Sila Blume
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“Don Carlo” (Verdi) premiered on this day in 1867
Verdi’s grand opera Don Carlos is a story of love and devotion conflicting with political and religious upheaval. Lost on a hunting expedition, Elisabeth de Valois runs into the young Prince of Spain, Don Carlos. They immediately fall in love, and are delighted to find out that they are actually betrothed. Their happiness is not…
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On a somewhat guacamole way
In given amounts and ratio, ingredients will yield culturally expected results. And yet, they remain their own essence, and a greatness in food and the palate experience is that a culture may dictate on a certain dish, and the individual may be a scientific or creative visionary but each ingredient its independent dimension.
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The Life You Give: Henry Cowell *1897
Of all the early twentieth century American musical revolutionaries, perhaps composer Henry Cowell wielded the most vivid and far-reaching influence. Born in 1897 to a rural California family, Cowell began to study the violin at age five, though his parents’ hopes of creating a prodigy on the instrument remained unfulfilled when the lessons had to…
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The Life You Give: Arthur Honegger *1892
Born in France to Swiss parents, Arthur Honegger was a major twentieth century composer whose musical style was more cosmopolitan than either French or Swiss. An almost exact contemporary of Prokofiev (1891-1953), he rivaled Poulenc as the most successful member of Les Six and was without doubt among the greatest French composers of his day.…
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When lips to a mind of music speak…
why speak words? Are they speaking due to their own music limits? Do they speak because they are externally asked to convey words, while they have already conveyed music? Are words explanation? Does music need wording? Is music whole through explanation? Why the needy libretto? Who needs who? Is poetry the pursuit of completion?Is the…
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Amazement I & II
To be amazed is quite a unique thing. At the experienced moment, it feels as if it can not be replicated. The awe is in part the acceptance that it will not happen again. Then, it happens again…
Sila Blume 