Mysteries Abysmal

Photo Blog of the Year

For those who find Detroit's ruinous landscape fascinating, be sure to bookmark dETROITfUNK.  I unknowingly spent a few hours browsing their archives yesterday. 

Quickie

I've lived in my new place for 1 month now and barely noticed this 1893 Louis Sullivan gem. You might remember it from Child's Play where Chucky throws a woman out of the window. And a young Charlie Chaplin lived there, too. Yep, three buildings down from me.

(click for extreme close-up)

Hey Chitowninians

23 May 2006, Tuesday night, 8pm. Here's your chance to check out the DePaul symphony perform downtown on that same platform of Boulez, Solti, and Barenboim. You'll hear Berlioz, Mendelssohn, and Shulamit Ran. Tix are free, and don't say I didn't give you plenty of notice.

A Berg helper

Because of these outstanding Rattle DVDs, I've gained an appreciation for Berg's doleful Violin Concerto. What's nice is that despite written in the memory of Alma Mahler's little girl, Manon Gropius, there is nothing sentimental in the music--except, perhaps, one tiny phrase, where towards the end of each movement, he cites briefly from Brahms' lullaby (Boulez recording, track 16, 13:14-13:20). In that famous melody, coming down, Berg drops the final half-note (following the two eighth notes) a step (or half) below the original (this is all guesswork, I don't have the score). It's perfectly distorted. Berg's use of that melodic line is impeccable, and yet no google search or help from Wikepedia offers any connection. This could mean a few things: a.) the quoting of the Brahms is so obvious to listeners that this is already standard knowledge, or b.) maybe you didn't hear it before and now you know. Insight appreciated.

*notation above not affiliated with said phrase.

Blognoggle!

Jerry Bowles, of the vastly resourceful Sequenza 21, has informed me that Mysteries Abysmal is one of the "Top 100 Classical Music blogs" in alles der Welt.  Bowles has started up a very useful feed called Blognoggle which updates posts from these 100 sites conveniently into one space. I've just added both of these web addresses to my bloglist. While I'm honored by the mention, Mr. Bowles is being much too kind.  Updates here have slowed because of what seems like endless graduate work;  I did, however, make it to a chamber wind music concert at DePaul today.  I've never heard of Victor Bruns and his wacky 20th century bassoon music, but it took the house down after the late French baroque piece. 

Speaking of the 20th century, I cannot stop watching these DVDs.  Find them!  The segment on Berg's violin concerto is positively heart-shattering. 

Apology

Apologies to those who tuned in tonight for the radio program. Radio DePaul's system is "currently down." Ugh. We'll be back next week.

Is this literary theory?

Not as "thrilling" as this find, but I was quite animated when I uncovered this Terry Eagleton signed copy of Literary Theory. The big news here in the English department is that a revered professor, who can't be much older than 40, is leaving his tenured position to live in a monastery near San Francisco. He's giving away all his belongings and sent out an e-mail to grad students bequeathing away his personal library. I snatched up the complete Alexander Pope (his specialty), Richardson's Clarissa, The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Terry Eagleton's Literary Theory, and the best grammar book ever written: The Transitive Vampire. So who is Terry Eagleton, you say? Well, in literary studies, he's one of the few really big swinging dicks.

This is Terry doing his best John Adams.

Raymond (1952-2006)

Painter, composer and close friend of the family, Raymond King, died last night after a long fight with cancer. Even though we were expecting it, the news still came as a shock. Raymond's favorite composer was Fauré, and only two days ago I bought his complete chamber music from a used cd store. I'll play some of that tomorrow on the show. And sympathies to my dad, who used to meet him every week at the Big Boy, and who also learned viola while Raymond took up cello ("No, I'm not learning the Happy fucking Farmer again!") Because Raymond always had a sense of humor, I say Cinco Goodbye-o sir. He made growing up in Lansing a little more colorful, and he will be missed.

Alias scholar

The management at Radio DePaul finally updated their schedule of djs. They put me under the inaccurate and rather stiff heading of "Classical Scholar." It kind of lacks the free spirit and allure of "Homo Radio," "Morning Mayhem," "Tite Times," and "The Black Student Union." But I'll take it (although undeserving for a guy who never took a music course in college).

Moved

To your left, just beyond Lincoln Park, is the faded* horizon of Lake Michigan; this was taken from my living room window not 1 hour after I moved in.

*Not so faded anymore. It's sunnier today, and I resnapped the shot.