soflute

J.S. Bach, Matthäus-Passion, Nr. 57&58 “Er hat uns allen wohlgetan”, “Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben” BWV244

soflute — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:34:30 +0000

Recitativo:

Er hat uns allen wohlgetan.
Den Blinden gab er das Gesicht,
die Lahmen macht er gehend;
er sagt’ uns seines Vaters Wort,
er trieb die Teufel fort;
Betrübte hat er aufgericht’t
er nahm die Sünder auf und an;
sonst hat mein Jesus nichts getan.

Aria:

Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben, aus Liebe,
aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben,
aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben,
Von einer Sünde weiß er nichts, nichts, von einer Sünde weiß er nichts.

daß das ewige Verderben und die Strafe des Gerichts nicht auf meiner Seele bliebe.
Aus Liebe, aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben,
aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben,
von einer Sünde weiß er nichts, nichts, von einer Sünde weiß er nichts.

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben

Download Score from Werner Icking’s Archive

Bamboo Headjoint in buddhist Caves, Pune (India)

soflute — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:12:00 +0000

Few years ago I was traveling through India. While being on a trip around Pune I was visiting some old buddhist caves near Mulshi Lake with some frieds of Mystic Village. At that time I was into experiencing the sound capabilities of this instrument and also experimented with bamboo as an alternative material making flute headjoints.

The sweetness and expressive sound of the Indian Bansuri esp. in the low registers touched me in a way that no other modern concert flute ever did before. And I’m not the only one being impressed by that sound: later (just to do some advertising here) I a had some email conversation with Matti Kähönen from Matit Flutes and he too stated that the sound characteristics of the Indian Bamboo flutes, which might be a result of the fibre structure of the material, actually brought him into experimenting with carbon fibres to build his amazing Matit flutes.

So back to the caves: Their rich reverb brought me to do some recordings with my prototype bamboo headjoint mounted on my 200EUR Thomann flute:

Now here is some recording of a simular improvisation in the same room using the standart metal headjoint of the flute.

The intonation is not where it should be I admit, and actually that’s the point why I stopped investigating in that direction but still I do believe it was just my lack of craftsmanship rather than a fault of the material. So still I’m looking for a flute maker able to perfect my early experimental approches with bamboo headjoints.

Ravi Shankar, Alla Rakha - Introduction to Tala

soflute — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:06:11 +0000

Indian (here Hindustani) classical music has an amazing depth. Often misunderstood as Jazz alike in the western worlds it represents an other rich but very different approach to reach the highest spheres of musical culture beside the western classical music. (isn’t “classical” actually a quite inapplicable term?)

Just an other Wordpress blog!

soflute — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:25:09 +0000

To keep up with the change of times one needs to run: Once more soflute tries to catch up with some minor adjustment: It switched! from mighty .mac or nowadays mobile me to good old Wordpress. The old pages are once more not lost and can be found here. I try to move the content over within the next days.

Have pfun!

Klangvölle: Amazing Grace

soflute — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:00:05 +0000

recorded 14th of June, 2008, Braun Professional Care with Timer, Motu Ultralight, Neumann KMS 105

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me….
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

Händel, “Lascia Ch’io Pianga Mia Cruda Sorte”- A Youtube Powered Guide to Classical Music

soflute — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:39:30 +0000

Georg-Friedrich Händel,
Rinaldo, Act II, Scene 4

premiered 24th February, 1711 in London “Queen’s Theatre”

[...]
Lascia ch’io pianga
mi cruda sorte,
e che so spiri la liberta,
e che sospiri
e che sospiri la liberta!

lascia ch’io pianga
mia cruda sorte,
e che sospiri la liberta!

Il duolo infranga quest ritorte,
de’ miei martiri
sol per pieta
de’ miei martiri
sol per pieta

Philippe Jaroussky “Lascia ch’io pianga”, Rinaldo G.F. Händel, Telecast

Download Score lascia ch io pianga.jpg (excerpt, orchestral score)

Dornburgs Castles/Gönnertal Panorama

soflute — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:50:55 +0000

View from the castle hill of Dornburg over the Saale valey Thuringia. Taken 30th of March, 2008 at 10:53AM

Mozart, “Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen” - A Youtube Powered Guide to Classical Music

soflute — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:04:23 +0000

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,

Die Zauberflöte, Act II, Scene 8, No. 14 Aria

premiered 30th September, 1791 in Vienna “Theater im Freihaus”

If operas only received their budget from the payments of their visitors instead of getting supported by governments they probably would just (need to) perform the “Zauberflôte” to cover their expenses. People just love this Singspiel - and for good reason since it’s rally one of the most amazing operas. Mozart is a master of developing characters with and in his music. The most famous examples are the Arias of the Queen of the Night esp. “Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen”, Sarastros “In diesen heil’gen Hallen” and Papagenos “Der Vogelfänger bin ich” (just to mention a few).

So here are two version of the famous aria No. 14.

The first is sung by Madame Natalie Dessay with her astonishing light sounding height. It just doesn’t feel like she is singing the second highest note ever forced by a composer (the highest by the way is demanded by Mozarts Concert Aria “Popoli di Tessaglia”). Last but not least it’s also a pleasure to look at her:

Eighth Scene:

Die Königin kommt unter Donner aus der mittleren Versenkung, und so, dass sie gerade vor Pamina zu stehen kommt.

[...]

Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen,
Tod und Verzweiflung flammen um mich her!
Fühlt nicht durch dich Sarastro Todesschmerzen,
So bist du meine Tochter nimmermehr.

Verstossen sei auf ewig,
Verlassen sei auf ewig,
Zertrümmert sei’n auf ewig alle Bande der Natur
Wenn nicht durch dich Sarastro wird erblassen!

Hört, Rachegötter, hört der Mutter Schwur!

Unfortunately Madam Dessay doesn’t convince me of being the “Evil Queen” since she takes it so light and makes it too beautifully and mellow. I totally appreciate what she is doing but a bit more darkness, shrillness and (not to forget) madness would be nice for this aria. Have a look what Diana Daumrau is doing in comparison:

Diana Damrau as Queen of The Night

The Royal Opera House Covent Garden, conducted by Colin Davis

There is one more thing:

Natalie Dessay as Queen of The Night
“Oh Zittre nicht mein lieber Sohn”
Paris 2001

Download Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen PDF (excerpt from “Zauberflöte”, orchestral score)

Klangvölle: Stairways of Buchenwald

soflute — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:39:06 +0000

Two ambient recordings from the Buchenwald Memorial, recorded Easter Sunday, 2008, Weimar

Stepping upstairs through the snow in direction to the bell tower

Ambient sounds inside one of the mass graves with its surprising reverb from the round walls

Leuchtenburg/Kahla Panorama

soflute — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:00:59 +0000

taken Easter Monday 24th of March, 2008 at 12:03PM, composition of 17×3 (-1ev, 0ev, +1ev) pics using Photoshop, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20

view from the Leuchtenburg in direction to Jena (6×3 images)