#layer carillon

[eli-workshop]

Pride Layers! Two a day so here’s six since I missed two days already

[ask-the-layers]

Layer Cards - 0

Carillon is a worldless Layer that wanders from world to world as long as it doesn't house one of her sibling; she can however interact with them if needed through small grelots each one of them has.

Carillon was supposed to be a Layer for a book named HEX but with time she devolved into what she is today.

The front of the card shows the souls she harvest and keep by her side, they look passive but their 'shadow' reveals screaming faces.

On the back you can see

One of the grelots she uses with her siblings

The mark of the Reapers which she is a part of

Her umbrella and boots

A pocket watch that never gives the right in world time

A close up of a screaming soul

[lingyijiang01]

About Inspiration

I was inspired by the episode "Lee Dance" from the movie Edward Scissorhands. I liked this movie very much. This episode appeared in the romantic moment when Edward gave the heroine a snow that only belongs to her, the blonde-haired heroine dancing slowly as the snow falls, like a beautiful fairy tale. I chose the main melody and part of the harmony as the main melody of Part A in my work.

This wasn't my first thought, I thought about other songs before, but I thought they were too sad, and I hated the unresolved sadness, so it wasn't until yesterday that I finally chose this one as my inspiration. While the movie is also tragic, I think the song is a symbol of pure love and romance. I decided to make it dreamy, fairy tale and full of hope, so I worked hard and made it two days in a row.

The picture below is my general structure, which is very wild

Intro (1-12 bar)

I used the harp sound as the main melody because I thought the sound was ethereal and clear, making it a good lead. The main melody was then harmonized with a dreamy sound from the synth, and I used three harmonies as a loop, looping every 8 bars. I personally think this harmony is particularly nice hahaha. In the same way, the standard I chose was still ethereal. This timbre sounded like a girl's singing voice, and it also met my expectations for the image of the heroine in the movie. I also matched an emotional melody as a harmony, which is a synthetic chord sound in the arpeggiator (I use the Chinese version of GarageBand, so I don’t know what the English names of these sounds are, I translated them literally, So it's not necessarily accurate), I only used a single note for the harmony, but because it's a synthetic chord, it sounds more layered and doesn't feel noisy.

In this part I also added some ambience-building tones, which were added at the end, without the tones, but to make the song sound richer. One is the kind of ticking sound, which I searched for a long time before I found the same thing in my mind. This sound is a wooden carillon with synth bells in the arpeggiator. It sounds like time is passing quietly, which makes people very peaceful. The psychedelic cloud layer of the synth is also added, which has a cloudy and hazy feeling that can add to the atmosphere of a fairy tale.

I wrote some Chinese and it was wild

OK! After Intro is done, I feel like I'm halfway there hahaha!

Part A (13-36 bar & 57-80 bar)

The main melody uses the dream dancer sound from the synth, it's not as classical and ethereal as the harp but more electronic than the harp's sound. At the same time I also added chords and heavy bass, which suddenly pushed the mood of the song up. I used the mouse to input the main melody and chords one by one on the piano roll of GarageBand. I hope to have the opportunity to buy an external keyboard in the future hahaha. I have learned about chords in the previous lessons of MUSC1503 and MUSC1504, so I made simple chords by myself.

The sound of the bass is very important, adding a low-frequency sound to the whole song, which is very thick and gives a sense of security. I opted for the nostalgic humming bass of the synthesizer, which is heavy but not so death metal, and overall fits the tone of the song.

Another important thing in part A is the drum sound. I picked a drum that wasn't very complicated and removed the Cymbal sound, because I just wanted it to give the whole song a rhythm and drumming, and I didn't want the drum kit to overpower the main melody.

Part B (37-56 bar)

I regard part B as an intermediate rest, the layers of sound gradually become smaller, leaving only the ticking sound, indicating that time is still passing, this rest is not a stop, but a preparation for the next . The arrangement is similar to the Intro part. I added some volume gradients to the sound when mixing.

Mixing

My mixes were all put together at the end, and I adjusted the volume of almost all the tracks. It was very interesting, like drawing a picture, and the melody played the same direction with the volume line. I also adjusted the EQ of the main melody in the A' section to differentiate and enhance the progression of the mood. There are also many small adjustments, such as prolongation, echo, and reverberation, which are all adjustments made according to feeling, and good sound is the only criterion.

Other experience

Overall, I am quite satisfied with this song. The experience of arranging for the first time is really good, especially when the finished product is made, each track is matched so harmoniously and beautifully. I showed this song to a friend and she thought it sounded like a dream swimming in the sea, magnificent and dreamy, and I liked the review. The teacher listened to this song in class today. Damian thinks that the songs I wrote are very rich, and I am so happy! ! ! Hahahaha.

[architectnews]

Forrest Chase Mall, Perth

Forrest Chase Mall, Perth Building, Western Australia Home, Property Photos

Forrest Chase in Perth

16 Oct 2020

Forrest Chase

Design: Hames Sharley

Location: Perth, Western Australia

Hames Sharley architects revitalise Perth’s city centre in time for post COVID-19 retail resurgence

After the COVID-19 isolation period passes, a revitalised city heart awaits Perth commuters, shoppers and diners. Renowned Perth architecture practice, Hames Sharley, were the lead architects on the redevelopment, which includes a new façade for a large retail precinct, known as Forrest Chase, together with a reimagined overpass on the Murray Street Mall and an enlivened gathering space, which locals refer to as Padbury Walk.

Hames Sharley Director Derek Hays says that although the design was conceived prior to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the approach was rigorously future-focused. “Retail environments have been evolving for some time, as shoppers look to these hubs for much more than a retail experience,” Derek says. “The desire to not only shop but to gather together for other recreational and/or dining experiences was evident long before the pandemic — and that pattern looks set to continue, long after the pandemic passes.”

In short, Hames Sharley’s goal was to elevate the precinct’s overall appeal. “By improving connectivity between each site, and ‘future proofing’ for additional dining opportunities, the design helps facilitate greater engagement with all three locations,” Derek says.

Padbury Walk, originally constructed in the 1980s, is an elevated walkway that wraps around the perimeter of Forrest Chase. Hames Sharley’s redesign focuses on the removal of previously existing visual and physical obstructions in the public realm instead replacing it with the addition of a thin veil of stepping and layered fritted glass to provide improved sightlines to the retail shopfronts and adjacent Forrest Place whilst still providing protection and thermal comfort for pedestrians.

The Walk’s original heavy concrete columns were replaced with steel columns that now creates a contrast to the masonry construction of the adjacent historic buildings whilst maintaining the civic scale surrounding Forrest Place. High aluminium clad soffits, with glass skylights, create a grand scale and natural light for pedestrians and shoppers to enjoy. By night integrated and programmable LED lighting and large events LED screen allow the walkway to contribute to the vibrancy of the city after hours and during seasonal events in the city. Two balconies located on the west and south elevations of the walkway provide future opportunities for retail outlets and pedestrians to break away from the main walkway to seamlessly observe city life.

Hames Sharley’s strategy for the Murray Street overpass was to redesign the bridge and canopy to invert the old structural design by locating the structural elements in the roof space. This approach allowed for the introduction of delicate steel rods to suspend the thin concrete walkway and open sightlines to the city environs, Forrest Chase building and retail located within. A simple plane of the polished stainless steel was introduced to the soffit of the bridge with the intent to reflect the city’s activities to passers-by.

Finally, the perimeter retail offerings in Forrest Chase were replanned to provide more appealing sized spaces in line with current retail requirements. Double-height shopfronts were designed to allow for retailers to fit out and revive Forrest Chase as a premier retail offering in Perth’s CBD.

Carillon redevelopment next up for Hames Sharley

Hames Sharley’s retail design expertise is in high demand as evidenced by their latest project — the proposed Carillon redevelopment, also located in Perth’s CBD. This multi-level, mixed-use development looks set to include retail, hospitality, entertainment zones and commercial office space that will continue to help re-establish Perth’s CBD as the premier retail destination.

According to Derek Hays, Hames Sharley is delighted to have been appointed as lead architects for Carillon’s redevelopment. “Our team relishes the challenge of contributing to projects that generate increased activity and engagement within our city centre. As both designers and community members, we find this type of work deeply satisfying.”

Forrest Chase Mall in Perth, Australia – Building Information

Design: Hames Sharley

Project size: 43000 Completion date: 2020 Building levels: 2

Photographs: Douglas Mark Black

Forrest Chase Mall, Perth images / information received 161020

Location: Perth, Western Australia

Western Australia Buildings

Perth Architecture Design – chronological list

Perth Architecture News

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Forrest Street House, Fremantle, Western Australia Design: Philip Stejskal Architecture photograph : Bo Wong Forrest Street House in Fremantle

Leighton Beach Facilities Architects: Bernard Seeber Pty Ltd photograph : Douglas Mark Black Leighton Beach Facilities in Fremantle

Irwin House Design: MSG Architecture photograph : John Madden Irwin House in Fremantle

Lefroy Road House Design: Philip Stejskal Architecture photograph : Jack Lovel Lefroy Road House in Fremantle

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Comments / photos for the Forrest Chase Mall, Perth – page welcome

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[monicabuccheri]

Eve of March 22, 2020

Home...

I arrived back in the city on March 18th. I had been visiting the state I had spent most of my life, Connecticut, to help care for my mother who had a minor but important surgery. Just as I was preparing to leave the city, the public health crisis came loudly knocking on New York City’s door.

All the news of a rapidly unfolding situation could be heard far away. I wrestled with the decision in both leaving the city as the voice of danger was getting closer, and whether to come back as danger was placing its stake into the ground. It was time for me to get back to either quickly pack up and leave for good, or to hunker down and stay through the duration. (I wrestled vehemently of such a choice.) When I arrived into the shocking wide open space of Grand Central Station, I quickly made my way through the concourse without lingering and no lolly-gagging to get back to the apartment.

I was aware of the news and rapidly changing conditions so I was somewhat prepared to stay inside the apartment, unless I had to get food. I take alerts and protocols seriously. I heard the echo, in Connecticut, of shelter-in-place as the crisis was growing.

I ventured out of the apartment on March 21st to purchase groceries for an extended time, run some errands, and with the intention to check in with the natural world - all in the neighborhood. It was a beautiful day. The kind of day with a crystal clear blue sky, and the sun takes center stage.

In my anxiousness, after a couple of days inside, the first site to capture my attention is this sticker on someone’s small car. OM. Known as the sacred sound of the universe that unifies everything. I noticed myself taking a breath. In my anxious feelings I wondered. In that moment, all I could do was wonder.

Enjoying avocado in rolls of brown rice, a dash of wasabi, and the beautiful day of the early spring with my beloved. All necessary shopping and errands completed. With the looming strong protocol for every New Yorker to stay at home, I considered the truth that spending time outside will be less of the norm, and so will avocado rolls in brown rice because this isn’t a necessity or an essential. I love the spring season. I love the clear sunny days, the fresh and mildly crisp air. I find tremendous joy in the invisible hand painting each day into full bloom. Nature is my home.

Sitting on the granite steps of Low Library, engaged in the practice of the new term “social distancing”, facing southeast and noticing the growing wide open space, my mind dips into the coming hours of the strong request to stay inside unless getting food, medications, urgent health care, then I pull back out to the beauty that shows before me. 

The Spring Equinox still comes like the sun rising every day. Nothing can stop her. And when she comes she always opens the door to a new season of light, beauty, growth and wonder. She wears a fragrance that is ever changing with each day. The scent of the softening earth, the fragrance of the daffodils, magnolias, lilacs and more. Her fragrance is a powerful healing elixir, and it’s her own. It’s her signature that she’s arriving, visiting for a while, and departing on her time. Her time is her time. My time with her is short and limited as the urgent request for us to withdraw approaches within hours. Somewhere off in the distance I hear a soft sound of carillon bells, my heart remembers.

Following the Light...

I walk in more silence, less talking. I want to see the light, the colors, the truth without the layers. Like this tree in it’s purity meeting with the light, I stand in stillness before the complete sun and wonder what I can do. What am I to do? The architecture stands anchored and echoing its silence. Are they waiting for their change? Are they asking for their change? Do they change? Daffodils gathered around the tree waiting in the light. The natural beings will do what they do naturally. In different shades each will open, close, blossom, open, close, wane and pass into the earth. A new season will arrive. I see the light. There is no darkness here.

Time passes and I make my way around. There are spots here I want to see and capture for a “just in case”.... This view spots me! I remember! Those big bells off in the distance feels as if they remember me. I’ve not ever made contact from this spot before. I’ve never witnessed from this location. I’m stunned and think where there’s a crack, that’s where the light gets in. Knowing the hours are drawing closer, and the freedom to wander shrinks, I answer to visit. I continue on my path....

I poke around the quiet, the stillness. Everything in its place. The aura of crisis. The stillness sinks into a freeze frame of sorts. A moment where time stops. Yet, still a small glimmer of white light sits. Is there a time-released message held within the light? What knowledge is held in that small white light? What change is coming here, I wonder. I think of a hospital room. I wonder of what life will gather here. Will this space remain frozen in time? For how long? 

Frozen. Waiting. Questioning. Thinking. Resting. Wondering. Stillness. 

And, so here we are. We made it. Standing before this great tower prompts me to reach upward. Scaffolding sits at the base of the foundation and shades the entrance. I wondered if entry inside was restricted because of the growing presence of threatening illness to us, all of us. What can I do, I wonder. How can I help, I think. This is a time for a major check in, a chance to uplift my spirits as we get closer to self-isolation in order to support my beloved, my neighbors of this community, and myself in effort to “flatten the curve” of the invisible enemy.

I only needed to stand in front and gaze upward, stretching my heart and ears to hear the next sound of the carillon bells. The big bells reach far and wide to be heard by all. This majestic structure stands tall with certainty, forever steadfast, and throughout the upper west side. I know it will be a while before returning. I can feel the urgent request from the mayor through the airwaves and I feel the sense to obey the unenforceable. Time is growing shorter to retreat. And wait. 

Heading back to the apartment I remember all the light I saw, cherishing the beauty of nature, breathing the crisp air, feeling the warm of the sun. With each step I am certain I met with the early days of spring and she is here with us, and for her time; another change will be upon us once again. I wonder if I will get to see her another time before she closes her door. I also wondered if all will choose to retreat and protect.

This new level of silence brings forth the sound of my own heartbeat, the heartbeats of the folks in my neighborhood, the community, and beyond. As the noise drowns, my prayer is that our many hearts beating will synchronize and thrum as one giant heart beat as the sacred sound of OM hums throughout the universe.

Seeing this symbol on my travels tells me of such real possibility. As I got closer to the apartment, so did the 8:00 p.m. urgent request to shelter indefinitely. I wonder. The Eve of March 22, 2020. 

[winebleeds-a]

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑬𝑻. repost,  don’t reblog !

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 !

FULL NAME.      elizabeth marie spencer PRONUNCIATION.       (ง'̀-'́)ง NICKNAME.       liz. lizzie, if you wanna get on her bad side asap. GENDER.         cis female HEIGHT.         5′2 / 157 cm AGE.       25, but verse dependent (ex. she’s 29 for tua or 31 in a private verse) ZODIAC.         cancer (marko & liz need to stop being alike by now being like their zodiacs) SPOKEN LANGUAGES.       english (native). french (advance). yiddish (intermediate). fiddles with other miscellaneous languages which is verse dependent bc she will try & learn your muse’s native language. 

𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 !

HAIR COLOR.         blonde. natural light brown EYE COLOR.         a ‘caramel’ brown with ‘honey’ specks SKIN TONE.         pale. sun tan days are in the past. BODY TYPE.         slim but fit ACCENT.         american. closer to sound like the mid-atlantic region (think of modern DC, not transatlantic old timey accent), especially being closer to the appalachian region. so it’s complicated. but, like, for the accent aspect... think of bil.l nye. VOICE.         eh? still working on this. tho i do feel she does train her voice to sound different base on situations. DOMINANT HAND.         right POSTURE.         stiff,  straight-laced,  resting bitch face, hands either on hips or crossed. probably even has her feet shoulder length apart for a ‘power move’ SCARS.         one on her head. some over her hands & wrist from equestrian thing, but those are really faint. probably some ache scars faint scatter across her hairline?      TATTOOS.         none, but can get some if verse dependent. she loves seeing them on others, however. BIRTHMARKS.         a starish shape blob near her right shoulderblade MOST NOTICEABLE FEATURE(S).        smile (when she ever smiles which is like a .01% chance of ever seeing it). piercing eyes. probably just how she’s able to make herself to appear taller than her actual height.

𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 !

PLACE OF BIRTH.         lexington, va HOMETOWN.         raphine, va BIRTH WEIGHT.         ?? BIRTH HEIGHT.         ?? MANNER OF BIRTH.         born in the carillon hospital at lexington FIRST WORDS.         neigh (for horse) SIBLINGS.         raleigh : older brother by a year & nine months, maddie : younger sister by seven years PARENTS.         robert spencer & martha loeb (still kinda deciding on her maiden name as we go) PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT.         she has a better relationship with her father than her mother.  

𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 !

OCCUPATION.         it specialist for the united nations (main) CURRENT RESIDENCE.          nyc (main) CLOSE FRIENDS.         wine. maybe caitlyn fields & alfred jones. oh, and sana @ivoryhearted RELATIONSHIP STATUS.          verse / thread dependent.   canonically single. FINANCIAL STATUS.         middle class DRIVER’S LICENSE.         yes CRIMINAL RECORD.         verse dependent. but overall, no. VICES.         drinking, from caffeine to alcohol. her pride.

𝐬𝐞𝐱 & 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 !

SEXUAL ORIENTATION.         bisexual ROMANTIC ORIENTATION.         greyromantic PREFERRED EMOTIONAL ROLE.       submissive  |  dominant  |  switch. PREFERRED SEXUAL ROLE.       submissive  |  dominant  |  switch. LIBIDO.         not as high as y’all think TURN ON’S.         submission. glasses. yet some sort of challenge when wanting to hatefuck. kissing / biting necks.  TURN OFF’S.         being put into the submissive role. uh... eh? LOVE LANGUAGE.        eh? get back on me on this. RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES.         normally has one night stands & is colder than the other partner. but, within a relationship, she’s softer than her ‘outer’ layer. tries to help the person, even as simple as cleaning or cooking. is a wee bit more open but still struggles to fully be... herself.

𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 !

CHARACTER’S THEME SONG.         she’s always a woman to me~ granted idk what ‘theme song’ she would give herself. BECAUSE I STILL HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT HER MUSIC TASTE  HOBBIES TO PASS TIME.         horseback riding. cleaning. reading. tinkering with machinery, depending on verse. MENTAL ILLNESSES.       none PHYSICAL ILLNESSES.         has infertility issues. LEFT OR RIGHT BRAINED.         left. PHOBIAS.         close spaces. though does feel anxious within colder weather. SELF CONFIDENCE LEVEL.         arrogant. or is she? VULNERABILITIES.         cold hearted. closed hearted. pride / ego. 

TAGGED BY:  billy joel @dilkos TAGGING: @serotiinal @shmonah (yes i’m tagging both your blogs <3) @qwilll (for any of your blogs) @strxnzo @ichorvcins @lovisguttae @musichealed (for tony too) & like anyone that wants to steal this. just let me know.

[voidsettle]

Warm Flanders

Indulging our traveling desire and continuing the newly developed tradition of European Christmas markets, we bought tickets to Belgium. This trip had its peculiarities - and a unique aftertaste. Welcome to the capital of Europe!

Panorama of Bruges from Belfry (I assume, the point where Brendan Gleeson's character jumps off in the movie 'In Bruges'

I don't know how we chose Belgium - but it all started with just Brussels, and then grew to another three towns. I suspect we may have a psychological condition.

After Brussels, Bruges was an obvious addition to the trip. Possibly the most well-known of tourist destinations in Belgium, it features a well-preserved medieval town so quaint like it crawled out of a fairy tale.

The movie 'In Bruges' (a nice piece of popularized arthaus) added to the fame of the place. The town in this flick is a character of its own - it serves as the premise and the plot twist, it helps to make hard choices and aids the protagonist. Besides, the film has gorgeous cast. Seriously, look it up if you've never seen it - or rewatch if you have.

Being in Belgium (and, more importantly, its northern part, Flanders - probably the most history-heavy region), I absolutely had to see Antwerp. Ghent was a curious little addition that we didn't plan - but that happened between Bruges and Antwerp just because we had time and opportunity. Stay tuned for more.

Brussels: Art and Chocolate

Rue de la Chaufferette/Lollepotstraat, LGBTQ art street in the inner City of Brussels

Brussels is a weird city. Commonly I enjoy places that don't mind you roaming the streets (think Rome, Bangkok, New York). Brussels is however different. It etched into my memory as grey and rainy (I barely got a chance to snap a photo), and multifaceted to the point of utter incomprehensibility.

That is partly on national communities. Our free-tour guide mused on the immigration agenda of the city: nearly 80% of the current population (first and second generations) are not native to Belgium. The city, being the administrative and political center of Europe, is the very definition of a cultural melting pot.

Only a day before we arrived, French workers had a strike against ever-growing prices - thus all of Brussels was covered in barricades (not sure about the name, but something like Cheval de frise or knife-rest (aka Spanish rider) obstacles; all cold metal and barbwire, brutal).

But Brussels also flaunts its historic heritage and celebrates its art. The whole city is covered in street art - most notably scenes and characters from comics and statements in favor of LGBTQ community. Street decorations and overhead lamps of different designs and splendor turn the city into an exhibition of light.

Altmejd, 2015. Musees royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique/Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van Belgie

The more traditional artistry is spread within the cluster of museums of Mont des Arts/Kunstberg, most notably the Royal Museu of Fine Arts that features both old masters (David, Rembrandt, Rubens - and a whole hall and Google-partnered tour program dedicated to Bruegel) and new masters (some of my beloved Impressionists including Van Gogh, Serat, Gaugin, and a couple of Rodins). Another pearl, Magritte's museum is just down the stairs.

We've also followed one of the most bizarre quests I've ever had, looking for all three pissing monuments of Brussels - the symbol-status Manneken Pis, his female version Jeanneke Pis and a non-fountain canine variation Het Zinneke. Belgian people are weird.

We had some hysterical fun trying to decipher one of the ads on a bus stop. It claimed certain Subea was the best gift for your loved ones on Christmas. Passersby undoubtedly believed us crazy as we tried to identify the thing - and never came close to guessing. Look it up, it's hilarious.

Blue street art, Brussels

Built on the time-tested principles of trading cities, Brussels preserves the tradition of market squares. In early December, the downtown is covered in Christmas towns and motley crowds, framed in softly shimmering lights. It's full of flavors of waffles with cream, and frites, and gluhwein, and seafood, and sausages.

Brussels is full of cyclists (even more so than Copenhagen), full of churches, and homeless, and nationalities - cuisines, skin tones, languages. The signs duplicated in French and Dutch do not help location purposes in any significant way.

Nevermind the confusing feelings I developed for Brussels, there is one thing I should mention with firm praise - chocolate. Walk the streets and have a cup of hot chocolate - it's literally chocolate of your choice melted in hot milk. Eat warm Liege waffles topped with chocolate and cream. Buy a set of (regular) chocolate boxes with discount - or pay a visit to Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert to learn about chocolate as art. It's expensive, yes, but oh is it worth every cent!

Break a chocolate bar of preference - dark works best - into pieces, add to the cup and pour with hot milk. Stir until it melts. Enjoy the taste of Belgium.

St Michael and Gudula Cathedral, Brussels

What to see in Brussels:

Grand Place

Brussels Town Hall

Residence of the Dukes of Brabant

Maison du Roi/Broodhuis

Manneken Pis

Jeanneke Pis

Het Zinneke

Bourse/Beurs (stock exchange)

Galleries Royales Saint-Hubert

St Michael and Gudula Cathedral

chapelle de la Madeleine/Magdalenakapel

Mont des Arts/Kunstberg

Musees royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique/Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van Belgie (Musee Oldmasters, Musee Magritte, musical instruments museum)

Royal Palace

Parc de Bruxelles/Warandepark

eglise Notre-Dame au Sablon/Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ten Zavelkerk

eglise royale Sainte-Marie/Koninklijke Sint-Mariakerk

National Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Atomium

Royal Palace of Laeken

Bruges: The Belfry and the Waffle Houses

Rozenhoedkaai, Bruges

Belgian capital is the least Flemish city among those I've visited. Bruges, on the other hand, seems to bear the imprint of one of the richest regions of medieval Europe. The town is neat and cute, full of waffle houses with stair-step facades, all red brick and yellowish stone. The streets are carefully crafted and well-groomed; they stretch in slow curves, and the houses crowding each side chant their stories to the tourists in a never-ending lullaby.

Houses plaster all over each other - it feels like each street has only one building that was actually constructed with 4 walls. The rest figured 'hey, here's a perfectly good empty wall right there, with nothing attached, why not stick to the side'.

The whole country is like that, one of the signature traits of Belgium, alongside angry cyclists and painted waffle houses.

Before walking to the main attraction (Belfry, naturally), we've decided to have a glass of beer in Halve Maan, one of the oldest breweries in town. We were pleasantly surprised by the sleepy emptiness, the fireside couches and craft beer (I've never had an 11° beer before, it felt almost as a shot of whiskey). In a slumbery, sheepish haze we walked around the Minnewaterpark with its swans and gardens dipped in green moisture.

Minnewaterpark. After the rainy, grey-ish Brussels, Bruges met us with sun-through-the-clouds and warmth worthy of mid-October. I finally got out my camera and snapped my way through the cute medieval city

The territory of Bruges is covered in canals - no wonder it's called the small Venice of the North, and the centuries-old architecture covers the town in a romantic blur. Even the long queues of Belfry (one person in, one out, and around half a hundred waiting for their turn) didn't disturb our dreamy mood. The view from above maps the whole town on the palm of your hands, and the stone parapet is covered in numbers and names of cities with arrows pointing the direction.

Carillon, a fascinating musical instrument that has several dozen bells connected to play melodies. The Belfry carillon plays a different melody every quarter of an hour

Belfry is gorgeous at sunset, especially observed from Grote Markt - towering, starkly contrasted against the fading skies.

Bruges is probably best-known for its streets - after you've seen the main attractions, there's no clear itinerary, but just wander around and get lost in the medieval brick labyrinth. You can visit the old windmills - each with its own unique name - and the corner of Groenerei, which is less romantic in winter but still a nice place for a romantic rendezvous. Or just roam the streets and inhale the ambiance of this old town that looks like it jumped straight out of a fairytale with enchanted castles, simplistic plotline where good always conquers evil and a set of enjoyably cardboard characters.

Sometimes it's fun to experience something so far from real life. Can't disagree with the philosophic view of Fiennes's character from 'In Bruges'.

What to see in Bruges:

Kasteel de la Faille

Sashuis

Minnewaterpark

Sint-Janshospitaal-Memlingmuseum

St Salvator's cathedral

Church of Our Lady (featuring Michelangelo's Madonna met Kind)

Bonifaciusbrug

the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Rozenhoedkaai (the most photographed spot in Bruges)

't Brugse Vrije

City Hall

Basilique du Saint-Sang

Brugge markt

Belfry and Market Halls

Provinciaal Hof

Jan Breydel en pieter de Coeninck memorial

St James's church

Jan Van Eyck memorial

windmills (de Coelewey, de Nieuwe Papegaai, Sint Janshuismolen, Bonne Chiere)

Sint-Annakerk

Gronerei

Train Tales

​Belgium is unexpectedly bad at doing trains. We heard the first bell as we tried to get out of Brussels. The Northern train station has a clear division between two worlds. The ground floor belongs to hobos and (most probably) unemployed immigrants - this is the world of half-light, scary coughs and little noises, empty food wrappings, garbage, people wrapped in multiple layers of dirty blankets and coats. The upper floors are obviously European, well-lit, with shops, 24/7 information desks and wending machines. The contrast is so stark that it's frightening.

(Under)ground floors of Antwerpen-Centraal

Yet this was but a warning. For some unknown reason, the schedule of Belgian trains is really complicated - we couldn't make sense of it using just timetables and scoreboards. This was a shock for me specifically - I just went to Italy a month prior, where I didn't even need to talk to anyone to understand where to buy tickets and how to get from point A to point B.

Obviously we were not alone confused by the whole system - by the machine selling tickets, a nice lady was spending her working hours explaining stupid tourists how this works. She offered us a ticket we didn't consider - it could take us to 10 destinations (we needed 6, and decided to spend 2 more for a short detour to Ghent before Antwerp; profit).

The complications started when we failed to notice the class of the coach we were boarding. Truth to be told, there was a number '1' on the side - but the inside didn't look any different from second class, so I'm not sure what's the deal. 10 minutes into the ride, a railway employee walked in and aggressively started to demand extra payment to 'upgrade' our tickets - about 10 euro per person. None of us were allowed to leave the first class coach for the second.

The thing about that whole situation was: of all the people in the coach, only one woman was aware of its first class status. The rest were bewildered and looked like lost tourists (some of us surely were) who forgot to check the number on the side of the carriage. Which, frankly, didn't feel like the people's fault. A Spanish family nearly started a brawl with the guy - which earned my compassion but also a portion of solid mirth.

Hilarious experience - but also quite frustrating. Not too fond of Belgian train system.

Ghent: The Castle and the Histrionic Weather

Gravensteen, Ghent

I didn't expect this short detour would turn out this satisfying. Don't get me wrong, there's not much to do in Ghent in the evening. In a manner traditional for the whole country, life dies away after 6PM. As nightfall covers the streets, the shops and restaurants close, and the whole city seems deserted. There are some late passersby, some groups of youth and random tourists but they're not common, especially further from downtown.

But the architecture is spectacular nonetheless. Korenmarkt (basically, central square) with Church of Saint Nicholas is the heart of the city. The sites are mostly all on the same line - Stadhuis Gent and Belfort, Saint Bavo cathedral and a couple of nearby 'palaces' that were actually residences of (very) wealthy merchants, and Saint Michael's church on the other side of Korenmarkt, across the Leie river.

It was enjoyable to just wander the empty streets quite aimlessly, bumping into architectural sites curious things here and there

Gravensteen is exactly the prototype you imagine when someone says 'a castle'. It's the type of medieval structure you drew as a kid, with the battlements and turrets. This is where a valiant knight came to rescue a fair maiden from an evil king. It's The Ultimate Castle.

In yet another plot twist, the weather in Ghent was unpredictably fun. It made us giggle at its hysterical fits.

Rain, wind and damp autumnal warmth changed each other in bizarre epileptic seizures.

One moment, it decided to rain - and the downpour started as soon as we opened our umbrellas. 2 minutes later it all stopped as if nothing happened. Ten minutes passed - and terrible gusts of wind that nearly knocked us down. Sure enough, soon it was warm and mellow again. Best advice when the weather is in such a theatrical mood: keep an umbrella with you at all times.

The walk from the city center to the train station is quite long, about an hour. But at least the building of the train station is worth exploring - it has great inner decorations all over the ceiling that imitate medieval style. Outside, by the largest bike parking I've seen after Copenhagen's sleeping districts, a sad man was playing his wistful sax; there seems to be something about Belgium and saxophones.

What to see in Ghent:

Korenmarkt (basically, central square)

Church of Saint Nicholas

Saint Michael's church

Gravensteen

Stadhuis Gent

Belfort

Saint Bavo cathedral

Antwerp: The Train Station and the Sky

Antwerpen-Centraal Train Station, Antwerp

After the grey cold rain of Brussels and the crazy run of tourist-packed Bruges and (devastatingly) empty Ghent, Antwerp was all sunshine and warmth. Easily the most enjoyable time I've had in Belgium.

Antwerp is a mild, soft city, quite self-indulgent - it has less tourists than either Brussels or Bruges - and completely immersed in its own thoughts. Traces of the eternal, undying energy that preserves big cities can be found everywhere.

First things first, we went to see the jewel of Antwerp's sightseeing itinerary - Antwerpen-Centraal, the main train station of the city. It has 4 floors, with trains arriving on each of them - it is really impressive, especially as the whole structure is sunlit through the ribbed glass roof and the underground floors are dipped in orange-and-purple lights, the true impressionist study of light and color.

Antwerp has a clear itinerary, as if the city was built with the idea of easy navigation in mind. Starting from Antwerpen-Centraal and past the diamond district, the shopping streets of Antwerp start and run right to the heart of the city, Grote Markt. The walk there is short if one ignores the detour sites like the beautiful neoclassical Bourla theater with round-ish colonnade façade, the house of Rubens turned museum, the oldest house in Antwerp build circa 1480, completely wooden and still inhabited, or the baroque St Charles Borromeo church, which simplistic interior is decorated with astonishing woodwork.

The notorious diamond district of Antwerp is located right beside the train station. History has it that it all started with shops opening here so that rich people coming to Antwerp to buy diamonds could keep their incognito and leave as soon as the deal was sealed, without the need to visit the town.

Grote Markt and the nearby Groenplaats are connected with a short street that features another pearl of Antwerp, the Cathedral of Our Lady. This majestic Gothic temple is narrowly surrounded by the old houses of trading guilds glued to its every side. You cannot actually see the side walls of the Cathedral (which is another trademark feature of Flemish towns - a dead giveaway that trade was of utmost importance, and that secular and religious matters were closely connected).

Grote Markt itself looks just like other main squares in Belgium - a lot of space adapted for Christmas markets during this time of year, crowded by waffle houses with gilded statues and inscriptions dating back to the Autumn of the Middle Ages, and towering Brabantine Gothic spire, the cynosure of the city.

Stroh violin player. Stroviol is a popular instrument of street musicians, seen all over Flanders

The next thing I was agitated to see was Sint-Annatunnel - a 1/2 km tunnel under the riverbed, fully built for walking on foot, riding on bicycles and even for motorized vehicles. The escalators are wood-paneled and lacquered, the photos on the walls tell the history of construction of the tunnel as one descends.

Quay along river Scheldt, shipyard and windmills

On our way to MAS, we've taken a turn into the Antwerp red lights district. As I was quite shamelessly staring at the girls (literally) displayed in the windows, my friend surprised me, hilariously paying attention to some nesting boxes on a random tree instead. Some way to explore the city.

Don't miss on the chance to visit MAS museum. For a tourist, it's a golden opportunity: free entrance to the rooftop with stunning night panorama of Antwerp lights. From up above, the lights on the windmills twinkle red, painting an ominous image in the night skies. The walls of the interior are covered with posters of modern art (sometimes inspiring, sometimes hilarious, sometimes frightening). Besides, MAS is open till 10 PM, a rare case for Belgium.

MAS pays the oddest homages, and one of them is to Harry Potter franchise: the building features floor 9 and 1/2.

While on the roof of MAS, the pragmatism and commercial genes of Flemish people deliver nothing but pure delight. The nearby houses host advertisements for the visitors of the museum: cafes and restaurants ornament their awnings with offers of hot drinks and rich meals.

What to see in Antwerp:

Antwerpen-Centraal

diamond block

Leysstraat 32-34 and 27 (twin buildings)

Meir (shopping street)

Rubenshuis

Bourlaschouwburg

Boerentoren

Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk

Groenplaats

Cathedral of Our Lady

Grote Markt

Brabo fountain

Stadhuis Antwerpen

Het Steen and Lange Wapper memorial

Sint-Annatunnel

Stoelstraat 11 (the oldest house of Antwerp)

Sint-Pauluskerk

Schipperskwartier (red lights district)

MAS museum (rooftop viewpoint)

What to eat:

chocolate (in all forms, whether it's box of finest pralines, a chocolate bar, or a cup of hot chocolate)

waffles (fillings vary; I personally prefer dark chocolate and whipped cream. Belgian people however have plain waffle with sugar powder)

beer (one of the oldest and most important produces of the region; brewing beer is fine art here)

frites (basically French fries, but don't call them that - it's offensive, given the fact they were not invented in France; the locals still hold their grudge over the matter)

mussels (Brussels specialty, usually go with frites on the side)

Flanders As It Is

Wandelterras Noord, quay of Antwerp, near Sint-Annatunnel. The sun gave us its last warmth of the day as we strolled along the Antwerp quay, the dark silhouettes of seagulls scattering sunbeams as we scared them off the railings

The towns of Flanders are easily recognizable. The main square is always called 'Grote Markt'; the combination of a cathedral (usually of Our Lady), a stadhuis and a belfry impending over the town is mandatory. Old houses of stone (and sometimes even wood), with stepped roofs and intricate ornaments. Waffles and chocolate on every corner, infinite varieties of beer in any pub. Add cyclists during the day or bicycle parking at night, cobblestone streets, a culture co-depending with trade - and you have a perfect portrait of a Flemish city.

It was a little vacation we all need from time to time - not spectacular but fun, warm and surprisingly full of color in this grim, gray time of the year.

[unrulymusic]

In 1737, the mammoth Tsar Bell, created as an expression and symbol of Russian state and industrial power, was irreparably damaged in a fire before it was ever rung. While we now have the digital tools available to create virtual models of the bell’s acoustics, our reconstructions necessarily involve speculation and imagination. In 2017, lies and falsehoods are a prominent part of our political discourse, often disseminated via data-driven digital advertising and social media. We are confronted with urgent questions about truth and falsehood, fact and fiction, journalism and propaganda. Counterfactuals pairs an imagined digital reconstruction of the Tsar Bell with a real, acoustic carillon in order to invite reflection about truth and falsehood in our present moment. The piece proposes a chain of musical “what-if” scenarios: melodies and textures are proposed, then repeated in dramatically different contexts. Contrapuntal layers proceed in independent tempi, unable to reconcile to a common pulse. Repeating patterns prove unstable, breaking and evolving into unfamiliar forms. The real and the virtual entangle, and fictions abound. Performed by Tiffany Ng with the assistance of Brendan McMullen on the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Carillon at the University of Chicago during the 2018 New Carillon Music Festival. Audio engineer: Christopher Willis The Tsar Bell Project is a collaboration between UC Berkeley, Stanford University, and the University of Michigan.

[eli-workshop]

Layer files #0 - Carillon (Click for better quality)

[ask-the-layers]

78 for Carillon? ^^

78. If they had a nightmare who would they tun to ?

"I don't often have nightmare, or any serious enough to frighten me to that point. It would be Erf I think, since she was created just before me. We hugged a lot when we were still in Eden so I'd probably feel safer with her."

[jonathankatwhatever]

I had a series of understandings this morning, but they’re now jumbled because I barely slept. Example: I could categorize sexual couplings by equivalencies and symmetries. So for example, m-f can rotate to oral as an extension of kissing - which I dont think f-F do like they could and should, which I’m trying to express as a consequence of the gender across relationship with m-M, not as a judgement. I could have said m-M dont kiss well, but that’s an extrapolation, not something I’ve tested.

So for example, there are pairings, and these can expand to triangles which dont fully close. Like a guy divided in two, serviced bottom, by a girl, joined top in a kiss. That turns the communication across into an alternating flow: blow one, information flows up and down that guy across to other, who can then be serviced by hand or another mouth if you want complications. A double penetration is different because equal involvement requires a shift of position, either of the guys or of the girl. That makes 4 positions because the communication in each involves different ends of her with different degrees of freedom.

A gangbang is like a carousel in which focus shifts discretely within the blur of over-stimulus. Until it loses focus. That’s the appeal.

Took a short break, thought about how Harkness was daughter-in-law to the builder of Harkness Hall. I loved that place. My friend Patti was trying out to be a carilloneur, and the practice carillon was only available at odd hours. I escorted her a few times. Her banging on the wooden handles. Checking out the bells. It’s the only actual gothic stone, not steel structure at Yale. FLWright said he wanted to live in it so he wouldnt have to look at it. Put downs used to have art. And her bitch pack in St. Louis. I stopped at Kennedy + knowing that’s the best part of the coast. Never thought about the threads in the house and grounds.

Forms of grounds. Shades of brown.

I realized my male friends are hard m outside, fit and often muscular, but on the trans scale inside, though they dont seem aware of it. That can flip same or reverse, out and in. The number of twists possible gets large fast: awareness has a radiative quality. Should have been obvious: awareness defines by what it is not aware of because any awareness is separate to some extent, and that separateness is like the way the negatives sneak into my head. That’s a function of various separation axioms, which are now arise mechanically, which makes them consequences in the model which generates not merely ZF but others, as updated and extended. The hard part is still expressing that the - and this is very hard for me - orderings exist within a field or area of not-orderings which extend toward a limit of fixed, so not only countable but countable efficiently, which allows different limits as needed.

I have no idea if that was good. I havent thought about that area of explanation for a long time. Applying Not at the identity level. This is starting to connect to patterns, which is one of the grails.

My brother soothed me with physical demonstrations today. He can now clench his right side into ideal pose, which I have to say looks pretty good, with definition appearing more and the extensions having softened the tone of my muscles and the stretching working the skin to contract. That pose today is the one I’ve been looking for; it tightens the lower rib cage and stiffens the entire right side perspective into idealized man form. He was very happy. Then he showed me he figured out how to balance on the right foot by holding his left leg and fully extending and retracting it multiple times. That was a shock. The stuff he can do across himself is amazing.

That’s a layering I’ve largely set aside; the halves within and their identifications. My left hand is my brother’s hand, which is why I’ve long associated it with you. I just didnt have sufficient density of labels populated yet. My right became mine because I became so deeply involved in the transition across handedness. I had no choice but to become involved because the visible triangular was through me. And I associate the other triangular with you. That’s always been where it pointed, and then you became that pointer, which is hands, which are my favorite of your extremities. I’m typing while toasting bread: the 13 disappears into the selection of direction. I just saw it: the scale closeup enlarges and slows so you can see you racing around the house, with you not just getting smaller as the scale away enlarges but maintaining a sufficient pulse to identify where you are when it’s slow enough to see where you are, as that appearance of you shrinks so the pulse disappears into the directional cue with the slightest adjustment or sensitivity.

I connect this to CM64. Never thought I’d type the naive level model statements again. That invokes a process by which you run around the outside, which requires a more stationary existence for the house. It can be rotating, which mean this can be invoked by rotating the house and you running against it like a treadmill, so you adjust where you are by whether you go faster or slower than or the same as the counter-rotation. That is literally just varying counting speeds, which occurs because those speeds occur within an informational limit. That limit then becomes your capability to run as 13 against the treadmill. That sets a strategy of intentional slowing to allow the treadmill to rotate to the place you want the long way around. That seems to be crucial: it rotates the ++ quadrant through the others within each step, where step would be you start to run to stop the wheel so it halts you where you need to be, dropping in like an angel from above. This exactly matches the experimental manner of determining light speed: rotating mirrors until the stream is continuous over a long enough stretch that you deem it the limit, or equivalent extrapolations. Anything less invokes Not. That works within areas and thus within volumes, etc.

Amazing how fast my legs have been softening in tone as I’ve been extending. Extending the structures of my right leg has been torturous. Right leg, left side of brain, which puts you on the right. I’ve been extending my hands and feet as the restrictons have settled there, which shows progress in process not only result. The stuff my brother is doing ... whoa, I missed the cross-connection: who is my left side brain? That’s the same issue as above: I’m in there because I had to be in there, so much of this has been a process of getting me out of there so my brother unifies as I unify as we unify together.

Why CM64? Because I just realized that contains the lower case versions and mixtures that define the core transitive identity matrix. Here it renders as CM, cm, Cm, and cM. The first is an enlarging bigger than the second or the second is going the other way, and shrinking or enlarging relative to the other defines the C as the endpoints where choice occurs, big or little. This reduces M to m because the model interior function goes into the points. The second is small c, large M, which says choice within the model interior function. That enables the cross relationships, which draws the hypotenuse, which connects to the layers alternating like a cake in squares. I’ve never done that before with that degree of clarity. This allows application of different C’s: choice, context, counting, color, capability. It’s more obvious to pick a letter like C than to use a symbol to indicate that it’s ordinal and cardinal, meaning it counts across choice, context, etc. and within choice, context, etc.

[wonderfultraveler01]

Cisco VPN Basics

The very Cisco VPN is a class of networking solutions that are designed to increase productivity and security for anyone that is using the same product within the company. The acronym Expressvpn review stands for Virtual Personalized Networking. Like what it says, it enables anyone that is certainly working within the same system to see each other and being employed within the framework of that "system" that it sees. This shows that you have the utmost security without having to expose yourself to other people who are actually within the same system. It is quite complicated at first but when you in reality see how it works, it is quite simple, really. Imagine one great network with multiple servers and client computers virtually all operating within the same network, using the same system and even accessing the same data. This is a recipe for a big annoyance with the IT personnel having to set the different user perks, access and routing. If you are using a VPN, you only look at people that you are supposed to see, and you cannot go any where you were not supposed to go. Cisco VPN is like having the same network with a huge number server and client computing devices in their own virtual network. Only the client computers have got supposed to access certain servers can access those wow realms and they will never see the other people who are in a different VPN. A different way to look at VPN would be imagining your company as a series of places where each department has their own hierarchy but each individual room cannot access other rooms without the proper obtain. In more ways that one, Cisco VPN allows for the work managers to organize a business and put the different levels of their staff members in their own virtual networks while being able to set their user privileges and settings as if they were accessing their own individual systems, even though it is just a virtual system from the IT personnel's point of view.

Although it may sound quite a bit confusing, the Carillon VPN is a type of networking solution that allows for a specific set of layers of users, with each layer of end users seeing what they only need to see. Everything with that VPN will be set so that any higher class user can see and the wonderful below them, check on their work or see the actual up to, without having to set anything externally by the IT people who are maintaining the entire VAN. This simplifies the user configuration settings creation for each of the networks and allows for the different clients who have differing authentication to work within their limits. All of this is on auto-pilot done without any other external settings being made or changes to finished. This also allows the creation of new VPN without having to change your existing computer systems that much; all you need to do is to make the crucial network, the users, settings, the virtual environment, rules, etc ., all within the comfort of the command center. The Barranquilla VPN is the best solution for maintaining a multilevel corp that needs flexibility of its computer system and allows for just about an unlimited amount of expand ability to its existing systems.

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Katie Kuffel releases new single ‘Carillon’

Seattle singer-songwriter, Katie Kuffel releases the first single off her upcoming album. Exuding a dream-like trippiness, ‘Carillon’ serves as a source of strength and resilience in trauma’s aftermath. Kuffel’s smokey vocals resolutely compliment layered horns, organ, and guitar to build forward momentum. It’s a reminder there’s no going back, only moving forward. ‘Carillon’ is off the album, Alligator, due out early 2021.

The single was written following a violent attack on Kuffel while she was in college. Kuffel says, “I like to speak openly because violence against women is still so prevalent. So many people are stuck during Covid with their abusers, so many folks don’t know what resources are available to them, what laws are and aren’t on their side.”

Set to three acts within the song, ‘Carillon’ begins by submerging the listener into the anguish directly after trauma occurs. An acknowledgment of inner strength emerges in the second act, It concludes with a refusal of defeat. Kuffel says, “During the early days of recovering from my attack, I often had nightmares, and would suffer from sleep paralysis. This song is a mix of some of the trapped feelings I felt while dreaming, and me wishing I never experienced that event.” This can be heard in the line “un-ring the bell” that Kuffel repeats over and over. She says, “It’s me desiring to become stronger, it’s me telling myself that only I have the control over myself and my own reactions. That I won’t be undone.”

Katie Kuffel · Carillon

[theloniousbach]

COUCH TOUR: PIANO RECITALS (mostly) from the 92nd STREET Y (mostly), APRIL 2020

The piano recital is becoming the way to experience real time performances of European Tradition Art Music in this time of the Great Disruption.  The 92nd Street Y’s series is impressive and so is an outlet I rely on.

I wrote a full separate review of Jonathan Bliss's readings of the Beethoven Sonatas #30-32 on March 26.Let this serve as a compendium of shorter notices of six April performances.

The next to last was the Bach Partida in D Minor for violin which includes THE Chaconne from the artist’s bedroom and the very last was a tape of a pre-Disruption recital at the 92nd Street Y.  

Such archival recordings are where that venerable institution is heading.  I thought/hoped they might have an Angela Hewitt Bach Toccatas tonight, but it didn’t come on.  Instead, she is due again next week for the English Suites.  They also plan to show Peter Serkin’s last recital with them, including the Goldberg Variations.  Finally, later in the month, they promise the Vienna Piano Trio with a program that includes “Archduke.”  

So look for at least another compendium note, if not three separate ones.

MARC-ANDRE HAMELIN, 14 APRIL 2020This music was so bright, crystalline in a sense but not fragile at all.  In part, it was the program (the Enescu was literally a "carillon" ) but Hamelin is renowned for his technique.  It was striking.  He also played a Fasoli, so that's the first one of those I ever saw/heard.  That had to be part of it as they are, by reputation and this experience, remarkable instruments.The program included some Debussy Preludes from Book II which I liked though that is not the unanimous opinion in the household.  They are so harmonically open and adventurous that they speak to my jazz side.

Here's the "setlist:"

C.P.E. BACH: Rondo in C Minor, Wq. 59/4 

ENESCU: Choral and Carillon Nocturne, Op. 18, Nos. 6 and 7 

FAURÉ: Nocturne No. 6 in D-flat Major, Op. 63 

SCRIABIN: Fantasie in B Minor, Op. 28 

LISZT: Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude 

 DEBUSSY: selections from Préludes, Book 2 4. «Les fées sont d’exquises danseuses»: Rapide et léger 5. Bruyères: Calme 6. Général Lavine – eccentric: Dans le style et le mouvement d'un Cakewalk 7. La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune: Lent 11. Les tierces alternées: Modérément animé 12. Feux d’artifice: Modérément animé

For the record, we did not watch this live, but the next evening.

PEDJA MUZIJEVIC, 17 APRIL 2020

If Hamelin's Fasoli was striking, Muzijevic's Yamaha Disklavier (partially covered, lid unopened) was too.  Add that we couldn't see the keyboard and this one was less satisfying despite a differently thoughtful program.

The instrument sounded fine as, after all, we are listening on an iPad four feet away.  This is not high power audiophilia at play.  I have to imagine it serves important pedagogical purposes and works as a home piano for a working musician  who worked on the road.

He is certainly engaging, showing us (his phone? device?) to our seat, but then before the Satie showing a favorite work of art in his apartment and then putting "us" on his piano so he could recite (against the composer's strict instructions otherwise) the rather surreal text that informs the composition.  He started and ended with CPE Bach with another reading of the Rondo that Hamelin played in the middle.  He viewed the program as bouncing between Berlin (the younger Bach), Paris with Antheil and Satie, and New York (Glass from 1979 and John Cage selections from the remaining score to a lost ballet, "The Seasons.").  A nicely thoughtful/provocative program.

C.P.E. Bach: Sonata in C Minor, Wq. 65/31 

Antheil: Selections from La Femme 100 Têtes (nos. 2,3, 5,6 and 8) Phillip Glass: Mad Rush 

C.P.E. Bach: Rondo in C Minor, Wq.59/4 

Satie: Embryons desséchés 

Cage: Prelude and Spring, from The Seasons 

C.P.E. Bach: Sonata in G Major, Wq. 55/6

RENANA GUTMAN, 20 APRIL 2020

The encore, oh so familiar but I can’t name that tune, had a delicacy that much of the program lacked.  I’m fond of the Bach but it was, well, Baroque and busy.  The Debussy had some space but it is often not simply pretty Impressionism.  This was the second time that Faure’s Nocturne has appeared in this series.  I don’t know it well enough to compare Gutman’s to Hamelin’s, except to say it’s a showcase piece.  As are Scriabin and, especially, the Chopin.

It was an acoustically too bright room, an art gallery with a plate glass window behind the piano through the Faure if not the Scriabin.  Wood floors, higher ceilings bounced the sound around even after a curtain was drawn.  She used lots of pedal, as she was supposed to, but the tones rumbled and layered on top of one another.  I am not an audiophile and I freely admit, we listened on an iPad.  But I felt I didn’t get the full effect of her formidable technique.

Bach: French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817 

Debussy: Rêverie Fauré: Nocturne No. 6 in D-flat Major, Op. 63 

Scriabin: Selected Preludes, Op. 11 

Chopin: 24 Préludes, Op. 28

JULIA HAMOS, 23 APRIL 2020

SCHUBERT: Fantasia in F Minor, for piano four-hands, D. 940 (with Benjamin Hochman, piano)

BARTÓK: 15 Hungarian Peasant Songs, Sz. 71

SCHUMANN: Symphonic Études, Op. 15

After fighting the room for Guttman’s sound, this recital was a return to the series’s promise.  The material was just as virtuosic (we’ll talk about the Schumann shortly), but there was a lightness and clarity even as the notes rumbled in the mid-lower register.  This room, in Hamos’s parents’ house, was just warmer, smaller, a rug under the instrument.

The Schubert was dedicated to her recently deceased grandfather and was emotionally significant for him and the love of the piano it engendered.  We settled in and yet the four hands were clear and complementary.  Only a few of the Bartoks sounded like folk songs, but others evoked jazz in this very predisposed listener.

But the highlight was the Schumann.  Etudes, so they were short, but not at all miniatures.  They were majestic in conception and grand in presentation.  I was drawn into my exploration of what makes symphonies symphonies.  These become tests to go with the Liszt transcriptions of Beethoven or the Hummel settings for flute/violin/piano/cello of some of the later Mozart for home performance.  But, he develops themes in, at once, broad strokes with multiple subtle voicings.  I will return to these.

ALANA YOUSEFFIAN, 24 APRIL 2020, CANDLELIGHT BAROQUE CONCERT, TRINITY CHURCH WALL STREET

Not piano and not sponsored by the 92nd Street Y, but I had to sneak in a performance of the Bach Partida in D Minor, including THE Chaconne.  It was from the artist's apartment and had that kind of charm and intimacy.

I valued seeing the Chaccone in the context of the dance forms that precede it in the work as a whole.  The finale is of course stunning and this version was too, properly somber but somehow lighter.  I take that as Youseffian's interpretation. The rest of the Partida is thoughtful too but it balances the work.

I "left" at the intermission, but reportedly she answered questions and then played a serious of shorter pieces.  I'm glad that she led with the Bach.

PAMELA FRANK/STEPHEN PRUTSMAN, Aired 28 April 2020

This had to have been a taped performance (there was an audience, it took place in a concert hall) but the only specific reference was that the encore Chorale in G was for Peter Serkin who died February 1.

They performed all 6 of the Bach Sonatas for Violin and Keyboard at 92 Y on March 5.  While this may have been from that recital, what was advertised was 5 in F minor, 3 in E, 4 in C minor, and 6 in G plus the Chorale.

I have no complaints with an all-Bach program but what made tonight special was the musical conversation.  Piano recitals, including Fred Hersch's Tune of the Day series, are wonders of the instrument.  If, as it appears, they are the primary way to hear real time (or at least almost) performances, I can be content, witness this series.  But to hear the back and forth of even a duet stands out in my current listening context.

I still listened to the piano primarily for the way it complemented and danced around the violin.  Complemented as much as accompanied or it could have been that the left hand (mostly) accompanied the right hand and the violin.  And, undoubtedly because of the ensemble character of the keyboard writing (keyboard, not piano, of course), it lacked the conventions of the 19th Century piano virtuosi.  I kind of liked taking a break from them  to hear different possibilities from the instrument.

[arcisfoodblog]

The last part of our road trip through beautiful Vancouver Island: from Salt Spring Island, via a very scenic route, to Victoria.

We could have chosen to leave Salt Spring Island on the east side via Fulford Harbour, but we would then have arrived in Victoria way too early for the check-in into our hotel (only at 4 pm). Furthermore, it would have been the same stretch of road as we would have to take on our way back to mainland BC.

We woke up early to prevent waiting in long lines for the ferry back to Vancouver Island. Therefore, we took the 9.35 am ferry in Vesuvius instead of the 10.50 am one and had plenty of time for an impromptu scenic route. But first, brunch at Tim Hortons. Timmy’s is an institution in Canada, which we had been sort of avoiding in the previous weeks, but we gave in to the kids. To us, it was a mash-up of a McDonalds, Starbucks, and Dunkin’ Donuts (which may explain the kid’s enthusiasm and overall popularity), and it wasn’t all that bad. Furthermore, they have to be commended for already serving Beyond Meat “Burgers” and “Sausage Patties” as part of their regular menu.

Our 220km/135 mile scenic route took us through the southeastern interior of Vancouver Island, via Lake Cowichan to Port Renfrew. Then we headed east on the Juan de Fuca highway along the coast, and after a lunch stop in Sooke, we arrived in Victoria.

There were three signs at the exit for Port Renfrew at Mesachie Lake:

Next gas station 82km

No cell reception for next 53km

Watch out for Wildlife for next 60km

The road was indeed precisely between these two places; no other villages on this road, just a few turns to remote farms. You don’t want your car to break down there, but there was much more traffic than we had expected, so a helping hand would soon be available if you did. It was a beautiful route through unspoiled nature that we cruised through at around 60 km per hour.

Lake Fairy (Pacific Marine Rd, just north of Port Renfrew), is worth a quick stop as a bonsai tree grows on a rock in the middle of the lake.

The sign of the cell reception was incorrect; it was only about 10 kilometers before Sooke (thus a total of 110km) that the bars on our phones filled up again. Unfortunately, we had connected to a telecom provider from the US, which is 20 kilometers away on the other side of the Salish Sea… Also, only in the suburbs of Sooke, the “promised” wildlife showed itself, although I was responsible for one roadkill.

“Lunch” was in Sooke at one of the local breweries, Sooke Brewing Company (2057 Otter Point Rd). Great beer and view of the brewing room, but no real food options here. The bag of Crystal Meth, err… Malt, made me understand why that Canadian beer is so damn addictive!

We also visited nearby Sheringham Distillery (252 – 6731 W Coast Rd). Their Vodka, Aquavit, and White Spirits are excellent, but we were mainly there to check out their Seaside Gin, which took the 2019 World’s Best Contemporary Gin Award. This category means that the gin is not predominantly favored with the classic botanicals like juniper. Other flavors such as citrus, spice, and floral notes are more prominent here than in a Classic Gin. This Seaside gin is indeed relatively citrussy, but due to the added local winged kelp, it also has a slight saline flavor. Amazing stuff! Their Kazuki Gin is infused with cherry blossoms petals, yuzu peel, and green tea Flowers from Westholme Tea Farm in Cowichan Valley was delicious too and therefore also found its way into our suitcases back home.

When we arrived at our hotel on the outskirts of Victoria’s Chinatown, we took a short exploratory walk in the neighborhood.

Because we were quite hungry and the kids were in the mood for pasta, we attempted to get into one of Victoria’s busiest and highest rated restaurants, II Terrazzo (555 Johnson St). It opened at 5 pm, and even 15 minutes prior, we were already waiting in line outside. Fortunately, they still had a table free for those without reservations, but when we finished eating, the large restaurant was entirely packed.

We had the Fungi Arrosto (Portabella mushroom in a focaccia crumb and herb crust, baked with garlic butter, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and Parmigiano. Sliced and tossed with baby spinach, crispy capers, and balsamic vinaigrette) and Aglio Arrosto e Cambozola (Fire roasted garlic bulb served with freshly baked rosemary flatbread and a wedge of cambozola cheese). The kids had Zuppa di Pomodoro (Vine-ripened tomato soup with basil pesto and Bocconcini cheese) as starters. We were also happy to find the Blue Mountain Sauvignon Blanc in their wine “book” which had more than 1000 entries.

We had 3 different mains. The Melanzane al Forno (Fresh pasta folded over breaded eggplant, roasted mushrooms, garlic confit, asiago, and gruyere cheeses, baked in a tomato basil cream sauce, topped with spinach). A Fusilli con Sugo di Manzo (Fusilli pasta in a slow-cooked Bolognese meat sauce, baked with mozzarella, spinach, and fresh basil) as well a the Canneloni di Maiale (Fresh pasta filled with pulled pork and mozzarella, baked with savoy cabbage and smoked bacon cream, topped with a balsamic granny smith apple compote). We obviously had leftovers (approximately half of all the main courses), but for dessert, the kids still managed to gobble up a Crème Brûlée and a Panna Cotta… Delicious food, rustic plating, and as you can see, the use of garlic was not shunned. The leftovers were wafting every time we opened the fridge in our hotel room…

Our amiable waiter pointed out that in the evening, the 30th Symphony Splash would take place. The Victoria Symphony Orchestra gave an open-air concert on a pontoon in the harbor between the Empress Hotel and the British Columbia Parliament Building. Very well attended, and the final 1812 Overture of Tchaikovsky was accompanied by a festive firework display (instead of with real artillery guns).

It is clear that the end of the holiday is approaching as the call of the kids for more sleep and fewer activities is getting louder by the day ;-). Yesterday, we partly met their demands and let them sleep in. Consequently, they did have to stand in line for brunch at Jam Café (542 Herald St), which already had phenomenal lines in Vancouver earlier this holiday due to their no reservation policy.

It was a public holiday, British Columbia Day, so that didn’t help, but when we entered the line, people told us that the waiting time was about 30 minutes for a 2-person table: “not bad at all for Jam Café…”. Fifty-five minutes later, we were seated in the restaurant and had worked up quite the appetite.

The kids went for The Waffle Board (1 Belgian waffle topped with cinnamon caramelized apples and fruit salad) and Maggie’s S’Mores Pancakes, which was a massive triple stack with the expected layers of chocolate, graham crackers, and roasted marshmallows. Chantal had The Veggie Bowl (Crumbled biscuit, hash browns, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, corn salsa, spinach, mushroom gravy, cheddar and two sunnyside up eggs). I had the Jam Blackstone Benny’s (two poached eggs on an English muffin with hollandaise, hashbrowns, house sugar-cured bacon, roasted Roma tomatoes topped with Parmesan cheese) together with a side of Avocado Toast. Their reputation is understandable; the quality of the food is top-notch, and the portions are large enough to eat all day (which we did – together with the doggy bag from Il Terrazzo the day before). The Pimm’s Cup (Pimm’s #1, Ginger Beer, Lemon Juice, Chai, and Cucumber) is also a lovely summer cocktail!

Then, we strolled to the Royal BC Museum (675 Belleville St), where there was an exhibition about the Mayans that the kids wanted to see. Incredible to see how advanced they were in the times of our Middle Ages and how their culture was destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors in no time (their glyph language was again deciphered only 30 years ago!).

All in all, a must-visit museum as their regular natural history collection is outstanding as well. Outside the museum, you will find the Dutch Carillon. We saw it mentioned on the map, and it evoked unintended associations with a Dutch barrel organ (oh, the horror!). It turned out to be a beautifully designed bell tower that The Netherlands gifted to the citizens of British Columbia because of Canada’s Confederation Centennial in 1967.

That night we went whale watching. The choice of the boat was leading for Chantal as open zodiacs speedboats and having to wear full-body protective gear are not her thing. Therefore, we booked with Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Tours as they also have a sturdy catamaran specifically designed from whale watching. We had selected the sunset tour, and departure was from the Fisherman’s wharf at Erie St. The houseboats there are nice and colorful!

As there was thick fog south of Victoria earlier that day, none of the whale watching operators had spotted orcas. The weather had cleared up, but without previous sighting data, it would make no sense to go sailing around a stretch of sea of 100 km2 sea on the off-chance of spotting some orcas. Consequently, the plan was to head north to see if there were any humpback whales around. If people still had to go to Vancouver, they could be dropped off immediately, the crew joked …

Then full speed ahead and sailing at 30 kilometers per hour and choppy waves, the first stretch from the Victoria harbor to Oak Bay was a bumpy ride. Otherwise – also in combination with the Dramamine taken as a precaution – the remainder of the trip via the Haro Strait could even be called very comfortable.

Because of the whaling, the humpbacks were decimated almost entirely in the waters around Vancouver and Seattle 20 years ago. The first whale that came back then to feed there was Big Momma, and the population has since returned to around 400 specimens. Instead of a “facebook”, they have a “tailbook” to be able to identify all the whales. Big Momma showed herself, along with her regular travel buddy Heather, after returning to this area after month and a half of absence. Lucky us! With the sun dropping in the Salish sea, amidst Ferries and various Southern Gulf and San Juan Islands, it was again an unforgettable experience.

Our last morning in Victoria consisted of sleeping in again, and we had early lunch at one of the five outlets of The Village Restaurant. Brunch restaurants and breweries are the two things to bring you riches here in British Columbia! Their Chinatown outlet (1609 Store St) was, of course, the most convenient location as it was just around the corner from our hotel. And we didn’t have to stand in a line for a table. 🙌

Chantal had the Bagel & Lox (smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion and capers on multigrain toasted mount royal bagel. I had the Drop 3 (Montreal smoked meat, back bacon, turkey sausages, roasted tomatoes, three poached eggs, roasted potatoes, toast & preserves. The kids had Hood Cakes (mixed berry Pancakes), and a Healthy Start (fresh fruit & toast with strip bacon and preserves).

We did some shopping and sightseeing. As our oldest needed a new backpack for school, we went to the MEC, the outdoor store of Canada. From the shop window, you can already see that Canadians are very outdoorsy types, but the range of gear they have in their store is astonishing! I also picked up a funny shirt with “Eh is for Adventure” on it. We had luck with the weather, so the kids wanted ice cream at Perverted Ice Cream (604 Humboldt St). The concept is rather gimmicky with “risque” slogans and names of their cones ice creams and black cones that seemingly were created for Instagram alone. Consequently,  long lines and many ice creams already melting before the perfect shot was taken… The product itself nothing special and, therefore, overpriced. Needless to say, we have left the “Perverted in Victoria” t-shirt on the racks…

In the afternoon, we took the car to drive to Beacon Hill Park, in the south of Victoria for the Mile Zero Monument (18 Douglas St), marking the start of Highway 1, the 7821 km long Trans-Canada highway. I suspect they smuggled a little bit by marking the ferry line between Nanaimo and Vancouver as a highway so they could add the extra kilometers of Vancouver Island…

The park also has the World’s Tallest Free-Standing Totem Pole in the world; 60m high and therefore good for a stiff neck from looking up…

If you are in Victoria, the 30-minute drive to The Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay (800 Benvenuto Ave) is a must-see attraction. I will let the pictures do the talking.

We were back from The Butchart Gardens around 4.30 pm, and the kids were more excited about gaming than visiting a brewery for a small snack and drink. Therefore, we dumped them in the hotel, so Chantal and I could have a “romantic” pub crawl… Victoria’s brewery density is absurd. Within a 500m radius of our hotel/brewery/brewpub Swans, there are eight other breweries: Spinnakers Brewpub, Vancouver Island Brewing, Phillips Brewing & Malting, Hoyne Brewing Company, Driftwood Brewery, Moon Under Water Brewery & Pub, Île Sauvage Brewing Co. and Whistle Buoy Brewing Company. The selection was the most practical one: the two nearest breweries. The tasting at Whistle Buoy was nice, and they have a beautiful venue on Market Square’s lower courtyard, but some of their beers lacked a bit of a punch and were flat. We understood that they had opened just a couple of weeks prior, so we’d chalked that one up to start-up issues.

We had been done our best at trying to get our hands on as many different local beers as possible, but with a total of 42 craft beers on tap. Our bartender of Swans managed to surprise us. Their “arrivals board” is brilliant!

First of all, he was a fellow-Dutchman (“I am from Noordwijk, so in that case, we can continue in Dutch.”). Secondly, he had been in Victoria for just eight months but unknowingly had already managed to build up a strong Canadian accent when speaking Dutch 🤪. Lastly, we each ordered a flight of 4 tasters with mainly those of Swans (very nice!) but along the way got to sample several other local beers that we hadn’t come across yet. We also got a taster of their own Negroni, which they pre-mix and then age on oak barrels that previously had Porter beer in it. A delightfully rich and smoky combination!

It was a good practice of that evening because we had already reserved for a late dinner at Cafe Mexico (1425 Store St). Hello, more cocktails !!! 😂 Chantal had the ineffable Rosa Barbujeante (Altos Plata Tequila, Montenegro Amaro, Watermelon Mint Syrup, Lime Juice, and Prosecco) and I had a Rodilla de las Abejas (Bergamot Infused Papalote Blanco Tequila, Honey Syrup, Lemon Juice, Lavender Foam). The latter looks a bit creepy in the photo but was very tasty and invoked memories of The Buchart Gardens. The kids had some Agua Fresca mocktails.

Foodwise, we had Queso Fundido (A creamy cheese dip with chorizo, refried beans, poblano peppers, and caramelized onions) and Street Corn (Charred corn off the cob with mixed peppers, cotija cheese, caramelized onions and garlic serrano, topped with Cricket salt) as a side dish. The kids ordered Quesadillas; one Carne Asada (Skirt steak, onions, poblano, and red pepper, served with guacamole and salsa morita), and one Chicken Asada (Chargrilled chicken, roasted corn, black bean, red pepper, and onion, served with chipotle crema and guacamole).

We had chosen Chimichangas as our mains, a vegetarian one for Chantal (A crispy flour tortilla filled with nopales, oyster mushrooms, poblano peppers, roasted corn and red onion, pico de gallo and Mexican rice, topped with salsa Morita, guacamole, and Jack cheese.) I had a Barbacoa one, which had braised beef short ribs as the basis. It became clear immediately that we’d be having leftovers for breakfast. Great hangover food though…

Around the World – British Columbia Roadtrip (2019) – Victoria The last part of our road trip through beautiful Vancouver Island: from Salt Spring Island, via a very scenic route, to Victoria.

[gigsoupmusic]

Keane 'Cause And Effect'

The 5th formal studio album for Keane, labeled Island Records and published on 20th of September titles Cause And Effect, has 11 tracks and is a many-layered, vulnerable and disheartened pastiche. Tim Rice-Oxley’s break up is the core of this new album, the first one in seven years following the hiatus from 2014 to late 2018. A motif that only rarely finds itself originally developed in an attractive, sharp-witted tunes. On the contrary: some of the album (clearly in the second half of it) amounts to an unsalted ballad, a passionless transition that sounds more like b-side jam sessions than an actual, promising comeback from the band which  yielded the riotous, sorrowful alt-rock sound a prestigious place in world-wide fan base along with Coldplay and Muse. Tim’s textures are the bones and spine of the group dynamic, and that’s pretty clear from the beginning, in You’re not home the delicacy of an imaginary electronic carillon gently flowing into a rarefied dream is perfectly counterbalanced by Tom Chaplin’s choirboy soprano gemstone-voice. Love too much has Brandon Flowers’s appeal, delivering a statement that blows a fuse of honesty: Only want to say that I gave it all I had / That I felt afraid and I didn't step back /Whether right or wrong/ I did everything with love. But the track goes through the motions, its acridness doesn’t really find a musical alter-ego to be wholly conveyed. It lacks a liberating refrain, which is otherwise the pulsing heart of the leading single The way I feel, with its rhythmic propulsion that shortly flashes in the overall desolated  geography of the tracks. https://youtu.be/RmE-Cr72qH0 Put the radio on poetically reverberates along Somewhere only we know universe, where  intimacy is craved for resisting daily adversity. It weakens the rhythm in  the tiring attempt to go for the right refrain and the impeccable melodic construction, which has always been their trademark, is not enough to definitively take off. Strange Room strips off with candid allure, signing up as one of the best tracks the Sussex band ever conceived: a melancholic oil painting on canvas painted by romantic disasters and condensed by tension. Stupid Things is  a forlorn account of pop despair, where lies are the common denominator of couple life, a never-shifting skin that is artistically translated with a pop scratch that ramps up. Keane  try to mix the cards, to bring a bit of panache, but the perky electric Phases minuet, although pleasant, fails to drive away the shadow of adult Take That. Maybe the intuition was clear from the beginning: better to settle for the more professional moments that try to get close, as far as possible, to the glories of the beginning, perhaps putting too much pressure on the craft, as in the other single Love Too Much, but remembering how to compose a beautiful pop song with all the trappings (Chase The Night Away). On this note, Cause And Effect verges on a big question mark, a hard-to-define horizon, spotted with moments of cloistered intimacy, heart-melting brutality and on the same time with lethargic pop instants(I need your love) destined to be relegated to the second fiddle. Read the full article