What are you reading now?

[Preston]

I've stopped myself by taking up gardening...

I too, quite like gardening. Soon we will be planting the spring/summer vegetable garden and an herb garden. I am not too experienced in gardening, though hope to learn more.

That and I am reading nothing worth noting, .

[Quijote]

Words, words ... Some people have problem with words. It's sure that music is better, more direct (whatever the idiom, whatever the genre) but in the interim, I need words to control the world. Dig?

[Quijote]

Though I also mispelt "rhythm" in my edit above, which you didn't pick up on, though I will let it stand as witness to the Quixotic futility of my existence. Or something like that.

[Quijote]

I'm still struggling with "Beowulf". I'm not going to get anywhere if I keep watching "rubbish" like "Terminator 2".

(Signed: Dr Jekyll)

Thank you for the oblique spelling correction, Michael.

[Michael]

I'm still struggling with "Beowulf". I'm not going to get anywhere if I keep watching "rubbish" like "Terminator 2".
Shakespeare is a little easier - and he isn't even brought up to date "Beowulf".

[Quijote]

No but I'm gradually turning my garden into a forest with more plants than places to put them! Having said that, you're right the shed is full of all sorts of implements that Cromwell would have found handy!

Ah, the trials and tribulations of an English country Gentleman ... Luckily, I don't have a garden, but I do have a nice, long and wide 3rd-floor balcony that looks out onto the cathedral (which functions as my alarm clock, I'll have you know). I do hope I'm not giving away too much personal information, one never knows, there are so many "internet crazies" (you know, those with two personalities, Jeckyl and Hyde types) who may try and track me down and chainsaw me to pieces.

[Peter]

What, you're compulsively buying lawnmowers, chainsaws and other gardening tools and now have an extensive collection of those too?

No but I'm gradually turning my garden into a forest with more plants than places to put them! Having said that, you're right the shed is full of all sorts of implements that Cromwell would have found handy!

[Quijote]

Here's a book I have been urged to buy by a poster on another forum (there'll be no advertising of that other forum here, thank you) : Alban Berg and His World. I'm afraid the poster didn't give any publisher details, but one can get those via internet search. I might give it a go, once I have finished reading Mahler and His World.

[Quijote]

I was the same and as a result have a pretty extensive collection of books and cds - I just love second hand bookshops and Amazon makes it all too easy these days - I've stopped myself by taking up gardening (oh dear, age must be creeping up!) but I realise I'm doing the same there, in fact it's costing me a whole lot more!

What, you're compulsively buying lawnmowers, chainsaws and other gardening tools and now have an extensive collection of those too?

[Peter]

Fair enough. Well worth the read, though. I have few vices, but compulsive book and CD purchases is one of them, even though I have access to excellent library, CD and score resources.

I was the same and as a result have a pretty extensive collection of books and cds - I just love second hand bookshops and Amazon makes it all too easy these days - I've stopped myself by taking up gardening (oh dear, age must be creeping up!) but I realise I'm doing the same there, in fact it's costing me a whole lot more!

[Quijote]

I often see this in second hand bookstores but I always think it way overpriced so haven't purchased yet [...]

Fair enough. Well worth the read, though. I have few vices, but compulsive book and CD purchases is one of them, even though I have access to excellent library, CD and score resources.

[Peter]

Mahler and His World, (Ed. Karen Painter), Princeton University Press, 2002.

I often see this in second hand bookstores but I always think it way overpriced so haven't purchased yet. I'm still struggling through van Gogh's letters which aren't really grabbing me that much - interesting in parts but he does go on!

[Michael]

I have seen it spelt both ways too so what is the correct way? I don't know but I pronounce it Tch-kow-ski. Sounds like we're doing a lot of phonetics here! And don't get me started on pronouncing 'Beowulf'!

I hope I haven't spread Composer Pronunciation Paranoia!

I think I'll calm down and listen to some Aytor Veeya Lowbush - sorry, that should be Heitor Villa-Lobos .

[Quijote]

Mahler and His World, (Ed. Karen Painter), Princeton University Press, 2002.

[Joy]

This should be a thread of its own but one last query:

Am I the only one who pronouces the "v" in Tchaikovsky? Maybe I'm mishearing, but most radio announcers say "Tchai-kos-ky". Isn't it sometimes spelt "Tchaikowsky?" Or is it a mixture of the two?

(Just to keep the moderators happy: Q. What am I reading? A. I am still reading "Beowulf").

I have seen it spelt both ways too so what is the correct way? I don't know but I pronounce it Tch-kow-ski. Sounds like we're doing a lot of phonetics here! And don't get me started on pronouncing 'Beowulf'!