Archive for category Music
Tosca by night
Poster of Puccini's Tosca
Puccini’s Tosca, one of the most popular operas in the repertoire ever since its January 14, 1900 premiere, is a violent drama based on Victorien Sardou’s hit play La Tosca,which was written as a star vehicle for the famous French actress Sarah Bernhardt. In the translation from play to opera, the action was tightened, the characters were “Italianized,” and most of the political motivation was cut. The action of the play and the opera takes place in Rome between noon of June 17, 1800 and dawn the following day, during which time all of the major characters die violent deaths.
– Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Tosca by N.V. Nicassio (source)
Following a very uneventful day, it’s nice to unwind to Tosca over a glass of wine and the soaring spirit of the libretto.
Here I wish to impart with you a characteristically unique rendition of Puccini’s Tosca, which features the performances of the profoundly gifted Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano as tenor. A note on Callas: these recordings were produced at the latter time of her career when numerous critics have slammed Callas’ for her vocal deterioration which was attributed to her mid-career weight-loss. However, I agree with her backers that this show of vulnerability in her voice is precisely what makes Maria Callas a deservingly celebrated Soprano – her vocal inconsistency has only magnified her intense internalization of the Tosca, and is an undeniable testimony of her commanding presence.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Puccini’s Tosca - Moderato Con Moto [Download]
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Puccini’s Tosca - Vissi D’Arte [Download]
Changes / Indiewho?
My Brightest Diamond
Okay, what just happened there in 2009? It went by like a blur. All snide comments aside about my utter lack of indie juice for that year, I could say that my personal evolution has tremendously affected the course of this website’s content. As I review all my entries it’s been so issue-oriented and later on, I tried to experiment on describing sensations evoked by music and vice-versa. The latter is a somewhat out-of-body experience, if you will, which might require a slight intoxication on my part (again, real or imagined).
But enough of my self-indulgent musings. This year, I wish to introduce a new dimension to this blog which is to feature guest writers. That’s right. Other voices writing on this blog aside from moi. I’m sure by now you’re tired of this highly cynical and weird eccentric behind the keyboard. Fine. We’ll drag in another highly cynical and weird eccentric behind the keyboard! Hah.
So yes, expect some guy named Francis to pop into this scene once in a while. By the way, Francis is a guy I can easily monitor. By that, I don’t mean in the Foucauldian sense of the word nor at a predatory sense whereby I am the stalker and he is the stalkee. No. It is like the kind of monitor where I can see him sitting in front of class and slap his back startling enough that will remind him to write some more. Take not that Francis is in no way being remunerated for his efforts yet (at least as far as cash is concerned because I will probably be subject to some ‘homework collaboration’ in the future should he ask for assistance in the event that I will be guilt-tripped to oblige). But you know! You get the point. He is also a ‘prolific’ indie artist. By that I mean he has his own myspace! (Okay, up to you if you get my sick and twisted humor). Kidding. Again, let’s get that out of the way and just anticipate his words because you can probably pick up a thing or two from this extremely tenacious music geek.
I am also dragging some of my other friends into this salad of music geekery. When they are no longer pretending to be busy – like I used to do. Of course, in case they are telling me matter-of-factly that they have work this blah blah blah, I’m sure I’ll find a way to squeeze out a little piece of their wonderful minds once I’ve found their bargain weakness. So there. That’s what you’ll be expecting this 2010 in Southisms. Shove Kim to the sides with her boring commentaries at late and in with the new fabulous music critics who’ve got some fresh insights in to the musical esse.
Now, time for a playlist. Maestro! Music!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
My Brightest Diamond - Something of an end [Download]
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Moby - Shot in the back of the head [Download]
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Books and Jose Gonzales - Cello Song [Download]
Presenting the very talented and beautiful Alicia Keys
Posted by Kim in Foreign, Mainstream, Music, Music Videos on December 16th, 2009
I am no authority but I knew the moment I heard Alicia Keys‘ first hit that hers was a voice and talent that would fill our ears and minds for the years to come. Owe it only to Clive Davis, legendary music executive also known for the discovery of legendary artists like Lou Reed and Whitney Houston (to name a few), to be the person who would single out from the bunch one of the best female talents to emerge in the last decade. Keys, who was 17 and just came out of high school by the time she single-handedly composed, arranged and performed the song Fallin’, had conquered the Billboards with her singles from the album Songs in A Minor. From then on, she was quickly thrust into the music elite especially after her (eventual) victory at the Grammys. An accomplished pianist and an excellent singer, distinguishable by her soaring and occasionally vulnerable vibratos, her career took on both pop fanfare and critical acclaim.
She was certainly the most talented solo soul act that came out since, dare I say, Aretha Franklin. The reason I brought up the comparison is because of Franklin herself, who at one point refused to perform with Alicia Keys at a MusiCares event in Los Angeles because she had apprehensions at the prospect of being upstaged by Alicia Keys and co-performer Mary J. Blige. Why the diva, Aretha should be worried is indeed a mystery, but she must have her reasons. And they may seem evident to you once you’ve seen Alicia Keys perform.
Her latest single “Empire State of Mind” which features Jay-Z was used as an anthem for this year’s New York Yankees victory. When stripped of all its mainstream hype, the song is actually a poignant recollection of Key’s domicile, New York, that makes one wonder what her memories must have been. Although it gets cheesy toward the end, the emotion is still there and is especially crystallized in this stripped down version of the song:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind Pt. 2 (Broken Down) [Download] [Lyrics]
Imagining music in 1969
1969
1969 was such a great year for music regardless of the historic Woodstock which took place at the outskirts of New York state. 1969’s music glory owes itself to the culture surrounding it at that time. The restlessness of Vietnam protests. The counter-culture youth in face with the highly conservative and blindly patriotic generation that had lived through the traumatic World War II. 1969 was the height of hallucinogenic substances which inspired new ways of recognizing the world. It was also a time of repression and therefore resistance.
1969 also inspired indie. That music celebrates loving the street musician or playing the record on mono. Indie was also about Bob Dylan rejecting to play at Woodstock. Indie was making music for the sake of music. Or music to save lives. And that there was something hateful about record companies, especially after what they have done to The Beatles. And speaking of The Beatles, 1969 was the last time The Beatles were seen in live performance at the rooftop of Apple Records. It was also the year when John Lennon performs as a solo artist and cries, “Give Peace a Chance”. There was something so distinctly resounding about those words at that time, which now is just a song that we happen to know and have heard on the radio before.
1969 was when Bob Marley and the Wailers emerged from obscurity and began to popularize Reggae. It was also Elvis Presley’s most monumental and critically-acclaimed comeback. Simon and Garfunkel and Jackson 5 debuts – a mark of the beginning of another era in music which is the 70’s folk or pop ballad.
When I close my eyes and think about the alternative lifestyles and the music and the pleasures so prolific in 1969, I kind of wish I lived at least a day in that year and just have a look-see of what was going on. Just as though the Times they are a ‘changin. Just to feel that sense of wonder as one watches the first man land on the moon.
Indie music culture in Davao
Posted by Kim in Davao, Indie, Local, Mainstream, Music, The "South" on December 1st, 2009
Gig logos courtesy of tunogtimog.tk
At late, I’ve been sort of a drifter in the so-called local music “scene”, partly because having to go to all the gigs and listening to the same people and the same songs over and over can eventually grow tiring, (not to mention being coaxed in to yet another drinking session, which I have already outgrown) even though it’s totally hip to support the local music scene. A part of me still thinks that showing up to these things is helpful in mobilizing gigs, and as a result you’ve got a healthy music sub/culture. (Note: In fact, this was exactly what Paolo Castillo and the early Kaibans have envisioned. Making music gigs a habit in order for musicians to habitually create and play music.)
Years later I realized that in Davao, the music culture has met some difficulty in departing from the “gig” machinery. On one hand, you have got to admire how the locals have finally warmed up to the idea of recording their original music, also home recording at that. However, recording became an alibi to go out and support yet another gig. I know I’ll divide the discussion on this but I daresay that music distribution hasn’t outgrown selling CDs to friends (even giving them away for free – as alternative interpretations of “indie” permit). And so it comes as no surprise that you have a handful of very talented musicians and even music producers that have a day job. Unless you’re the likes of Noel Cabangon, Gauss Obenza, Bayang Barrios, Popong Landero…you know…the MTS people.
In a “scene” where music is appreciated but not necessarily “sold” (not to be confused with “sold out” as that requires a more complex qualification), being a musician is just not a career option around these parts. And so Davao has made it possible to have a music scene without a music industry. Because the latter for me is manifested by the proliferation of artists who have records people go out of their way to buy in order to listen to. When artists have a listener-ship with demand high enough to “inspire” more music, then tautologically, you’ve got yourself a market. But unlike this ideal scenario you notice that in Mindanao, the artist is lax on the business side of music. Which is fine but it’s symptomatic of obscurantism and a low appreciation of independent music. Independent music is a musical process or genre that is, more often than not, commercially relaxed or devoid of formulaic musicality that the only way to give it artistic justice is for it to be appreciated by as wide an audience as possible.
Music perfect for mornings
Chet Baker for the morning
I am a not-so-morning person. So inevitably, I tend to ritualize mornings in order to process the rest of the day awake.
In my last post, I wrote a really felt review of Feist’s album, The Reminder. It’s what I’ve been listening to a lot in the mornings, and I find myself veering away from the educational podcasts I used to listen to. With the passing of time, all I really wished for in mornings was silence.
But music can be quiet. And it might sound crazy to you, but I think it’s possible to somehow illustrate silence through music. We come across music that stirs up some peace in us and distracts us from our everday stress. Typically, I find this in music ranging from an andantino to moderato tempo. Folk songs in mono. Guitars with a hint of blues or cool city jazz. I am very partial to a singing Chet Baker lately, especially in the morning. His cool voice just mellows you out and starting the day with a good sense of temperament, to me, is just the best mornings to live in. I hope you could listen to some of Chet’s music because mind you, there is a huge difference between the sound of cocktail jazz to what “real” jazz is supposed to sound like.
Imagine a morning without anyone playing music. In the streets there should be some faint or abbrasive music in the background, blending in to the ambience of the morning. It becomes as familiar and natural in the morning as the sound of early birds and cars.
The Reminder
Feist Live
I don’t like to admit that I like The Carpenters, because in my mind I wouldn’t count them as a personal favorite but as it turns out I do like how their songs sound like without necessarily subscribing to The Carpenters shrine ring. I sometimes find myself bopping my head to the kind of song that reminds me how The Carpenters write their songs. I’m not saying that, the song that I hear which then remind of another, lacks originality. My guess is that people who write these somewhat parallel songs simply share outbursts of sensation, whether melancholy or joy, and share sensibilities that cut across age gaps.
I also say music is always inspired by another music or the sounds of nature, which sounds just the same for everyone if they just listen carefully.
For that matter, I truly admire Feist’s latest ruminations. Her album The Reminder interestingly evokes that kind of musical fervor in me. Her song reverberates in the room in your brain where they keep memories and nostalgia, real or imagined. And washes you with body tingles with each deep instrumental vibration.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I’m writing to you now as I listen through this beautiful album…
A cold heart will burst / if mistrusted first
A calm heart will break / when given a shake
Faux pas at the VMAs and an outburst on the US Open
Posted by Kim in Events, Foreign, Mainstream, Media, Music, Music Videos on September 14th, 2009
The title pretty much says it: the legendary temper of some bigshot Americans.
The MTV Video Music Awards 2009 is probably the weirdest to date. Supposedly, the highlight of the show was the much-awaited tribute to the late Micheal Jackson by his sister Janet and the queen Madonna herself. But there have been numerous scores that really eclipsed the opening number in memory of Jackson. For one, you get a very interesting medieval rendering from Lady GaGa which shocked audiences (as usual) and then another asshole stunt from (the guy who I thought was scratched off the guest list after the last fiasco), Kanye West took place. Again, acting like a complete hillbilly, he grabs the mic from Taylor Swift as the 19-year-old accepts her Best Female video award to tell audiences that Beyonce’s video was the best of that year. Of course, Beyonce looks shellshocked by this unexpected turn of events and West is booed off the stage, the works.
Kanye the douche
Way to crush a teenager’s self-esteem. West was reportedly scolded by Swift’s mother to which he later apologized on his blog.
In other news, the US Open semifinals concluded with an ugly unsportsmanlike display from Serena Williams, a disruption that caused her a crucial point to the game.
Here’s the report that ran on Yahoo Sports news:
Golden Noises
Eric Calilan on his mobile electronic sound factory. Photo by Andi Baldonado.
All of music comes from sound. Music has no place without it.
Chi’s brainchild is a stark illumination of noise and sound. With the exhibition of “Golden Noises” last Saturday, sound was marvelously deconstructed by several electronic gadgets and makeshift instruments.
Eric Calilan fuses electronic vibrations and crude midi to give his sound set some serious teeth. He severs conventional music bars and devices new time signatures. It’s remarkable what a few twists and buttons can create and express. His renderings are neither crude nor delicate. It is purely alien.
The set was followed by Chuck Fournier’s more melodious but playful sonic renderings. It is truly a sound trip that blows the mind when one follows its unpredictable current and abrupt punctuations. The beat he utilizes toward the end was misleading. There is no rhythm but your heartbeat. Sound has no rhythmic base only fluidity.
Lastly, Toshiyuki Seido has a very direct message. His is an upfront barbaric display. He strikes me as a very sadistic artist, forcing his audiences to painful noise. The volume explodes and reverberates beyond one’s noise threshold. It escalates the body to a shock so great it is only escapable with silence. My interpretation is that he uses his instrument as a torture device, piercing you in strategic points while you are threatened with the knowledge that you can no longer escape. If you stayed and listened, you are secretly a masochist. To some, masochism is a legitimate form of pleasure. And that is probably why I walked out.
Truly, every bit of sound is striking and exhilarating. The concert was both an artistic and emotional exploration.
Animal Collective – Bluish
Posted by Kim in Foreign, Indie, Music, Music Videos on July 29th, 2009
Hey, listen to this. My current sound trip.
www.kim.southisms.com
Recent Comments