I bought the "Hooked On Classics" 3 disc set and a Mitch Miller 3 disc set today for $20 the two. Bringing them home I said to my wife, "There you go, put these away and that's what I want for Xmas." (We often buy what we want for birthdays etc., and make life easy for each other in this way).

Of course, now (as I sit here typing) both are being played at turbo volume because neither of us can wait: one can't wait to give and the other can't wait to receive. But that's part of the joy of Xmas I suppose. "Hooked on Vivaldi" rings out.

Strange, isn't it, that a noise (scraping across cat gut, percussing taut diaphrams, exhaling wind through pipes) at a certain pitch and tone can be arranged in a mathematical schema (for what else is it?) to capture the imagination, stir the soul and fire one's emotions. Tune and melody are underestimated in a lot of modern music.

It's just as strange that the play on the emotions, intellect and heart is exactly what the Christmas story also accomplishes. In a week and a half, I'll be doing the technical production for "The Little Match Girl" play in Wagga (lovely setting in a park). We are one of the few theatre companies who still dare to perform overtly spiritually themed plays yet I would describe both the director and myself as agnostics; but we simply recognise that faith is worth respect.

So, my Xmas stocking will be filled with the music I love and the people I love will be here to share it with me (except I'll also have to cook for them all, the mongrels!). That, and the wish that all my ffavorite Fforumites are healthy and happy, will be Christmas enough for me.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2007 12:35PM by robert.

Congratulations Robert,

It's good to know that some people have their lives organised as far as presents go. Being non-religious, faith requires energy that agnosticism doesn't, we call it the 'Festive and Hangover Season'; 'High Summer feast and stomach ache'; or just a bloody nuisance.

However, this year I think I start to call it 'Ersatz Hogwatch'.

The comment on persons without a religious viewpoint doing things which are overtly religious brings to mind music. I have little time for the demands made by religions but can appreciate all the Mozart, Bach, Telemann, Boccherini, Monteverdi, etc. works which were written for religions. I wonder just how many performers of these works have any strong religious beliefs, but are simply empowered by the creative genius of the composers, etc., to keep performing these works, and seeing the pleasure it brings to others who also appreciate the works but perhaps do not have the skills to be performers. (Like me).

On a comedy record of about 40 years ago someone was playing the part of a non-believer and they were asked how they followed the strictures of agnosticsm and they replied: 'Religiously'.

All the best for your production.

My present is, I hope, being able to walk without pain and to ride my bike again.


And a happy festive season to all.

I see no reason why one cannot indulge in a bit of tradition and ritual because one isn't religious. Ritual is one of the things that makes people, well, people.

Or to avoid annoying members of the family. Like a certain itchy blister. (She is not *that* bad. Really.) And a grandmother.

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

I want a new cello. Mine doesn't project at all, and it's difficult to make it speak in the upper registers. Now, does anyone have around $15,000 to spare? That's only about 7,500 pounds, the way the dollar is going. Sounds reasonable, right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You kids with your long hair and Baroque music...

How long does it take to make a cello mellow?

I seem to remember being told once that a cello or violin wasn't at it's best until after 50 years of careful care... Is that true?
(Grabs the old strad. to check)

If that is true, why don't they just make them earlier?

Or sell them later?

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

I don't think it actually makes a difference. I know that you have to keep playing on an instrument. You can't just keep it in a display case for 50 years and then pull it out and expect it to sound better. And it depends on the make of the instrument. Some instruments depreciate as time goes by, just because they aren't made very well.

Mine has a nice sound, it just doesn't have a very BIG sound. And that makes it a bit hard to play, since it's not doing me any favors. But I've been told it sounds good when I'm playing Classical-era chamber music. I guess that's a plus. I can just keep it on the side and pull it out when my quartet plays Mozart.

I kind of want to keep it anyways. It's my baby. :'(

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You kids with your long hair and Baroque music...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/2007 05:42PM by Tari.

Probably would have a bad tone if it were louder. Just play in smaller venues ^_^

I want the Siggur Ross DVD, apparently it is really beautiful and has lots of Iceland in it.

otherwise, there are these modern devices called "pick-up"s, that admittedly weren't available to Mozart, and a bloody good thing too. And mic-wise, I'm told the Pro 35X is difficult to beat.

(edited to spell some dead-dude's name properly)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2007 12:48PM by Bonzai Kitten.

robert Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > It's just as strange that the play on the
> emotions, intellect and heart is exactly what the
> Christmas story also accomplishes. In a week and a
> half, I'll be doing the technical production for
> "The Little Match Girl" play in Wagga (lovely
> setting in a park). We are one of the few theatre
> companies who still dare to perform overtly
> spiritually themed plays yet I would describe both
> the director and myself as agnostics; but we
> simply recognise that faith is worth respect.
>

I've got the original Hans Christian Anderson stories as they were written, including the Match Girl. I still can't read it without getting a lump in my throat. Ditto the death of Tiny Tim in Christmas Carol, although that always gets me full-blown wailing. These are both very old stories yet still have the power to move, the way they did when they were written. It ties in with your comments on music, Robert - I remember crying my eyes out at the tender age of 8, just because my class were singing the original version of Bleak Midwinter. Ditto secondary school, when a gifted young cellist performed The Swan at assembly, with piano accompaniment. Yeeoww, all those minor chords! The only modern music that gets to me in the same way, is written for films - so long as it doesn't involve Kate Winslett, I'll listen. I've put Legend of 1900 on my wish list for Christmas - it was on TV a while back. Best 'arthouse' movie I've ever watched, with some fantastic set pieces. Critics described it as 'contrived,' and overblown, but it was a movie about a pianist - what did they want, robots with Mig weapons?!
There are several books that explain the 'psychology' of music, and I remember a TV documentary on it a while back, but I always think, when you take all the science away, the only thing left is God.

I have seen cellos played by rock bands, even held over the knee like a guitar, but...with a pick-up? How would you attach them?

tiny adjustable clip on mic and an amp.

The usual way.

Well, yes, that is what I saw. Only I wouldn't equate a microphone with a "pickup". Those I know as beeing magnetic or piezoelectric devices for detecting vibrations.

To amplify a traditional cello, they place a pick-up between one foot of the bridge and the front of the instrument, then run a wire behind the tailpiece, (That's the black triangle-shaped thing at the bottom of the instrument, not sure how familiar everyone is with terminology) where they clip the plug that you would use to hook up to an amp.

Yeah. I could use an amp, but somehow, the director of my orchestra might frown on that.

And cellos sound amazing when they're amped. We can rock out with the best of 'em.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You kids with your long hair and Baroque music...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2007 03:37PM by Tari.

But then you are not allowed to use a bow, right?

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

I think you have to play with your teeth then...

Sorry PH, not up with all the terminology!

There's a church down the block that has bells in its belfry. I think they (the bells) are attached to some sort of computerized thingie. That is, they are not the change ringing sort. They play actual songs, and I don't think any human agency is involved except for the one programming the computer thingie.

But, anyway, my point is, when you are up on a damned ladder, hanging the damned Christmas lights that are not dammit working, and it's getting dark and cold and your fingers keep not doing what they are supposed to be doing, dammit, it is a nice happy thing when the bells start up with 'Silent Night' and stuff like that. Comes right in over the treetops. Lovely...