Gustav Wind's Thoughts on Music: October 2009

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Gustav Wind on Sarah Palin and Mozart???

I’ve been thinking about Sarah Palin’s new book and Mozart. An unusual juxtaposition, you think?

I must admit that it is quite an amazing feat to write a book in a month and to finish ahead of schedule. She must be quite a writer!

In the history of mankind, how few examples of creativity have been linked to speed - - and those rare examples are mindboggling. Could Sarah be up there with the great ones?

Mozart is an example of speedy creativity: I cannot get over the fact that he wrote FIVE violin concertos in SIX weeks, all great works of art. Although we mere mortals know he was exceptionally prolific, both in quantity and quality, it is still awe-inspiring to think that he composed more than 600 works in his short 35 years on this earth - - and remember he was a child for 5 of them!

His great Magic Flute was one of his summer projects in 1791. Sort of like Palin in the summer of 2009?

As the publishing world pushes more books out into the world, like little birds out of the nest, I often wonder what the word book really means. (And don’t doubt that there is a double-entendre intended in the word push!)

Remember when a book was a book? Something of quality, art, poetry, meaning, and lasting value? A great story by an insightful gifted writer like Dickens, Twain, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and their brilliant, genius ilk? With a goal of elevating mankind? Ah, how I yearn for the good old days!

The Kindle is redefining a book’s physical presence, of course. Books may soon be interactive, with video and music. But the stuffed shelves of bookstores are also redefining the term. They burgeon with golf, tennis, recipes, psychological advice, dummy learning tools, fake fiction, and every conceivable how-to-do-it text, to name only of few varieties. It is no surprise that so many pages of trivia result in many a remaindered item….

Long since Gutenberg took a grape press and transformed it into a device for printing, important communication between humans has been sandwiched into pages squeezed between covers of many sizes, shapes, and materials. Have we, in our infinite marketing wisdom, reduced the definition of a book to: covers with pages in between?

Our instant communication tools extend Gutenberg’s first steps, his early ‘revolution’ in helping humans to understand one another, with the result that there is more information available than anyone wants, needs, or has time for. And it’s harder to find the works of quality amid all the “stuff.” How would Jonathan Swift ever get his Gulliver’s Travels to the attention of the public and serious reader today? What chance would he have?

So the question remains: where will Sarah Palin’s “book” fit into the history of the world?

"Please let me know your opinion of my writing and reviews. You can write to me at GUSTAVWIND@LYRICNY.ORG. I love getting attention! Please remember to use only the loftiest terms and the most elevated thoughts. Lyric's website and a person of my stature cannot and will not respond to inappropriate language which is so disgustingly prevalent in our society at this time."

"Looking forward to hearing from you (and to seeing you, if you can find me. I am known for my varied disguises, and no one has recognized me yet, in my many venerable years of concert-going and reviewing. As a result, some are naturally curious about my identity, and others have gone so far as to speculate that I am not a man at all but might be a female. What a ridiculous notion! What parent would name a daughter Gustav? Catch me, if you can….)"

"Yours,

Gustav Wind, E.C. (Eminent Critic), R.C. (Revered Critic) and

E.G. (Eminence Grise)"

"Copyright Gustav Wind 2009. This copyrighted work is the property of the author and may not be reproduced or used without permission of the author."

ABOUT GUSTAV WIND

To receive a review from the eminent critic, Gustav Wind, is always an unexpected surprise - - and windfall. As The Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York is being acclaimed for its activities, we are, of course, pleased by interest in us in the press. You may have seen Gustav’s writing in prestigious publications and learned journals throughout the world, so we are especially delighted by his attention.

Gustav Wind has given us permission to post his writing on our website www.lyricny.org, alongside our 2009-2010 Season programs, Music Player, Photo Gallery, and myriad of additional treats for the eye and mind. If you have not yet visited our site, please do; and let us know your reactions.

Beware: Gustav Wind has threatened to review our website, to monitor its electronic effectiveness and elegance, and to alert readers to changes, updates, and content he may or may not like.

Please note: The Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York is proud to reproduce the writings (and ravings) of the unique windbag and extraordinary music critic, Gustav Wind. Gustav’s high standards are consistent with our own; and we believe that we can stand up to his scrutiny with our world-class artists, world-class concerts, and world-class music-making. We never fear when Gustav is near - - although we cannot say the same for all other critics.

However, his reviews and writing represent the opinion and the writing of Gustav Wind and not of the Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, which disclaims all responsibility for its content.

ABOUT ME, GUSTAV WIND, IN MY OWN WORDS

A bit of background: (Lest the Lyric misquote or misrepresent Gustav Wind's uniqueness, we add the following, in his own words:)

"First, my customary caveat: writing about music is a very difficult task, even for a most experienced critic like me. Many of my colleagues don’t seem to notice the inherent problem in trying to describe a series of sounds which evaporated long ago. They usually chatter on and on, wielding their carving sets, making mincemeat out of the sincere, hardworking, well-intentioned mortals who set themselves the Herculean task of trying to recreate what they think the composer wanted. To complicate the issue, the musicians are always expected to give note-perfect, memorable performances in public."

"Who can really tell you how a symphony orchestra or a single musician sounded last week? I say: no one! I would like to bring their sounds to life, to place them in your ear and mind, to revive the emotions they ellicited. Telling you that someone played fast, slow, loud, soft, in English, Italian, or any other language, simply does not achieve the intrinsically impossible goal. Yet we critics must go on, lest we be outdated like the covered wagon and replaced by recordings. I try to report in ways that may make you feel as if you were there, but you weren’t; and you can’t really know what happened. And if you were there, most often, when you read a review, you wonder if you and the critic were really in the same room at the same time."

"Please let me know your opinion of my writing and reviews. You can write to me at GUSTAVWIND@LYRICNY.ORG. I love getting attention! Please remember to use only the loftiest terms and the most elevated thoughts. Lyric's website and a person of my stature cannot and will not respond to inappropriate language which is so disgustingly prevalent in our society at this time."

"Looking forward to hearing from you (and to seeing you, if you can find me. I am known for my varied disguises, and no one has recognized me yet, in my many venerable years of concert-going and reviewing. As a result, some are naturally curious about my identity, and others have gone so far as to speculate that I am not a man at all but might be a female. What a ridiculous notion! What parent would name a daughter Gustav? Catch me, if you can….)"

"Yours,
Gustav Wind, E.C. (Eminent Critic), R.C. (Revered Critic) and
E.G. (Eminence Grise)"

"Copyright Gustav Wind 1999 - 2009. This copyrighted work is the property of the author and may not be reproduced or used without permission of the author."

GUSTAV WIND'S CUSTOMARY CAVEAT

"Writing about music is a very difficult task, even for a most experienced critic like me. Many of my colleagues don’t seem to notice the inherent problem in trying to describe a series of sounds which evaporated long ago. They usually chatter on and on, wielding their carving sets, making mincemeat out of the sincere, hardworking, well-intentioned mortals who set themselves the Herculean task of trying to recreate what they think the composer wanted. To complicate the issue, the musicians are always expected to give note-perfect, memorable performances in public.

Who can really tell you how a symphony orchestra or a single musician sounded last week? I say: no one! I would like to bring their sounds to life, to place them in your ear and mind, to revive the emotions they ellicited. Telling you that someone played fast, slow, loud, soft, in English, Italian, or any other language, simply does not achieve the intrinsically impossible goal. Yet we critics must go on, lest we be outdated like the covered wagon and replaced by recordings. I try to report in ways that may make you feel as if you were there, but you weren’t; and you can’t really know what happened. And if you were there, most often, when you read a review, you wonder if you and the critic were really in the same room at the same time.

I can only give you a hint of the soulful tones that emerged from the musicians and surrounded us. You simply have to make every effort to hear him for yourself. For after all, isn’t that what reviews are about? Reports to help you to decide what to hear and what to miss, in your busy life, with limited time? Or is a review a field day for psyche destruction?"

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Gustav Wind on Sarah Palin and Mozart???

Gustav Wind's Thoughts on Music

ABOUT GUSTAV WIND

ABOUT ME, GUSTAV WIND, IN MY OWN WORDS

GUSTAV WIND'S CUSTOMARY CAVEAT

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