Lux Apollo

Something rather introspective tonight - Johann Kapsberger's Toccata Arpeggiata (1604). David Tayler, the performer writes this of the piece and performance: Musicological Notes: My reconstruction of the style of playing the lute in the first decade of the 17th century is based on a study of the many different musical genres from the time, including the keyboard and lute toccatas, the violin sonatas and the wide variety of vocal music, including the Littera Amorosa. Early keyboard and lute music reveals a dizzying array of arpeggiation patterns, with very few written-out works that use a relentless or uniform approach. Another feature of this early 17th century style is that the music almost always has contrasting sections, and this feature is present in both vocal and instrumental works. Chord patterns, arpeggios and melodic fragments are combined to form these sections, as well as provide small ritornellos. Echo, piano and forte effects, which were just starting to be used (Monteverdi, 1607) are added with gradations, within the small but present dynamic range of the lute. Literary influences for my interpretation center around the poetical forms in vogue 1600-1610, including the sonnet and especially the freer and rhythmically complex form of Gabriello Chiabrera: rhymes, lines, line breaks and rhyming pattern are woven into the musical fabric. Perhaps such a style must have existed in order for later composers to imitate it; there are many ways to interpret Kapsberger, and I hope to see many more versions by my colleagues.

I feel I should say more, but I don't really have anything but right now.

Hawt. Definitely the distraction interlude we needed to break the tension before we get tossed about by what you'very planned next.

More piano stuff tonight, but I'm gonna break the rules a tad. I thought the Montréalais composer Francois Morel had passed on, but he's still hanging in there at 90 years of age and still composing! I'd like to present his Deux études de sonorité (1954). I played the first one as a rep piece when I was 19, and wanted to work on the second one in my first year of my music degree, but my piano instructor had other things in mind. I switched to harpsichord full time the next year, so I've been sitting on it ever since... Anyway, I love these pieces. They do exactly what the title says, and do it with gusto. They are modern but melodic and with some touches of jazz harmonic flair thrown in here and there. I hope you find them as compelling as I do. I've chosen recordings by Valerie Tryon, a British-born Canadian pianist that teaches at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. I had the privilege of attending a masterclass with her when she came to visit my university for a recital and instructional sessions with the piano studios. She has quite the extensive traditional repertoire, but she's always made a point of promoting the works of Canadian composers.

I second JayT's thoughts!

Two obscure little things for tonight, more piano love. First, Piano Sonata No. 2 by the Latvian composer Volfgangs Darzins (1906-1962). I just stumbled upon this tonight, but it's really interesting and it reminds me of some of the harmonic worlds I was using when I first started composing music in back around 1999-2002. The recording quality here isn't that good, but I don't think you'd be able to find another recording out there of this. Maybe I'm wrong. The second piece is something much gentler I present 'Poem' by the Georgian composer Otar Vasilis dze Taktakishvili (1924-1989):

I'm not sure they would invite him, not if they were planning on hitting up the Village. Bobby might be working on things, but he's not ready for something like that - as an ally or otherwise.

*phew* Not quite the disaster I worried about. but who knows what you have planned...

November 27 2021 Ever since that incident in the weight room a month ago, I’ve never been alone in there. This was not anything of my doing, either. At first it was just Bobby showing up a lot, but other people started being there too. I switched around a few of my regular times to try and get some privacy and alone time again, but it has started to feel like it is impossible to avoid Bobby’s almost constant presence even when he isn’t actually around and it’s other peo

:-D

So much to do, eh? The possibilities are scary. Hopefully shower time will bring a little bit of calm.

Thanks for reading, AC. It was a bit of a strange experience depersonalizing things using that style of writing.

The shift of perspective without prelude at the beginning of the chapter was a bit jarring to the flow of the book, and almost left the feeling of something missing. It was a good chapter nonetheless. I guess it wouldn't be Zane's story unless it was bittersweet to the end. Such suffering, but at least a way forward. Cheers!

This was a great chapter, leading our emotions up and down but leaving us with hopeful resolution at the end. I just knew Reznik couldn't have been very far behind the boys and finding them would happen sooner rather than later. The pulsing silver and copper cancelling was a very cool idea. Yay Warren! :-D

Given the way the crazies are in this community, it was utterly stupid for Don, Sarah et al. to pull that stunt. I hope it isn't going to provoke a tragedy before all this is over...

Thanks, Gary. When I was thinking about who St. John was and where he had come from when I was originally planning out the story, I was stuck for a while deciding between a young life of neglected privilege or of abusive poverty. Both could result in a deep-seated anger and the dismissive bravado and outward attitude of self-importance that he used to carry (and still does too an extent). I thought this might be a good time to expose some of that. We'll see some other snippets of young St. John before this story is over.

So what the fuck is up with you and blindness?

I really liked the back and forth of emotions, both in Cory and as observed by everyone. The awkwardness of people forgetting about something painful and putting their feet in their mouths... yeah, you portrayed that really well, especially with the extra layer of the half-truth. So... is Indie more honest about his feelings for Preston? Because it seems Preston is still in denial mode. Silly boy. And then the cliffie... sigh. It's something we've all been waiting for, of course, and putting it following the high of the successful game and Cory being able to put things away and focus when he needed to was brills. Ugh. I need the next chapter now. But take your time and do it as you need.

November 25, 2021 It’s Thanksgiving. Another holiday I’ve always hated. As a kid, it meant having to get together with my Dad’s family and have this big formal dinner. It meant having to deal with all my bratty cousins that made fun of me because I was small for my age before puberty, because I wasn’t very strong, because I cried too easily, because my clothing was all second hand from them or from the thrift shop, because I didn’t play any school sports, because I couldn’t catch and woul

Oh Peter... hopefully the car's got good brakes because Alan has no idea the direction is heading...

A nice end to this arc. You are giving us more, aren't you?

Wow. So Kraig's unique state was a diffeeent kind of lucky accident than I suspected initially. It seems they were much further along in their experimentation, too. One can only wonder how much violence and torture haso happened as part of these experiments. Ritch is still unaccounted for at this point... is he safe? Are we going to fins out aboutique that next chapter, or perhaps the files finally? Oh my, so much to consider!

Sigh, region locks hate me.