i am "in search of... [dashing] talented intellectual musicians!", i declared to f the other day... musing over the fact that i DO have an utterly deep soft-spot for such creatures. of course, f was adamant that such persons are very rare, indeed. i refused to be dissuaded... challenges are attractive in ways we know far too well; that the rewards are reaped with more enjoyment when sought with fiery passion.
i was really only embarking on my 'wee' mission, which germinated in my subconsciousness possibly since infancy... but i seem to have discovered one, not quite a week since i professed about it! not bad for progress, eh?
the musical knight is Yevgeny Sudbin, russian by birth, and a rising star in the world of piano soloists... his performance last sunday provided a refreshing musical discourse on the influences that modern composers derived from their predecessors. progressing through the baroque, to the classical and romantic eras... he introduced lesser-known post-romantic Scriabin's rather flamboyantly emotional sonatas... suffused with the quirks and idiosyncracies of Chopin's tenderness, the angst-ridden Beethoven, the folksie-rhythms of Liszt... and the romance of Rachmaninoff... mingled into a nearly modern classic-jazz fusion... utterly mind-blowing stuff.
i was also rather taken by the fact that Yevgeny reflected on the life and influences of the composers, who penned some of the technically challenging pieces he chose to perform... trying to appreciate their intentions... the experiences that shape their musical creativity, and his interpretations of those pieces that he studied and played... this added personal touch kind of bridges the distant formal communication of a concert programme and the actual performance... and it's certainly something quite positively refreshing.
i've been extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to hear some incredibly talented artists (e.g. András Schiff, David Helfgott, Sarah Chang, Alfred Brendel, Ralph Kirschbaum, Leon Fleischer, Anne Akiko Meyers, etc.) render some profound interpretations of the great masters...
although, i think, it is even more incredible when they are able to offer you a reassessment of your pre-conceived partial view of the works of those classical masters; e.g. that of Mozart, who is hailed as the child-prodigy and who is known to have penned heavenly music... yet despite the fact that his works are very often prettily composed and diverse in similar (but never the same) themes and variations... they don't always pull my heartstrings, for i feel that they are often played, coldly (whether intuitively or interpreted as such)... and somewhat distant.
what violin virtuoso Anne-Sophie Mutter did in her performance on wednesday was quite refreshing... adding colour, texture and depth to the notes of Mozart's violin sonatas and making them more rousing and alive than i've ever thought his music could be capable of.
i first heard of Anne-Sophie as a little girl/ teenager growing up in singapore... i heard her name being annouced over the radio programme (very likely the short-wave BBC world-service that my papa fiddles with...) and then her playing... and always wondered who this incredible person, and where germany might be... and whether i will ever get to see her and hear her play, live... someday.
i did so last wednesday evening... saw her walked onto the stage in her beautiful blue floral-print mermaid dress with her accompanist Lambert Orkis. they only briefly took their positions and began their repertoire without hesitation... there's something powerfully alluring in her playing which kept me captivated... (even when some audiences left their wretched cell-phones on! utterly annoying twats...) ... and even made me reconsider my partiality towards Mozart's composition.
perched up on the closest balcony, with a splendid view of the musicians, i could admire Anne-Sophie bowing, and fingering all the notes across the finger board of her beautiful instrument, and watch her anticipation of various phrases... i love the intimacy... which one doesn't really get in a larger orchestral setting. pity though, that there aren't many such performances throughout the year... although, it is probably good for my wee pocket... =C) for i am a sucker for inspiring artsy stuff...
nearly reaching the end of her Mozart tour... her last stops are in the US... with 3 different programmes to choose from, she delighted the audience with a selection of violin sonatas in A, C, E flat, G, and B flat. i particularly enjoyed her 2 encores... when she played the Menuetto from Mvt 3 of the Divertimento in D (K. 334) with such passion, and the lyrical slow movement of the sonata in E minor (K. 304)... it was perhaps where Mozart meets Bach... soulful and penetrating... and even more wonderfully so, because Anne-Sophie Mutter enjoyed herself too.
spending a full week in a state of peachtree streets and more peachtree streets wasn't really something i was looking forward to. the annual Society for Neuroscience Conference was scheduled there a month earlier than usual because the venue at New Orleans wouldn't be able to hold the meeting for a long long time... it's rather sad really, how slow the rebuilding process is yonder.
unlike the meeting held in D.C. last year... i didn't get to have fun with my brother and lianne nor visit the numerous museums in the rather european-like city... but what i lost in direct family bonding, i gained in meeting old classmates & friends from germany and getting to know my colleagues, aka "Smelly Boys", a little better... ahem.
Atlanta is quite a big city... home to CNN, Coca-Cola, the humongous Georgia World Congress Center where many of us (20,000 or more) plodded through its nearly 4-5 football fields acres of space... (great workout for the keen)... and lots of peachtrees (perhaps in the countryside)? i am not crazy about the city-planning and landscaping in Atlanta, nor parts of the twincities ... and perhaps this is so in every part of the world... where some of the architecture and landscapes just ain't terribly charming...
in any case, i got to hear some fascinating talks ranging from the biology of cascades of molecular processes implicated to be involved in e.g. learning, to abstract modelling of cognitive control theories and what it is that higher visual areas might be doing and the many aspects of the brain we have yet fully understood... some research labs are doing amazing inter-disciplinary work at different levels of investigation; from electrophysiology, to functional imaging, to genetic-targetting and patient-post-mortem histological studies... this is really exciting stuff because very few institutes can enjoy the privileges of achieving such collaboration within their walls. i also presented my work (in progress) in trying to relate brain signals to movement parameters to some interested fellow researchers and was really glad i didn't have to find a rabbit burrow to hide... i suspect, though, that the fame of a senior author on my poster might be the reason why people came... but it was nice to hear some of their suggestions and positive feedback.
the Smelly Boys highlighted something amusing about these poster presentations and made me view this whole conference thingy more like a social event in some bizarre way for the younger generation... for they seem 'besotted' with a particular swedish female researcher/graduate-student and many people were quite enthusiastic about the evening socials! they also noticed a propensity of males visiting my poster... hmm... honestly, i have more romantic ideas of meeting a guy than at a poster presentation in a scientific conference... ?!?! maybe there's a new wave of hippy charming researchers in the younger generation! ha. or perhaps, it's always been like this... for generations!
in any case, i got to do some none-conference things... like visiting the HIGH art museum and saw some gorgeous paintings and sketches from the Louvre in Paris in the new exhibitions and hear some lovely live french accordian music and jazz in the museum's piazza... i also saw the male version of da vinci's 'mona lisa', raphael's Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione...
i wandered about some of the modern pieces on exhibit and had some fun capturing the light in the spirally rotunda in the museum... so much so, i missed nearly all of Frank Gehry's talk at the Conference because it took forever to get to the congress center and mainly because i got the time wrong... though i was utterly gutted and annoyed with myself, i discovered that i didn't miss much, apparently, since i've watched the pbs.org documentary on Gehry's work... and he didn't really try to bridge his talk about his work as an architect with the discussion on its implications and influence on research in brain-sciences or vice-versa but i suppose the interviewer did try to engage him into the discussion at the end, if only for a short while... nonetheless i admire his creativity, his quest and striving to be different and strong admist criticisms, and there's much to learn from this quirky personality; that talent can be latent and like many things, require the right environmental nurturing to blossom... also it's good to multi-task least you become obssessed with just one idea... sigh... i would have liked to pen a question regarding the lack of windows in buildings in usa but i suspect he might retaliate saying that his buildings are an exception to that observation?! 
i also went on the CNN visitor's tour... and discovered how harry potter's invisible cloak works on the screen... some clever but simple optical illusion with the use of chroma... and how news readers look seemingly confident with what they say without looking at their notes... i wish i asked why they keep bombaring their viewers with scenes of terror! oh well. thankfully i don't have cable telly.
interestingly, what atlanta lacks in apparent architectural charm... she kinda makes up with a pocket of very good restaurants... within the mid-town area where claire and i stayed is a foodie paradise with some very european-like enterprise... much to my delight!
tucked away in a quiet corner along a street within the vicinity of Georgia Institute of Technology is a little understated art-nouveau resto named TOAST... simple modern decor complimented by fresh creativity in its menu, this delightful little place provides a splendid venue for the opportunity to toast to life's simple pleasure of enjoying a meal with friends in a non-pompous casual setting.
--- the rissoto with sundried tomatoes and basil was a delightful treat!
Toast Restaurant
817 West Peachtree St.
Suite E-125
Atlanta, Ga. 30308
there was another restaurant that caught my attention while wandering about one night with the Smelly Boys... it is a converted terrace building with a large patio for outdoor seating overflowing from the bar, generous glass walls allow privy peeks into the resto from the street and what you glimpse is a charming atmosphere of classy dinning experience. ecco was on my mind all week but i didn't have the luck to sample what its simple stylish grandeur promised... the queues were long and waiting for nearly 2 hours for a table wasn't something we could sensibly tolerate after a long day at the conference... of course we could have been a little more organised with advance booking... nonetheless it is definitely a place one ought not to miss exploring if you should find yourself yonder in mid-town atlanta... particularly the exhibition kitchen... hmmm.
ecco
40 7th Street
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
but we didn't suffer our disappointment too long... for a few blocks away from ecco was a charming resto next to its cheese and wine store, just like the little stores along the streets of medieval european cities... a rare sight in usa, although perhaps not quite so in new york city. ENO, imbues the very essence of mediterranean and european atmosphere... we had a glass of wine each at the bar while waiting and the cheese and wine store caught my eye... i sneaked in and soaked in its european ambience with delight... the sales assistant was intrigued but polite. i inquired if they were closed for the day and if i might just have a peak... at the cheeses... and the wines and well, actually just the decor... and commented how much it reminded me of europe... and he agreed that it is rather rare a place on their side of the world.
dinner at ENO was well worth the wait... i had a lovely dish of ATLANTIC SALMON FILLET GRILLED IN GRAPE LEAVES WITH FIG PUREE AND PRESERVED LEMON, SPRING VEGETABLE COUSCOUS and the flavours were fascinating... tangible to a rather pleasantly surprising awakening... oooh. i've never had salmon in that form... and it was a delightful combination of subtle fig sweetness with a tinge of savoury from the grape leaves and just the right citrus-tanginess of the fresh and gorgeous couscous...
one of the Smelly Boys (EK) had the SEARED DUCK BREAST WITH SUMMER PEAS CARMELIZED CIPPOLINI ONIONS AND FOIE GRAS STUFFED MORELS and i had a nibble taster... and was pining in my conscious awake dreams for more... the duck was deliciously crispy on the outside but juicey and tender on its flesh... and such succulence was complemented with the beautiful peas, onions and mushrooms... the handmade pasta dish that VC had was awesome too... and so was the lambchop that AM enjoyed...
and that wasn't just it... the desserts were equally something to rave about... for the LAVENDER INFUSED PANNA COTTA with georgian peaches (i think they substituted with plums that night!), a lavender tuile and lavender honey was something i couldn't refuse... even though there were so many other delectable choices... chocolate truffle torte, pistachio ice cream... oooh it's just difficult... but i did not regret it a bit... i love lavender and panna cotta! and the idea of marrying the two things i love in a dessert is utterly splendid... my taste buds were on a high... oooh yeah.
i highly recommend the ENO dinning experience for their wonderful food creations and for their professionality; the chef personally introduces his new dishes of the season and is out there in the company of diners, helping the other staff at the tables too... and the staff are all impeccable in their professional conduct and yet laid-back... but of course a good dining company makes the whole experience something enjoyable too... bring a few of your foodie friends along!!!
ENO and Barrelman
800 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, Georgia
30308
although the food experience was awesome, the chilly wintry air of the twin cities is a lovely welcome after a week in muggy soggy atlanta. and the remaining fall colours are really quite a cheer... nonetheless i know i'll have snippets of fond memories whenever i hear the song...
"Georgia, Georgia,
The whole day through
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind" ...
Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah, they were all yellow.
I came along,
I wrote a song for you,
And all the things you do,
And it was called "Yellow."
So then I took my turn,
Oh what a thing to have done,
And it was all "Yellow."
Your skin
Oh yeah, your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful,
You know, you know I love you so,
You know I love you so.
I swam across,
I jumped across for you,
Oh what a thing to do.
Cos you were all "Yellow,"
I drew a line,
I drew a line for you,
Oh what a thing to do,
And it was all "Yellow."
Your skin,
Oh yeah your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful,
And you know
For you I'd bleed myself dry
For you I'd bleed myself dry
It's true, look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine.
Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And all the things that you do.
--- © Coldplay ---
i couldn't get this out of my head yesterday... sucha lovely song... ain't it?!
*ps: i just remembered that a year ago, i was @ the concert!
i had a wonderful dance class last tuesday evening... leaving me buzzing in my head as i cycled home to a nice refreshing shower... and a great feeling of... oooh i love dancing!
i will never forget the first dancing debut i premiered as a wee toddler at the kindergarten (german spelling here) that me brothers and i went to... a bunch of toddlers from the 3-4yr-old class were (probably randomly?!) selected to dance a waltz-like set-dance in couples probably for the Christmas concert at the Church which ran the kindergarten ... the whole affair of the waltzing seems, in retrospect, slightly pompy (like austrians; my act of stereotypy) and civilized for such tenderness... and to bring in a comparison, my 2nd-elder brother was dressed up as a red-indian in his class dance in the same fanfare, which i think was probably a lot of fun, if not more... in fact, i never got to see him in his performance, and i wondered if he, mine! but mummy made papa take photos of us, and so we have evidence to prove i am not making this up! =C)
what i fondly remembered was that there was a pair of twins in my dance and they both wore pink ballet slippers in the actual performance, which completely intrigued me from the moment i took notice of their perculiarity... i was instantly fascinated by the slippers... partly because i kinda thought i liked the colour pink, and partly because i thought they made you dance even more sweetly... i honestly don't remember who my tolerant partner was... but i presume (hahah!) he must have been rather dashing... we all looked beautiful in the pictures... and i had a lovely new white (or was it yellow?!) dress and black (?) mary-janes to match... and i have no doubt that i absolutely enjoyed myself in the performance... it's great being 3! you don't really care who's watching... as long as your parents are out there witnessing your spectacular display of some potentially budding talent! OR just simply supporting you in making a fool of your poor self at such a tender age!
what i came out of the experience was that i found dancing or prancing about very fun, probably because it's great having an equally good-dancing partner... and i SO wanted a pair of ballet slippers and to LEARN how TO DANCE in them!
that wish eventually came true, if only quite a few years later... after trying to move like a cat and tinkering bits of Pink-Panther theme with my fellow Yamaha mates in the annual music-school concert, and after some years doing what they called "Chinese Dancing" at the primary school, an extra-curricular activity, which was run by two very scary chinese women, one of whom was also my Chinese teacher, who HIT you with a WOODEN ruler or THREW the chalk-board DUSTER at you for not remembering how to write your newly learnt character (those were days when hitting was acceptable as a form of punishment -- many adults thought it was okay... but i, and other sensible beings, thought it was ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING and inhumane!)... all these traumatic experiences, and you wonder why i hate school and rote learning (and a particularly evil piano teacher i had)?!... and finally after we relocated to another home closer to the ballet school i got acquainted with the Royal Academy of Dancing syllabus and what would be my first introduction to the FRENCH language from a wonderful dance teacher.
to be honest, i didn't realise how difficult classical ballet would be... despite seeming effortless! i entered the whole ballet-thing very very late compared to my peers who have either got themselves out of it, or stayed on with their weekly classes, and as such, i had a lot (like YEARS!) to catch up... and a new vocabulary in a new language to learn, and that's not as if i wasn't having enough trouble with English and Mandarin Chinese...
starting directly at the middle of grade 3, i advanced on to senior levels, got to dance 2 roles in the Nutcracker production one year, and finally got chosen to take the board exams when i was still at secondary school. at Sylvia McCully's you don't simply take exams; she kinda picks you, and you are asked to consider if you will embark in the preparatory classes... it is little wonder that it meant a lot to me...
this whole exam-procedure was very different from my experience with music lessons... which has left me with a big emotional scar and is an experience that i am still trying to cope with after all these years. suffice to say, it certainly helped mould the inner being i have become... and i am glad for standing up to what i think is right... and thankfully, my passion for all things musical was not dampened in the process...
it took me rather long to decide about the exam... i ABHORE exams... and my awful experiences with attaining certificates of musical aptitude have made me weary of such pursuits... and then, there was school, gym-training, and music lessons -- which i might have stopped taking (by then) as a very naughty but necessary rebellious act of will; i shall call it self-preservation... the amazing thing was, once i'd made up my mind, i even paid for the whole endeavour with my modest red-packet savings (money one gets from Lunar New Year as children) ... and i worked real hard on it... and on making sure i didn't neglect the other bits of my school-life.
unlike my dance partner who took the exam with me, i was a complete amateur in such formal dance critique... she was very confident... and technically much stronger, but i guess i excelled in areas which were less classically constrained... the free-expression parts in the new syllabus; where one got to listen to some 32-bars of music and you were to express yourself in your own way throughout and end up in your own kind of a pose... i absolutely loved it. so, despite being new to the whole thing, i did better than anyone expected... scoring a few marks lower than my partner, who ended up with the best score that year, yet, i got to join her in receiving the highest grade... i couldn't believe it!
although that was the very first and the only dance exam i've taken and though i had a couple of serious ankle injuries from gymnastics... i didn't really stop dancing... even if i had to say goodbye to my dance teacher and head offshore to experience life in another part of the world... in a way, the whole dancing episode i had while i was growing up in singapore was probably an experience which marked a few significant changes in my life!
while away from home, i danced at the college in wales in international evenings put up by students, i embraced scottish ceilidhs, and sought ballet classes like the ones i had at Ms McCully's even though i have never found any quite like hers... i even tried modern dance in germany despite being very hopeless with the language... but none of them was quite like the dance classes i grew up knowing... and appreciated while i was away.
it wasn't till i came to the usa, and spotted dancers rehearsing in the floor above a hardware store in the Saint Paul City Ballet one evening in early winter (while i was walking towards the bus stop with my groceries from WholeFoods, along Grand) when it occured to me that maybe they might have open adult classes i could go to and meet new people... it was also a place i could get to without a car!
and so i discovered to my happiness, that the adult classes were very similar to those i had bade goodbye to a decade ago... and in addition, i learnt too, that these classes have a long history and tradition that dated back to the old russian school of dancing which is nearly as old as the history of ballet itself... in fact, the ballet school in st. paul has it's roots in the Ballet Russes, which is a ballet company set up by Diaghilev in 1909 who with his choreographers, kept the art of dance alive in times of revolution, and whose vision and passion in the arts revived ballet in the western european cities, linked many musicians and artists together in the creation of his ballet productions, and is one of the main persons who introduced classical ballet to the new world.
thanks to divine happenstance, i recently watched the documentary of the surviving prima-ballerinas/nos of the Ballets Russes, released as a zeitgeist film on my flight back to the UK, and was amazed by the challenging experiences that these talented dancers had gone through... and how they could survive on so little; fuelled primarily by their passion for dance...
but perhaps there is, in everyone, an innate need to be challenged and to want to dance and express themselves through movement... whether or not you think you are good at it. indeed, i do think it would be wonderful if everyone, and i mean everyone... could simply "Dance as though no one is watching you... (Souza)" ... so go on, i am *not* watching!
this entry is much over-due... as with my update on my trip to the UK, as with my update on my neverending ski-annecdotes...
oh well.
if there's one thing (among others which i can recall!) which i didn't get to do when i was back in the UK, it was to go to the theatres and orchestra halls... that used to be quite a norm... but i was out of luck... the spectacular Edinburgh Fringe and the outstanding Edinburgh International Festivals didn't start till late july / early august and most of the interesting bits at the London Royal Opera House were long snapped up before i got there... and then just when i left the 2 great Russian Ballets are performing during the same season! how unfair! i would love to watch either a Boshoi or Kirov... in fact, i truly admire the Russian ballet style (which has a nice combination of French, Itallian and native Russian influences) and am very glad to have gone through some of its schooling...
but apart from technical rigour, ballerinas rely on music to express themselves... and it is music that is the topic of my blog entry.
SOMMERFEST is here in the Twin-cities... and while resident conductor, Osmo Vänskä, takes a wee break from the scene we have Andrew Litton, who leads the summer concerts. i got to learn about this series of musical events nearly 3 weeks after it started... partly because i was away and partly because i was busy trying to settle back into the 'swing' of things... which i am still struggling... but J, my classical-music-loving colleague and all-things artsy/literary-friend at work thought i needed to be educated about this annual experience and checked on me about my awareness... to which i responded flabergasted. i have undoubtedly missed some chamber concerts i'd like to have attended!
nevertheless, i got a free ticket and used it to catch Anne Akiko Meyers dazzle the audience with a beautifully alluring rendition of Barber's String Concerto, and Litton playing Gershwin with much enjoyment... Gershwin is a genius.
then, as one thing often lead to another, i discovered that Dave Brubeck would be in town for a night with his quartet!
my encounter with Brubeck's jazz is, like most things in my wee life, quite random... yet, there is, at times, beauty in apparent 'chaos'... i stumbled upon Dave and Desmond's Duets some years ago when i was back in Edinburgh, visiting from Germany... while i really enjoy jazz, i didn't know much about the jazz-scene... i didn't even know how amazing Dave Brubeck is... my vocabulary for jazz was pretty much limited to Ella, Louis, Billie, Nina, and Keith Jarrett... and even today, i can't claim to have a better knowledge... perhaps a wider exposure... but like many of my cds, they are acquired simply because the music appeal ... no matter how obscure the composer, or performer might be... a rule that pretty much works miracles!
those who are familiar with Brubeck and Desmond will know their hits, "Take5", which Paul wrote... and "Blue Rondo a la Turk", which Dave penned while on tour in Turkey... these two numbers are synonymous with their names... but i like the 'lesser-known' ones... like "Alice in Wonderland"... "Blue Dove" and his solos. it is rare to hear him play these days and while he gets even older, these public performances will become even more special... but i've never heard him live before... so when one gets a chance to enjoy the Dave Brubeck Quartet perform... you don't simply pass the opportunity over... unless, of course, the odds are working against you... the concert was completely SOLD OUT by the time i discovered about it and inquired at the ticketing office... while i expected its popularity, i didn't expect that there won't be any tickets left particularly when the performance was scheduled on a tuesday... refusing to accept this fact, i pestered the ticket office personnel on the phone... and just as i was inquiring if there might be any possibility of any tickets appearing from 'returns'... the chap over the phone said that 2 tickets just came up on the system... YES!!!
the lucky ticket got me into the concert hall with a view of Dave Brubeck pretty close-up... i could see him from his back tinkering on the Steinway, Michael Moore on the bass, that was when Bobby Militello didn't block my view with his jolly large boggie woogie when he's having a wee break from playing the sax or the flute... and Randy Jones drumming up rhythms... it was AWESOME... just simply enjoying the fact that the people on stage were all having a ball of a time playing these numbers:
Cassandra
Three To Get Ready
Lullaby
The Basie Band Is Back In Town
Mr Broadway
Blue Rondo a la Turk
Unsquare Dance
New Wine
Theme For June
Take Five
of the selection of blues the audience got to enjoy, i think i really grew fond of the "Theme for June"... it was composed by Dave's brother, Howard... and offered lots of soulful lyrical phrases for the pianist to express himself... it got me wondering what a "theme for may" might be like... hmmm... but one thing i was certain was i felt 100% better after being at the concert... and my splitting headache (from lack of sleep!) disappeared! a bit of jazz a day keeps insanity at bay... hah!
although some people would beg to differ... and some believe that Mozart's music is a marvellous antidote to life's stress... good thing that there's a plethora of gorgeous music out there... but i have to admit that some of Mozart's pieces are really quite remarkable, particularly when you hear them perform live in a bigger setting than it is actually written for, ie. the modern chamber orchestra as oppose to a quintet. ... with subtle changes in the thematic contours of the melodies, Mozart is able to create some pretty pieces with a dramatic side to them, rendering a modern catchiness to them and a lasting attachment to his name.
but i am a little bias... and i still prefer BACH and jazz... and modern romantiques... like Rachmaninov, Ravel, Debussy...etc ... and the beautiful rhythms you find all over the world... oh yaaah....
THU-duum-DA DEEEEE TWee-thAAA .. .. .. THU-duum-DA DEEEEE TWee-thAAA .. .. .. THU-duum-DA DEEEEE TWee-thAAA .. .. ..
--- and you keep doing that by just stomping with your feet and slapping your hands on your heels and clapping... and if enough people join in, we'll have a great rhythmic symphony of body movements...
i paid a visit to the new moma after some 5 years since i was there... between 4-8p.m. on TARGET-free-Fridays... it was packed! 5 years ago i thought we got in free with a voluntary contribution... 5 years ago things were less security-hyped... 5 years ago... i thought the museum-building felt more friendly... less 'enclosed' and less walled-up... more OPEN, free, spacious... it's just me... i could be conjuring it all up for all you know!
i had fun though, but i think i might prefer the old moma... where i took some of my favourite black-&-white photos with the lovely old manual canon AE1... 5 years ago?! time certainly flew...
there are certainly lots of new pieces at the museum and some old favourites... i certainly like my Monet water-lilies in large canvases... and i love the pretty patterns of shadows... and the interplay of people and spaces... isn't that huge Miro (far-right of the stitched pics collage) colourful?!
but what really caught my eye and stuck in my memory are two very lovely pieces by the Austrian artist who was rather modern for his time, Gustav Klimt: Hope and The Park... that looked much lovelier in the museum than they do virtually.
may i humbly recommend Sir Murray Perahia's sensitively rendered Goldberg Variations by none other than one of my favourite composers of all time... J. S. Bach... purely for your listening pleasure... of course... over a cuppa, naturally! =C)
this is the Alexander Calder mobile [above] that is hung in the east-wing of the national gallery of art in washington d.c. and a few smaller works (methinks by him too) that render the lovely shadowy-play with the lighting [below]... they share some resemblance to Henri Matisse's paper cuts (mentioned below) but the wonderful thing about these mobiles is that as they move, their structures alter and the shadows change ever so subtlely... and yet they remain in equilibrium...
i also got to see some of Mark Rothko's canvases... although i suspect my favourite of his is hung in the Ludwig Museum of modern art in Cologne, Germany, near the Dome Cathedral...
it was unfortunate that the exhibition of Henri Matisse's paper cuts was closed when i visited the gallery... for i am rather fond of the french artist... i love his colorful vibrant creations... and can only be thankful for the chance to enjoy some of his works when i was inter-railing through the south of france some 8 years ago...
how you use it to perceive and capture the world...
this is quite a fun scene at Hunter Square... that ruth, ester and i were drawn to after our visit to the mesmerising exhibition of faces while we tried to find a place to have a cuppa. the bagpiper's rendition of fast scottish reels and the afro-hip-hop rhythms of the drummers made for a musical fusion feast for the ears (and eyes!)... a crowd soon grew and were reluctantly dispersed by the scattered showers that eventually stole the show.
you'd probably recognise the face of the Afghan girl with piercing green eyes that once covered an issue of the National Georgraphic magazine, even if you didn't realise that the photographer who captured the face is Steve McCurry, one of the world's best photographers who tries to bring the connectedness of humans through his pictures. as least, that was the case for me... i'd seen the face on his collection of portraits published by Phaidon but i couldn't remember who the photographer was until i was reminded of his name at the "Face of Asia: Steve McCurry photographs" exhibited at Edinburgh's City Art Gallery.
it is a wonderful collection of portraits and scenes... and often the intensity of the facial expressions could really tell you so much of the person's life. what skill, sensitivity and patience it must require to attain the quality of expressivity in his subjects, whether descriptively or metaphorically... what i find so amazing about photographs is how much they tell you about the subject and the photographer and in some other ways, the audience. this inter-connected-ness renders a beautiful role for well-captured photographs.
as i wandered about the gallery filled with his signature pieces, i found myself wondering perhaps what makes Steve McCurry's photographs powerful is because they capture more than the person or the places in which they live or flee... they capture the ironies of life too and the formidable human strength to overcome some of life's harshest conditions... they are themselves, life stories. it is life stories that touch... and this is how his photographs have connected people and how people reached out to those they do not know, to help.
i found myself taken to a photograph of an indian man wading through the flood left by a monsoon, water to his chin, him carrying his livelihood, an old sewing machine slightly submerged, to higher grounds... on his face, a resilient but distant smile. when i finished reading the caption that accompanied it, i turned my head not knowing that another lady was also there... and we both just happened to look at each other at the same time.
"It's so amazing!" she exclaimed with a beautiful smile.
"i am so happy he got a new sewing machine!" i told her...
"Me too!"
that made my day. the happiness is quite indescribable...
Steve McCurry's work can also be viewed at the pdn gallery and is definitely worth catching if it comes to a place near you.
talented Nick from light vessel automatic is a great musician and it's a pity i didn't always hear him play in the gigs he performed in edinburgh but i do remember the one time i heard him and watched him do his amazing thing after our Finals at the WhistleBinkies... check out his beautiful Four Songs from seatunes.org...
--> you might need to get coolplayer to read the .ogg files... but it's really a cool player!
enjoy! =c)
Ndebele is a name of a tribe in africa... but in edinburgh, it is a lovely african cafe not far from where i live... and a popular place for people to hang out... this evening, ruth and i met there and caught up over a bowl of scrumptious butternut, sundried tomato and hot pepper soup each, which was served with lovely corn bread... i was a little early and had a little snap snap fun while enjoying my cuppa rooibosch tea with honey.
the ambience of the place is simply created by reusing various things: from woven sacks layered to cover the ceiling to second-hand wooden furniture to hand-painted walls with afro-patterns... it certainly has an organic feel to it...
apart from serving really yummy african-styled dishes, sweets and gorgeous sandwiches, the cafe always exhibit works by artists who paint, draw or capture scenes from the African lands... and this evening, we were eyed by elephants, one water-buffalo and a leopard while drinking our soups... and they eavesdropped while we chatted about random things... (including politics... and my chronic nomadic existence... sigh)
i am not one who is really good at finding suitable gifts so i often end up giving handmade crafts instead... this little japanese plate is something i decorated at Doodles, a lovely place to create something personal and useful... f has a stripey tea-cup set which i painted for his bday a few years back and ruth has a little flowery milk-jar as a gift for her bday last year... and the owner of this plate is my brother who so kindly tolerated my nonsense when i visited him in NY... (maybe i will snap pictures of the other creations when i next visit their owners... so keep watching this wee space!)
--Friday 15th April 2005--
it's been quite a while since i posted regularly... i kinda lost that 'randomness' and excitement of posting something potentially trivial and nonsequential... perhaps i ought to limit myself to more substantial and informative posts... hmm.
anyways... here i am in Manhattan... just round the corner from Times Square... New York is a happening place... far too busy for my liking... BUT there are pockets of very charming areas that are able to keep yours truly smiling...
last saturday morning we took the subway express on A-line uptown to the 190th street and entered Fort Tyron Park. then we wandered towards the beautiful medieval building that is formed from various ruins in Spain and the French Pyrenees.
within its limestone structure, Rosslyn Chapel-like features and beautiful courtyards, the various colorful stained glass from different european countries, unicorn tapestries from the 15th century, collections of intricate wood crafts, sculptures, figurines and medicinal herb gardens, which are lush in summer, make the whole place quite a remarkable collection of medieval art that the MET museum is proud to boast.
the Romanesque-Gothic creation overlooks the Hudson and there's a lovely and quaintly decorated restaurant nearby which would add to the day's lovely excursion had we made a reservation earlier... The Cloisters is indeed something one ought not to miss when visiting New York.
sunday was absolutely sunny and warm for 'spring' and i was coaxed to skive the afternoon part of the conference to join the picnic at Central Park...
i am glad i did... for it was lovely to see everyone outdoors and enjoying the sun while being surrounded by the skyscrapers in the distant...
tuesday evening, after a failed attempt in getting student tickets to catch "The Fiddler on the Roof", Lucy, Matt and i headed to the site of the original World Trade Center where we could only just imagine how devastating it must have been... and what the memorial park would look like in time to come.
then we took the subway to the edge of Brooklyn and walked back to Manhattan along the Brooklyn Bridge in the twilight... it was a beautiful evening...
wednesday... after a long lie-in, i summoned enough strength to head out to see the world... hopped onto the subway and headed to Bowling Green where one could catch the free ferry to the Staten Island and catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty...
a quick hop-off and on and the ferry went back to where it came and i was back on Manhattan in approximately an hour's time.
thereafter, i made my way to Hudson River Park area... taking the subway line 1/9 till Christopher/St. Sheridan Sq., i got some directions from friendly people in the nearby Starbucks who pointed to Christopher Street and along there i went till i reached the bay/pier
... there, i asked a jogger waiting to cross the streets if she's heard of the nomadic museum... she pointed to where i might find it and darted across the street as the white-man flashed. i had read about this special exhibition in the inflight magazine when i flew with Lufthansa from Edinburgh to New York... terribly convinced that it is something worth finding out... Gregory Colbert's ashes and snow is a wonderful experience that shouldn't be missed... from the grand-scale construction of the portable museum to every little detail of the print-work i found myself amazed.
on my way back later, i popped into a quaint little tea & coffee store and brought back some blueberry and armourous almond teas... hmmm =c)
thursday... the trip to Chelsea Market (between the 9th & 10th Ave. and between the 15th & 16th streets) in the afternoon was a delightful thing to do... in there, you get to watch bakers in Amy's Bread make rolls, baguettes, ciabattas, brioches, quiches, pies and all other sorts of doughy stuff that become lovely edibles when baked. you might also find yourself bewitched by FatWitch's brownies... or enticed by the Chelsea Wine Vault to fill yourself with more spirits... the Manhattan Fruit Exchange has an unbelievable range of fruits, greens, mushrooms, squash and herbs, or The Lobster Place seafood store for some fish, the meat place, or the buonItalia where you can find authentic Italian produce and Illy's coffee... or simply join in the general bustle in the converted warehouse-like building with some of the quirky remains... it is a wonderful one-stop gourmet's paradise... and you could even pick up some gorgeous flowers at the wholesale flower market on your way out...
after all the foodie fun, i took the subway back to mid-town... and guess what i found underground?! ... there's apparently life underground...
it's been almost five years since my first brief stop-over visit... i remember catching Georgio Armani's collection at the Guggenheim as well as taking some lovely black-N-white photos in that wonderful building (i love Frank L. Wright's creations and would love to visit his Falling Water someday...), at the MoMa and around the city with the manual Canon AE1, which i dearly miss whenever i don't have it with me for convenience's sake. it was winter then. now, it's spring-ish...
today, i decided to walk down from the top of Central Park from 110th street on 5th Ave. till Times Square just so i could catch the quirky but fun Guggenheim building again...
i even had a wee courgette quiche and a cuppa earl grey in the museum's cafe... just like how i did five years ago with mummy and papa...
on my way through the Central Park this time, i spotted three maidens dancing
miniature motor sail boats struggling against each other in the water conservatory
and lovely magnolias in bloom...
a little further along... passing the series of fashion big names on 5th Ave... i caught sight of the Traump Tower with the gorgeous contrast of glassy concrete structure and the planted flowering trees in bloom...
i also spotted St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Atlas statue...
and just before returning to Times Square... i paid a visit to the NY public library in which i discovered how grand its interiors are...
but before i realised, i found myself through Bryant Park where come summertime... it will be filled with people enjoying their cuppas under the sun... the little pockets of greenery sure make Manhattan seem rather charming...
as i finished packing the last few items into my haversack, i recalled the view last evening from my brother's apartment which looks out to the Hudson River: the skyline was a beautiful pastel rainbow... pale burgandy, gentle crimson, soft yellows to light greens, turquoise and the blues that reached toward the heavens... soon it will be dark and all the skyscrapers will be highlighted with neon lights... and i'll be catching that from the skies above tonight...
Fopp Records at the windy cobbled-stone Cockburn street in Edinburgh is a great place to go when you know what you want to get... they do CD/DVD/book titles at much cheaper prices... but if you are like me, who's usually not sure what she wants... it would require quite a lot of luck to pick out something you'd like especially when they do not have the prior-purchase listening service... thankfully there's a return option...
Ana is an album of jazzy guitar pieces by Ralph Towner that i picked up sometime last year, not quite knowing if i'd like it even though i did have a hunch... when i got home and listened to it, i was rather chuffed with my pick... it's rather good... well, i like it... the atmospheric themes are rather soothing... hmm guess i might pick up another of his albums next time i am near the store!
ooooh... you will love this... aren't they just adorable?! *arrf arrf*
i love the wee beagle, shetland sheepdog, west highland terrier, jack russell terrier... but the yorkie and welsh corgi look adorable too!
which are your favourites?! share them here!
i shall have to keep awake to watch this Hokkien Opera that will be staged at the Esplanade tonight! i know very little about Chinese Operas except that they sing in high shrilly voices and there's quite a spectacular display of acrobatic stunts... and lots of colourful clothes and face-painting!
i went to the movies! it was great fun and here's what i've discovered:
Comme une image is a brilliant film... full of wit and French humour, the trademark French scrutiny of human relationships and spectacular acting and some really punchy lines left me in stitches yet full of empathy for the characters... certainly a film i won't want to miss knowing how much i've enjoyed it. here's a link to the trailer and another for a movie review.
and for those who have enjoyed Audrey Tautou playing Am?lie in "L'histoire du Fabuleux Destin d'Am?lie Poulain" ... you may find yourself inclined to see her in her new role in A Very Long Engagement... the music is mesmerising and the cinematography looked stunning... boy... i can't wait...!
apart from observing and listening to how the pieces i am learning ought to or could potentially sound, or when he kindly tested a few cellos and helped me picked one which i eventually carried back and named "the ugly duckling", i've not heard nor seen Andrew perform in concert... not until yesterday evening when he performed with the Edinburgh University Chamber Orchestra, and under the baton of Robert Dick, the Rococo Variations bloomed beautifully... like all cello solo pieces, written for the virtuosos... it is a lyrical piece (not quite the usual Tchaikovskyian flavour -- more later...) which enables the performer to illustrate his or her technical calibre and individual interpretation and Andrew's rendition garnered standing ovations and loud "bravos" from the enthusiastic and friendly crowd... i was really impressed and feeling rather guilty for not practicing harder when i have an amazing cello teacher...
yet this particular piece has weathered much storm in its creation. the playful and elegant characteristics of the theme are based much on the French architectural style of Rococo and Tchaikovsky had penned it for the German Cello Virtuoso of the time, Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, who worked closely with the composer on the piece. however, marriage problems led to Tchaikovsky's fleeing from Russia and Fitzenhagen took the liberty to rearrange the variations and modified the work to link the themes more smoothly... this version ended up in print instead and although Tchaikovsky was evidently upset, he resigned himself to the good-reception of the work, which despite being looser in its overall structure as compared to the original arrangement (wherein Tchaikovsky had intended to incorporate Mozart's style which he so admired), sings delightful contours and sonorous melodies that vary on the same starting theme. the lyrical punctuation from the woodwind, frenchhorn, and a subtle shift from being the solo to an accompaniment to the flute render a lovely conversational cohesion within the various 'voices' in the work as a whole. and it is without doubt a beautiful piece which leaves one enraptured.
a more complete review of the historical episode is offered here , and a comparison between the different arrangements is found here, and for those unfamiliar with the tune, you can listen to it from here.
lady luck smiles on people sometimes... for Ibrahim Ferrer, lady luck managed to redeem him of the respect he deserved and for me, she knocked just when i thought i wasn't going to be able to afford a ticket to hear him sing... an extra ticket surfaced at the last minute and i got to make use of it... it was a brilliant seat in the stalls next to ruth, her previous flatmate anna and anna's father who have come up from manchester this weekend especially for the performance.
i've never attended such an incredible live performance where all the musicians (his band of brass players, drummers, singing accompanists, bass player, guitarist and a brilliant pianist) are clearly having so much fun... and the audience enjoying the music and standing up to dance along in the hall that has housed so many classical concerts; the rapport was wonderfully touching... i didn't know much about the Buena Vista Social Club and the wonderful Cubian musicians until friends like jeremy and his mates introduced them to me some years ago... and i still haven't even seen the movie... Ibrahim Ferrer's life story is a bitter-sweet fairytale; it is hard to imagine the life he led to make a living, the unjusts he experienced, the disillusion, and then that very special day that changed it all... needless to say, hearing him live was a beautiful experience... transcending the language barrier (at least for moi), he moved and touched everyone... with his voice, music and his love for life...
i had the honour of hearing Sarah Chang perform live in the Usher Hall this evening... and she had me spellbound with her mindblowing and dazzling rendition of DVOR?K's Violin Concerto which she played together with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. no words are enough to describe her remarkable talent, confidence, and grace... although i already have a CD ("The Ultimate Violin Collection" by EMI Classics) which includes some of the tracks from her Debut recording, featuring her playing the works of Sarasate, Paganini and Khachaturian, among the other great violinists like Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Nigel Kennedy, Michael Rabin and Anne-Sofie Mutter, i got myself two of her recent recordings during the interval: DVOR?K and Sweet Sorrow and shyly requested her to autograph on the cover of the former... i felt small and insignificant as i waited patiently in front of the virtuoso who was trying to rekindle the flow of ink from her silver pen and summoned just enough courage to tell her how amazing it was to watch her play from up where i was sitting... but i had a thousand other thoughts which i couldn't voice out in time...
here are some interviews i found -- here's one with the BBC, and some snippets of this interview from live from Lincoln Centre (a link which was found in Sheila's Corner) that struck a strong chord in me because i rebelled and turned away from playing the piano for some years when i was growing up... it wasn't because i didn't enjoy it... i just didn't think exams should be the only reason why one plays or learns to play an instrument... and i still don't.
Johann Sebastian Bach is probably one of my favourite composers of all time... his music sing so fluidly like the meaning of his name, a brook ... and the apparent beauty of the sounds mask the complex harmonies that are interwoven in their different parts, conversing, then in sync, then merging into another theme.... moving from major to minor tones in sublime subtlety.
i often think he must be a genius. and tuesday evening's solo performances by the Capu?on brothers Renaud (violin) and Gautier (cello) at the Usher Hall gave support to my intuitions...
i got acquainted with Bach whilst learning to play the piano.... some many years ago... perhaps the most vivid of the few things i had to learn which were composed by him was the 2-part inventions and the few dabbles i did on my own of his Well-tempered Klavier -- some of which was featured in "The English Patient"... he teases my right-brain (the 'controller' of my left hand) a lot , just like Chopin.... it wasn't until i took up learning a bit of violin in Wales that i then came across more of his works; the violin concertos -- especially those for double violins and the Partitas which Misi (actually, Mihaely; my Hungarian senior) was practicing for his music exams... i don't know what Bach wrote first; whether he did the 2-part inventions for the piano prior to those solo works for strings he wrote as teaching aids, but you hear and see similar trade-marks (double, triple, quadruple stops creating melodious polyphonic sounds) in his compositions for the different instruments... making them seem as though you needed more hands and fingers to create those beautiful sounds... but in fact it's just one hand doing the fingering on the strings and the other bowing.... incredible! he must have really adopted the instruments as part of his physical and mental being to be able to write such amazing works.
the one hour performance opened with the talented 23-year old Gautier, performing the Suite No.6 for Solo Cello in D (BWV 1012) commencing with an attention-grabbing Prelude, followed by a mesmerising Allemande, then onto the familiar Courante, the Sarabande, and two Gavottes, before ending with the Gigue; all dance forms of the european baroque age... except that nobody was dancing... but all sat awestruck by the dazzling performance of what is said to be a techinically challenging piece, which had, in those Baroque days, been originally performed with a special instrument -- viola pomposa -- a cello with an additional string, tuned a fifth higher than the usual top string. as you can imagine, many of the passages had to be played in the 4th positions and there were some really mind-boggling fingerings that the young French executed in his apparent meditative absorption, which just left me flabbergasted...
elder brother Renaud was equally charming with his 1721 Stradivarius rendering flowing reveries of musical imagery as he played the Partita No.2 in D minor for Solo Violin (BWV 1004), which ended with a mesmeric polyphonic Ciaccona. on center-stage, Renaud's silhouette swayed with various passages under the spot-light, appearing as though together in motion, the ideal desired execution could be fully achieved... i have never seen nor heard anyone play with a Strad in a life concert before... and on Tuesday evening i had my first experience of hearing the instrument being played --- the sound reverberating from the f-holes of the skillfully crafted wooden sound box resonated so sweetly under Renaud's bowing... i know that only very few of the very best musicians get to play a Strad... so to be able to enjoy a performance of Bach's music by one of them on a remarkable piece of instrument is especially wonderful...
...bach... the flowing stream of music...
this is one of my favourite stationery products when i was wee and still is! Suzy's Zoo is a zoo of lovable creatures created by Suzy Spafford. i still recall that my first ever purchase of one of her wonderful stationery merchandise was a christmas-tree-card-set with fun christmassy stickers to decorate the x'mas-tree-shaped-cards, which i found by chance one x'mas season.... i sent one of them to auntie helena and auncle albert that same christmas season some (oh golly gosh!) 14 years ago?! wow. that was my very first correspondence to them, and my first airmail post to aussie-land! Suzy's Zoo is just lovely-lovely... her creations simply make you smile (check out her fun website by clicking the underlined link!)... i have a few favourites among her many endearing characters: Willie Bear, Emily and Ollie -- the marmot twins, Witzy and his rag-bear Boof.... oh they are all so 'cuddly'... the Wags and Whiskers too... all of them!
..Suzy & friends..
i heard and saw Elgar's cello concerto in E minor played before my eyes this evening... in the Usher Hall.... and i am awe-struck and overwhelmed by the technical brilliance exhibited for such a difficult piece. it is really quite an experience seeing it performed live.... the only other time i've seen and heard it up-close enough was watching the film 'Jackie and Hilary'. hmmmm??i'd close my eyes and try to recall the various tones seeping in, the streams of harmony and lyrically emotional phrases, all manifesting themselves and reverberating in the hall.... i loved the loud solo chords that bellowed from the very quaint and antique cello that the soloist Ralph Kirshbaum played...and the orchestra merging themselves beautifully, conversing, reinforcing, questioning, coaxing and embracing.... this concerto is so touching...the notes sounded by the musicians and particularly those expressed by the soloist, pluck and bow your heart-strings too as the players their instruments. it's so amazing to see people playing with all their heart, soul and breath....breathe in and then sing yet another remarkably articulated phrase, sometimes expressing melancholy?sometimes agitation, at times reflective and pensive.... absolutely mind-blowing.
i think composers are such brilliant people? like artists and writers who are equally remarkable in their trades? they conjure these lurid scenes and with subtle changes in the blending of harmonics and tones they tug your emotional palette? akin to the natural variations in the blending of light and hues which exposes one to different sunsets? as a finale to their captivating performance, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra provided a beautiful rendition of Vaughan Williams? 5th Symphony? and i was briefly transported into an idyllic woodland?wherein i embraced the morning that was just appearing anew.
?i would love to have music all my life, to live it, and to be able to play it as i feel from within..
the very rebellion of the impressionists was no doubt partly inspired by Baudelaire (poet, critic) who challenged the then budding impressionists to capture life of modern people in their act.... by "observing the life of people" and putting such observations on canvases or as sculptures, Degas, Boldini, Nittis and Zandomeneghi each influenced one another in their art....and each expressing themselves quite differently on the same themes (e.g. women bathing, race-course scenes, people at the bar, or salon performances).
i had the privilege to view some of their works at the Royal Scottish Academy Building today.... and was swept by the growing crowd pass the progression of Degas? change in style... as he moved away from the more classical approach of portraits to bold strokes of sketching in different settings. most of you may be well-acquainted with his beautiful and occasionally awkwardly posed dancers.... yet it is Zandomeneghi?s softer approach in painting women and their personality which i fancied?.
there must be something about impressionist art that help portray the uncanny and/or humorous idiosyncracies of humans.....some of the paintings almost resemble caricatures of the subject(s) and some were rather comical. i am rather fond of the idea of painting scenes and people ?as is? just as photographers aim to capture those ?moments? and am led to think that these impressionists must spent a good part of their lives people-watching?. what a thought? but that's what i do alot too... because it is really fun!
in fact i am amused by the idea of people-watching on canvases and in sculptures.... because the effect seems transferrable...the very last piece at the gallery which i saw was a sculpture of a lady in the tub washing herself?. it looked so enjoyable?. and i can indeed imagine how nice it must be to be soaked in warm water, bubbles about? relaxing in the warm tub while it can stay cold outside for all i care... alas, i do not have a tub.
Jeremy, whom i got to know as an undergrad here in Edinburgh, is an amazing photographer... i wish i could catch moments like he does... moments that speak more than words can justifiably express. ...find him "witnessing the world" and living his dream with a click.
but not just any sound....
rather...sounds from the Antarctica will be pieced into a tapestry for percussionist Craig Vear's forthcoming electronic symphony.
click here to follow his search and collection of the exquisite sounds, unmarred by modern-day civilisation....and here to read up on his account of the dramatic climate, emotional surges, the breath-taking wonders of nature, and all that is part of pursing one's dreams...
got back yesterday from Edinburgh....what a lovely weekend of no work (guilty conscience working its way ... eeek). Edinburgh is lovely in summer...and this summer is a truly real summer in Edinburgh...warm but the sea breeze is cool. my kind of perfect weather....one can only hope it will be the same next year!
Hannah has been 'mummying' me while i was there....and showed me a few lovely things i have never before encountered...the 'secret' garden (aka Dunbar Close Gardens) just off the lower end of the Royal Mile....and the Scottish Poetry Library, not far off, which i will be able to make use of next time....it has a lovely collection of poems, old and new, and is a short walk to the parliment (next to the Holyrood Palace where the Queen stays occasionally) which is still under construction...we wandered there to have a look at all the new buildings that has sprung up over the last two years....wow....what a different landscape....then, a gentle hike up the Salisbury Craigs' walk path gave us a beautiful view of the whole of Edinburgh ....the Forth Railway Bridge and the road bridge were both in sight in the clear day....the castle perched on the hill, the other hills in the surrounding could all be seen....so lovely. i miss Edinburgh...but not when there's so much tourists around....the International Festival was still on and the whole "city is mobbed" to quote the cab driver! i managed to catch some very amazing performances...The Seagull, a Russian play written by Anton Chekhov and directed by the famous German director Peter Stein who for the first time, directed a play in English. although i found the story rather depressing...the acting was brilliant! i also got to catch the Edinburgh University Festival Lecture by Alfred Brendel, the renowed pianist famed for his interpretations of Beethoven's music. he's lecture carried us into the different 'Characteristics' of Beethoven's piano sonatas and provided renditions of his interpretations....i was hoping that his illustrations would not stop...he really makes the music come alive, so beautifully expressed it really tickles or touches one's soul... i also caught the performances of Antonio Forcione String Quartet...an amazing repertoire of classical guitars, cello, drums and mandolin sounds woven into an incredible tapestry of jazz, African, Spanish, and Brazillian flavours...i just wanted to get up and dance! Antonio was absolutely amazing...in fact the pamplet i got described "His remarkable originality stems from one man's creative quest to use every imaginable part of the acoustic guitar without, for a second, losing sight of a refined musical sense. His is a music of rare delicacy, humour and, not least, passion." i am grateful that Ruth invited me to join Michelle and her at this performance....i had thoroughly enjoyed it!
last but not least...i also saw the place i would be renting...although a little smaller than expected...and that i might not be able to use the huge garden that the owners have (grrrrr) i have decided to give it a try until something better pops up...y'know...if there's anything i really want to invest on, it is property! and preferrably in Edinburgh!! hahaha anyways...i will be 2 minutes walk from the greens and meadows and shops around the area are knowned for their quality and best of all Eddie's Fish is just in the neighbourhood! i will be slightly elevated from the status of a poor undergrad to a postgrad...living in quite a posh area...only i am still financially poor but hopefully intellectually richer! ...well, that's all from me for now.....
i just discovered to my delight that i will be able to view some of the rare works of one of my favourite artists, Monet, when i return to Edinburgh. the Royal Scottish Academy is exhibiting 'Monet: The Seine and the Sea' until the 26th October and i am gladly looking forward to visiting the gallery!
i went for my cello lesson yesterday. it's been a while since i last did...Katrin Schiedt, my teacher and i have a flexible arrangement given my crazy schedule and she's nice enough to have me around on Saturdays (which is often a non-working day for her). [getting to her place is quite a challenge...given the less-frequent bus services on weekends, i could not afford to miss the 10:54 bus from where i live which will get me to the old town. from there, i take a walk through the bustle of Saturday's market crowd to another bus stop and wait for the 11:10 bus which will take me up a horrendously steep hill, the Castle Hill. if i miss the first bus, it's unlikely i will catch the other and i will have to climb up the hill while carrying the cello on my back (it's a funny sight i bet! i feel like a turtle with the cello on my back!) .... and i have actually done that a few times in Winter!]
we always start the lesson off with me playing a few scales....i have a silly habit of not daring to use my bow...or rather bowing loudly...maybe it's because practicing at home isn't a good way to overcome self-consciousness, since the walls have ears (a Chinese saying).
Katrin often spends about 1/3 of the lesson trying to show me how i could improve my bowing...probably the main problem i have as i am lucky to be able to read notes and getting the fingering pretty right (thanks to having had years of piano training and some experience in playing the violin).
this is followed by me performing what i have practiced; a few little studies which are intended to expose me to different forms of bowing and preparation of fingers for different sorts of situations...the nice thing about these studies is that they are often written as duets...and Katrin happily plays along with me at times. that's usually the real highlight of my lessons...nothing is nicer than making music with someone else...i love the harmonies and secondary melodies and for a brief moment, it does feel like i am part of some chamber orchestra...and i wish it could go on and on...
yesterday's lesson was really lovely. not only did we play Bach's Menuette together, i also got given a new piece of 3 different movements (from a collection of 6 Duets for 2 Cellos, written by Friedrich August Kummer) which i will try whenever time permits in the coming week.
learning to play the cello is one of the many new challenges i have taken up while i am here in Germany....amazingly, even though i have only had a few lessons and i am still playing in first position, and struggling with my bowing, it's just been a great get-away from work (and a lovely substitute for the piano which is so difficult to access here when you don't live in the student halls)! i can't tell you how wonderful it is to hear the mellow sound reverberating from this beautiful instrument. ..it's simply pure joy.
boy... i am going to miss cello lessons when i leave for Edinburgh... i hope i will be able to find another fun teacher and an affordable cello to rent... because it would be sad to give it up when i am just beginning to get better at it!
