Links, May 9, 2008
May 09, 2008
Some recent items of interest:
- A Noteworthy Exhibit at Gratuitous Violins discusses an exhibit, Writing to Character: Songwriters and the Tony Awards, at the New York Library for the Performing Arts:
The exhibit is a a really interesting look at what went into creating some of Broadway's most famous musicals, and what changed from the beginning of the writing process to opening night...
You can see some of the sketches for costumes for Fiddler on the Roof, some of the late Jonathan Larson's notes on the characters in Rent, and the flier for the musical before it moved to Broadway, instructions for how the dancers should act in the song "One" from A Chorus Line, and sheet music from Sweeney Todd...
...Nature abhors monocultures because they are so susceptible to annihilation by one agent of destruction. In plant or animal life, for example, a single virus or bacteria, a single destructive fungus or disease, a single hostile predator or pest would wipe out an entire monoculture without the barest resistance. It is the very nature of nature to avoid monocultures - indeed, it cannot be otherwise since any form of monoculture cannot long exist in nature. Life in the natural realm is manifold and varied, precisely so that some life will weather the inevitable deadly challenges that arise.
It could be posited that modernity is defined by the introduction of monocultures...
...I know when most people think of meter and poetry, the default setting is iambic pentameter, because that's what we study the most of in school. But twelve years of percussion study make me focus on the rhythm of poetry (sometimes to the detriment of not getting the poem itself because I'm so fascinated with the auditory quality) and I find iambic tetrameter far more interesting. Observe:
- Nearly all of Emily Dickinson's poetry is in iambic tetrameter.
- Although we don't much talk about poetry meter when we compose music, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The Yellow Rose of Texas" are also in iambic tetrameter.
- The Sorting Hat songs in the Harry Potter series are in iambic tetrameter. That means you can sing all of them to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Want to impress people? Recite the entirety of the Sorting Hat song from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It's much easier than it looks because everything is easier to memorize when set to music...
A German fighter ace has just learned that one of his 28 wartime 'kills' was his favourite author. Messerschmidt pilot Horst Rippert, 88, said he would have held his fire if he had known the man flying the Lightning fighter was renowned French novelist Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
Happy Mother's Day!
Posted by: Carrie K. | May 11, 2008 at 12:57 AM
Thank you! Happy Mother's Day to you too!
Posted by: M Light | May 11, 2008 at 05:40 PM
Thanks so much for linking to my blog!
Posted by: Esther | May 26, 2008 at 07:12 PM
You're welcome! I'm a regular (but quiet) reader.
Posted by: M Light | May 26, 2008 at 10:47 PM