, und Startenor Paul Potts ist auch mit dabei!

Initiator der Aktion ist die Deutsche Telekom, die damit der aktuellen Kampagne “Grenzen gab’s gestern” ihren Höhepunkt verleiht.