{"id":727,"date":"2018-09-15T19:44:53","date_gmt":"2018-09-15T19:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/?p=727"},"modified":"2018-09-15T21:13:17","modified_gmt":"2018-09-15T21:13:17","slug":"birdbrain-musician-episode-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/?p=727","title":{"rendered":"Birdbrain Musician Episode 1 and discussion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I made this video partly in response to the Paganini assignment<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Birdbrain Musician Episode 1\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nGRW6Nq1dQo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I was trying to explain to myself why so much of this performance was grating. It really does seem that the violin is in pain. Not a beautiful pain like &#8220;while my guitar gently weeps&#8221;, but more like a hoarse scream. To me, the violin (and cello and viola?) seem so similar to the human voice. I guess it makes sense &#8212; we have vocal cords and resonators, and they have vocal cords and resonators as well. In our case the strings are set in motion by air, and in their case because of friction from the touch of a bow.<\/p>\n<p>We were asked to find some additional examples of the Paganini &#8212; the same piece performed by other musicians, or adaptations of it (variations, fantasies, &#8230;remixes?)<\/p>\n<p>I had commented to one of my friends in class, &#8220;You just KNOW there&#8217;s going to be a version on electric guitar.&#8221; Here one is. The comments under the video said that the guitarist did a good job playing it fairly straight instead of turning it into a &#8220;power metal version&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paganini&#039;s Caprice No. 24 performed on electric guitar by Classicals Rocked\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QeEfp9lhx84?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s an adaptation for flute. I saw videos by several other flautists but I wanted a video where you could see the body language of the musician.<\/p>\n<p>A leaf on the wind &#8212; leaping birds &#8212; spiral stems, vines dangling<\/p>\n<p>2:59 arpeggios made me think of water bubbling in a stream<\/p>\n<p>3:15 staccato? sharp breaths. Not harsh but jazzy, dance-like<\/p>\n<p>3:48 riding along on the melody line, as if I were ice skating. A push, then gliding, pull into a turn&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>playful, mournful, energetic but graceful, confident<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paganini Caprice No.24 Flute \ud30c\uac00\ub2c8\ub2c8 \uce74\ud504\ub9ac\uc2a4 24\ubc88 \ud50c\ub8e8\ud2b8 - Jasmine Choi \ucd5c\ub098\uacbd [2011 Version]\" width=\"584\" height=\"438\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Sz40f_geQRo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Compared to this &#8212; the Markov version was brash, arrogant, &#8220;emo&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>If his version was a person near me on the bus I would move away to another seat. Dude, have you been taking your meds? Maybe you need anger management therapy.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Brahms: Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op.35 (Kissin)\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1EIE78D0m1g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I did not listen to this entire selection. I got about 3 minutes in and began to feel confused about whether we were still in a variation of Caprice # 24. Some of the harmonizations made me feel sort of queasy. I&#8217;m not sure what harmonies cause that feeling (disoriented, ill-at-ease). Note that the person who posted this included a huge amount of information about the different variations &#8212; what was different about each one, and what was especially challenging about each one.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Brahms was not a showman, and rarely wrote music which aimed at being technically difficult. But when he did, he out-Liszted Liszt. The Paganini Variations, as you can tell from their main title, are not just a fully-fledged concert work but also a set of exercises for study, featuring technical challenges that are often more than a little obscene [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1EIE78D0m1g#\">19:24<\/a>]. As always, the variations are also musically dazzling in their variety and invention. Kissin plays the faster variations with astounding bravura, [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1EIE78D0m1g#\">11:29<\/a>] dynamic control [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1EIE78D0m1g#\">16:05<\/a>], and articulation [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1EIE78D0m1g#\">16:49<\/a>], and is exquisitely delicate in the slower ones [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1EIE78D0m1g#\">07:45<\/a>].<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Franz Liszt - \u00c9tudes d&#039;ex\u00e9cution transcendante d&#039;apr\u00e8s Paganini no. 6\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-y5h0jCnvFM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This is a version that&#8217;s being played through MIDI software. It&#8217;s unpleasantly robotic to listen to, but the hand patterns were fascinating to me. My previous keyboard experience was on organ (with separated keyboards). It&#8217;s interesting to see how the 2 hands share and trade the notes back and forth.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Liszt: Grandes \u00e9tudes de Paganini, S.141 (Trifonov)\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sJqQ3CCl5jQ?start=1222&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Caprice # 24 begins at the 20:22 mark.<\/p>\n<p>20:30\u00a0 I can imagine doing these arpeggios &#8212; relaxed and graceful<\/p>\n<p>20:53 &#8212; light tripping staccato notes<\/p>\n<p>21:18 &#8212; low rumbling, running like a motor. &#8220;Perdendosi&#8221;?<\/p>\n<p>21:32 &#8212; &#8220;stabby&#8221;. I don&#8217;t think the piano is in any danger, but this sounds like it might hurt the fingers.<\/p>\n<p>21:46 &#8212; anxious sounding rapid chromatic runs<\/p>\n<p>22:00 &#8212; &#8220;magical&#8221; &#8212; little sparkly phrases on the rt. hand, darker phrases on the left<\/p>\n<p>22:20 &#8212; headbanger! Envigorating.<\/p>\n<p>22:43 &#8212; wiry, vine-like<\/p>\n<p>22:53 &#8212; OK, sounds like the piano is giggling<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/giggling-piano.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-730\" src=\"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/giggling-piano.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"996\" height=\"341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/giggling-piano.jpg 996w, https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/giggling-piano-300x103.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/giggling-piano-768x263.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/giggling-piano-500x171.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 996px) 100vw, 996px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Scherzando&#8221; does mean &#8220;playfully&#8221; (or, as Dr. Greenberg says, it literally means &#8220;I&#8217;m joking&#8221;), but this is really silly and cute.<\/p>\n<p>23:00 &#8212; more headbanging! &#8220;Fuocoso&#8221; apparently means fiery or passionately.<\/p>\n<p>23:12 &#8212; burbling<\/p>\n<p>23:30 &#8212; twinkly. The extended trill does give me a feeling of unease or suspense, though.<\/p>\n<p>24:06 &#8212; the piano is roaring and thundering. Waves on a stormy sea<\/p>\n<p>24:35 &#8212; those are some weird harmonies!<\/p>\n<p>24:54 &#8212; this must be the big finish. I can hear the main theme buried deep in the mix.<\/p>\n<p>Now &#8212; huge waves &#8212; this part makes me think of winding up to throw a shot put. Gathering energy&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/wheeee.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-731\" src=\"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/wheeee.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1069\" height=\"392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/wheeee.png 1069w, https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/wheeee-300x110.png 300w, https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/wheeee-768x282.png 768w, https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/wheeee-1024x375.png 1024w, https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/wheeee-500x183.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1069px) 100vw, 1069px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And he throws it!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/whee-2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-732\" src=\"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/whee-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1048\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/whee-2.png 1048w, https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/whee-2-300x115.png 300w, https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/whee-2-768x295.png 768w, https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/whee-2-1024x393.png 1024w, https:\/\/grexblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/whee-2-500x192.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1048px) 100vw, 1048px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Throwing the Perfect Shot Put with Tomas Walsh | Gillette World Sport\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dZ3E2NzFawI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I made this video partly in response to the Paganini assignment I was trying to explain to myself why so much of this performance was grating. It really does seem that the violin is in pain. Not a beautiful pain &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/?p=727\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=727"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":733,"href":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727\/revisions\/733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grexblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}