Sonic Asymmetry

Camille Saint-Saëns: “Carnival of Animals”

カミーユサン=サーンス 「動物のカーニバル」

TIME COMMITMENT: 27 minutes

This dreamy, meditative collection wafts almost hushed in its soothing quality.  Two parts engross us in particular: ‘Aquarium’ (at 10:50 mark) and ‘The Swan’ (22:23), with its sailing quality of aquatic expanses.  In this corner, Debussy was Saint-Saëns’ only competitor.  I enclosed two different ensemble versions.  Note the second video with Martha Argerich accompanied by an all-star crew in Japan.

Finally, for those still in search for lysergic nostalgia, there’s Clara Rockmore’s theremin version of ‘the Swan’.

MUSIC

INFO

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carnival_of_the_Animals

A REFLECTION

He who wants to do good knocks at the gate;

he who loves

finds the gate open.

Rabindranath Tagore – “Stray birds”

Georges Bizet: “Arlesienne Suite no.1 and no.2”

ジョルジュ・ビゼー：「アーレジアンスイート1号と2号」

TIME COMMITMENT: 37 minutes

This magical rêverie for strings is seamlessly interlocked with minuet-like intermezzos.  The second part shines with its cinderblock, huffy and anguished first movement.  Almost subversively, it remains planted in our memory.  For true aficionados, we have here both no.1 and no.2 performed by Nathalie Stutzmann, but also a short fragment (“Farandole”) from no.2, under the direction of Herbert von Karajan.

MUSIC

INFO

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Arl%C3%A9sienne_(Bizet)

A REFLECTION

In misfortune, friends increase.

You who enter, leave all despair.

Goodness, your name is man.

It is here that the wisdom of the nations remains.

Comte de Lautreamont Isidore Ducasse: “Poésies II”