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Posted on 06/15/2012 5:58:34 PM PDT by AZamericonnie
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Here!
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Our Flag Flying Proudly One Nation Under God
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Lord, Please Bless Our Troops, They're fighting for our Freedom.
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God Bless Our Republic
Prayers going up
Howdy!
IU4b>Aloha Connie!</b>
How things down south? Got humidity?:)
It was humid until today. It’s dry and in the low 80’s. Quite comfy.
Happy Trails to You
Don’t Fence Me in
FATHER’S DAY ONLY 2 DAYS AWAY
With Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, it’s more important than ever to support our troops before one of the most important holidays of the year for men in the military, who are usually family men.
Below is a heartwarming story about some fortunate troops who actually get to be home for Father’s Day this year.
According to the calendar, Father’s Day is Sunday. But for four men who recently returned from overseas tours of duty with our armed forces, the holiday came early this year thanks to their favorite Major League Baseball teams.
The reunions took place at Mariners, Braves, Twins and Diamondbacks games this season. EspnW talked to the teams, the servicemen and the family members to bring you an inside look at how these special homecomings happened.
In each case, the teams came up with a plan, but executing the surprise with so many moving parts wasn’t easy. It took planning, some luck and, of course, some deliberate misdirection, requiring the assistance of friends, family members, team mascots and, in some cases, the umpires working the games.
This is an amazing achievement on the part of these sports teams. They have made this Father’s Day an uplifting and unforgettable holiday for these families. But there are thousands of troops, many of them also fathers, who are still serving bravely in Afghanistan, and they WON’T be home this Sunday to see their families for the
holiday.
Think about the troops that didn’t get the heartwarming homecoming events, the troops that won’t get to come home for another 3, 6 or even 9 months.
Hand over heart & prayers up! *Hugs*
Aloha Bigs! *Hugs*
How are those sweet little Wahines doing? A good week for you?
Oh that IS perfect weather. Whatcha got on tap this evening?
Brahms, Part #2 of 4: The Chamber Music Years
~ Tunes For Our Troops ~
FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT
Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies’ military
and the family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.
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The doors have been open since Oct 7 2001,
the day of the start of the war in Afghanistan.
We are indebted to you for your sacrifices for our Freedom.
{{{G-Pa}}}
Are those requests or code for current events? LOL
So Jo decided to tackle chamber music. The definition of chamber music is that it’s played by one musician per musical part. By contrast, in an orchestra many musicians play the same musical part. Brahms had already written several piano sonatas, a violin sonata that ended up in the fireplace, and the Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in B Major, Op. 8. The original 1854 version was the barely disciplined work of a wild young man, and it never caught on. But Clara loved it. Near the end of his life, Brahms gutted and rewrote it, and that’s the version that is performed today. I’ll cover that version when we get to it.
If you’re going to write chamber music, the first thing you think of is a string quartet. But if you take that path, you run up against the definitive quartets of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Thanks to the work of Robert Schumann when he became the musical executor of Franz Schubert’s estate, the quartets of Schubert, who had died in 1828, entered the repertory, and the final four were impressive, placing him next to Beethoven. Brahms shied away from this genre, fearing “the tramp of giants” behind him. Eventually he did publish a pair of string quartets, but not until he had sent 20 of them to the fireplace.
What Brahms decided to try was an archaic form, the string sextet, which consists of two violins, two violas and two cellos. This makes the ensemble bottom heavy and creates the possibility of a muddy sound. To get around this, Brahms keeps the two violins at the upper end of their range so they can be heard. This is necessary if all six instruments are playing all the time, as they do in this piece. Later, Jo would find a different solution to the formal problem of a sextet.
This is sometimes known as the “Spring” Sextet, and that moniker speaks for itself. By this time Jo and Clara had spent countless hours playing the recently published four-handed piano duets of Schubert, and some of Schubert’s techniques leached into this work. For those who reflexively say, “Chamber music is boring,” you’re in for a treat.
Chamber music audiences tend to be top-heavy with musicians and people who are really into music, so this was a good move by Brahms. The sextet was premiered in October 1860. Brahms’ friend Joseph Joachim recruited a pick-up ensemble of five other players for the first performance, which was very well received. Jo Brahms was back! Now, in addition to the hand-rolled Caporel cigarettes he chain-smoked – rolling machines hadn’t been invented yet – Jo now took up a quality brand of cigar. He was on his way.
He starts with a rolling first subject in B-flat stated on the cellos and then by the whole ensemble. At 1:49 he introduces a transitional section in the remote key of A Major before settling into the second subject at 2:28 in the correct key of F. This is where he learned something from Schubert. This recording skips the exposition repeat and goes into the development section at 3:58. At the end of the development, the cellos hint gingerly at the first subject, and at 6:18 everybody joins in the recapitulation with the first violin playing a counter-melody. Brahms abbreviates the first subject and leads into a heartbreakingly beautiful passage at 6:47 with the first violin going into the stratosphere. At 7:47 the transitional passage appears in D Major, and at 8:26 the second subject returns in the correct key of B-flat. But Brahms saves the best for last. At 9:47 he builds his coda from the first subject and carefully winds it down, until at 10:25 he resorts to pizzicato, building to the finish. (Pizzicato refers to plucking the strings, not bowing them. It doesn’t mean “a little pizza”.)
This video displays the score. For those who have played instruments that use the treble (G) and bass (F) clefs, the viola, and occasionally the cello, use the C clef. That notch in the C clef marks the line that is Middle C.
Brahms: Sextet in B-flat Major, Op. 18, first movement
The second movement is set in theme-and-variations format, and the theme is based on an ancient device, a bass line known as la folia, which was used by many composers to include Beethoven. Brahms writes for the cellos as though they are the Renaissance viola da gamba, a six-stringed cello-like instrument. There is the distinct flavor of Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) in the theme. In theme-and-variation movements, the rule is that the harmony underlying the melody must remain constant in each variation, but everything else is permitted to vary.
The theme is in D minor, and at 1:33 the first variation begins, with the cello taking the theme, followed by the violins, with the other instruments accompanying with chords. At 2:56 the second variation begins with the violins taking the lead while the cellos play chords. At 4:12 in the third variation, the violins break the theme into short fragments while the violas and cellos play arpeggios. One of the conventions is that at least one variation must be in the opposite mode (major versus minor), so Brahms sets his fourth variation at 6:33 in D Major. The fourth variation’s theme has a distinct flavor of “Auld Lang Syne”. At 7:00 the fifth variation, also in D Major, has the violins and violas playing in their upper registers, and they sound like a small hand-pumped church organ, another trick picked up from Schubert. The theme returns at 8:32, and the cello is accompanied by pizzicato strings. It wraps up quietly in D Major.
The picture of Brahms in this video shows how he looked in his Twenties: a blond-haired, blue-eyed young man who was devilishly handsome – and knew it! This recording features a cast of all-stars and was recorded in the Forties.
The very short scherzo in F Major has a country dance flavor to it while the middle section is a wilder dance.
The finale is a beguiling rondo in B-flat. In a rondo, the first theme comes back again and again, with forays into other themes before the return.
Thank you for the tunes. I know that the troops appreciate the music. :-)
Thank you for this great story, Sandy! I love happy endings...especially for our troops! :)
Just a feindly reminder to the Canteen to remember all Veterqans serving.
Now the other one, (hidden code), I estimate will happen before 22 June.
Good evening Kathy & TGIF to you! *Hugs*
Mom & Pop’s doing well? Chores & errands this weekend?
Now the other one, (hidden code), I estimate will happen before 22 June.
Pretty busy week and heading out the door for another meeting......back in a few hours so thanks for the music and see if you can russtle up a tune for me.
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Well done!
So much interesting information....I’ll be reading & listening every chance I get through the weekend Prof & thank you so very much for all your work!
A lot more to come. Next week, Part 3 will address the symphonic years, starting with the German Requiem.
Permission granted & presence requested Conor! *Hugs*
Thanks!
In September 1862, Brahms journeyed to Vienna to play it with members of the Hellmesberger Quartet. Josef Hellmesberger was a hard-bitten old pro of a violinist and nobody’s fool. In a city full of musical intrigue, Hellmesberger was a master intriguer, a man too “shafty” to be co-opted by anybody. Over the years Hellmesberger was to blow hot and cold over Brahms’ music, which was why Clara Schumann despised him. But the two men became heavily involved in each other’s musical lives, which was why Jo was always on his best behavior.
At the rehearsal, Hellmesberger had actually embraced Brahms and told him that he was the heir of Beethoven. The concert at the old Music Guild Hall was well attended by those who wanted to hear to the latest from Robert Schumann’s purported messiah, but the reaction to the piece was cool until the end. Brahms designed the finale to bring the house down, and that’s exactly what it did – and has done ever since. One thing that came from this was the thought that perhaps he ought to move from Hamburg to Vienna.
Schubert had introduced the idea of having three subjects in a sonata exposition, rather than the traditional two. Brahms ups the ante by using four distinct subjects, and because of its length, Brahms opts not to repeat his exposition. The initial theme in G minor starts quietly but goes off on a tear. At 1:59 he introduces his second subject in D minor with a magnificent cello passage. At 2:59 the third subject appears in D Major with the violin and viola playing the same line. (This is my favorite part.) What a theme! Still in D Major, he introduces the fourth subject at 3:43. After wrapping it up quietly, at 5:53 he makes it sound as though he is going to repeat the exposition, but he changes key, and you find yourself in the development section. At 9:10 Brahms executes a wrong-key recapitulation, which confused Clara mightily. The climactic cadence in E-flat at 9:48 will blow you away, and he skips to the third subject, now in B-flat. When he reaches the fourth subject at 10:36, Brahms states it in the minor, rather than the major, and he does it pianissimo with an air of mystery. He begins his long coda at 11:41 using the first subject and building to a climax at 12:29 before winding it down to a sullen and powerful end.
I normally shy away from amateur performances from summer music camps, preferring videos from professionals. But these four teenagers handled it as well any professional I’ve ever heard. The sound quality could be better, but it’s still a very strong performance. You may hear from these kids in a few years.
Brahms: Quartet for Piano and String in G minor, Op. 25, first movement
With such a heavy opening, Brahms doesn’t put his slow movement in second position, but opts for an intermezzo instead of a scherzo. He marks the strings con sordino, which means “with mutes”. This gives the strings a softer, silkier quality. He uses a 9/8 signature and places it in C minor. The theme has a swinging quality to it At 0:53 the violin gets a juicy theme, which sounds great with mutes. At 1:46 he adds a wonderful propulsiveness to the line. The “trio” section begins at 2:50 in A-flat. At 4:19 he returns to the opening theme. At 6:59 there is a short, sweet coda based on the middle section that ends the movement in C Major.
Brahms puts his slow movement in E-flat Major in third position, and it’s in 3/4, but broken up as “one-and-two-and-three-and.” At 3:45 he introduces his middle section in C Major, and it’s a march in 3/4 for toy soldiers. (When Arnold Schoenberg orchestrated this quartet in the Thirties, he turned this episode into a march of the local gauleiter and his storm troopers through the center of town; it’s crass and in bad taste.) At 4:35 there is a surprising excursion into A-flat before returning to C. At 6:01 he collapses the middle section and wends his way back to the opening theme, and when it arrives in the proper key at 7:00, it’s like the sun shining through the clouds. The coda at 8:52 sends the violin into the stratosphere with one of Brahms’ great heartbreaking melodies, which is picked up by the viola and then played by both instruments. All is peace at the end.
This video features four of the greatest virtuosi in the game, a true cast of all stars. Isaac Stern is no longer with us, unfortunately. Watch the idyllic expression on Yo-Yo Ma’s face. The cello lines in this movement are spectacular.
During the days of the Jo and Eddie Show, Brahms had been immersed in gypsy music, and now it paid off in spades. He labels his finale “Gypsy Rondo”, and it’s more fun than any musician should be allowed to have.
The opening theme is laid out in 2/4 and presto in G minor. At 1:02 a second theme in B-flat is introduced with running sixteenth notes on the piano. It’s hard not to smile. At 1:57 the first subject returns, to be succeeded at 2:28 by a czardas in G Major. At 3:13 a slower fourth subject in G Major is succeeded at 4:49 by the second subject, this time in G Major, which at 5:15 returns to the czardas. At 5:37 everything returns to presto and G minor, leading to the dreaded Bar #310, the piano cadenza at 6:08. Brahms does not use phrase lines, only directions as to which hand is to play which notes. Some pianists like to race through this at hyper-speed, but it’s important to understand that after hearing far too much gypsy violin, Brahms wanted to write for gypsy piano. As a result I’ve always believed it’s perfectly acceptable to schmaltz the opening of this cadenza, as long as it doesn’t cross the line into bad taste. Emmanuel Ax does a fine job of giving the cadenza a gypsy flavor. At the conclusion of the cadenza, a variation on the second subject picks up the pace, until at 7:36 the speed picks up to molto presto and the first subject for a mad dash to the finish. Audiences go nuts at the end.
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LOVE YOU CANTEEN DJ'S!!! Thanks for your hard work! GodBlessUSA; mylife; AZAmericonnie; Kathy In Alaska; Ms.Behavin; drumbo; StarCMC; EsmeraldaA; ConorMacNessa; acad1228; LibertyValance; Cindy; Starwise; 50mm; gomez; iron munro; publius (and me) YOU ROCK OUT LOUD!! God bless our troops!!! |
Good evening Spell Gramm & hope you have had a good week! Time to cut a rug!*Hugs*
Thank you Drumbo for sharing a “rappin” Johnny Cash.
Wow! That’s an epic post, maestro! I’ll have to peruse it when I have down time...like at midnight. LOL!
Thanks for your hard work!
It's Tunes For Our Troops!
When I was a child, someone close to me thought they could motivate me to do better by frequently asking me, “Why are you so stupid?” I didn’t know how much this had affected me until I was a teenager and heard someone behind me say, “Stupid!” At the word, I quickly turned around, thinking he was talking to me.
Knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord helped me to realize that because God created me in His image (Gen. 1:27), I’m not stupid but am “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14). God declares that all He has made is “very good” (Gen. 1:31), and the Psalms remind us that we are “skillfully wrought” (Ps. 139:15).
The psalmist David describes how God knows each one of us intimately: “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways” (vv.1-3).
Not only are we wonderfully made, but because of Christ’s death on the cross, we can also be wonderfully restored to a right relationship with God. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation . . . . All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17-18 NIV).
Read: Psalm 139:1-16
~~Tunes For The Troops~~ |
| Thank you Salsa King!:) |
| Want more information about the artists we play? Perhaps you'd like to buy concert tickets or their CDs? Click the links provided at the top of the thread for more information! |
FRIDAY NIGHT VIDEOS
and Special Web Sites
Theme: Nature, Naturally.
Note: Parental Discretion Advised.
*
“Tropical Storm” [ADULT beverage]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBxJoidOnVg
“Virgin Pina Colada” [NON-ALCOHOLIC beverage]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-8zOA9cCM4
“The Beach Boys - Kokomo”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ChADh1zt5I
“Surf Music Retrospective - Then & Now” [Music: “The Chantays - Pipeline”]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25DhzZRXzTs
“Surfing Hawaii: Big Pipeline First Swell!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwr6yMcD7Kk
“Snorkeling - Hanauma Bay Park Oahu” [Music: “The Brim - Restruct]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqkrzP3kMnw
“IMAX Coral Reef Adventure 1080p”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag9n-YYH-BI
“Abstract Flower and Landscape Painting of Mario Zampedroni”
[Music: “Wim Mertens”]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Sxy8NU7Dx4
“Natural Scenery Oil Paintings - BeyondDream Art”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss3pQHMSL1w
“Sky Dancing - Patrick Watson”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j1nMp1kHPg
“Relaxing Classical Bach Music”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kvWClaJKd8
“Australia: Lord Howe Island: Paradise Found”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqWOrHAwSSI
“RELAX TV… Relaxing music and visuals taken from the
official ‘Caribbean Lounge’ film.” [3 hours and 35 minutes long]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FLNAkecsxI
~
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Helloooooo Luvie! Didja have a good week? Sell lots of jewelry? Glad you got some rain! *Hugs*
Thanks for the salsa for the troops to enjoy. ((HUGS))
Marking it on my calendar Sandy!
May God bless all our troops who will are serving & away from their families this year.
I have no idea why I didn’t make it a Father’s Day music tribute this weekend. I need a new brain or a handler! :)
Howdy, (((Connie)))
Have had a really good week and we are rockin’ the jewelry!
Thanks...we are so happy to see it coming down like it did.
It’s cloudy tonight and I’m greedy enough to want more! :)
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