reading angels
Dec. 3rd, 2021 06:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nnozomiI don't know where I've been lately; working and writing and dealing with small stressful bits of RL, I guess. Semi-hibernating. Eating a lot of roast chestnuts.
・Someone was playing the Liszt sonata on the radio the other night and I was reminded of why I love Seong-Jin Cho's performance of it so much--it's here along with the Berg sonata, one of my very favorite piano pieces, and both performances are just...amazing. His playing is just--big, I don't know how else to put it, the music takes up a huge space, but it's never bombastic or just loud (he's been described as having exquisite pianissimos as well), every note matters. (I would never make a music reviewer.) Really recommend the whole of the Berg--it's only ten minutes--and, for instance, 19:25 or so in the Liszt, where the fireworks go off.
・Along with various Yuletide stuff, I've been slowly and stubbornly putting in at least one or two sentences on book 2 of my original thing every day. It is not easy but at least in the process what I thought was basically an expository scene has developed some interesting interpersonal dynamics that may do fun things with the plot later on.
・The weird high school where I volunteer is in fact Christian-affiliated* and is holding a Christmas service for which they roped in one of the girls in the JSL class because of her good English; they're doing a bilingual reading of the Gospel of St. Luke and she gets the English part. So I spent some time helping her with pronunciation and some of the odder King James words--I mean, a Christian service at a school in a country with only about 3% Christianity, with the gospel read by a non-observant Muslim girl (from Afghanistan via Dubai; her parents said it was okay) and coached by a mostly non-observant Jew. You couldn't make this stuff up.
(For me the text mostly brings to mind Christmas carols (I was a choir singer in US public schools, come on) and the End of Term play. Lois Sanger, this would be your moment.)
*I have qualms about Christian institutions in general, but this school admits anyone regardless of creed, keeps its religious events strictly optional, and seems to consider its mission that of welcoming and supporting kids who might struggle elsewhere, not policing their sexuality, appearance, etc. etc. Works for me.
ETA: a couple of things from my recent WWII diaries rereading. Andrew Biggar, an Oflag POW: "A very bright lad appeared on parade one very cold day with a jersey the envy of all. Within a few weeks 50 per cent of the camp were either knitting or scouring the camp for wool. It was hardly safe to put a pair of socks on the drying-line--the next time you saw them was probably incorporated in your arch-enemy's new spring jumper."
And on the homefront, May Smith the irrepressible elementary school teacher, who has no hesitation following up a diary entry about bombs falling nearby with the metaphorical "Terrible bombshell! Schools are to open in August!".
Be safe and well.
・Someone was playing the Liszt sonata on the radio the other night and I was reminded of why I love Seong-Jin Cho's performance of it so much--it's here along with the Berg sonata, one of my very favorite piano pieces, and both performances are just...amazing. His playing is just--big, I don't know how else to put it, the music takes up a huge space, but it's never bombastic or just loud (he's been described as having exquisite pianissimos as well), every note matters. (I would never make a music reviewer.) Really recommend the whole of the Berg--it's only ten minutes--and, for instance, 19:25 or so in the Liszt, where the fireworks go off.
・Along with various Yuletide stuff, I've been slowly and stubbornly putting in at least one or two sentences on book 2 of my original thing every day. It is not easy but at least in the process what I thought was basically an expository scene has developed some interesting interpersonal dynamics that may do fun things with the plot later on.
・The weird high school where I volunteer is in fact Christian-affiliated* and is holding a Christmas service for which they roped in one of the girls in the JSL class because of her good English; they're doing a bilingual reading of the Gospel of St. Luke and she gets the English part. So I spent some time helping her with pronunciation and some of the odder King James words--I mean, a Christian service at a school in a country with only about 3% Christianity, with the gospel read by a non-observant Muslim girl (from Afghanistan via Dubai; her parents said it was okay) and coached by a mostly non-observant Jew. You couldn't make this stuff up.
(For me the text mostly brings to mind Christmas carols (I was a choir singer in US public schools, come on) and the End of Term play. Lois Sanger, this would be your moment.)
*I have qualms about Christian institutions in general, but this school admits anyone regardless of creed, keeps its religious events strictly optional, and seems to consider its mission that of welcoming and supporting kids who might struggle elsewhere, not policing their sexuality, appearance, etc. etc. Works for me.
ETA: a couple of things from my recent WWII diaries rereading. Andrew Biggar, an Oflag POW: "A very bright lad appeared on parade one very cold day with a jersey the envy of all. Within a few weeks 50 per cent of the camp were either knitting or scouring the camp for wool. It was hardly safe to put a pair of socks on the drying-line--the next time you saw them was probably incorporated in your arch-enemy's new spring jumper."
And on the homefront, May Smith the irrepressible elementary school teacher, who has no hesitation following up a diary entry about bombs falling nearby with the metaphorical "Terrible bombshell! Schools are to open in August!".
Be safe and well.
no subject
Date: 2021-12-03 03:58 pm (UTC)I love that little diaries snippet about knitting.
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Date: 2021-12-04 01:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-12-04 01:51 am (UTC)I don't often listen to Liszt, since I tend to prefer orchestral pieces without major instrument solos, but you reminded me that I keep meaning to branch out at least a little.
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Date: 2021-12-04 07:07 am (UTC)lol, I am not sure about some of those photos. If you watch video performances he's kind of a standard-issue twenty-something to look at, with cute Korean cheekbones ;)
I don't often listen to Liszt, since I tend to prefer orchestral pieces without major instrument solos,
Liszt is not really a favorite of mine either, but I like this sonata, and also the orchestral version of the Mephisto Waltz/Dance at the Village Inn which is great.
no subject
Date: 2021-12-03 04:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-12-04 01:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-12-03 06:40 pm (UTC)Thank you for the music rec in particular!
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Date: 2021-12-04 01:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-12-03 08:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-12-04 01:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-12-04 12:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-12-06 01:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-12-04 01:03 pm (UTC)That's way more than can be said of Polish public schools!
*waves pompoms!!!*
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Date: 2021-12-06 01:05 am (UTC)To be fair, any school in Japan that insisted all its students be practicing Christians would have a really small pool to choose from (and half of them would probably go to shrines at New Years and have Buddhist funerals even so).
and thanks! <3
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Date: 2021-12-05 08:05 am (UTC)I have no experience at all with piano performances, so have nothing to compare it to, but I like it fwiw. :D
You couldn't make this stuff up.
Lol no. But I like it. I grew up in a Christian environment where the town church was tolerant and inclusive as well, and I always think this is how it should be (but sadly almost never is, anywhere else). How lucky was I to have been growing up there?
no subject
Date: 2021-12-06 01:06 am (UTC)Nice of you to give it a try! I think basically when listening to music "I like it vs it's not my thing" is the only criterion that matters, experience etc. no big deal.
I grew up in a Christian environment where the town church was tolerant and inclusive as well, and I always think this is how it should be (but sadly almost never is, anywhere else). How lucky was I to have been growing up there?
That sounds lovely! As you say, how it should be.