What are you reading now?

[Peter]

Tonight I'm starting to re-read Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina", following a discussion on a televised "Book Show". I haven't touched it since post-graduate studies but my son, aged 34, thinks this the most wonderful book ever written and has read it twice. I look forward to a long, possibly intermittent, journey with this one...

I'm also reading Tolstoy - 'A confession' in which he renounces his past works, especially Anna Karenina!! Actually I also very much enjoyed the novel, certainly brilliant, but I still prefer War and Peace.

[Bonn1827]

Tonight I'm starting to re-read Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina", following a discussion on a televised "Book Show". I haven't touched it since post-graduate studies but my son, aged 34, thinks this the most wonderful book ever written and has read it twice. I look forward to a long, possibly intermittent, journey with this one...

[Quijote]

An interesting artricle here for those that place great store in "hardware" (Bechstein, Steinway, Yamaha, Stradivarius, etc.).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010...ri-violin-sale

[Quijote]

Oh earlier Philip - I seconded Pushkin's duel, I thought you knew?!

I had rather imagined you were challenged to "pistols at dawn" by Hanslick himself after you had been slightly heretical about Brahms.

[Peter]

Pistols at dawn? I never realised you were so old, Peter. Mid-to-late 19th century?

Oh earlier Philip - I seconded Pushkin's duel, I thought you knew?!

[Quijote]

[...] I once had such scorn poured on my essay 'Brahms, the German master' in which I sought to prove he was not THE German master that it nearly resulted in pistols at dawn - looking back I realise I took things a bit too seriously in those days!!

Pistols at dawn? I never realised you were so old, Peter. Mid-to-late 19th century?

[Peter]

Seems we have yet another aspect in common - I have always greatly admired Hardy's novels. I do not say "great minds think alike", but maybe "birds of the same feather flock together", which is why we enjoy sparring with each other (as certain birds do tend to "peck each other" when in confined spaces).
For me, the two novels I particularly like are "Far From the Madding Crowd" and "Jude the Obscure". There was a great film made of "Far from the Madding Crowd" starring Alan Bates and Julie Christie, with excellent music by Richard Rodney Bennett (not sure of the spelling, here). If ever I need a quick example of what "pastoral" means in music RRB would be my choice (after LvB, of course).
At school I had to study Hardy for my A-level English exam, plus TS Elliot (yawn, can't remember the work, something to do with God) and the "Terrible Sonnets" of Gerald Manley Hopkins. I remember writing an excellent essay that tried to link GMH's "Terrible Sonnets" with LvB's late string quartets, but the teacher gave me a poor mark for my insights. The curse I laid on him still stands today...

I knew behind that ultra-modernist cubist concrete facade lurked an old fashioned Romantic yearning to burst out!! Yes the Alan Bates/Julie Christie is one of my favourite films - (forget the ghastly modern remake - why do they bother?). You're not alone in having your 'excellent essay' rewarded by a complete lack of recognition of genius - I once had such scorn poured on my essay 'Brahms, the German master' in which I sought to prove he was not THE German master that it nearly resulted in pistols at dawn - looking back I realise I took things a bit too seriously in those days!!

[Quijote]

Thomas Hardy's 'Return of the native'.

Seems we have yet another aspect in common - I have always greatly admired Hardy's novels. I do not say "great minds think alike", but maybe "birds of the same feather flock together", which is why we enjoy sparring with each other (as certain birds do tend to "peck each other" when in confined spaces).
For me, the two novels I particularly like are "Far From the Madding Crowd" and "Jude the Obscure". There was a great film made of "Far from the Madding Crowd" starring Alan Bates and Julie Christie, with excellent music by Richard Rodney Bennett (not sure of the spelling, here). If ever I need a quick example of what "pastoral" means in music RRB would be my choice (after LvB, of course).
At school I had to study Hardy for my A-level English exam, plus TS Elliot (yawn, can't remember the work, something to do with God) and the "Terrible Sonnets" of Gerald Manley Hopkins. I remember writing an excellent essay that tried to link GMH's "Terrible Sonnets" with LvB's late string quartets, but the teacher gave me a poor mark for my insights. The curse I laid on him still stands today...

[Peter]

Thomas Hardy's 'Return of the native'.

[Sorrano]

Admit it Sorrano, you are that anonymous composer mentioned in the article, aren't you?

You would not be alone in that presumption.

[Quijote]

Again, a fine piece of football journalism. For the football fans on this forum, read it closely and reflect :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/b...-fabio-capello

Anyway, now that the Germans have crushed us (I mean you, the English, damned-Albion and all that) yet again, I am happy to relate that I have ditched my English flag (thank you, Dad) and switched to my mother's, Spain. So hard to be bi-national. And I don't really mind who wins or loses, but please Ludwig, let it not be Holland. Roehre loves me, really he does.

[Quijote]

Actually, this new concerto even "out-minimalises" LaMonte Young's famous early 1960s minimalist piece (the title escapes me for the moment) for Hammond organ. The performer's score bears only two notes (B and F-sharp / perfect 5th) with the instruction : to be held for a very long time.

[Quijote]

That's pretty funny!

Admit it Sorrano, you are that anonymous composer mentioned in the article, aren't you?

[Bonn1827]

Our soon-to-be-ex Prime Minister was described in parliament this week as "a human Vuvuzela"!!! Love it!!

[Sorrano]

Here's what I have just read (a new concerto in B-flat for football fans) :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010...uzela-concerto

Dig the quote from Chaucer in this article : "As Chaucer rightly said, 'Vile brass emanating from the Devil's arse.'"

That's pretty funny!