And here we have the Modes so noted. (Yes, couldn’t resist.) However, I had never heard of them before. But I did leave music school years ago, and the refresher training a few years back. And I have never been one for the technical side of it. Looking up the definition didn’t help much. There are modes in math also, which makes sense. In the end though, I’ll leave this behind and not carry it with me. It’s enough sometimes, to know that something exists.
When you are immersed in something, all aspects of it are a part of that whole, the whole of it that you love. In books it’s the scent of new books, the scent of old books, books to be read, books already read, stories of authors, stories of stories, manuscript pieces, marginalia. I have several moleskin notebooks. I have Blackwing pencils and a hand sharpener. I have good pens, used pens, old pens—those that perform well. And a trunk full of my own writing. All of these things, sacred.
In music it’s the same. Even the photos of music scores. I have my childhood music books and my current books. I have the flute my son used to play. I have an old manual metronome. Books about Glenn Gould. (Of course his records.) And here, above, is something I ran across on the internet, so I had to print it. I wish I had the real thing here, to hold in my hands and place on the piano stand. In the meantime, a photo will do. Isn’t it beautiful?
P.S. 1. There were more words attached; there were more posts and pages; Nothing Worked Right! Maybe later. I could not Save or Publish. But Titles to the posts published.
P.S. 2. I have no idea what the Likes were seeing.
This one goes out to a brave and stoic girl I know. Courage by Villagers:
So here’s my pal, Ludie—The Sicilian. And here’s what he had to say about himself: “You People who think or say that I am hostile, stubborn, or misanthropic, how greatly you wrong me. You have no idea of the secret reason which makes me seem that way to you.” Of course his secret was that he was deaf.
His very dedicated fans like to call Beethoven “The Sicilian” because of his dark appearance and the looks of someone from Sicily. Those very passionate fans struggle with the stories of how badly he treated his nephew. There were also rumors about the time that Ludwig was given the care of his nephew, that the child was actually his own son, having had an affair with his brother’s wife. Beethoven did mistreat his nephew as there appears to be enough evidence to substantiate that. However, there has not been anything to prove that the nephew was anything other than just that—a nephew.
The music world generally considers Beethoven to be the greatest composer who ever lived.
So I read the book. Then I listened to all of the music. Then I looked up all of the social media places. Maybe that’s not the correct order for everything, but anyway. This is a tough book to categorize. It’s not for mainstream reading, but it certainly is a Read. It’s not going to appeal to everyone but it appeals to so much: music, madness, obsession, abuse, determination beyond imagining. I give it an A. But and then, you must read portions inside before the purchase. It’s not something you’d give as a present to everyone. But a present it is.
Writers Ink—Writing and Stuff 