Some Debussy and Bach

I had the privilege of playing for the inauguration of the newly-donated piano in a church in downtown Toronto. Despite the weather being ridiculously gloomy (it was not really raining, but it was very much not dry), the day was extraordinarily beautiful; although I've never considered myself especially religious, the service was lovely and the people were very kind. What a wonderful day!

I played some Bach and Debussy. The pieces can be listened to in the YouTube links below. 

Here is Debussy's Arabesque  no. 1 from Deux Arabesques, as played by the master Walter Gieseking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmDfLZSWlKI

And here is a beautiful performance of J.S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in E-major from Book One of the WTC by Dominique Kim at the 10th International Russian Music Piano Competition. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSOdUHiiXiU

Enjoy!

The Ballad of King Leir and His Three Daughters

Starting to study for exams has reminded me how much I love the course material and specifically, Shakespeare's King Lear. While I bask in Will's beautiful eloquence (Who am I kidding? Considering I am not an actress, it is somewhat absurd how many lines I am capable of reciting verbatim.), I just thought I'd share a ballad based on King Lear, or Leir, if you go by one of the pre-Shakespeare spellings of his name.

Here are the lyrics below.

A Lamentable Song of the Death of King Leir and his Three Daughters

TO THE TUNE OF 'WHEN FLYING FAME'

King Leir once ruled in this land
With princely power and peace;
And had all things with hearts content,
That might his joys increase.
Amongst those things that nature gave,
Three daughters fair had he,
So princely seeming beautiful,
As fairer could not be.

So on a time it pleas'd the king
A question thus to move,
Which of his daughters to his grace
Could shew the dearest love:
For to my age you bring content,
Quoth he, then let me hear,
Which of you three in plighted troth
The kindest will appear.

To whom the eldest thus began;
Dear father, mind, quoth she,
Before your face, to do you good,
My blood shall render'd be:
And for your sake my bleeding heart
Shall here be cut in twain,
Ere that I see your reverend age
The smallest grief sustain.

And so will I, the second said;
Dear father, for your sake,
The worst of all extremities
I'll gently undertake:
And serve your highness night and day
With diligence and love;
That sweet content and quietness
Discomforts may remove.

In doing so, you glad my soul,
The aged king reply'd;
But what sayst thou, my youngest girl,
How is thy love ally'd?
My love (quoth young Cordelia then)
Which to your grace I owe,
Shall be the duty of a child,
And that is all I'll show.

And wilt thou shew no more, quoth he,
Than doth thy duty bind?
I well perceive thy love is small,
When as no more I find.
Henceforth I banish thee my court,
Thou art no child of mine;
Nor any part of this my realm
By favour shall be thine.

Thy elder sisters loves are more
Then well I can demand,
To whom I equally bestow
My kingdome and my land,
My pompal state and all my goods,
That lovingly I may
With those thy sisters be maintain'd
Until my dying day.

Thus flattering speeches won renown,
By these two sisters here;
The third had causeless banishment,
Yet was her love more dear:
For poor Cordelia patiently
Went wandring up and down,
Unhelp'd, unpity'd, gentle maid,
Through many an English town:

Untill at last in famous France
She gentler fortunes found;
Though poor and bare, yet she was deem'd
The fairest on the ground:
Where when the king her virtues heard,
And this fair lady seen,
With full consent of all his court
He made his wife and queen.

Her father king Leir this while
With his two daughters staid:
Forgetful of their promis'd loves,
Full soon the same decay'd;
And living in queen Ragan's court,
The eldest of the twain,
She took from him his chiefest means,
And most of all his train.

For whereas twenty men were wont
To wait with bended knee:
She gave allowance but to ten,
And after scarce to three;
Nay, one she thought too much for him;
So took she all away,
In hope that in her court, good king,
He would no longer stay.

Am I rewarded thus, quoth he,
In giving all I have
Unto my children, and to beg
For what I lately gave?
I'll go unto my Gonorell:
My second child, I know,
Will be more kind and pitiful,
And will relieve my woe.

Full fast he hies then to her court;
Where when she heard his moan
Return'd him answer, That she griev'd
That all his means were gone:
But no way could relieve his wants;
Yet if that he would stay
Within her kitchen, he should have
What scullions gave away.

When he had heard, with bitter tears,
He made his answer then;
In what I did let me be made
Example to all men.
I will return again, quoth he,
Unto my Ragan's court;
She will not use me thus, I hope,
But in a kinder sort.

Where when he came, she gave command
To drive him thence away:
When he was well within her court
(She said) he would not stay.
Then back again to Gonorell
The woeful king did hie,
That in her kitchen he might have
What scullion boy set by.

But there of that he was deny'd,
Which she had promis'd late:
For once refusing, he should not
Come after to her gate.
Thus twixt his daughters, for relief
He wandred up and down;
Being glad to feed on beggars food,
That lately wore a crown.

And calling to remembrance then
His youngest daughters words,
That said the duty of a child
Was all that love affords:
But doubting to repair to her,
Whom he had banish'd so,
Grew frantick mad; for in his mind
He bore the wounds of woe:

Which made him rend his milk-white locks,
And tresses from his head,
And all with blood bestain his cheeks,
With age and honour spread.
To hills and woods and watry founts
He made his hourly moan,
Till hills and woods and sensless things,
Did seem to sigh and groan.

Even thus possest with discontents,
He passed o're to France,
In hopes from fair Cordelia there,
To find some gentler chance;
Most virtuous dame! which when she heard,
Of this her father's grief,
As duty bound, she quickly sent
Him comfort and relief:
And by a train of noble peers,
In brave and gallant sort,
She gave in charge he should be brought
To Aganippus' court;
Whose royal king, with noble mind
So freely gave consent,
To muster up his knights at arms,
To fame and courage bent.

And so to England came with speed,
To repossesse king Leir
And drive his daughters from their thrones
By his Cordelia dear.
Where she, true-hearted noble queen,
Was in the battel slain;
Yet he, good king, in his old days,
Possest his crown again.

But when he heard Cordelia's death,
Who died indeed for love
Of her dear father, in whose cause
She did this battle move;
He swooning fell upon her breast,
From whence he never parted:
But on her bosom left his life,
That was so truly hearted.

The lords and nobles when they saw
The end of these events,
The other sisters unto death
They doomed by consents;
And being dead, their crowns they left
Unto the next of kin:
Thus have you seen the fall of pride,
And disobedient sin.

Skating with Colour

I adore figure skating. While I don't have the chance to do much figure skating myself, I still enjoy watching the artists at work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOyrvFE-OZo&feature=player_embedded is a beautiful and inspiring combination of visual art, dance, figure skating, and music. Regina Spektor's "Après Moi" is a lovely song, and Oksana Domnina and Maksim Marinin are amazing figure skaters and amazing artists!

When the Leaves

A few of my friends performed some Ingrid Michaelson at school little while ago. With the winter season coming, I thought that their choice of "When the Leaves" was particularly fitting. The lyrics are gorgeous.

When the leaves turn brown
And they cover this lonely town
And I miss your kiss
When the leaves turn brown.

When the snow comes down
And it covers this lonely town
Then I miss your kiss
When the snow comes down.

On Christmas evenings like this
I wonder if it’s me you’ll miss
When Christmas carols fill every space
And I think of your hands upon my face

When the trees come down
I’m sweeping needles up from the ground
And I miss your kiss
On a Christmas night like this
On a Christmas night like this
On a Christmas night like this.

The YouTube link is http://www.metrolyrics.com/when-the-leaves-lyrics-ingrid-michaelson.html#
Enjoy!

Cello Choir at Music Night!

Last week, the Cello Choir performed for students, parents, faculty and staff at our school's Music Night. We played "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica (arranged for four cellos by Apocalyptica). "Nothing Else Matters" is a beautifully powerful piece, and I hope that you all enjoy listening to it here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbTozgoj9OQ

We hope to perform it again in the upcoming weeks, along with Fauré's "Dans Les Ruines d'Une Abbaye" and traditional tune "Londonderry Air (Danny Boy)" arranged for three cellos.

Here is "Dans Les Ruines d'Une Abbaye." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOgyCbxwSuo

Just some thoughts on careers

Course selection for the next school year is coming up, and to be honest, I have no idea what I am doing. Like so many others in my school and around the world, I don't have a long-term plan. I don't know what program I want to go into. I don't know what University I want to go to. I don't know what country I want to live in. I don't know what job I want to have. I can't say to myself, "This is where I will be in five years" because I don't know where I'll be and what I will be doing. I hardly no who I am now, let alone who I might become.

Still though, I can't help but remember all those times in grades 1, 2, and 3 when people would ask all us little kiddies, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" And of course, the boys would reply with police man, fire fighter, doctor, etc. and the girls would happily say ballerina, teacher, nurse, princess (WHAT?), etc. We have all these stereotypes about who we should be and who we should become, but I leave the concepts and implications of gender stereotypes to be talked about on another day.

I do remember though, that I wanted to become a pianist. And everyone laughed. It could have been because I had said pianist a little strangely (and it probably sounded something like penis at the time... speaking of which, I only just realized this a couple seconds ago, haha), but I had internalized it as laughter against my hope to become a musician. I still don't know whether I want to be a musician or not, but I do now know that it shouldn't matter what other people think. If I want to become a pianist or a cellist or a music teacher or an ethnomusicologist or a musical therapist or a physist or music-related engineer then by all means, I should not let their laughter get in the way! Because music is my life, and if I love it and make it my profession, I will be simply living and laughing and loving each and every day. Work no longer becomes tedious work. Work instead becomes play.

And that's the beauty of doing what you love. So remember, whether it's music or anything else for you, do what makes you live laugh love, and good luck with your good life.

Mendelssohn

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 - 1847), known to most English speakers as simply Felix Mendelssohn, was nothing less than a genius. Born in Hamburg, Germany, this incredible pianist, organist, conductor, and composer created brilliant masterpieces during his lifetime. All of his works are worth listening to, but if you're going to just pick a couple, I'd recommend hearing his beautiful "Andante and Rondo Capriccioso" for solo piano (also on the RCM ARCT repertoire list, by the way), his very virtuosic "Violin Concerto in E-minor, Op. 64," and his well known Overture to Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

They're brilliant, so get out and listen to them!

Or stay inside, by your computer, and have a listen to these YouTube links.

Andante and Rondo Capriccioso:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQngHGBI4ak

Violin Concerto in E-minor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCLxso5XDN4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_3PJf4lAj0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr0ixoV8mtc
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y2qZRocdXYU

Overture to "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h1MGAlkqno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37mLJzAsOEs&feature=related

Happy listening!

Medley!

My friend and I are making a medley for our Music Exam! We're going to be using piano and cello, but we don't know what songs to use -- any requests?

So far, we're starting off with "Love Story" by Taylor Swift, and then transitioning into "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. We're thinking of including "Viva la Vida" and maybe some songs by Train. What do you think?

Looking forward to this! :)

Beatstock, our coffeehouse music event

On Friday, February 5th, 2010, around 140 students from various schools will be coming together to celebrate music as we listen to student singers, bands, and other groups perform at Beatstock, our coffeehouse music event.

All proceeds raised will be used to support Beatz to da Streetz, a youth-led arts program that changes the lives of underprivileged teenagers through music. Beatz to da Streetz uses the power of music to promote those values through creative expression and self-discovery. The program reintegrates youth with their communities and provides support for achieving long-term livelihood development. Unfortunately, it is an under funded organization and is in need of support to expand and maintain their services.

At our coffeehouse, we will generate change with music as we build our community while helping Beatz to da Streetz.

You're welcome to come to this event! Check out our Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=243994357019&ref=mf

For more information on Beatz to da Streetz, view their website:
http://beatztodastreetz.blogspot.com/

If you have any questions, please leave a comment. :)

Thank you!