Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Bach

"Bach is God, Mozart is Jesus and Schubert is The Holy Spirit - the Sacred Trinity". I dont know if i agree with that. I like all the three composers but to be honest in general i dont know much about classical music. So i decided to focus more on classical music. And lately i discovered i find classical music more satisfying.

I love Bach. Just read a biography about him written by great writer 'Maarten ‘t Hart', the same one who said the quote above. (Well i like his personal ‘effusions’ diaries more then his novels). I dont give a short review of the book i always hate that (others may but i know im a fuzzy head and make a mess of it). But a few points. Much biographers of Bach picture him as a trouble maker who had much conflicts. MH quotes a certain incident from a range of biographies. Funny how the story each time difference a bit. In the end he quotes the facts. Compairing them to all you read before you forever doubt every biography (and biographer) in general; if you didnt do that already! A biography is just a book with "intentions" like any other one.
I forgot to say that not much is known about Bach. And thats the reason he is pictured as a grumpy man. Simply because conflicts are much better documented!

There is only one original painting of Bach, painted by Hausmann.



But forget the biographies first the originals. That counts for books too! [One quote by Schopenhauer. He complained: "there are more people reading About Goethe then actual reading him!" i think its the deep need for humans to gossip!] A good work of art doesnt need biographies. Eh so why did i read it then? To find a way in. There is so much.

Where too start? Its nearly easter, so the perfect time for the passions from Bach. Everyone (eh?) knows The Mattheus Passion. Here i added the opening part. "Kommt, ihr Tochter, helft mir klagen!" "Come, ye daughters, share my mourning,.." i could add much more from it. Beautiful too is the aria "Erbarme dich" but i dont like the singer on my cd very much. But those two are the most well known. And there is so much to be discovered. When you have the change to hear the John passion too, you notice (more easy) a great find from Bach. In the MP you hear a aureole when Jesus starts to sing (its not in the John Passion). So hurry to the record store and just buy a copy. Its a good introduction.

Btw we have a performance in Dutch now "a well sold one" too! pff. Why? Is it that difficult to take a bit time to understand the lyrics? Ooh but that takes concentration! Classical music like all good things take time to be understood. In nearly every text book you find double translations and on the web you can find lyrics everywhere. And to understand the original lyrics proper adds much to the apprecition of Bach but about that later more.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Lines




Hmm i noticed i have a blurry spot on my cam. Grr but then loved to have a real cam (i use my telephone lol)

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Lines




i remember when i was a child we had electric lines from a pole (smelling so nice off carboleum) to our house. Ideal resting place for singing birds. Sadly they are nearly completly dissapeared. Only big ugly gray iron structures, holding massive electric cables, standing here polluting the eye. Birds are flying themselfs to death against the wires. As a kid i was always afraid when passing them they would fall down, so i hide my head in my hands. (Btw the cables broke twice in a massive storm). On that place i shot the pic.

When it rains you hear electric buzzes and see faint purple electric discharges..