Exquisite Tarkovsky

1000-Armed Kannon... version 2

Here's a later version of this remarkable troupe of Chinese dancers, all of whom happen to be deaf..



Here's the earlier version, somewhat different, but also spectacular!

Magdalena Kozena at her best

So few people know and appreciate Bach's Cantatas, the 200 or so of which constitute one of the greatest treasure troves of western music. I am particularly fond of many of the arias for the soprano and alto voice, and none so embodies the depth and beauty of Bach's vocal/ensemble writing as this aria from Cantata 199, "Tief gebuckt und voller Reue".

I can't get enough of this performance of it by the outstanding Czech mezzo-soprano, Magdalena Kozena. I wish I could find the words to describe the feeling it conveys: resignation-cum-compassion-cum-joy? It's all there somehow in the main motif, the A-F#-E-D-D cadence.


To quote (as a composite) comments from reviewers:

"But the real surprise was Gardiner and Magdalena Kožená...Good lord, what a lot of feeling she pours into the singing! ...Gardiner..doesn't rush this aria--or she doesn't LET him rush. It's slow and gorgeous..., since there's no vibrato to artificially thicken the texture. It's like pure sunlight cascading through stained-glass. I can imagine Kožená gesturing with her hands as she sings --so much emphasis does she put into particular words, it's heartrending. I have never heard Gardiner accompany an aria with more sensitivity...for once he laid aside his very British stiff upper lip, and wore his heart on his sleeve. I have never, ever heard Gardiner play like this. It was a shock, and a delightful surprise..."

Please play this as loudly as your neighbours can tolerate, to get the full quality of her vibrant and pure voice, and the warmth of the ensemble playing. Please also pay particular attention to the arc from 4:12 to 5:33. Brings tears to my eyes every time, as indeed do many subsequent moments...and it's nothing to do with religion, despite the church setting.

The whole cantata is wonderful; ask me even a little bit nicely, and I'll make more if not all of it available.....

Love Is Good For Anything That Ails You

The first of several clips of above-par dancing I'd like to post:

TIRE ART

Taking tire recycling to a new level....

clipped from content2.clipmarks.com

Ella at her best

When all is said and done, has there ever been a better voice for this kind of music than Ella? Here's a playlist of her in her prime, at a concert in London in 1965...

ASHES and SNOW

Ashes and Snow by Canadian artist Gregory Colbert is an installation of photographic artworks, films, and a novel in letters that travels in the Nomadic Museum, a temporary structure built exclusively to house the exhibition. The work explores the shared poetic sensibilities of human beings and animals. Ashes and Snow has traveled to Venice, New York, Santa Monica, Tokyo, and Mexico City. To date, Ashes and Snow has attracted more than 10 million visitors, making it the most attended exhibition by a living artist in history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashes_and_Snow

DOWNLOAD AVI FILES
WATCH an Edited Clip of the Dance Sequences Only (no audio)

PART 1



PART 2

L'Art Brut

How To Eat Sushi

Like a scene from "Tampopo"..

Cat Soup ( Nekojiru-Sou)

An extraordinary animation by Tatsuo_Sato. Not for kids....