Friday, August 4, 2006

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Dec 9, 1915 – Aug 3, 2006) among the most renowned opera and concert sopranos of the 20th century, died yesterday at her Austrian home at the age of 90, local media reported.

The German-born Schwarzkopf sang for a galaxy of famed conductors, including Herbert von Karajan, in a career that originated with training in Berlin during Germany's Nazi era and wound up four decades later in 1975.

Known for her charm and vivacity, Schwarzkopf appeared at the world's greatest concert halls from Covent Garden to La Scala and the Metropolitan in New York.

Monday, July 31, 2006

Lessons in Logic

I received some funny quotes from a friend:

- I was born intelligent… Education ruined me!

- Practice makes perfect… But nobody is perfect... So why practice?!

- It’s true that we are here to help others... But what exactly are the others here for?!

- Light travels faster than sound… People appear bright until you hear them speak!

- How come “abbreviated” is such a long word?!

- Money is not everything... There’s Mastercard and Visa!

- If your father is a poor man, it is your fate... But if your father-in-law is a poor man, it’s your stupidity!

- Behind every successful man, there is a woman... And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two women!

- Every man should marry... After all, happiness is not the only thing in life!

- The wise never marry... If they do, they become otherwise!

- Success is a relative term… It brings so many relatives!

- Never put off the work till tomorrow… what you can put off today!

- Your future depends on your dreams... So go to sleep!

- There should be a better way to start a day... than waking up every morning!

- Hard work never killed anybody... But why take the risk?!

- Work fascinates me... I can look at it for hours!

- God made relatives... Thank God we can choose our friends!

- The more you learn, the more you know... The more you know, the more you forget... The more you forget, the less you know... So... why bother learning?!

- A bus station is where a bus stops... A train station is where a train stops... On my desk I have a work station... What should I do now?!

Monday, July 17, 2006

Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar, the legendary sitar player and composer is India's most esteemed musical ambassador and a singular phenomenon in the classical music world of east as well as west.

As a performer, composer, teacher and writer, he has done more for Indian music than any other musician. He is well known for his pioneering work in bringing Indian music to the west. This however, he did only after long years of dedicated study under his illustrious guru Baba Allaudin Khan and after making a name for himself in India.

Always ahead of his time, Ravi Shankar has written many pieces for sitar and violin, most of which were performed and recorded by the legendary violinist Sir Yehudi Menuhin and himself.

Ravi Shankar (b1920)
Prabhati for sitar and violin 4:11 Min 0.99 Mb
Violin Sir Yehudi Menuhin
Sitar Ravi Shankar
Tabla Alla Rakha

Monday, July 10, 2006

Can You Imagine

Can You Imagine? This title is taken from a commissioned work premiered by Vancouver Children’s Choir in December 2001. It was dedicated to Nadia, a ten year old girl from Afghanistan, who lived in Faizabad refugee camp in 2001.

(1)
Can you imagine a land far away,
A land without love and a land all in ruin?
Where streets are all rubble, no children at play,
Can you imagine a land so far away?

(2)
Can you imagine a life full of fear,
A life with no parents and a life all in ruin?
No visits with granny, nor friends we hold dear,
Can you imagine a life so full of fear?

(Chorus I)
Cry out! Let’s cry out for freedom!
Let’s cry out! Let’s cry out for justice!
Cry out! Cry out! We’re in this together,
We can help all the children to…
Cry out! Cry out! And tell all our friends,
A NEW TIME is at birth…

(3)
Can you imagine no music all day,
A day with no dancing or singing with friends?
Other harsh rules, no kite flying at play,
But can you imagine no music all day?

(Chorus II)
Cry out! Let’s cry out for freedom!
Let’s cry out! Let’s cry out for justice!
Cry out! Cry out! We’re in this together,
We can help all the children to…
Cry out! Cry out! We’re all in this family,
Our family’s called Earth, so let’s…
Cry out! Cry out! And tell all our friends,
A NEW TIME is at birth…

(4)
There’s no need to imagine a land far away,
Children without love, full of fear and in ruin.
There’s no need to imagine they struggle everyday,
Cause this is no fable, a land not so far away.

(Chorus III - Final)
Cry out! Let’s cry out for freedom!
Let’s cry out! Let’s cry out for justice!
Cry out! Cry out! We’re in this together,
We can help all the children to…
Cry out! Cry out! We’re all in this family,
Our family’s called Earth, so let’s…
Cry out! Cry out! And tell all our friends,
A NEW TIME, A NEW TIME is at birth…
Cry out! Cry out!
Cry out! Cry out!

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

In A Persian Market

Albert Ketelbey (1875-1959)
1. In A Persian Market 5:46 Min 1.35 Mb
2. Bells Across the Meadows 4:54 Min 1.15 Mb
3. In the Mystic Land of Egypt 5:56 Min 1.39 Mb
4. In A Chinese Temple Garden 7:11 Min 1.68 Mb

Mezzo Soprano Jean Temperley
Tenor Vernon Midgley
Piano Leslie Pearson
Ambrosian Singers
Chorus Master John McCarthy
Philharmonia Orchestra
John Lanchbery
Recorded 1978

Albert William Ketelbey was born in Birmingham in 1875.

In his youth he was head chorister at St Silas's Church. At the age of 11 he composed a Sonata for Pianoforte which he played not long afterwards to an admiring Edward Elgar. In 1998, the manuscript for this work came up for auction at Sotheby's and was purchsed by the City and is now in the Archives of the Central Library.

He studied at the Midland Institute School of Music. After a further spell as a student at Fitzroy College, London, Ketelbey attended the Trinity College of Music, where he beat the runner-up, Gustav Holst, for a musical scholarship. He distinguished himself in numerous fields, especially in composition. His first works were in the classical style and a Quintet for Strings was awarded the Sir Michael Costa prize.

However, he developed a talent for descriptive writing and, of all his many works, it is those of this genre, In a Chinese Temple Garden, and In a Persian Market that show his ability to catch atmospheric tone.

He was active in several other fields including being music editor to some well-known publishing houses and for some years Musical Director of the Columbia Gramophone Company.

He was a popular conductor and was well esteemed in the theatre world where he conducted for Andre Charlot at the Vaudeville Theatre, London. He also conducted many concerts of his own works in London and the Provinces and, as guest conductor with well-known orchestras on the continent, including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. His reputation on the continent was probably higher than in his own country. In fact, a Viennese music critic once said of Ketelbey's music that it came second only to that of Johann Strauss and Franz Lehar.

Ketelbey died in 1959 at his home, Egypt Hill, Cowes, Isle of Wight, aged 84.

Source: Birmingham City Council

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Carlo Is Gone

Carlo has gone to the stars. . . A colleague. A friend. A nice one, very nice. . .

Months ago, his eyes was shining when he offered me a couple of tickets he had received as a gift for the Symphony concert. He was glad somebody could enjoy the program.

His water bottle is still on his desk, with the cap open. . .

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Beautiful Miller Girl

Die Schone Mullerin (The Beautiful Miller Girl) is a cycle of 20 lieds Schubert composed on poems by Wilhelm Muller. The cycle is performed by a piano accompanying a vocalist, often a Baritone, but sometimes transposed to higher range to suit tenors or even sopranos.

Listen to 3 gorgeous lieds of the cycle:

Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828)
Die Schone Mullerin
Tenor Peter Schreier
Piano Andras Schiff
1. Das Wandern (Wandering) 2:48 Min 681 Kb
3. Halt (Halt) 1:33 Min 384 Kb
16. Die Liebe Farbe (The Favourite Colour) 4:01 Min 973 Kb

1. Das Wandern
Das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust,
Das Wandern!
Das muß ein schlechter Müller sein,
Dem niemals fiel das Wandern ein,
Das Wandern.
Vom Wasser haben wir's gelernt,
Vom Wasser!
Das hat nicht Rast bei Tag und Nacht,
Ist stets auf Wanderschaft bedacht,
Das Wasser.
Das sehn wir auch den Rädern ab,
Den Rädern!
Die gar nicht gerne stille stehn,
Die sich mein Tag nicht müde drehn,
Die Räder.
Die Steine selbst, so schwer sie sind,
Die Steine!
Sie tanzen mit den muntern Reihn
Und wollen gar noch schneller sein,
Die Steine.
O Wandern, Wandern, meine Lust,
O Wandern!
Herr Meister und Frau Meisterin,
Laßt mich in Frieden weiterziehn
Und wandern.

1. Wandering
Wandering is the miller's joy,
Wandering!
He must be a miserable miller,
Who never likes to wander.
Wandering!
We've learned this from the water,
From the water!
It does not rest by day or night,
It's always thinking of its journey,
The water.
We see this also with the wheels,
With the wheels!
They don't like to stand still,
And turn all day without tiring.
The wheels.
The stones themselves, heavy though they are,
The stones!
They join in the cheerful dance,
And want to go yet faster.
The stones!
Oh, wandering, wandering, my joy,
Oh, wandering!
Oh, Master and Mistress,
Let me continue in peace,
And wander!

3. Halt
Eine Mühle seh ich
Aus den Erlen heraus,
Durch Rauschen und Singen
Bricht Rädergebraus.
Ei willkommen, ei willkommen,
Süßer Mühlengesang!
Und das Haus, wie so traulich!
Und die Fenster, wie blank!
Und die Sonne, wie helle
Himmel sie scheint!
Ei, Bächlein, liebes Bächlein,
War es also gemeint?

3. Halt
I see a mill looking
Out from the alders;
Through the roaring and singing
Bursts the clatter of wheels.
Hey, welcome, welcome!
Sweet mill-song!
And the house, so comfortable!
And the windows, how clean!
And the sun, how brightly
it shines from Heaven!
Hey, brooklet, dear brook,
Was this, then, what you meant?

16. Die Liebe Farbe
In Grün will ich mich kleiden,
In grüne Tränenweiden:
Mein Schatz hat's Grün so gern.
Will suchen einen Zypressenhain,
Eine Heide von grünen Rosmarein:
Mein Schatz hat's Grün so gern.
Wohlauf zum fröhlichen Jagen!
Wohlauf durch Heid' und Hagen!
Mein Schatz hat's Jagen so gern.
Das Wild, das ich jage, das ist der Tod;
Die Heide, die heiß ich die Liebesnot:
Mein Schatz hat's Jagen so gern.
Grabt mir ein Grab im Wasen,
Deckt mich mit grünem Rasen:
Mein Schatz hat's Grün so gern.
Kein Kreuzlein schwarz, kein Blümlein bunt,
Grün, alles grün so rings und rund!
Mein Schatz hat's Grün so gern.

16. The Favourite Colour
In green will I dress,
In green weeping willows;
My sweetheart is so fond of green.
I'll look for a thicket of cypresses,
A hedge of green rosemary;
My sweetheart is so fond of green.
Away to the joyous hunt!
Away through heath and hedge!
My sweetheart is so fond of hunting.
The beast that I hunt is Death;
The heath is what I call the grief of love.
My sweetheart is so fond of green.
Dig me a grave in the turf,
Cover me with green grass:
My sweetheart is so fond of green.
No black cross, no colourful flowers,
Green, everything green all around!
My sweetheart is so fond of green.
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