May 24·edited May 24Liked by 26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)
Oh my....... poetry about music - my two favorite things. You captured both so well, Elizabeth. I, too, find singing is like breathing--glee club, choir, Community Chorus, Women's choir.... all the iterations.
((You will appreciate this--when I was at Fullerton Junior College-a hundred years ago-we sang with Carmen Dragon and the Pasadena Civic at the (then)Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on the stage....with the orchestra. It was enchanting and terrifying.... A Stephen Foster program with Clint Eastwood narrating. I stood next to the harp. I'll never forget it!
As to your question about counterpoint in a poem itself I'm going to have to do some book diving on my poetry shelf and see what I can find....
Thanks so much for enjoying the poems, Jody -- and for sharing that amazing memory! I'll be thrilled to hear anything you learn about poetic counterpoint in your book diving.
Both poems are delightful. As a former two-part invention player, and not much of an alto, I'm partial to that one. I could feel the closeness of two people in conversation, imagining them laughing, truly enjoying each other. Thank you!
Having grown up in the 1950s, Glenn Gould was well known in our classical-listening family, young man in his twenties that he then was. We lost Mr. Gould way too young in 1982 at 50, shortly after his birthday.
I think your words, here, sum up Glenn Gould's performance of the Bach Invention quite well:
"TWO-PART INVENTION #14, IN B FLAT MAJOR
"By Johann Sebastian Bach
"Allegretto, piacevole! No need
to gallop through, no need for it to sound
as if Bach swallowed helium, or was scoring
the Keystone Kops. Allegretto – yes, it’s lively
but needn’t rush, though clusters of sixteenths
keep tempting you up-tempo. Piacevole –
delight is at its heart, a cheerful calm,
the way you feel in conversation with a friend
about something you love, her stories and your own
ranged side by side, first one talks fast
and then the other, trading pauses, trading slow beats,
Elizabeth: Like you, but from my 1950s boyhood, I‘ve heard countless recordings of Glenn Gould, including of a transcribed work of Richard Wagner.
Apparently, Glenn Gould was inspired in his tender youth to another, miraculous pianist, Artur Schabel, who, as a kid had met with Johannes Brahms (Schnabel was 14 or 15 when Brahms passed away). I am blessed to have listened, too, to much of Artur Schabel‘s pianism in wondrous recordings. (I was three when he passed away.)
I love both poems, Elizabeth!
I can't think of a poem right now but what about some more Bach?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNkIj_BhHvY
Always grateful for more Bach! Thank you for reading and sharing, Fotini. 💛🌿
Oh my....... poetry about music - my two favorite things. You captured both so well, Elizabeth. I, too, find singing is like breathing--glee club, choir, Community Chorus, Women's choir.... all the iterations.
((You will appreciate this--when I was at Fullerton Junior College-a hundred years ago-we sang with Carmen Dragon and the Pasadena Civic at the (then)Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on the stage....with the orchestra. It was enchanting and terrifying.... A Stephen Foster program with Clint Eastwood narrating. I stood next to the harp. I'll never forget it!
As to your question about counterpoint in a poem itself I'm going to have to do some book diving on my poetry shelf and see what I can find....
Perhaps I'll be back!
Thanks so much for enjoying the poems, Jody -- and for sharing that amazing memory! I'll be thrilled to hear anything you learn about poetic counterpoint in your book diving.
This felt like music. Love the reading, Elizabeth 🎶❤️
Thanks so much, Shondra!
Both poems are delightful. As a former two-part invention player, and not much of an alto, I'm partial to that one. I could feel the closeness of two people in conversation, imagining them laughing, truly enjoying each other. Thank you!
The conversations that play out in those Inventions...! The D-minor one has a whole different topic, right?
Thanks so much for reading, Jan. I'm glad you liked that one. 💛🌿
Both poems so beautiful (and it's such a treat to hear you read them), and then capped with a Lord Peter quote! The best. 💛
Another Sayers fan?! Another thing we have in common!!
Thanks so much, Margaret Ann. I'm glad the poems sing to you.
I absolutely loved all of this , especially
“Oh, but then the moment
when that one voice, one string finds its truest flight “
Gorgeous !
Thanks so much, Maureen! 💛🌿
Elizabeth: Thank you so much for sharing.
Having grown up in the 1950s, Glenn Gould was well known in our classical-listening family, young man in his twenties that he then was. We lost Mr. Gould way too young in 1982 at 50, shortly after his birthday.
I think your words, here, sum up Glenn Gould's performance of the Bach Invention quite well:
"TWO-PART INVENTION #14, IN B FLAT MAJOR
"By Johann Sebastian Bach
"Allegretto, piacevole! No need
to gallop through, no need for it to sound
as if Bach swallowed helium, or was scoring
the Keystone Kops. Allegretto – yes, it’s lively
but needn’t rush, though clusters of sixteenths
keep tempting you up-tempo. Piacevole –
delight is at its heart, a cheerful calm,
the way you feel in conversation with a friend
about something you love, her stories and your own
ranged side by side, first one talks fast
and then the other, trading pauses, trading slow beats,
now and then a crescendo in harmony,
beat-for-beat, then each again her own story,
her own song, then both songs sung together."
Thank you, Armand. So glad you feel the poem did some small justice to Mr. Gould's playing.
Elizabeth: Like you, but from my 1950s boyhood, I‘ve heard countless recordings of Glenn Gould, including of a transcribed work of Richard Wagner.
Apparently, Glenn Gould was inspired in his tender youth to another, miraculous pianist, Artur Schabel, who, as a kid had met with Johannes Brahms (Schnabel was 14 or 15 when Brahms passed away). I am blessed to have listened, too, to much of Artur Schabel‘s pianism in wondrous recordings. (I was three when he passed away.)
That was so enjoyable, Elizabeth. I started singing as a boy soprano and sang most of my life so I particularly enjoyed this. "Give me excess of it"
So glad you liked it, Wes! When it comes to music the appetite never sickens, does it?
No, it just becomes more precious.
"Oh, but then the moment
when that one voice, one string finds its truest flight
to that one phrase and floats it in the air
like the soft scent of all green living things,
then lets it fly away, and our hearts fly after!"
What an apt description -- just gorgeous!
Have to give them their due -- when they hit the notes right, it's really right...!
Thanks so much for reading, Kristine. 💛🌿