Rock Me Amadeus
Feeling better. I talked to my dean from my house last night, and things are clearly not settled, but we're working on them. I could drive down two days a week, that would be okay.
I need to change the name of this blog, not the link, but the name. I like the name, but it's also associated with me at work, and as I write about work here, I sure as snot don't want someone reading my blog. I don't have any ideas at the moment? Suggestions, anyone?
Also, I'm trying to find things to do on my long drives. I was learning french last semester, and will pick it up again when I get the cd's from a friend. And I'm listening to symphonies.
I'm no classical music buff, not by a long shot. But I do have some sensitivity to that kind of music. And napster has given me access to tons of stuff. I have Mozart's 40th and 41st symphonies in my car. And they really are marvelous. I think the more I'm feeling, whether happy or sad, the more I can access his music emotionally. The 40th symphony is considered his best by many critics; it's called 'the greater g-minor' sometimes, because he only wrote one other symphony in a minor key, the 25th, also in g, which has that explosive first movement (it's played in Amadeus, when they're hauling off a bleeding Salieri in the opening scenes; that movie, actually, has little to do with mozart as history portrays him, but it remains one of my faves).
And when I listen to what Mozart does with strings...my god, it's really something; flame and ecstasy, pain and longing and beauty all in one place. Einstein said that the first and final movements of the 40th drew the soul into utter despair (and I'll look this up later and get the exact quote; I'm at work now); but others, including myself, hear no despair at all. Just effortless beauty and Mozart's tremendous classical precision. He wrote with real flair ('too many notes') but the balance feels almost mathematical to me. And the melodies, again, such sweet longing.
Sometimes when I'm feeling like gum on the underside of a busy elevator, I let his music work into me and take me; I nestle in it. Not often enough, but that's part of this blog; to hear myself when I need to speak.
I don't know where to find free recordings online (you can do a free seven day trial to napster I know) but if you get the chance: the first and fourth movements of the 40th, and the 41st for that matter, the first movement of the 25th, the lacrimosa from the requiem, the first movement of the great mass in C (really, that entire thing) ... these are places to begin. Get away some place you can relax and not be disturbed, and hear his voice come wailing across the centuries.
He's quite the cat.
Gotta drive.
t
I need to change the name of this blog, not the link, but the name. I like the name, but it's also associated with me at work, and as I write about work here, I sure as snot don't want someone reading my blog. I don't have any ideas at the moment? Suggestions, anyone?
Also, I'm trying to find things to do on my long drives. I was learning french last semester, and will pick it up again when I get the cd's from a friend. And I'm listening to symphonies.
I'm no classical music buff, not by a long shot. But I do have some sensitivity to that kind of music. And napster has given me access to tons of stuff. I have Mozart's 40th and 41st symphonies in my car. And they really are marvelous. I think the more I'm feeling, whether happy or sad, the more I can access his music emotionally. The 40th symphony is considered his best by many critics; it's called 'the greater g-minor' sometimes, because he only wrote one other symphony in a minor key, the 25th, also in g, which has that explosive first movement (it's played in Amadeus, when they're hauling off a bleeding Salieri in the opening scenes; that movie, actually, has little to do with mozart as history portrays him, but it remains one of my faves).
And when I listen to what Mozart does with strings...my god, it's really something; flame and ecstasy, pain and longing and beauty all in one place. Einstein said that the first and final movements of the 40th drew the soul into utter despair (and I'll look this up later and get the exact quote; I'm at work now); but others, including myself, hear no despair at all. Just effortless beauty and Mozart's tremendous classical precision. He wrote with real flair ('too many notes') but the balance feels almost mathematical to me. And the melodies, again, such sweet longing.
Sometimes when I'm feeling like gum on the underside of a busy elevator, I let his music work into me and take me; I nestle in it. Not often enough, but that's part of this blog; to hear myself when I need to speak.
I don't know where to find free recordings online (you can do a free seven day trial to napster I know) but if you get the chance: the first and fourth movements of the 40th, and the 41st for that matter, the first movement of the 25th, the lacrimosa from the requiem, the first movement of the great mass in C (really, that entire thing) ... these are places to begin. Get away some place you can relax and not be disturbed, and hear his voice come wailing across the centuries.
He's quite the cat.
Gotta drive.
t
Comments
I know; that's like asking someone else to name your child. I have a couple ideas. But fact is, if you enter my current title into google, my college comes right up and my full name, etc. I've used this title for presentations on my campus...I really can't have work people reading this. Especially not these days! I'll come up with something. I don't know if all my other pages will change, though, or keep the old title. Only one way to find out...
t