Author: wllunny (Page 2 of 2)

*Apologies. I thought I had submitted this yesterday but, only realized today that I had left it unpublished.*

Glenn Gould’s interpretations of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” provide different adaptations of the original composition. The most significant difference between the two recordings is the tempo. In the 1955 version, the tempo is much more nimble than that of the 1981 version. In fact, the 1955 version is thirty-eight minutes and thirty-four seconds long compared to the leisurely fifty-one minutes and eighteen second long 1981 version. The sounds of each form are very similar in the sense that they are both played on a piano by the same person, only twenty-six year apart. Gould’s choice of tempo was not the only change from the original 1955 version. He would repeat specific sections of the composition which allowed him to explore more rhythmic qualities of the piece. His decision to do this resulted in a longer, more thought-out rendition of the original (twelve minutes and forty-four seconds longer to be exact). As for the  melody and harmonic structure, it is mostly the same with the exception of repetitiveness and difference in pace. Overall, I found the two pieces were very satisfying to listen to. Out of the two recordings I would have to say that the later rendition (1981) was the better one of the two. Although it may not follow the same pace or structure as Johann Sebastian Bach’s original to a certain extent, the piece sounds more established as a musical composition compared to the one in 1955.

1. Frank Ocean – Nights (Music)

“Nights” by Frank Ocean is a musical creation from the genre of R&B that goes from a melodic up beat to a state of chaos. Out of the relentlessness of distorting guitars, it blossoms into an emotional and uplifting nocturnal beat. 

        2. Debussy – Clair de Lune (Music)

Claude Debussy’s Classical musical composition “Clair De Lune” , French for moonlight consists of continuous rhythmic patterns and homophonic texture that helps give off a scintillating characteristic to the musical piece.

        3. Nature (Sound)

The natural world and the sounds that make up its identity. These sounds consist of birds singing, rain colliding with the ground, wind bending the forest, and waves crashing etc.  

These three selections consisting of two music pieces and one sound piece should be included on the Golden Record Project. This is because both pieces of music reflect different times in our musical history, the Classical period and the more modern genre of R&B. The third piece, nature should be included because it is the finest example of raw sound from our world.

1. Looking back at the “bones of summer” how have you engaged or created art? If you haven’t engaged or created art, please describe why.

In Leslie’s poem, “What a hard garden this January makes, with mercury mirror light drawing on the snow, in precise detail the bones of summer” he makes a comment saying that “…like painting, you begin with absolutely nothing and it grows, you hope that it will blossom”. Looking back at this comment, whenever I am committed to creating art, I almost always start with a blank canvas. Whether it be a musical instrument to aid me in my creativity or any other tool such as acrylics or pencils, I rarely have an idea of what I want to make. Whenever I try making art, I hope that what I am doing will blossom into something more than what is written down or recorded.

2. What things, if any, surround you that you consider powerful?

Depends on what is considered powerful. I think that in means of motivation, people tend to push me into trying new things or just being better at what I do. This doesn’t just have to be categorized as friends and family though. People that inspire me have a large influence on my actions, whether it be music, fashion, or even how I interact with others. Out of all the people in my life that I think give me strength, the person who drives me the most is probably my Mother. She has always supported my intentions from the very beginning, placing me in piano and dance at a very young age. Exposing me to new things I think helped my creativity and motivates me to this day. Living on campus and not seeing her everyday I think makes me more inclined in what I do; course wise and also learning new things on my own such as guitar.  

3. Over the next couple of days, take note of the dominant sounds in areas that you consistently walk. What are the sounds you notice most of all? Be specific.

Looking back at my definition of sounds from the short questionnaire, I said that there are loud unsetting sounds, quiet/inaudible sounds, and soft soothing sounds much like musical ones. Over the course of these past few days, I have heard many different sounds although none I considered were musical, aside from my music. Most of the sounds consisted of loud cars passing by, the sound of rain blending in with the movement of the trees, water rushing along the road and walkways, and people talking to one another whether it be yelling or laughing etc.

4. How do you relate to the phrase “free time only works if you steal it?”

I think that what Leslie Laskey meant by saying “free time only works if you steal it” is that you have to take time away from what you are doing in the present for it to be valuable. Meaning no matter how busy you are or what you are doing, the concept of free time only works when it is captured from being occupied. If we are given free time, it may be wasted by either going on your phone or just mindlessly killing time. It is only when we are already busy do we take the time for ourselves to use it to the best ability.

5. Do you have any other takeaways from the film?

It is amazing just how present Leslie is in the video. I think that Leslie is the perfect example of someone who never lost their creativity. For someone who is in their nineties, he proves that the human mind is still able to discover new things, an example would be his experimentation with food. A lesson from this video, “47 Views of Leslie Laskey” is that no matter how old you get, you never lose your imagination and the right to create.