russian chokecherry blossoms... illuminated leaf-veins! my parents' house, may 28/08
ghost hands piano-ing, my parents' house, may 31/08These past few days I have worked on finishing up a rough draft of my thesis. Though there will be many more long days spent revising it, fighting with it, forcing it to behave over the next few months, it is a liberating feeling to have 140 pages of words out of my head. & there is a growing sensation of clarity now -- when I read bits of it now, I see I actually have ideas in there, swimming around in a muddle of tangents. It's reassuring. & I feel a bit more sane, now. (& I'm Yukon-bound tomorrow, which is even better...)
Whilst I was writing, I was so grateful to be house-sitting at my parents', for they have my piano. & I sat & played whenever I needed breaks, & I experimented with my audio recorder.
Here, I am playing Erik Satie's Gnossienne #3... I realize my way of playing it is more... ponderous, perhaps, than most recorded versions... I suppose since 'gnossienne' is a dance from Knossos, perhaps it should run along a little quicker. But I have this narrative in my head, about minotaurs & labyrinthine forests & echoes, & I think it is necessary to slow it down & play with the weight of each note....
I also recorded various things, like my favourite Chopin prelude (#6) & a haphazard version of Radiohead's No Surprises, & it was good fun, & sane-making indeed.
2 comments:
Gnossienne #3, I like all the Gnossiennes. #3 has a lovely quirkyness. The one I've played the most is #2. All of them somehow strike me as somehow extremely French. They are gorgeous and odd, yet terse and, like a lot of Bach, use exactly enough notes to say what they have to say, and no more. Little jewelstones. Very nice. -pfly
i had no idea you could play the piano so beautifully. this was a perfect piece to listen to tonight, while reviewing my russian notes. mmm. warm, nostalgic daydreams of crete.
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