tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574060146103839230.post5122007755186951840..comments2022-11-13T09:38:58.195-05:00Comments on Raining Acorns: Sailing Alone From Song to SongSusan Scheid (Raining Acorns)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02827286681242730183noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574060146103839230.post-33877337555118750482011-01-20T21:03:40.681-05:002011-01-20T21:03:40.681-05:00Mark: Ah, what a lovely comment! And, of course,...Mark: Ah, what a lovely comment! And, of course, it would have been preposterous of me to use Collins’ words as a weapon against poetry of a certain type, as my favorite poet of all time is <a href="http://rainingacorns.blogspot.com/2009/11/problem-with-wallace-stevens.html" rel="nofollow">Wallace Stevens</a> (which doesn’t mean that I understand him a good bit of the time). Yes, we must be free to sample, try things out—from the frivolous to the difficult—and what we may discover from time to time is that what seems frivolous at first is not, and what seems incomprehensible at first yields its meaning over time. The fluttering is what’s important, as you so rightly state.<br /><br />WOS: I am so pleased that you found the music to your liking—a happy discovery for me, too, this set of instruments. And, Luddite that I am in so many respects (truly), I didn’t even know what Pandora’s radio was! I would be interesting to see what they’d come up with for me. Hmm, yet another thing for the endless and ever-growing to do list. But, hey, the year is young, right?<br /><br />Von: Well, with your stories of life at Poddler’s Creek, you enrich my life every day, so I’m glad to be able to return the favor!<br /><br />Britta: Much food for thought in your lovely comments. Of course, the haiku is a Japanese form, and perhaps the sensibilities are different, though I think your point is just as to both. I was reminded of <a href="http://rainingacorns.blogspot.com/2010/10/conversation-with-composer-john-metcalf_23.html" rel="nofollow">John Metcalf’s</a> comment about the most beautiful poetry: “it’s almost as though the meanings are all in between the words somewhere.” I wondered what Billy Collins would say, and then went back to the poem in question and noticed he uses the word "seems": "It seems these poets have nothing/up their ample sleeves." Indeed the meanings are all in between the words, aren’t they?<br /><br />Friko: I remember so well your wonderful <a href="http://frikosmusings.blogspot.com/2010/11/and-how.html" rel="nofollow">post</a> about a particularly rich day of your own: "Can you hear me buzz? See me fizz? A bee in high summer with pollen available by the bucket load couldn't buzz louder." I am mightily pleased to offer a little something in return. And may we all have many days like that to come!<br /><br />Heidi: I’m so glad you enjoyed the music and poetry—and you keep those hilarious slices of life coming, please!<br /><br />Carol-Ann: As I hope you know, your enjoyment of the music only adds to my own!<br /><br />Elaine: Thank you! And to many explorations of art, music, and poetry in the coming year!<br /><br />David: janus has been for me but one wonderful discovery amongst many: starting with contemporaneous, I might add! As for composers in particular: Sarah Kirkland Snider (whom I am sure you know is the composer of Penelope) recently said, "This is a thrilling time to be a composer." Well, it’s a thrilling time to be a listener, as well—and in no small way thanks to contemporaneous and other new music ensembles who make sure the music of these fine composers (including, by the way, members of contemporaneous and other present and former denizens of Bard) gets heard. As the wonderful composer Jesse Alexander Brown wrote (honoring RA with a comment on the <a href="http://rainingacorns.blogspot.com/2010/11/only-connect.html" rel="nofollow">Only Connect! post</a>—wow), “All we can do is keep on keepin' on, doin' what we do best: write the music that's in our hearts and in our heads.” To all you composers out there now: Please do! We’ll be there to listen, be assured.Susan Scheid (Raining Acorns)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02827286681242730183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574060146103839230.post-73148359040055203882011-01-20T17:53:17.803-05:002011-01-20T17:53:17.803-05:00I am a big fan of janus and all the composers you ...I am a big fan of janus and all the composers you mentioned. We either have performed or have planned performances of works by most of them with Contemporaneous. Thanks for uncovering such great musicians to the public!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07053877868049789119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574060146103839230.post-91596783068251748092011-01-20T10:39:05.919-05:002011-01-20T10:39:05.919-05:00Just great Sue... a bounty of selections to choose...Just great Sue... a bounty of selections to choose from!Elainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06472013263590020321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574060146103839230.post-54260380343146828112011-01-20T10:26:14.295-05:002011-01-20T10:26:14.295-05:00Thank you for taking us on this beautiful journey ...Thank you for taking us on this beautiful journey with you - lovely, lovely indeed!Carol-Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07390714553925368818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574060146103839230.post-9686968454199730632011-01-19T20:11:01.128-05:002011-01-19T20:11:01.128-05:00Thank you for posting the music--it was lovely! I...Thank you for posting the music--it was lovely! I enjoyed the poetry too!Heidi-"Heidi in Real Life"https://www.blogger.com/profile/01765631003765541364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574060146103839230.post-35452385022066433952011-01-18T18:33:15.378-05:002011-01-18T18:33:15.378-05:00What a wonderfully cultured and civilized person y...What a wonderfully cultured and civilized person you are. <br />Your day sounds almost excessively rich, how can you survive such <br />riches without bursting.<br /><br />To have such an experience alone is spirit-lifting, but then to write about it and share it, that is adding generosity towards others to the list of joys.<br /><br />Lucky you.Frikohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04277167831642088694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574060146103839230.post-24400483360723536522011-01-18T03:29:59.550-05:002011-01-18T03:29:59.550-05:00Dear Raining Acorns,
janus playing Burhan is wond...Dear Raining Acorns, <br />janus playing Burhan is wonderful! I love flute - and I love Chinese poetry and painting. <br />Collin's meditation on Chines poetry I will not follow: hinting, omitting seems much more the way they work. You see a lot of mist in their pictures, and we all know Matsuo Basho's haiku "The 8 views of Omi at the Biwa sea": where he omitts 7 wonderful sight:<br /><br />Ihrer Sieben sind<br />heut vernebelt - aber, horch,<br />Miis Glocke tönt! <br /><br />Seven of them <br />today are hidden in the mist - but listen, <br />Mii's bell is ringing!<br /><br />(Well, rough translation). <br /><br />Your quote of Su Tung-P'o is shere wonderful Taoism: "I was going wherever I happened to go,<br />giving myself over to whatever I met," - I will copy that to my Facebook-entries - quoting your post - I love it!Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10688373434576442657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574060146103839230.post-21748170730987569132011-01-17T17:31:04.466-05:002011-01-17T17:31:04.466-05:00What a beautiful, soul nourishing time you've ...What a beautiful, soul nourishing time you've been having! Lovely post!Vonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17421069895155350144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574060146103839230.post-21581152322420889292011-01-17T17:04:32.262-05:002011-01-17T17:04:32.262-05:00Another interesting piece from RA and another intr...Another interesting piece from RA and another introduction to musicians I would not have discovered on my own. The combination of flute, harp and viola is lovely, I enjoyed the clips at the end of your post.<br /><br />I can picture your journey from piece to piece - it's quite an insight into your tastes and interests. I can only wonder what Pandora radio would make of your well-rounded musical travels.Wide Open Spaceshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04573357176617683341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574060146103839230.post-69123932617169084692011-01-17T14:38:12.958-05:002011-01-17T14:38:12.958-05:00That's how I discover most things, just sailin...That's how I discover most things, just sailing along like a butterfly tasting this and that.<br /><br />I've noticed folks often quote that Collins poem as a weapon against poetry they perceive as solipsistic, obscurantist or intentionally difficult, even meaningless (thanks for not doing that!). But just because one does not understand something doesn't make it meaningless. 'Why shouldn't I compose a frivolous piece?' By the same token, why shouldn't I compose a difficult piece? We are free to flutter from one to another, tasting this and that, taking what we like and moving on.Mark Kerstetterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13307987573435067415noreply@blogger.com