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Sunset over Hydra – July 2023

Deb and I have been enjoying a good stretch of time on the enchanted Greek Island of Hydra on the Saronic Gulf. We are staying at “YaYa’s” House, a small villa on top of a cliff which looks over the port below. The house is a 15-minute walk from the port, with over 240 steps to climb (we’ve counted them), but the view is worth it.

Every morning I have been working on new repertoire while Debbie works on her drawing project based on various flowers of Hydra. On a recent evening on the porch, I recorded a run through of a piece by Carlo Domeniconi titled, “Rose in the Garden.”

This piece is the 9th movement from Carlo Domeniconi’s Hommage à A. de Saint-Exupéry – a set of sonic depictions of scenes from Saint-Exupéry’s children’s book, “The Little Prince.”  The Cicadas provide a shrill chorus in the background. I understand that the Cicadas in Greece are the largest in Europe!

 
 

 

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The gifted oboist and conductor, Michael Helmrath, once asked a student the following question:

“Where is the music?”
“In the CD when you started playing it?”
“No the CD is a photo. But it isn’t the music.”
“Then is it in the score, when you write it?”
“No the music only exists in the moment when it is played. Therefore, don’t be afraid. Just play.”

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Mauro Giuliani (1781–1829), a contemporary of Beethoven and Schubert, was a musician with a mission: to raise the recently invented (but rather quiet) six-string guitar to a level of musical prominence in a world inclined to favor ever-louder operatic, pianistic, and symphonic music.

During the years 1806–1819, while he lived in Vienna, Giuliani’s dazzling performances made him the darling of that city, whose press and public hailed him as the greatest guitarist of his generation. His guitar works, rich in chamber music, were published by the foremost Viennese publishers and widely acclaimed. Against all odds, this poor guitarist of modest south-Italian origin made a place in history for himself. He was decisive in launching the classical guitar in central Europe as a versatile instrument capable of moving and enchanting audiences when played with skill and musicianship.

This video performance of “Le Rose” is taken from Choix de Mes Fleurs Cheries, “My chosen and dear flowers,” a cycle of ten short pieces written by well-known Italian composer and guitar virtuoso Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829).

I performed this piece during a student concert at the recent Classical Guitar Corner Academy Summer School held at Endicot College in Beverly Massachusetts. I hope to post a video soon of the live performance in addition to this “studio performance.” Playing for others in a live setting is more exciting for sure!

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Several months ago, I purchased some music from guitarist, teacher, and music journalist Mark Small.  We made phone contact with each other and had the pleasure of talking about all things guitar. Mark is a published journalist and occasionally writes for Acoustic Guitar Magazine.

Long story short. Mark was working on an article to describe the allure of the classical guitar for professional and amateur guitarists over 65, the boomer generation, and the ways they have stayed focused on the instrument as the aging process moves on. He had seen my YouTube Channel and thought he might feature me in this article. I was surprised and honored to be included.

Mark writes:

“Many players from this age group who, chose careers in classical guitar continue, touring, recording, and teaching. They, as well as those returning to playing later in life, have learned that it’s important to adjust practice regimens or adopt new ones as their bodies age. In this feature, Benjamin Verdery, Andrew York, Stephen Robinson, and Raphaella Smits–all high-achieving professionals share observations about how they maintain and  continually improve their skills, while offering advice applicable to players of all ages and styles, including steel-string guitarists. Rick Lord, a player who made guitar his focal point after retiring from a non-music profession, also shares his experiences.”

If you would like to read the article, download the pdf file here.

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Here is another lyrical composition by the gifted musician, Ólafur Arnalds. The piece is entitled “Tomorrow’s Song,” from his 2011 release, “Living Room Songs.”  I have been exploring music for the classical guitar to use in liturgical settings and this piece fits quite well in that endeavor.  Thanks to Matthew Cochran for his excellent arrangement.

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“The starting point of contemporary Christian faith is an experienced liberation from hatred, greed and ignorance, brought about by a vision of transcendent goodness in and through the risen Christ. Such a liberating apprehension needs to be worked out tentatively yet creatively in relation to the modern scientific and historical worldview. That is the view of a long cosmic evolutionary process within which the divine life can be expressed and become the matrix of a transformation of the cosmos itself to participate in the life of the eternal God. That expression, that matrix, and that goal to which all creation strives, is Christ. To be a Christian is to place all your faith in that vision and that goal”.

Ward, Keith. Re-thinking Christianity (p. 180). Oneworld Publications. Kindle Edition.

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This past week, I worked on a beautiful composition by the gifted musician, Ólafur Arnalds. The piece is entitled “Saman,” from an Icelandic word meaning “together.” Ólafur is an Icelandic multi-instrumentalist and producer from Mosfellsbær, Iceland. He incorporates strings and prepared piano with loops and natural field recordings to develop a singular sound that might, if you have to use labels, be described as ambient/atmospheric or simply, contemplative. He has composed original film scores for such TV series as “Broadchurch,” and for the Apple TV series “Defending Jacob.” To me, his music is expansive, soulful, and transcendent in nature. Great background for contemplative walks and silent prayer.

This song is part of his 2018 album: “re:member.” I have taken the basic piano arrangement and adapted it for the classical guitar. The guitar does not have a pedal mechanism as a piano to lengthen the time of sustained notes, so I chose fingerings that could best take advantage of fixed fingers and open strings. The original key is in C minor, but I think it works well in B minor with a capo on the second fret.

This video includes camera angles that show my home studio where I study, practice, and produce the performance videos I create for this web-site and YouTube channel. As an aging boomer, I am amazed by the advancement of pro-audio video and recording gear and how with a bit of determination and time, one can develop some very decent results.  Hope you enjoy it.

You can download my arrangement here.

 

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“Immature religion creates a high degree of cognitively rigid people or very hateful and attacking people—and often both. It is almost the public image of Christianity today, yet God’s goal is exactly the opposite.”

—Richard Rohr

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There are two things you have to look out for, two extremes:
On the one hand, an impractical realism,
and on the other hand, a sort of passive realism.
The impractical idealism is the kind that says, 
“I’ve worked it out beforehand, and that’s the way it’s got to be.”

Both these views are basically static.  They never get anywhere.
In between, there is a wholistic view, which is:

“In the reality which I have and am now, there is a possibility for 
growth which God has put there.  There’s a seed God has planted
there and is going to make grow, and what I have to provide is 
the love and assent that’s going to permit it to grow.”

On the other hand, the passive kind of realism says,
“Well, this is the way it is, what can I do?”
And just does nothing.

—Thomas Merton