b Friday, January 26, 2007 a
I'm hungry...been a while since I've been hungry enough to go downstairs and get instant noodles. Anyways, I'll make this brief because I'm tired (and hungry).
1.) Had my annual medic proficiency exam this year...basically Staff Kevin is a super nice guy and...yeah...won't say what I did on the exam. Ask me and I'll tell you. Now I have to say, Pasir Ris Camp is in a very "oo-loo" (obscure, isolated) place where you have to walk in about 3 km from the main road to get to the camp. So on the way out (we had taken a cab in), one super nice Uncle driving a lorry stopped and told us to get on :D Super nice right?
2.) I started learning driving this week. It's fun! I think I have "fahrfigneugen" (having fun while driving in German)...my instructors are super nice. Apparently I only have a set of three instructors that will be with me all the way. Driving licence here I come!
3.) Concert's coming up...but what I'm looking at already is the July concert...my last concert. I'm curious in regards to what skill strings are adding to our ranks, as well as what kind of piece Jun Wen is cooking up for me in regards to a Violin Concerto...actually this whole July thing is a mystery at the moment. Repetoire? None. Location? None. Date? None. Players? Not confirmed. Solution: Settle Feb 11th concert first haha.
That's as brief as I'll be today...my instant noodles are done I think. Tomorrow, I have to:
1.) Be up at 9
2.) Leave house at 930
3.) Run down to Eunos CDC to the Traffic Police counter to apply for PDL
4.) Run back home for lunch
5.) Run to Tampines to teach student
6.) Run to Bugis to meet Rui Qi
7.) Run back to Tampines for a meeting
Rehearsal's on Sunday....clock's ticking. You SNCO people reading this...hope you all practiced (if you needed it!). Good night!!
~GuangyiLabels: Random
The angels whisper softly 11:07 PM
b Saturday, January 20, 2007 a
Helllllloooo everyone....it's been a really long week, but it's finally Saturday night and I'm just relaxing.
First order of business, my laptop 's power button is shot, meaning that if my computer ever shuts down before I get it down to the repair shop, I won't have my laptop to use until I actually repair it. *sigh* Grrr....
Second order of business, the audits at work are finally over! We've been recertified by ISO and I got an additional 2 days off because of it. Total number of days on file: 5. Now if the rampant MCs would stop from my colleagues....
Rehearsal today was very, very short in my opinion. We got kicked out because they needed the hall for a rehearsal of some sorts...but I have to say, that cleanup was one of the fastest cleanups I've ever seen our group do. Now if we can keep up that standard that'd be kinda cool...
Does anyone have any spare tickets for the concert? I need like 6-8 more...my colleague Ben and his gf needs one...Rui Qi and Arthur need one...Darren and Tse Yang and HIS gf need one...wahh...as many spares as you can would be good because all these people are non-members. Thanks in advance.
Plan for tomorrow? Most likely catch up on sleep, give Suky a lesson, start studying for Advanced Theory, and spend some quality time with Max (Bruch).
Oh and I need a good piano soloist that is able to play Rhapsody in Blue if anyone knows...I'm just inquiring about this for the July concert...Rui Qi? Interested? Or anyone else? Thanks!
Good night!
~GuangyiLabels: Random
The angels whisper softly 11:24 PM
b Monday, January 15, 2007 a
After much hunting around and experimenting with pieces, I have finally arrived at a piece that I feel I can learn and play well, as well as enjoy. The piece is Max Bruch's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in G Minor, Op. 26.
From Richmond Symphony Orchestra's Concert Notes:
The G minor Violin Concerto is a work of lyrical beauty and emotional sincerity. The first movement, which Bruch called a “Prelude,” is in the nature of an extended introduction leading without pause into the slow movement. The Concerto opens with a dialogue between soloist and orchestra followed by a wide-ranging subject played by the violinist over a pizzicato line in the basses. A contrasting theme reaches into the highest register of the violin, and is followed by scintillating passage work of scales and broken chords for the soloist. A stormy section for orchestra alone recalls the opening dialogue, which softens to usher in the lovely Adagio. This slow movement contains three important themes, all languorous and sweet, which are shared by soloist and orchestra. The music builds to a passionate climax before subsiding to a tranquil close. The finale begins with eighteen modulatory bars containing hints of the upcoming theme before the soloist proclaims the vibrant melody itself, enriched with copious multiple stops. A broad melody, played first by the orchestra alone before being taken over by the soloist, serves as the second theme. A brief development, based on the dance-like first theme, leads to the recapitulation. The coda, with some ingenious long-range harmonic deflections, recalls again the first theme to bring the work to a rousing close. Though a true showpiece for the master violinist, the G minor Concerto also possesses a solid musicianship and a memorable lyricism that make it a continuing favorite with both performers and audiences. Sir Donald Tovey succinctly summarized the talent of the composer of this work by simply saying, “It is not easy to write as beautifully as Max Bruch.”
My interpretation: The beginning is a very intense introduction that is slow yet powerful. It feels like a sort of yearning, and there is a dialogue between the solo and the orchestra. This is linked straight into the second movement, the Adagio, which is a beautiful romantic movement with a "ravishing melody" that lasts for what could be forever, but which eventually comes to an end. The final movement is very dance-like and I feel it brings a wonderful end to this concerto.
My feelings: There is no cadenza in any part of this Concerto, which gives me great reason to rejoice because...well...cadenzas are so ridiculously difficult to learn and play. Maybe I can do this in July? Hahaha...we'll have to see how committed I am to this piece...but really, it's gorgeous! Will do my best!
~GuangyiLabels: Music Appreciation
The angels whisper softly 9:57 PM
b Sunday, January 14, 2007 a
So the past few weeks have been ok...been quite busy at work. Worked overtime almost every day in the past week. And of course, rain and rain and rain and rain. *sigh*
Nothing really special to write about...other than at the Esplanade on Friday I ran into Jun Wen, followed by Jia Cun, followed by Wee Kim, all in a span of 15 minutes. My purpose of going to the Esplanade? Trade a set of strings that I discovered do not do well in this kind of climate, try a few violins, and go to the library to pick up scores.
I'm trying to think of what we're going to play for the July concert. Since we're getting external string players for July, I'm thinking of suggesting a symphony (Beethoven or Dvorak) or a concerto (flute, clarinet, piano, or dare I say...violin???) because this will be one of the rare occasions we'll have the ability to do something on a grand scale. On my list:
1.) Beethoven 7th Symphony (1st and/or 4th movements)
2.) Beethoven 9th Symphony (4th movement with Soka Choir)
3.) Dvorak 9th Symphony
4.) Brahms 1st Symphony (4th movement)
Concerto-wise, if it's violin, (if I have the chance to play it'll be Mozart), it'll probably be Mendelssohn (Zheng Yang) or Tchaikovsky (Hao Wei) haha....we'll see though.
Rehearsal with Jacomo yesterday was alright I guess...haven't played a full rehearsal in quite a while so I was quite sore...but super irritating...Hao Wei keep asking me to move then in the end Jacomo just drag me forward and then it because very difficult to watch his conducting because of my new position (which had be staring upstage instead of downstage).
Oh and did my e-trail theory test for my basic theory today...passed 5 out of the 6 tests (in my defence, I only failed the first one hahaha). Actual one this Friday.
That's all for now...need to prepare to go to sleep. Good night!
~GuangyiLabels: Random
The angels whisper softly 11:32 PM
b Thursday, January 11, 2007 a
Music Appreciation Entry 01
Beethoven's 7th Symphony in A Major (Op. 92)
This symphony was begun in Teplice in the declining years of his hearing. It was completed in 1812 and premiered in Vienna on December 8th, 1813.
The Seventh Symphony is in four movements:
I. Poco sostenuto-Vivace
II. Allegretto
III. Presto
IV. Allegro con brio
The beginning of the piece is rather slow, with the woodwinds carrying most of the melody while the strings provide depth with scales underneath. After building in this fashion, a fermata held by the flute ties over to the Vivace section of the first movement and the theme is introduced for the first time by the woodwinds. This builds up to the main theme with the entire orchestra joyously sounding the theme together.
The allegretto was the most popular movement and was encored at the premiere. The figure of crotchet, two quavers, then two crotchets is heard quite often is this movement and it moves on to the...
Presto/trio. It's a rather catchy tune that Richard Wagner described as "the apothesis of dance". The meter repeats itself and eventually ends.
The final movement, Allegro con brio, is in sonata form. The theme of the movement can be heard in the beginning and it can be heard repeatedly in various parts of the movement as it progresses. The tension builds and at the end there's a swift decrescendo before a gradual crescendo as the strings and the brass follow the timpani's lead, charging the orchestra towards this symphony's majestic end.
My thoughts: One of the very few classical pieces that drove me to tears when I first heard it. Most likely will do so if I saw it live again. I feel it's a shame that his 9th symphony is so much popular than this one because between the two, I much prefer the grandeur of this symphony than his famous 9th Symphony. I still have about 6 more symphonies I haven't quite listened to yet (I have the CDs here somewhere...) but as of this moment, this is most definately my all-time favorite symphony (second is Mendelssohn's 5th Symphony: Reformation).
~GuangyiLabels: Music Appreciation
The angels whisper softly 12:00 AM