Well … Stravinsky and Coco Chanel. RTWT.
So I wonder: will this be yet another disappointing music movie?
Finally, he says his next solo show is going to be all about playing the oboe and plans to take up reed-making again.
Now I must confess I’ve never seen nor heard Josh Kornbluth. I suppose this should make me feel ashamed, but I know so little about him I don’t even know if shame is appropriate. (I know, for instance, that I would be ashamed to admit I’ve not heard certain works or composers. But I’m not going to tell you what and whom.) Yes, I sort of know who he is, but only sort of. My neighbor said, a few years back that their son shared a dorm room with, I think, Kornbluth’s son. But maybe I’m wrong about that. Anyone know if he had a son at Princeton? He went there, so I guess it’s logical that his son—if he even has a son—went there as well. Yes?
—time lapse—
Well, yes, reading over at his site I see he not only has a son, but he has a “wonderful son”. But we aren’t given his age or his educational status.
But I ramble.
In any case, while I don’t know much about the guy, I’d recognize him and I’d certainly love to hear him do a show all about oboe!
Mesmerizing, I’m sure.
I picked up my opera music on Friday. I can’t tell you how good it feels to know work is starting up again. Yes, teaching is work, and I’ve been doing that all summer, but playing … well … I need to play work … okay, let’s say PlayWork™.
I’ve played Lucia di Lammermoor at least once before and, I’m guessing, more than that. (I sure wish I’d kept records of my performing career.) Still, I can barely remember much of this music. Funny how that happens with some operas.
Looking through my part I immediately saw two things: the part is not my old part and the added slurs are so poorly marked I can’t tell where they end! Opera San José sold some of our old opera parts. I can understand why they did that with the ones that they brutally altered (due to the cut down orchestra) but, at the same time, it’s quite frustrating. All of my markings are gone. All of our corrections, too. (And we use Kalmus, so you can imagine how many corrections we had in those parts!) All of my cues are missing as well. What a drag.
Mostly I’m frustrated with the markings that someone put in. (We don’t have an official music librarian, so we never know who is doing the marking.) Doesn’t the person realize we need to know where a slur ends? Most of my added slurs begin somewhat okay (although not always) but then they are all nearly straight lines that end in between two notes. Hmmm. What must the person have been thinking?
I continue to struggle, as well, with the music I’m learning for the recording session I mentioned earlier. I’m not sure what to be more concerned about: should I fret most about those unison Fs that begin ppp with a crescendo/decrescendo, or do I panic over the extremely fast 5 notes per beat passage that begins on a high G and ends on a low D? Or maybe I should panic over the section that, from looking at the score, has to be incredibly precise, as two musicians are always coming in together on a sixteenth somewhere off the beat? (I’m not being terribly clear here … I think I’ll blame it on this stupid headache that doesn’t want to go away.) The score makes it fairly clear that all our entrances are important, as lines are drawn between the two instruments that come in together.
I guess I should worry about it all, eh? And yet I can’t worry too much; worrying only makes things more difficult, and you know how worry can ruin everything. Especially when recording.
I just found out that I begin teaching at SCU one week sooner than I had guessed. (I hadn’t put anything on the calendar for SCU yet, but had assumed it started the same week as UCSC.) I’m fine with this; again, getting back to work is a wonderful thing! (Side note: When the heck is UCSC going to update that music department site? Sigh.)
What is not wonderful is that the Giants are already behind 0-4, and it’s the bottom of the first. Double sigh.
Update … well, since I forgot to post this until a few moments ago, I should have just changed the final paragraph. The score is now 6-5. Good Guys. Bottom of the 7th.
Miles to go ….
So I watched Feist My Moon My Man (thanks to aworks), and it got me to thinking …
Some complain about opera because they don’t understand the words. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, they also complain about the “warbling voices” and the style of the music, but I’m not going there right now.)
I dunno. I listen to “non-classical music” (What do I call this music? “Pop” insults some. “Alternative” just seems silly to me. My problem I’m sure.) and I don’t always understand the words. I hadn’t a clue what some of the words were to “My Moon My Man” and I probably wouldn’t have understand the words, “my moon my man,” either except that the title was given. I still liked it. It created a mood. It did what, I think, it was supposed to do. I’m fine with that.
I have a fantastic wardrobe. These shoes are by Louis Vuitton, and the dress is by Escada, who are dressing me for events and giving me many clothes for free. I never have this feeling like before: “Oh, I don’t have anything to wear.” Now I think I do have!
If I have rehearsals, I am running because I will be late, probably. If I have a performance, the whole day is free. I go to see a movie, or to the museums. I am reading books, and magazines like Hello! and Style Watch, about the stars.
I keep thinking we’ll finally get to the punch line of this article. Thinking we’ll see that it was someone’s funny little joke.
Alas, I think it is the real thing.
But I still am puzzling over it all. Very bizarre. (And vocalists think we are unkind when we suggest they are … well … a bit “off”. 😉
Pause and double pause … I go back and forth … is this is all some sort of huge prank?
(Seen first via Sidney Chen’s site, The Standing Room.)
