Pansy, of Two Sleepy Mommies

Pansy, of Two Sleepy Mommies has requested good summertime recipes. Her comments box was not working so I emailed her promising to post some on my blog. Since she specifically mentioned grilling, I will start with the king of all grilled meat: a fiorentina (which is called by that name by all civilized people, save the Florentines themselves). It is one of those simple pleasures that rates up there with an outdoor concert of Monteverdi's intimate madrigals. I imagine that if I could enjoy a fiorentina at an outdoor concert of Lamento della Nimfa, I would probably have to just give up food and music altogether, since nothing would be so good again!

To make a good fiorentina you need a good fire. No more briquettes. Wood (grape in particular) is best, but hardwood mesquite charcoal (chunks, nothing compressed), is a good second. If you use charcoal, soak a handful of oak chips in water to throw on later (right before you put on the meat, drain the chips and scatter them on one side of the fire).

Now we will discuss cut. A fiorentina is essentially a T-bone, which is basically a small Porterhouse. It should be cut to Italian specifications, and should be from grass-fed Chianina cattle, but any good t-bone or Porterhouse will do! Rub the steak with a freshly cut garlic clove, then with freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Then brush with Extra Virgen Olive Oil.

When the coals have burned down, grill the steaks, 7 minutes on the first side, 5 on the second (I guess, I don't time it, I stand there and test doneness by poking it with my finger). When done, pull the steaks, cover and let rest for 10 minutes, then serve with lemon wedges.

Serve with a good chianti, cold sparkling mineral water (San Pelligrino or Gerolsteiner are good with this) and a tomato and bread salad:

1. Day old good French bread
2. Olive oil
3. Fresh thyme
4. Garlic cloves
5. Good balsamic vinegar
6. Organic, heirloom, vine-ripened, outdoor-grown (preferably dry-farmed) tomatoes (I like to use several varieties for interest).
7., Fresh basil (optional)

Make croutons with the French bread: warm up your olive oil. Lightly fry 3 peeled cloves of garlic. Remove garlic. Raise heat slightly and fry bread cubes until done. Salt with sea salt, season with fresh cracked pepper and fresh thyme.

In a bowl add the croutons, diced tomatoes (bit sized, don't bother peeling and coring - make sure the juice gets into the salad), basil, sprinkle lightly with the balsamico and sprinkle basil, cut into fine ribbons.

If you still have a little red wine left, serve a room temperature camembert with toasted baguette points. For dessert serve fresh, seasonal, organic fruit, which should be washed at the table in a bowl of ice water.

Finish with limoncino or grappa, a shot of espresso, good conversation, and a cigar.

Note: to make this a fancy meal, start with a bowl of fresh fettucine al pesto. To make it a really fancy meal, start with an antipasto of kalamata and hondreolia olives, salame, ceci salad (open a can of ceci. Drain. put in a bowl with balsamico, extra virgin olive oil, fresh thyme. and an optional small finely diced shallot), and grissini (Italian breadsticks).

Also note: for whichever variation or degree of fanciness, may I suggest you start out with an apperativo of Cinzano rosso over a couple of cubes of ice and a twist of orange?

Buon appetito!

Oh yeah, to the person

Oh yeah, to the person who was looking for "how to bullfight(pablo hermoso)" I need some clarification before I can help you.

If you are trying to bullfight like Pablo, forget it. That's like asking, "where can I learn to paint like Rembrandt?" Not even Rembrandt was able to teach that.

If you would like to book Pablo into bullfighting school, well, he is a bit old to start a career on foot. Let him stick to rejoneo. He is very good at it. I have seen him finish a bull with the muleta, so he probably has some aptitude there, but the world of rejoneo needs a figura like him.

One does not bullfight people, unless it is so in bovine language, and the implications of toros using computers is too frightening for me. Talk about "sentido," hombre!

Foodie Alert! I did not

Foodie Alert!

I did not get to posting what I was planning on posting, because I had a super busy weekend, busier than expected. And, it will not relent until next week, so realize that blogging has to fall back to sporadic here, there, lunchtime, late night sort of writing.

One of the things that kept me busy is that I had a super tight deadline on a restaurant review (eat on Saturday, write on Sunday, post to editor Monday am). If you are at all serious about food, you must book a flight (or drive) to Fremont to eat at Pearl's Cafe. When you arrive you will be convinced that I am a jerk who is trying to play an elaborate joke on people. The place, from the outside, looks like it ought to have a sign out front that says either "palm readings" or "ice cold Coca Cola. Hot Boiled Peanuts. Bait."

However, when you go in, it is a different story. The decor is inviting, and the chef, Christine Fahey, is nothing short of a genius. If you were planning on going to Alain Ducasse for dinner, forget it. Use the money that meal would have cost to fly to California, drive to Fremont, and have the best meal of your life.

If you are going to be in the Bay Area, Pearl's Cafe must be on your list (it is reasonably priced, too), along with the French Laundry and Chez Panisse.

My review will run in the ANG papers on Friday, and I will post it afterwards, hopefully giving you some idea of how great this place is.

Meanwhile, lunch nears its tragic end, and I have Clifton Chenier CDs to mail to radio folks (ARH CD 474, Clifton Chenier, The Best of Clifton Chenier - King of Zydeco and Louisiana Blues. Street Date 7/22/03, with previously unreleased material. Order it now!).

Friday Five 1. How are

Friday Five

1. How are you planning to spend the summer [winter]?

I am planning to shoot a documentary in September, so we will be spending some time in August doing some preliminary stuff. Other than that, a couple of parties, a lot of writing, reading, working new CD releases, gardening, eating gelato, making gelato, going to farms with Amália and Melanie, feeding cows, going to bullfights, reviewing restaurants, painting.

2. What was your first summer job?

General Production Worker in the prepress department at the family printing company.

3. If you could go anywhere this summer [winter], where would you go?

Italy, of course!

4. What was your worst vacation ever?

I have never had a bad one.

5. What was your best vacation ever?

Spending May of last year in Italy with Melanie, Amália, my parents, and some friends. Travelling with an 8 month old is fantastic. I want to do it again, but we will need another 8 month old first, as Amália has outgrown the job description!

Another person found this site

Another person found this site looking for "Nude Male Yoga." Are you fer or agin? If you are agin, you're at the right place!

OK I lied. One little

OK I lied. One little post about the Supreme Court.

Justice Kennedy is an idiot. A complete moron. He is the product of his high school! What do you expect from C.K. McClatchy grads anyway?

Gonzo journalists.
Judicial lightweights.
Rap-metal stars.
Harpsichordist/painters who blog about arcane food.

They ought to just shut the place down.

Seriously, though, my fellow CKM mock trial teammates and I could do better than this nitwit Kennedy. Have you read his opinion?!?

To the person looking for

To the person looking for "Chewing Gum Recipes":

Recipe 1
Rubber
Sugar solution
Artificial flavorings.

Place in your mouth and masticate. When done, stick icky mess under convenient furniture or on sidewalk. Turn yourself into the police for punishment.

Recipe 2 - All Natural Chewing Gum
Ingredients: Grass.

Chew grass until it is a paste. Swallow into first stomach. Regurgitate after preliminary digestion. Chew some more. Repeat three times. Poop good quality organic fertilizer!

Cheers!

Y tambien... I will be

Y tambien...

I will be at a bullfight Monday night, so there should be a bull report sometime next week. I have been asked to write generally about the bullfight, and its place in Catholic society, so, if I have time I might touch on that. I must warn you that I am facing two major cooking challenges in a week: the company barbecue on the fourth and my Fiesta de San Fermin on the fifth. I will be spending most of tomorrow in the yard, finally (I haven't done much of anything this season, so it is still in winter neglect mode), and will be reviewing a restaurant tomorrow night (and three CDs over the weekend). So, blogging will be here and there, although I will not go dormant. I just might post lighter fare for a week. Then again, sometimes lack of sleep and too much espresso fire me up and I could rant on and on. Time will tell.

One thing I can guarantee is that I will not be discussing the Supreme Court decisions. I have not read the full opinions, and won't be for at least a week. My general reaction is, as always, "see! We need Roman-style law. Common law is for the birds!" followed by, "see! If the General were alive and running the United States this never would have happened." But neither of those count for reasoned conversation, so it will have to wait. Or maybe you can just get that stuff on other blogs.

Good news! I have wrestled

Good news!

I have wrestled something out of the mess of my Victimae analysis. Here is the upcoming schedule:

This weekend I will post the next two instalments in the Building Blocks series: tone and noise.

After you have had a chance to digest those I will post, simultaneously, Building Blocks: Interval and the analysis of Victimae.

Then I will post Building Blocks: Mode. Now, I realize that in continuing the anlaysis series before hitting Mode, I am putting the cart before the water buffalo, but the main emphasis on the Victimae analysis is on motivic development, which is much more dependent on Interval than Mode.

I will then have to decide whether to post Building Block: Rhythm I or Building Block: Harmony I first (or perhaps both) before the next analysis, which is going to be Miles Davis's "So What" from Kind of Blue. Hmmmm. Thinking. Thinking.

Building Blocks of Music Part

Building Blocks of Music
Part One – the sound

I was going to start with the interval, but decided to start with the most basic building block of music: sound itself. Surprisingly, most musicians and music students never tackle the nature of sound itself, which is their loss. I was fortunate enough to have studied this material in depth with Gordon Mumma and Peter Elsea in the UC Santa Cruz electronic music program. Believe it or not, it even has helped me in interpreting work on the harpsichord.

Sound is a wave. It is pure energy. It must move through a material in order to transmit itself. Unlike light, it cannot skip through a vacuum and show up on the other side. The characteristic of the sound is effected by the material it passes through.

We perceive sound through three senses, although we only think of one. When the sound carries enough energy we can SEE the sound (think of watching iron filings on a cymbal). At the right frequency (the number of waves per second) and amplitude (the amount of energy carried in the wave), we can certainly FEEL the sound (if one has the right equipment and the wrong intentions, one may force a person to wet his trousers with sound). If the sound’s frequency is between 20 Hertz (waves or cycles per second) and 20,000 Hertz (or 20 KHz), and we have not damaged our hearing we can HEAR it (have you been to a rock concert? Walked a mile in a city during the day? You cannot really hear 20 kHz, then). Now, there are some composers and musicians (Karlheinz Stockhausen makes this claim), that even though one cannot hear above 20 kHz, we still perceive harmonics to about double that. Apparently they have done tests, etc. I am unconvinced.

When the sound enters our ears, it is converted from mechanical energy to electrical energy. The electrical energy is sent via the nerves to the brain, where the sound is interpreted. For those of us who grew up in Italian families with lots of female relatives, sounds of a certain frequency are not processed as speech, rather as background noise. It takes a special intonation of "are you listening to me?" to force the brain to accept information in these frequencies as speech. Fortunately my mother does not read this blog.

But for most folks sound matching recognizable phonemes is processed by the brain as speech and semantic content is extracted from it. Some sound plays with the boundary between speech and non-speech, and we will discuss that when we analyze Kurt Schwitters’s Ursonate and some of the vocal works of Luciano Berio and Arnold Schoenberg.

Sound that does not parse as speech can still carry information. Some sounds are indexicals of physical processes (a Doppler-shifted air horn is an alarming indexical of a rapidly approaching train (Cash, John. "Folsom Prison Blues" from At Folsom Prison. Columbia Records, New York. 1968. Or for a concrete example of this phenomenon, look at Superman animated shorts)). Sounds can convey non-speech information by interacting with other sounds, for instance, a narrative can be established by sounds indicating a door opening, footsteps, a revolver’s safety being turned off, a scream, a gunshot, footsteps, and a siren. Or a mood can be established by sounds indicating a brook, aspen leaves in the wind, birds chirping, cowbells ringing. Or the sounds can convey information by establishing patterns by way of relation and repetition.

When sounds convey information by establishing patterns with relations and repetitions we are in the realm of music (although, the other ways that sounds can convey information can be a part of music, too, as we will see when we look at John Zorn’s Spillane). But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Right now (and for the next two parts) we will just look at single sounds in isolation.

Sound can be divided into two basic forms: the tone and noise, which will be Part Two and Three. Part Four is when we will discuss two sounds interacting in the form of an interval.

Looking at the whole issue

Looking at the whole issue of the life of the Church after the Second Vatican Council is often problematic, as we have a natural tendency to cast everything into two parties, and the issue is much more complex than that. It is not, however, a matter of two extremes and various compromise positions.

I tend towards the traditionalist side myself, while recognizing that there was a need for reform and a dire need for the Second Vatican Council. I would like to see the 1962 missal updated with a few of the successful elements of the 1970 missal (the restoration of concelebration, the presentation of the gifts, the prayer of the faithful, etc.), as called for by the council. While I love a reverent, Latin NO mass, the trappings that have come along ("folk" music masses, all-vernacular masses, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Good Morning!" hidden tabernacles, just about any stained glass made in the last 60 years, &c.) are abominations and must go, and the sooner the better. I tend toward the Torquemadian, so would have no trouble with imposing sanbenitos on Marty Haugen and the St. Louis Jesuits (I do stop short of calling for an auto de fe).

I have made up some lists of things that should be restored and things that should be tossed. The assumption is that an item that exists must be preserved unless there is good cause to change it (an assumption that is built into the language of the Second Vatican Council documents, but has been ruthlessly ignored in the last 30 years).

Things that should be absolutely and immediately restored to universal Latin Rite use: Processions, numerous popular devotions, the biretta (not to mention cassocks, Roman collars and the whole notion of clerics dressing like clerics), habits for religious, Gregorian chant (as specified in Sacrosanctum Concilium), Latin, good sculptures of Saints, good stained glass, pipe organs, fire and brimstone missions (one week’s worth of hellfire sermons are a good restorative, especially in the culture of affirmation), Church-state relations as outlined in the Lateran Treaty (ah, Christendom, how we miss thee), trade guilds, the Requiem (with the complete Dies Irae), the second Gospel reading, priests celebrating mass ad orientum, minor orders, universal ban on altar girls, Catholic schools and hospitals that actually have a Catholic mission, so forth and so on.

Some things that can be jettisoned from the pre-VII days: sentimental plaster statuary, 98% of all paintings of the Sacred Heart, translations in Elizabethan English (we're Catlicks! Got our own sanctified ritual language, thank you. It's called Latin. Translate all 2nd person singular as "you" please. Not even the Quakers can properly conjugate second person singular anymore. The language has evolved, and if we are aiming to restore the proper distinction between formal, polite, and familiar, we have to be prepared to shoot for restoring it in the whole language, not just in translations of religious works), rote manualism giving theological answers to 10 year olds that are supposed to suffice for life, mumbled and rushed liturgy, sentimental paintings, too much lace, maudlin hymns, rigid clericalism (although it takes an embittered modernist to really present the ugly face of clericalism, the roots of this problem go way back), so forth and so on.

What will the future bring? I am optimistic and tend to agree with the Holy Father that we are approaching a new springtime in the Church. The big mistake is to look for the new springtime to look like the old autumn or even the old springtime. We will not be entering a neo-Gothic or neo-Baroque era, although the lessons and spirit of those eras will be a part of what is to come. While we will be more in touch with the Eastern traditions, we are not going to be Western Byzantines.

The trouble with radical traditionalism is that it looks at anything that is not part of the language and aesthetic of the last great era of the Church as potential pollution. Radical traditionalism is fundamentally a revivalist movement (think of the Weavers and you will understand why I shudder at the notion). Likewise, folks who detest the excesses of modern and contemporary art and look to a restoration of pre-Impressionism are barking up the wrong tree.

The culture just will not do that. It never goes back to some mythical "Go" and pushes the reset button. The great music of the 15th and 16th Centuries did not sound like the music of the 13th Century. The 14th Century made its marks, just as the real music of the 21st Century will be somewhat influenced by dodecophonic, stochastic, free atonal, minimalist, and all the other methods of making music that came about in the last 100 years. The stuff that is championed by Crisis Magazine is nothing more than revivalist fluff that will fade with the third rate stuff from the period it imitates (please note that I am not saying that all late Romanticism is third rate, rather I am comparing the revivalist fluff to the third rate stuff of the period).

Liturgy is the same. The Sacred Council has called for reform, and, indeed reform was needed. The 1970 missal will not last, but we will not be going back to the 1962 missal either. It will stick around for awhile, since it is immune to the sort of nonsense that the 1970 missal is inflicted with, but eventually it will be unnecessary, as the Roman Rite finally gets the missal it deserves. My guess is that there will be a new missal by 2010, and it will be a beauty.

Good News! I subscribe to

Good News!

I subscribe to various email newsletters from so-called Animal Rights organizations, not (obviously) because I support them, but because I need to stay abreast of whenever they attack La Fiesta Brava. Today I got the second urgent and dire appeal for funds from one of them. I will not say which one, in case someone on the dark side finds this bit of unseemly gloating and wants to waste their money, but it is not a major one (although they are convinced that they are saving the whole world). It would be nice if PETA was on the rocks, but we will just have to keep praying.

Meanwhile, in spite of (or because of?) heavy animal nut propaganda, the bullfight is doing better than ever, with renewed interest in it from younger Spaniards, expansion in France and Portugal, and a new wave of talent that knocks the socks off of the matadores who were stars when I first got interested in it. I think that the animal nut propaganda, coming from distinctly Anglo-nordic philosophies, is striking a lot of Iberians as more cultural imperialism and we are seeing, for the first time in decades, young people who consider themselves leftists embracing the fiesta (in the old days, it was a very conservative art).

Similarly, as Portugal gets over its post-1974 obsession with American pop music, the Fado is rising to new heights. Also in Portugal a concerted effort, spearheaded by a government minister, is being made to preserve the siesta. All of this, combined with the stunning reception the Holy Father received in Spain point to some very good news for Europe and the Church: the Latins are reasserting their culture, and, inextricably bound to the Latin culture is the Catholic Church.

GO HERE! for a refreshing

GO HERE! for a refreshing art review. This is brought to my attention via some site or another that I lost in my chain of "Back" buttoning. It is a blog by a Teresa who was a Mormon and is now Catholic, anyway, her blog is good too. Wish I could find it. But lunch is nearing its tragic conclusion, and I will have to get back to work. Sorry. If I figure out the blog I will duly attribute it.

ERITED: IT is Making Light. Interesting blog.
FURTHER EDITED: When editing, it is best to spell "edited" correctly. As public penance, I will let it stand and simply post this correction.

The topic has come up

The topic has come up on Two Sleepy Mommies of the problems of some insular views that pop up in orthodox Catholic circles. I see a lot of what I am trying to do on this blog as addressing those issues, as they are going to be popping up with alarming frequency in the next decades. It is late at night, and I just read the post referenced, so I will not tackle it tonight. I need to put some of my thoughts together first, but the long and short of it is that these attitudes are why I am not completely smitten with Thomas Aquinas College, Christendom, or Franciscan University. I see a longing for some Pre-Vatican II culture that is long on nostalgia and short on reality. More on this later...

I am not satisfied with

I am not satisfied with the Victimae paschali laudes analysis. If I cannot get it into shape in the next few days, I will skip it for now and talk about Miles Davis's "So What." It is on the Kind of Blue album, which is a must-have in any serious music library. The "score" for that is in any good jazz collection (or fake book).

No matter what happens, I will not skip Victimae paschali laudes. I just don't want weeks and weeks to go by, so if it is a weak analysis, I would rather post something related, and go back to it. I never promised you chronological analyses!

I am just about done

I am just about done with the analysis of Victimae Paschali Laudes. I want another day or two to go over it, then I will post it. I have a question, though. So far no one has commented on the Kyrie analysis. A couple of other blogs have mentioned it, but I am worried that I was too technical. If anyone has any questions on any of the technical aspects of music, please don't hesitate to ask. If you don't want to ask in public (although everyone knows that music is, as Professor Leiken told his class, a very complicated matter), feel free to email me at EKeilholtz [at] aol [period] com and I will give you a confidential answer (or will post an answer without identifying the person who asked). My goal is to help stimulate conversation about music, and it will not be realized if I lapse excessively into music jargon (a natural hazard of being a music geek).

Will not be doing the

Will not be doing the Friday Five today. Men should not talk about their hair that way. I get it cut three times a year, and am shooting for five this year. So far I have cut it once this year, so I am not doing so well. I do not like it long, and tend to yell at hippies, especially when they ride skateboards and are over the age of 20, but it takes too much time, because my barber is in Tecate, Mexico. I had to break down and go to my second choice barber this year, who is in San Francisco. I am hoping to get my hair cut in Mexico this summer. Then I will get my Christmas haircut in the City. Hmmm. That makes three again. Oh well. Maybe next year.

I did not analyze Victimae

I did not analyze Victimae last night. Sorry. We had rented Road To Perdition and we watched it instead. I wish I had analyzed Gregorian Chant for you instead. Serves me right. Terrible film that does not do justice at all to the book (which is great, by the way - can't remember the names of the author or artist, though, sorry). It featured a crappy score and dull acting, and the core of the film was ripped out, shredded and discarded. Why? The book was a comic book, fer cryin' out loud! The visual element, the pacing, the dialog was all done already. Also, the characters were clearly Irish, but I remember them from the book being immigrants, and far too many of the characters in the film had American accents. A lot of the impact was lost by that unfortunate decision.

I hesitate to say this, as the last time I ranted about an overrated actor, the poor fellow died the next morning, but Tom Hanks is grossly overrated. I am sure he is a swell fellow, a good husband, father, son, cousin, friend, neighbor, etc., but surely there are much better actors out there for the roles he gets. And, I really do not wish him ill!

So, I will work on this Victimae analysis this weekend, in between yard work and house work and all that.

Here's where I stand. I

Here's where I stand.

I am working on the second analysis, this one of Victimae Pascali Laudes. I might add to the Kyrie analysis, but I am frankly not too sure of this new idea, so I am going to mull it over.

The next installment of Cultural Carbon Monoxide is coming. It will also discuss the Baby Boomers, the French Endarkenment, and the Beat Generation. Or maybe not. We'll see, but that is where it is going so far.

The piano versus harpsichord and the rant against Brahms are still on deck, although the rant against Brahms has probably slipped a little bit (as I really do not have a good collection of Brahms scores, for obvious reasons. I don't know when I can get to the UC Berkeley music library).

If I have promised any specific recipes, I don't remember. If you want one, holler.

I have to admit that right now paying writing is taking enough of my late night scribbling time that I cannot spend the time on the Blog. I will plug along the best I can, and should have something new and exciting Thursday or Friday (I never get to work on this on Wednesday, due to the Dante Readers' Group). I really want to get all of the above things done by the weekend, so we can move on in our analyses to a piece of visual art. But, you know, bills to pay, and the newspaper sends me checks!

So tomorrow I may post a couple of little things, depending on my time, and will give you meat later in the week. Thank you for reading and for your patience with my fits and starts!

Oh yeah, we might move the blog. We are now testing Moveable Type, and seeing if I can get comfortable with it. Personally I have always been a linotype man, but we'll see!

OK, someone found my site

OK, someone found my site googling "Rod Dreher + nutmeg" I did not realize that he had a line of spices! Probably some crunchy con thing.

Did you eat kidneys with

Did you eat kidneys with onions last night? Drink Guiness and listen to The Pogues' If I Should Fall From Grace With God at least? Have any idea what I am talking about? It was Bloomsday, of course! Oh well, there is next year. I didn't do the kidneys and onions thing either. Monday is not a good night for a Bloomsday party.

Last night my mother grilled

Last night my mother grilled Portuguese Hawaiian sausages and needed a veggie. I went to the local market and picked up what looked good: an eggplant, a few zucchini, a couple of red bell peppers, and shallots. I scored and salted the eggplant, to drain the bitter juices, then cut it into bite size chunks and sauteed them with thyme in extra virgin olive oil. I salted and peppered them and put them in a buttered caserole. Then I sauteed the bell peppers (cut into strips) and put them in as the next layer. Then I sauteed four garlic cloves, split lengthwise and two shallotts, finely diced and laid them down. I covered them with a layer of grated fontina cheese, freshly cracked pepper, and a drizzling of cream. Then I sauteed the zucchini and added them. Then I cooked a can of organic chopped tomatoes with a half a cup of vermouth and a crumbled bay leaf (and more thyme), until it was thick. I added it and covered with more fontina cheese and cream. Then I baked it in an oven until the cheese browned. Delicious!

We served a Beaujolais Village, as we did not want something fancy, just something fairly robust. It was a good pairing.

Saturday Scruples! I have never

Saturday Scruples! I have never done these before, so....Now for something completely different!

1. You own a restaurant and serve fresh rolls with every meal. Often they're returned to the kitchen seemingly untouched. Do you serve them again?

Yes! Americans are too silly about wanting everything sterilized. By the way, just about any restaurateur will do the same. Don't be grossed out by it, though.

2. In a close fight for re-election, you learn that your rival recently had a nervous breakdown. Do you leak this to the media?

Leak it?!? How about publishing broadsides about it? "The safety of the polis cannot be entrusted to someone who does not have his wits about him! In fact, we will be investigating whether or not this candidate is perhaps a threat to his own and others' safety. Public safetly officials are already on the case. This has nothing to do with the upcoming elections, nor with my own personal feelings towards Mr. X, rather a deep concern for his own well-being."

3. You have a clear view of an attractive neighbor who does yoga in the nude. Do you ask this person to draw the curtains?

No, I call the police! No one should have to watch yoga in the nude.

Friday Five 1. What's one

Friday Five

1. What's one thing you've always wanted to do, but never have?

Build and paint my own harpsichord. Paint a fresco (anyone got a wall they will let me experiment on?).

2. When someone asks your opinion about a new haircut/outfit/etc, are you always honest?

What, are you nuts? Of course not.

3. Have you ever found out something about a friend and then wished you hadn't? What happened?

No.

4. If you could live in any fictional world (from a book/movie/game/etc.) which would it be and why?

I don’t know. I tend to like real places: San Francisco, Rome, Venice, Manhatten. The fictional world never seems to be as interesting. My favorite settings for fiction are real places and real times, described well. I am not even big on places that are utopianist: I find the cities of Brasilia and Canberra (and Washington, D. C. with its fantasy of Roman revivalism, to some extent), for instance to be hideous.

5. What's one talent/skill you don't have but always wanted?

To play the Bandoneon or lute.

So, I gave you the

So, I gave you the first analysis. I will be working on the second one tomorrow night, might even finish it then. If I do, the next thing will be to post the next installment on Cultural Carbon Monoxide. If I have time I will fire a salvo in Harpsichord v piano and rant against Brahms. Since we will be in Sacramento for the weekend, I may not be doing too much, since I am not lugging all my reference works and notes. We'll see what gets done tomorrow night. Meanwhile, read, comment, argue, debate, etc.

Kyrie Eleison from Mass XI

Kyrie Eleison from Mass XI “Orbis factor” (LU 46)
If anything needs clarification or correction, please holler!

Authorship: This setting of the Kyrie Eleison is essentially anonymous. There are many theories on the origin of the melodies and melodic style of the Gregorian chants, but there is scant evidence to support any of these theories. Certainly there was precedence in the Jewish temple service (for an interesting note on the Jewish roots of Catholic liturgy, please see “The Judean Heritage” on pp 25-26 of Grout and Palisca (from here on I will abbreviate Donald Grout and Claude Palisca’s A History of Western Music, Fourth Edition, W. W. Norton, New York and London, 1988 as G & P), noting the influence of Syrian music and Byzantine music as well, although the primary Syrian contribution was in the antiphons (p. 57)).

The name Gregorian chant refers to the role of St. Gregory the Great (ca 540 – 604), who had some undetermined role in writing, codifying, or commissioning some of the chants. As Grout and Palisca point out (p 51), the legend of St. Gregory hearing the chants from the Holy Spirit and dictating them to a scribe could not have been accurate because there was no effective system of musical notation at the time.

Liturgical Background: This Kyrie is a setting for use “For Sundays throughout the Year.” The name “Orbis factor” pertains to another text which was set to this melody later. This melody is still used in liturgies, although I have heard it more often as the melody for “Praise and Honor to You, Lord Jesus Christ” as the substitute for the Alleluia during Lent. I have heard this tune used completely inappropriately in a film, but I cannot remember which one (Name of the Rose perhaps?).

Mode: In modern parlance we would describe this as a natural minor (Aeolian mode), although this is a modern concept (it wasn’t until the 16th Century that this mode (and its corresponding hypomode) was recognized as existing independently). It is more historically seen as Mode I (dorian) with a b-flat. Please note that Gregorian chant is relative, key-wise. Simply because it is written in re (d) does not imply any exact pitch.

The mode system is important to understand, as it forms the basis of all subsequent Western music, from Gregorian chant to whatever is playing on your radio this very minute. It is roughly based on descriptions of how the Greeks organized pitches, but was distorted from the Greek understanding of how to divide an octave by misunderstandings through the years. I am not planning on getting into the nuts and bolts of how the church modes differed from the ancient Greek modes, unless requested. It is a technical matter that is probably beyond the interest of all but a few music geeks (who probably already know it). However, if you want to take the plunge and become a music geek, let me know and I will discuss the differences in modes.

Essentially a mode is a scale, a collection of seven notes, each subsequent one a second from the prior one. What gives modes their character is whether each second is a major (whole step) or minor (half step) second. There are not all-whole step modes until the 19th Century, and fully chromatic scales are never called modes. The other regular scale, the octatonic (whole, half, whole, half, whole, half, usw.) likewise is not found in frequent use in Western music until the 19th Century. What really makes music modal is that the melodies end on the first tone of the mode.

Those modes that have a Major third between the first and third notes are considered Major in character. They include the Ionian, Lydian, and Mixolydian modes (although the Ionian is a modern term). The minor modes (called such because they have a minor third in the first/third relationship) are the Dorian, Phrygian, and Aeolian modes. We will not consider the Locrian, since it exists only in theory, lacking a Perfect Fifth. The Lydian and Mixolydian modes are often found in American and European folk musics. The Phrygian mode with its flat second (which is an interesting animal in and of itself – when we deal with Renaissance polyphony, we will have to look at a Phrygian piece), gives flamenco music its characteristic sound (remember this for when we look at flamenco and the art music that draws from it – but don’t worry I will remind you).

Text: Lord Have Mercy (x3), Christ Have Mercy (x3), Lord Have Mercy (x3). But since this is primarily directed at St. Blog’s parish, I assume you know that. This setting is melismatic, so that each syllable has multiple notes, which is often the case with Kyries. Credos, with their lengthy texts, tend to be syllabic, with one note per syllable.

Ambitus and basic melodic contour: Major ninth. The melody begins on the fifth tone of the Mode, climaxes (in a prolongation of the climax) on the octave of the first tone, and dips to the unraised leading tone (if you will forgive the blatantly tonal language, the concept of leading tone comes later, but basically it means the last note of the mode).

Structure: The tripartite structure is built into the text: Kyrie Eleison (x3), Christe Eleison (x3), Kyrie Eleison (x3). Since the division of the three primary parts is also in three, we could borrow from the language of rhythm and call this a compound tripartite form(or, to borrow rhythmic terms from the 14th Century, Perfect formal tempus and perfect formal prolation, although to use those terms to apply to form is unusual. It can be justified by pointing to Karlheinz Stockhausen’s notes on the continuity of rhythm and form outlined in his “Four Criteria of Electronic Music” (taken from Stockhausen on Music, Lectures and Interviews Compiled by Robin Maconie, Marion Boyers Publishers Ltd. London, 1989). We will get into using these rhythmic and formal concepts later, in our discussion of the 14th Century Ars Nova music as well as the hyperrational total serialism of Boulez, so I will only give the reader a taste of what is to come). To the medieval mind, the perfection came in the division into three, as this is reflective of the Holy Trinity. To echo each acclamation three times gave the sort of marvelous micro-macrocosmic relationship that makes all of Medieval art fascinating.

So, we can start with A:B:A1, as the third iteration of the final set of Kyrie Eleisons is slightly different from the rest. To look at the subdivisions thus far we have A A A, B B B, A A A1. Since each section has a common part, namely the step-wise melisma on each Eleison, we can call that phrase B and give a final form to this as AB AB AB, CB CB CB, AB AB C1B. Note that G & P on their notes to this chant on page 65 consider the C prime to be a completely different phrase, D. The elements of this D are so close to the melodic material of the C (Christe) that we must recognize a unity between these. Overall we can describe this as an arch form, with the beginning and ending virtually the same.

Because of the use of the Christe material in the final iteration of Kyrie, the third section is tied a little closer to the Christe section, providing an extra measure of diversity, and faintly suggesting a sectio aurem relationship (because of it bracketing the first two iterations of the Kyrie in the third section, right where the golden section division would be). Clearly this does not negate the climax of the melody on the Christe, rather it reinforces it by reusing that material later, when it is no longer expected.

The effect on the listener of the form is magnificent, since the whole piece is held together by the stepwise motif used on each Eleison. The Kyrie starts on and repeats the fifth tone of the mode, before leaping to the first tone. As the melody moves to the Eleison, it outlines a triad built on the first tone (contrary to what beginning counterpoint students are told to do in building a good cantus firmus). The mode is strongly reinforced by these elements as well as the cadential formula of 7-1-1. The melody is varied (good balance between stepwise motion and leaps) and contains strong internal logic (working to reinforce the mode, setting up a strong presence on the fifth tone and resolving it after the triadic leaping with a strong stepwise arch), and it is short enough to lodge in the ear’s memory after one hearing. When the Christe comes in, moving almost immediately to the climax, it comes with a triumphant surprise, which, although connected to the other material, provides ample variety now that the ear has completely learned the Kyrie melody.

The climax of the piece is on the word Christe, and it is especially pronounced, since the melody leaps a fifth to land on the note, briefly moves to the lower note, and returns before descending. Since the exact CB pattern is repeated, the climax is actually tripled. Significantly, the word Christe, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, is central to the tripartite arch form. The exact repetition of the motif of the Eleison provides solid grounding through repetition.

When the Kyrie returns it implies a relief, built into the arch form. Lord Have Mercy (ugh!), Lord Have Mercy (a little bit louder), Lord Have Mercy (with some urgency), Christ! Have Mercy!(ever urgenter) Christ! Have Mercy! (I mean it) Christ Have Mercy! (Amen!) Lord have Mercy. Yes. Mercy is being had. Oh, Lord Have Mercy. Lord. Have. Mercy. If you can read that in the tone of voice that I have in my head, you will get it. Otherwise, forgive me for a goofy way of writing.

This Kyrie is a great example of economy in writing. In a few simple lines this piece conveys a rather complex structure with a powerful emotional punch. Note that all of this is accomplished without the use of harmony and with a narrow vocal range!

Again, I see this as a bit of a rough draft. If you notice anything unclear or incorrect or missing or off the wall, please holler and I will make clarifications or corrections and will owe you a martini. At the very least I will try to not make the same sort of errors in subsequent analyses. For the next analysis we will move from the Ordinary of the Mass to the Sequence for Easter, Victimae Pascali Laude (attributed to Wipo of Burgundy), and maybe to the other major Sequences as well, depending on how much Gregorian chant analysis the readers (and the writer) can take. Most of the analytical techniques that theorists hone involve analyzing harmony, so trying to squeeze something out of monophony is a bit of a challenge. Perhaps we will move to something else after Victimae Pascali Laudes and come back to chant afterwards.

I love St. Blog's! I

I love St. Blog's! I get lazy and tell people to hunt down scores and figure out the melody, and then Don comes along and offers it on his blog, here! The Kyrie is a midi file, so imagine it with the text Kyrie Eleison sung (preferably by all male voices, as I think it works best in the lower voice register, but it can be sung by the alti and soprani as well). I am posting the analysis tonight (on the late side, especially for those of you on Atlantic time).

So, thanks are due to Don as well as to Alicia who let me know that this was up there!

Someone appeared with a giant

Someone appeared with a giant box of Lisbon lemons so I spent last night making a megabatch of limoncino. To make limoncino you let the zest from 5 lemons steep in the sun in 2 1/8 cup of vodka or grappa for 8 days, then you filter it and sweeten it with a syrup made from 2 1/2 cups sugar and 2 cups water and color it if you want it yellower. Then you bottle it and let it sit in the dark for a month. Then you store one bottle in the freezer and serve it after big meals.

So, the question is: what do I do with all that juice. I made Italian soda syrup, Melanie is making lemon curd, I am freezing some. But there is still a lot of lemon juice. Does anyone have any ideas? I might make ceviche Friday.

Needless to say, peeling and cutting away pith from lemon zest kept me from the Kyrie, and there is the Dante Readers' meeting tonight, so there will be a slight delay.

I have decided to analyze

I have decided to analyze the Kyrie first and to post it, and then to allow a couple of days for discussion before moving on to the Sequence. Objections?

Also, I may have mentioned

Also, I may have mentioned the dire funding situtation of The National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi in San Francisco. St. Francis a shrine church, not a parish, and lacks the means of support that a parish has. It is managed for the Archdiocese by the Conventual Franciscan Friars of the St. Joseph of Cupertino province as a place of pilgrimage and a place to bring the Gospel to tourists, sailors, visitors, and the many restaurant workers who stop by for a quick prayer or mass. Our liturgies strive to be as close as possible to what Vatican II and the Roman Missal of Paul VI actually ask of us. We have lots of Latin, Gregorian chant, polyphony, all supported by the outstanding Schola Cantorum, which may well be the best liturgical choir on the West Coast.

Unfortunately it is difficult to maintain this liturgy with the transient population that comes through. The archdiocese has its share of financial problems, and the economy is particularly hurting in the Bay Area. If you can afford to send a donation to the friars, without taking away from your own parish needs, wonderful. It will be greatly appreciated. If you cannot, could you please say a prayer to Ss. Cecilia and Gregory and a decade of the Rosary for the intention of our music program. Frankly it will take a miracle to continue to bring this liturgy to the people, and that is what we are asking for.

I am working on some ideas that could help out, but they are long shots, and fall into the category of miracles, too, so prayers on this effort would be greatly appreciated. The nature of these ideas would help the Church and the cause of sacred music everywhere, so they are not just for our local community. Thank you!

THIS WAS EDITED AT AROUND

THIS WAS EDITED AT AROUND 2PM. If you read it before then, please reread. I added some readings and comments. Sorry. I will try to be more organized in the future, but this is numero uno, so it will have rough edges.

Here are some suggested readings from Grout and Palisca (fifth ed) to prepare for the upcoming analysis.

If you are really pressed for time, skip to Chapter 2 and read pp 42 – 72, particularly the brief sections on our “Orbis factor” Kyrie on p. 65 and Victimae Pascali Laudes on p. 71. Then pick it back up at “Medieval Musical Theory and Practice” (pp. 74 – 82), although if you find yourself in over your head, skip it. The first sections describing the Mass will be redundant to most of you, but there are some gems worth rereading. At least the first 15 pages will go fast!

The sections of secondary importance are “The Judean Heritage” (pp 25-26), “Western Liturgies” (pp 28 – 32), “The Dominance of Rome” (pp 32 – 36), “Boethius” (pp 36 – 39).

If you have time for the sections of tertiary importance, please read “The Greek Musical System” (pp 9 – 23) and “Music in Ancient Rome” (pp 23 – 24). If you really want to get into it, you might want to read the first footnote in The Study of Counterpoint from Johann Joseph Fux’s Gradus ad Parnassum, translated and edited by Alfred Mann, W.W. Norton and Company, New York and London, 1965. The information on building a simple melody is scattered through the text, but we get some good basic principles in the footnote. It is not essential to know how to write music in order to understand it, but a good knowledge of the problems encountered by composers is important. Also, we will look at how the actual examples from the Gregorian literature converge and diverge with “the rules.”

If this is not enough reading, ask, and I will be happy to suggest more! If it is too much, don’t worry, as I will try to make the analyses understood by those who have not read the material. There is no test at the end, and how much you learn here will not become part of your permanent record that will follow you for the rest of your life (unless you get the mad urge to get a degree in music or to become a musician or theorist, in which case this stuff will help you immensely).

I may refer to anything in the above readings, but if I do, you can look them up ex post facto and see what I am jabbering about.

If you are not familiar with the concept of mode, I will devote some space to that in the Primer section of the analysis. It is helpful if you can plink the modes out on an instrument, but not essential at this point.

Steven Riddle suggested that we look at other settings of these texts (and other texts that have been set over and over again in different periods, for instance, the Ave Maria), and that is a fine idea. We will look at other Kyrie Eleison settings as well as uses of Victimae Pascali Laudes. Perhaps we should look at a Gregorian “Ave Maria” right after these two chants. That way we have analysis of several chants under our belts before we look at other examples of monophony (the Messaien) and the use of modes (Miles Davis’s “So What?”).

When my comments are down,

When my comments are down, as they were last I checked, you can always get comments to me (specify if they are not for publication) at: EKeilholtz [the funny little "a" with tail sign] aol [period] com. That way conversation does not come grinding to a halt with every whim of the folks who host my comments box.

Mentioning The Musical Offering made

Mentioning The Musical Offering made me take a quick peak at the site, and I found this, a tribute to Joseph Spencer. I met Joseph about a year and a half before he died. I was in the shop talking to one of the clerks about this and that and we got to talking about harpsichords. Now, harpsichordists are weirdos and we tend to seek each other out in a crowd, because we are more comfortable among our own kind. Outsiders tend to make fun of us, for some reason. Well, Joseph was there and it turns out that he is not only a huge fan of early music, but, surprise, surprise, a harpsichordist! Not only that, but we had the same teacher.

I had listened to Joseph's radio show for many years, and it was a treat to meet the man behind the music. I saw him periodically in the shop and had a meeting with him when a few local record labels were trying to get a Bay Area record label association rolling. He was knowledgeable, friendly, dedicated to running a business that was more about serving the common good than making scads of money, in short, a really good guy. He is sorely missed in the early music community, and it is somewhat in his spirit that I am offering the series of musical analyses. The great treasure that is called Western Art Music needs to be nourished and supported in order to continue, and there is little to no money in spreading the joy of music theory. So, those of us who love Western Art Music have a duty and obligation to help spread that joy, as Joseph Spencer did for many years.

One thing that I forgot

One thing that I forgot to mention last night was that a simple soprano recorder is a great instrument for picking out a melody. It is cheap, portable, relatively easy to play, and chromatic. It's main drawback is its narrow ambitus (range). A Yamaha student model is just fine, and can even be used for more serious music (although a serious musician might be ashamed of showing up with a white plastic instrument).

Also, if anyone is stumped finding a score or a recording, please holler and I can suggest resources. Or call the fantastic all-Classical record store in Berkeley, The Musical Offering. I can sing the selections to those who are in the area, but my voice is not exactly, uh, operatic. That is an understatement, actually.

Oh yes, another note of

Oh yes, another note of business. One of our beloved Franciscan priests is being assigned out of state. It so happened that the best time to throw him a party was around the time of the San Fermin party, so I decided to combine the two. The San Fermin/farewell to Fr. Francisco party will be Saturday, July 5th. I will be cooking up food from every country that has a significant role in bullfighting: Spain, Portugal, Basque, Provence, Mexico, Peru, California, etc. Fr. Francisco asked, "what about Minoan?" Well, it is a bit of a stretch, but it gives me an excuse to grill lamb, so we will have that, too. It is basically a barbecue (with paella, gaspacho, sangria and other goodies) that starts in the afternoon and goes into the night. All of St. Blog's is invited, so come one, come all. Every year I threaten to put on bullfight videos, but the closest we get is playing some records of bullfight music. If you are going to come to Oakland from out of town, please let me know so that we can make sure you have a place to stay. Some years we just go wall to wall sleeping bag in the living room, but if there are too many, I may have to negotiate with some friends. If the weather is warm, we can pitch tents in the backyard! I guess we can do that in foul weather as well, though.

Alicia, if this works into you schedule that would be great, but if not, let me know when you will be in town and we will have a smaller dinner party for y'all.

I was going to inflict

I was going to inflict a difficult isorhythmic motet by Machaut on you for our first analysis, but I figured that it is a difficult piece, and that for beginners, I should work up to these things. So I looked through the polyphony literature and had it narrowed down to 12 potential subjects, and then it hit me.

Why not start with a little plainchant? Since there is no harmonic analysis of plainchant I am going to discuss two pieces: The Kyrie from Mass XI "Orbis factor" (listed as Liber Usualis 46 in some editions, also found in Charles Burkhardt's Anthology for Musical Analysis) and the sequence "Victimae Pascali Laude" (found in just about any good hymnal). I am not recommending recordings of either, because just about any professional one will do, and these are so well known that you probably know the music already. I know that the tune from the Kyrie is often used during Lent for a "Praise and Honor" substitute for the Alleluia. These tunes are also so well known that if you are having trouble with them, just about any musician friend can help you.

We will be discussing issues of form, mode, proportion, and looking at what makes these chants so beautiful that they have a perpetual place in the musical memory of Western Civilization. We will briefly discuss performance practice issues and the role of the Benedictines of Solemnes in editing and preserving the chant literature. We will use our discussion of these chants to springboard into a discussion next time of Olivier Messaien's Quartet for the End of Time. I don't have a recording to recommend yet, so if you have the time and resources, you might want to poke around and listen to different renditions of this masterpiece.

So, I will be posting my analysis mid-week. Meanwhile, if you have a chance to sing through the pieces, listen to recordings or musicians performing these, you will be that much better prepared. If you don't get around to it, don't worry, you should still be able to follow along with the discussion. Have fun!

I am very pleased with

I am very pleased with Amalia. Today she was being read to by Melanie, and she got up, took off her pants and diaper and went to her pottie and did her business. 21 Months! If it didn't happen so late in the day, we probably would have had to go to Berkeley for a gelato.

If you have been following

If you have been following the thread about which pieces of music to discuss here and at flos carmeli, you will know that I came perilously close to agreeing to start with Claude Debussy. I backed out, because I think the readers will be better served with a piece of pre-Tonal music. So, I will be hitting my early music library to find a piece. We will get to Debussy, since he is important and has significant links to the other arts, but to jump in and discuss post-Tonal structures without looking at some Medieval polyphony, Renaissance polyphony, tonalism, late Romanticism, well, it would be tough. So we will discuss something like Machaut or de Vitry or Perotin or Leonin or something of that nature.

Meanwhile, it is a beautiful day, and I recommend Joao Afonso's Zanzibar, which I reviewed here.

Well, you have endured a

Well, you have endured a lot of music and art stuff, so here is a recipe:

Pasta with fava beans, pancetta, and tomatoes (I may have given this to you already. If so, I am sorry, here it is again).

Fava beans can be eaten straight out of the pod when they are young and tender. If they are big, older beans, especially if they are starting to get starchy, they will need to be parboiled, refreshed and shelled. When they are ready, dice a big handful of thinly sliced pancetta (about 4 to 6 ounces). Dice a large shallot. Gently fry the pancetta in extra virgin olive oil. When the pancetta starts to brown add the shallot and fry until it is translucent. Add the favas and a generous splash of white vermouth. Simmer with tomatoes (use canned ones until July, then use your own seeded, peeled, and chopped vine-ripened organic heirloom ones) until the beans are fully cooked and the flavors integrated. Adjust for salt. Right before adding to pasta, toss in julienned basil (and fresh diced garlic to taste if you choose). Serve with shaved Reggiano Parmeggiana and a chilled Pinot Grigio or Orvieto Classico. If you are using it as a primo piatto, you can serve the red wine you are serving with the meat.

Buon appetito!

Well, I have the start

Well, I have the start of a good list of suggested works for analysis, thanks to Steven Riddle, as well as a list I wanted to discuss on my own. I am hoping that others will contribute suggestions. The reason I am offering these analyses is that I have heard from several people things along the lines of "I wish I knew a little more about music theory or art theory, but haven't had the time."

So, this should be driven by you. If there is a masterwork that you want to learn more about, ask. I do not have all the answers, but I can offer a framework for analysis and can point to tools for digging deeper. If you follow all of these analyses and participate in the discussions, you should be able to hold your own in just about any discussion of art and music. I do recommend having some good reference books around, as well as making trips to the library for the opportunity to use the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, which is the starting point for all serious research in music. If I could afford it, I would buy a set of this work (and would put it next to the Catholic Encyclopedia, another set I would love to have). But for the layman, a good introduction is the book that is one of the standard texts for undergraduate music history:

A History of Western Music
Fourth Edition
Donald J. Grout and Claude V. Palisca
W.W.Norton and Co., London and New York, 1988.

I give this edition, because it is the one I have. They may be on to a fifth, but I don't know. The companion to this, The Norton Anthology of Western Music is just about essential if you can read music. If you cannot read music, skip it, since it is just a collection of scores and will do you little good.

I will recommend some books for art history as well, but will need some time to think about it. There are several that have various strengths and weaknesses, and I am not sure which are the best. I do not want to suggest buying a whole library here.

I will announce the first work for discussion this weekend (in addition to ranting about Brahms). I will suggest recordings and sources for the score. We will start with music. When we get to painting I will suggest several works and see how many of the participants have had the opportunity to see the work in person. Reproductions just do not cut it, although for many works we will need to rely on them.

I know relatively little about dance, so if you want analysis of dance, you will need to go elsewhere. I am sorry. I like dance, but honestly could not tell you one step from another.

So, over the weekend I do recommend that you get yourself a copy of Grout and Palisca. You will find it a valuable book, and I will be referring to it when we discuss historical issues. As far as a harmony text, if you want to get that far into it, then Piston is fine. To really know more about the nuts and bolts of counterpoint, then Johann Josef Fux's Gradus ad Parnassum is the way to go.

Well, the archives are missing,

Well, the archives are missing, and I will try republishing them later, but after my last misadventure with blogger, I think I will leave well enough alone until the weekend.

Steven Riddle recently posted about his experiences listening to the work of Domenico Scarlatti on the piano and how something was missing. He further discussed the problems of Bach lute suites on the guitar. He is absolutely correct, and I am going to approach this with my bias against the piano momentarily set aside (although I will pick it up again immediately after I hit "Post and Publish" so don't go thinking I am getting cast-ironic on you).

The piano is a percussion instrument. It produces sound by means of hammers striking strings that are held at high tension to a cast iron frame. The sound is big and full. Even with a light touch, the notes ring much longer than on an instrument with a wooden frame. Certain composers compose with specific sound envelopes in mind. Scarlatti was always doing this. He worked with the contrast between delicate melodic lines and crashing chords to provide musical interest. If those elements linger on too long they completely destroy the effect. A pianist will attempt to fudge the effect by manipulating the dynamics, but this is essentially trying to change quality by changing quantity (well, more or less, and that is the crux of my argument against playing any Baroque music on the piano - more on that later).

Even to move certain pieces from the wooden frame fortepiano to the cast iron frame modern piano can devastate the intended sound. For many years I wondered why Mozart's Rondo alla turca was so named. There was nothing very Seljuk about the scales or harmonies. The form and rhythm was Western. Then my music theory professor, the brilliant Russian pianist Anatole Leiken, explained and used the historically informed choice of wood frame fortepiano to illustrate. In the recurring B section, the rolling chords were supposed to emulate the sound of the Janissary kettle drums. Without the excessive ringing of the pitches found on the cast iron instrument, these chords actually soundes drum-like. When the A section came back, the delicacy of the melody was a striking contrast, and we were able to hear this piece like we had never heard it before.

It is the same when I hear a Scarlatti sonata on a piano. The crispness of the chordal attacks is destroyed, and the contrast with the delicate passages is lost. The result is a flabby sounding piece. Vladimir Horowitz's Scarlatti is a horrid sounding example of this flabbiness. Scarlatti's music, when played on a harpsichord (and I cheat and prefer a French or Flemish double manual to the Italian single manual Scarlatti used) shimmers and sparkles like none other.

The one adaptation of Scarlatti that I have found that I like is on accordion. It is a Winter Edition release and is absolutely breathtaking!

Ann fixed it! I break

Ann fixed it! I break it, Ann fixes it. I use boring out of the box templates, Ann fixes it!

If you want Ann to do similar magic on your website, contact her. She is a good worker, has a good eye, and is easy to work with (she puts up with my vague requests and turns them into good looking results). Her site is listed on the links area, but it can be found at PinkMochi.com. Ann is also a great musician, so if you need a top-notch percussionist with years of experience in Japanese Taiko, Korean (sorry, Ann, I forget what that kind of music is called), Western percussion, Indonesian Gamelan, etc., hire her and her husband Jaime, who is also a great percussionist.

However, she has a prejudice against the harpsichord, so be forewarned!

Technical Difficulties. Blogger seems to

Technical Difficulties.

Blogger seems to be on the fritz. Only showing the last entry, etc. Your patience is appreciated!

I think that it is

I think that it is a good time to start my periodic (I am not committing to any particular time period) analyses of art and music. We are getting ready to delve into some heavy duty aesthetics, and I think that the best way to get everyone up to speed is to take a piece of music or a painting and go over it with a fine tooth comb to discuss what makes it beautiful, where it works, where it fails, etc.

Recognizing that not everyone is ready to dig into the collected paintings of Robert Ryman or the music of Webern, I am going to select works that offer some challenge but not to