Introducing the Open Music Library!

The Open Music Library is a new initiative from Alexander Street to build the world’s most comprehensive open network of digital resources for the study of music.

Curated by a community of music scholars, students, teachers and librarians, the Open Music Library brings together peer-reviewed journal articles, books and music scores from the world’s digital collections.

Leveraging shared ontologies, linked open data and principles of the semantic web, the Open Music Library integrates disparate digital collections and establishes meaningful links between the items they hold.


By aggregating, enriching and integrating valuable primary and secondary sources, the Open Music Library aims to not only advance the state of the art in music knowledge discovery, but also increase opportunities for creative reuse, and promote new possibilities for research and collaboration.

Visit the Open Music Library

E Pluribus Unum, an American National Song, Arranged by Edward Pendleton

 

So you're into opera now?

Maybe. I've recently signed up to get The Critic's Notebook, "Weekly recommendations from the editors of The New Criterion on what to read, see, and hear in the world of culture."

This week they recommend that I get tickets to the Metropolitan Opera to watch Maria Stuarda, which I'm guessing is about Mary Stuart, queen of England, better known as Mary Queen of Scots. 

Obviously this is from before she gets her head cut off.

I am not a fan of opera; but I'm not opposed to it either. The Broadway musical Phantom of the Opera is about as close as I get to opera most of the time, but I (and you) should be willing to give it a try.

Here's a video still from the Met's website:

I can't get the video to work, so follow the link at the top and scroll down to it. Or try this YouTube video.

Because Western Culture is worth celebrating.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music) in 1787.

You may be cool, but you're not "my first name has Wolf in it" cool.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is the byname of Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K 525,  serenade for two violins, viola, cello, and double bass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, admired for its lively, joyful quality and its memorable melodies. The piece was completed on August 10, 1787, but was published posthumously. In present-day practice, it is typically performed in orchestral arrangement.

Mozart produced many serenades, the 13th of which, nicknamed Eine kleine Nachtmusik, is his best known. The four-movement work opens with a bright allegro in sonata form, and a slow, lyrical second movement follows. The third movement is a light minuet, and the finale is a brisk rondo. Originally, the piece contained a second minuet, but that movement has been lost. The specific occasion, if any, for which Eine kleine Nachtmusik was composed has never been determined.

Because Western Civilization has some of the greatest works of art mankind has ever known.


Britannica Academic, s. v. "Eine kleine Nachtmusik," accessed December 18, 2015, http://academic.eb.com/EBchecked/topic/1210597/Eine-kleine-Nachtmusik.

Word Crimes by 'Weird Al' Yankovic

"Word Crimes" by 'Weird Al" Yankovic

Librarians and English teachers rejoice, for someone has finally said what needs to be said. And is hilarious at the same time.

Memory Eternal Fr. Peter Gillquist

     I learned when I arrived at work this morning that Fr. Peter E. Gillquist, Sr. fell asleep in the Lord last night after a long battle with melanoma. He was until his retirement the priest of
All Saints Orthodox Church in Bloomington, Indiana. Fr. Peter was part of Campus Crusade for Christ back in the '70s and '80s until he and a group of ministers began a serious search for authentic first century Christianity, and discovered that it still existed to this day, in the Orthodox Church. In 1987 he and several thousand people in the United States all came home to Orthodoxy together, and ever since, Fr Peter was  a tireless evangelist for the Faith.  I met Fr. Peter personally several times since my own journey to Orthodoxy. He spoke several times at the Saint Stephens Course in Orthodox Theology, held at the Antiochian Village Camp & Conference Center. He also came to our parish and spoke to a gathering of Orthodox Christians from around the area about evangelism. Some friends of mine in our parish first visited because of Fr. Peter.  One time when we were speaking, I asked him what kind of music he enjoyed listening to, and he introduced me to the 1950's vocal jazz group The Four Freshmen. I've enjoyed the 4F ever since.
     Fr. Peter was attended by family and friends, and went to be with the Lord he loved in peace. May his memory be eternal!

A video of Fr. Peter talking about Finding the New Testament Church. 

Boredom

     I have children. Every parent has heard from their children at some point the lament "I'm bored".  When I hear it, which is I am glad to say not often, I think 'What do you mean?  How can you possibly be bored when you are surrounded by toys, books, games, the backyard, bicycles, etc.?'  But in my kid's defense, I think I do understand what their problem is. It seems to me that the heart of the matter is the multiplicity of choices. 

Merriam-Webster defines boredom as "the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest." Could it be that when we are bored it is because we are drawn in too many directions and lack the wherewithal to focus our attention on any one of them? 

     I learned an interesting term from reading about the Desert Fathers, the monks of the 4th/5th centuries who retreated into the desert to focus their attention on God. The term is 'Acedia', which is from the Greek and is sometimes translated as boredom. Acedia is the inability to be in the moment. The one who suffers from acedia is physically one place and mentally another. If this can happen to a monk sitting alone on a deserted hillside, is it any surprise that it happens to us in our busy crowded lives?  It should be surprising that it doesn't happen more often.
     More is not always better, sometimes it's just . . . more. A corollary to Murphy's Law state that "90 % of everything is crud." I have yet to see any proof that Murphy was wrong about that one. Most of the choices that crowd around us and demand our fractured attention are, quite simply, not worth it. Is that TV show really that meaningful?  Is there some great political or moral consequence of the outcome of that sporting event?  What does it really matter what this or that celebrity said or did yesterday? [Don't get me started on celebrities - people who are famous for being well-known, as it has been said]. Will you be a better person for having played Angry Birds for an hour? Does your life depend on reading someone's Twitter post or Facebook page, or answering/sending one more text message?  [Or for that matter, reading this blog?]
     May I suggest that you try an experiment - see how long you can sit in one place, quietly, and without any visual or audio media that you have the power to shut off. Just concentrate on being aware of where you are. Then ask yourself why you could only sit still for that long.
       I am not suggesting that this is a fast-track to inner peace. It's just an idea about becoming more aware of your own behavior and trying to understand why you act the way you do.

Musical Break - Take Five

     We invited some friends over last night to play games, and this song came up in a trivia-type game. It's such an excellent piece of jazz music and musicianship I decided to share it. It is the center piece of an excellent album by Brubeck & Co. called Time Out, in which all of the pieces are notable for their unusual and underused time signatures. Take Five, for example, is in 5/4, which explains the odd feel to the rhythm. It's still a popular album among jazz fans, so it should be easy to get a hold of a copy. Check it out!