Friday Flowers: Days of Wine and Roses

White dahlias

Vitae Summa Brevis

(By Ernest Dowson)

They are not long, the weeping and the laughter,
Love and desire and hate;
I think they will have no portion in us after
We pass the gate.

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
Within a dream

White Dahlia

After highlighting roses throughout the summer, I couldn't do it again. Instead, our focus is on the "Angel of August", the white dahlia. Symbolic of elegance and dedication, it's an auspicious beauty to start off the month.

So, why the title of this post? We're celebrating the birth date of Ernest Dowson, featuring one of his most famous phrases. Anyways, it's closer to our premise than "gone with the wind". ;-)

Friday Flowers: Paschal White

Safe in their Alabaster Chambers (Poem 124)

(By Emily Dickinson)

Safe in their Alabaster Chambers -

Untouched by Morning - 

and untouched by noon -

Sleep the meek members of the Resurrection, 

Rafter of Satin and Roof of Stone - 

Grand go the Years, 

In the Crescent above them -

Worlds scoop their Arcs - 

and Firmaments - row -

Diadems - drop -

And Doges surrender -

Soundless as Dots, 

On a Disk of Snow.

Since today is Good Friday, I figured that we would celebrate the Easter festivities with some white flowers and poetry from Emily Dickinson. To be honest, this isn't one of my favorite from among her works, but, today, it feels right with me, more personally significant. I guess that I've been thinking of death a whole lot these past few months. ;-)

For Christian, this time of year is a reminder of the eternal life which we receive through God's grace and our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the early Church, the apocalyptic hopes of the faithful led them to believe that the End Times were upon them. As the years progressed, the Second Coming and Judgement Day started getting more remote into an unspecified future.

Sure, the Dead would rise to gain their final rewards, but the Son of Man left the believers waiting year upon year, century upon century. Grand go the years, without a peep from the Risen Lord. And still people wait, living their lives in preparation for a promised future life, losing opportunities in the Present with the hope of unimaginable treasures in the Future.

Fallen Leaves and Barren Trees

The branches, nearly bare, stretch up into a turbulent sky.

Yeah, another photo blog. I don't have the energy today to write about anything really cool or exciting. Like these trees, I'll have to wait for a warmer time to show a proper flourish.

But I'm keeping up the daily output, even through these difficult times. That's something about which I can be happy. There are many wonderful things around me; if only I could rally my spirit, there would be an overabundance of writing. ;-)

Yet, for today, we'll look at these poor fallen leaves.

Dry and discarded, the fallen leaves rest upon the green grass.

Maybe tomorrow. . .

So You're Keen on Music?

"The Korova milkbar sold milk-plus, milk plus vellocet or synthemesc or drencrom, which is what we were drinking. This would sharpen you up and make you ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence."


I've been sitting a few weeks on some photos from the Stanley Kubrick exhibition at LACMA. However, to celebrate the traditional day upon which we recognize Ludwig van Beethoven's date of birth, I figured that we could post up a couple images from the Clockwork Orange section.

And here's a quote from Alex, while listening to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony:

"Oh bliss, bliss and heaven. Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh. It was like a bird of rarest-spun heaven metal or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now. As I slooshied, I knew such lovely pictures!"

Well, Alex and I probably experience the music in radically different manners, but I can't disagree with his admiration for ol' Ludwig van. ;-)

Alex's costume from A Clockwork Orange


Let's look at some vids.

I Got Nuthin'

Peering through a window into an empty library


For real, I got nothing!!!

Actually, if it were not so late into the night and if my mind were less befuddled, then I could have probably come up with something cool to share with you all. After all, it's George Crumb's birth date.

Well, I guess a snip of Black Angels is appropriate to the Halloween season, cool but creepy!!!

Devils may be horrific, but dark angels evoke a dread most sublime. ;-)

Archangel Raphael (c.1600) from Naples, Italy. On view at LACMA.


So, let's listen to some music.

Sublime Chance

Detail of Moonrise over the Sea (1822) by Caspar David Friedrich

Yeah, I'm a Romantic at heart.

Today we celebrate the birth date of Caspar David Friedrich, born on this date in 1774. His works have a moody darkness to them, with figures overwhelmed by the sublime beauty and grandeur of Nature. They are pensive visions.

In these landscapes, humanity seems so small, so fragile. Yet, there is a peacefulness within, an awareness of the transience of life in the face of the ancient cycles of the world. I find myself swept away into Friedrich's quiet world.

Detail of The Chasseur in the Forest (1813) by Caspar David Friedrich

And we can't pass up on celebrating the centennial of John Cage's birth. I'm really not much of a fan, but he certainly had a significant influence in the philosophy of aesthetics, from musical composition to poetic structure. I could write a vast commentary on his works, but gjuum llokdd hid, maqucf fronticly, dna kltovit ahendwei magdran. ;-)

Half Simpleton, Half God

Late Summer view of the Lily Pond at the Norton Simon Museum


It always amuses me that, whenever I take a vacation from the daily blogging, my readership seems to soar in terms of pageviews. Sometimes, it is because something about which I have written enters into wider consideration. This time it seems just random. It's curious, but I'm happy that some new readers have stumbled upon this humble blog.

As the photo above indicates, I went to visit the Norton Simon Museum over the weekend. They have a pretty good exhibit on still lifes, entitled "Significant Objects: The Spell of Still Life." Now, I'm not a fan of that genre of painting, but it was interesting looking at the huge collection on display, everything from Dutch tulip drawings to Claes Oldenburg's giant soft ketchup bottle. Yeah, it was comprehensive. ;-)

Hopefully, I'll get to write up a review of the show. It'll be tricky, since there is no photography allowed, but most of the images are available on the internet or from my own collection of photographed works. But for now, here's a Lipchitz:

Figure (1926-30) by Jacques Lipchitz

And, for half of this post, let's celebrate the birth date of Anton Bruckner, who was born on this date in 1824. Does this have anything to do with still lifes or my increased vacation readership? No, but incoherence is the name of today's game. ;-)

Once in a Blue Moon

Blue Moon (August 31, 2012)


Yeah, posting has been slow. I've been on a vacation from blogging, trying to get various priorities and obligations of my life in order. However, I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to share a photo of the "Blue Moon" with you all.

I plan on being back banging out regular blog posts next Tuesday. I'm thinking of going more "Image of the Day" heavy, mainly to always have new content up on the front page. My interest in photography has steadily increased into an avid hobby; I really enjoy taking pictures.

So, have a great weekend. Enjoy the Labor Day festivities.

Let's listen to some music to capture the moment. ;-)

Castles in the Sky

Clouds reflected in the high windows


Lately, the cloud formations have been beautiful down here in the South Bay. So I decided to take a few photos. ;-)

I've never been much of a cloud-gazer, but I think that I can become one. There's something restful and dreamy to watching the wispy white vapors drift across the blue sky, changing along the way in a slow and subtle manner.

It's beautiful.

Sunlight streaming through dark clouds


And the shapes inspire the imagination.

Old School Orientalism

Detail from The Turkish Bath (1862) by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

On this date in 1782, Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio was premiered.

It's a fun opera, with many impressive arias and clever compositional techniques. But what always captures my interest is how it illustrates European fascination with "oriental" culture. Harems, eastern despots, and exotic customs, these are some of the hallmarks of the genre, frequently played for laughs.

And for erotic imaginings. The "Orient" was an almost fantastic place where Reason and Order were overwhelmed by the sensual and the decadent. So, artists and composers rose to the challenge of satisfying European desires for this Dionysian vision, filled with spices and odalisques.

Detail from The Women of Algiers (1834) by Eugene Delacroix

So, I figured we could look at a few classic images and listen to some music evocative of Oriental fantasies.

Amongst the Clouds of Gold

Detail from Avalance in the Alps (1803) by Philip James de Loutherbourg

Even for those familiar with operatic repertoire, the name of Alfredo Catalani draws a momentary blank; it sounds familiar, but what did he write? As the mental list of titles runs through the mind, a sweet and haunting song rises from the unconscious.

"Ebben? Ne andrò lontana"

The famous aria from La Wally!!! The one-hit wonder of Italian opera! That's Catalani. If YouTube had existed back in the 1890s, people would have been Catalani-rolled.

Well, that's not really fair. Given his short life, he produced a respectable body of work. They aren't "works of genius" but they're enjoyable bits of music, charming and graceful. The rise of modernism and experimental operatic concepts resulted in an already obscure composer falling into even greater obscurity. But the music remains beautiful, a ghostly echo of traditional opera, a style that was fading away even as Catalani was penning these notes.

Detail from The Dance (1856) by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

But we don't have to let his music fade away. Instead, let's celebrate it tonight, marking his birth date, June 19, 1854.

Behold, I Teach You the Overman!

Promotional image for the Los Angeles Opera's 2005 production of Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier featuring Adrianne Pieczonka and Alice Coote, with designs by Gottfried Helnwein

It's been a while since we last celebrated the birth date of a classical composer. Since Richard Strauss was born on this date in 1864, we'll enjoy a few of his works. I'm not the biggest fan of late Romanticism; it's often too overblown for my tastes, loud and long, heavy and bombastic. But, whereas Mahler or Bruckner might make my eyes glaze over, Strauss keeps me engaged.

Moreover, I'm an opera enthusiast and Strauss writes some fine pieces. From the charming homoeroticism of Der Rosenkavalier (no, really, one of those ladies is supposed to be a man) to the passionate depravity of Salome, these are compelling works of musical narrative.

Detail of Salome Dancing Before Herod (1876) by Gustave Moreau

So, let's listen to a few classic tales, expressed in luscious music.

Paradise In Your Dream

Photograph of Johannes Brahms (1889)

I've never been a big fan of the compositions of Johannes Brahms.

Certainly, they're beautiful works, but, to my tastes, they are too formal, too polished, too cerebral or academic. Moreover, I love narrative designs, but Brahms was emphatically anti-narrative, seeking to compose "pure" music. In his quest for perfect structure, it feels to me like he designed away authenticity.

Nevertheless, his creative genius can't be denied. Although his works are not my favorites, they definitely are masterpieces of compositional craftsmanship. So, to celebrate his birth date (born in 1833), let's listen to some music.

Friday Flowers: Temple of Love and Roses

Roses: French Lace (Floribunda)

Sonnet 55
(By William Shakespeare)

Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;
But you shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone besmear'd with sluttish time.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
And broils root out the work of masonry,
Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory.
'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
So, till the judgment that yourself arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lover's eyes.

We've skipped a few significant Shakespeare related dates over the past few weeks. So, here's a brief post to compensate. ;-)

Temple of Love in the Rose Garden at the Huntington Gardens

As for the roses, it's about time that we celebrated their return. Lovely, lovely flowers!!!

Isle of the Dead

Detail of Island of the Dead III (1883) by Arnold Bocklin


Sergei Rachmaninoff was born on April 1, 1873.

I'm not the biggest fan of his work, but there are some memorable compositions. My favorite piece is Isle of the Dead, Op.29, a symphonic poem written in 1908. It captures the late Romantic aesthetic perfectly, with heavy orchestral sounds and a focus on the Sublime.

In my youth, I was very ambivalent about Rachmaninoff. Sometimes I would dismiss his music as "schlock" or "overweight and overwrought" or some over such insult, but, upon hearing Isle of the Dead, I noticed the artistry in the thickness of sound, the lyricism that can only emerge from lush orchestrations.

I can't say that it converted me into an enthusiast, but I looked upon his work anew, appreciating the unique vision for its own values, for its own approach to art.

So, take a mental trip on Charon's ferry across the River Styx. But don't drink of the River Lethe; you will want to remember this music. ;-)

Bach to the Baroque

Detail from a Portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach (1748) by Elias Gottlob Haussmann

It would be a gross negligence, an injustice, if we didn't celebrate the birth date of the Baroque master, Johann Sebastian Bach, born on March 21, 1685.

My appreciation for Bach's music is beyond words, but, oddly, I don't get passionate about it. Whereas with Schubert or Mozart, I can endlessly praise or gush with enthusiasm, listing every precious compositional nuance, each moment of brilliance or inspiration. With Bach, I have no desire to champion his greatness.

Perhaps it is because Bach requires no champions. His music is so undeniably superb that I cannot even begin to imagine how anyone could not admire it. Perhaps it just isn't a particular listener's "thing" but, even so, they must be able to discern the quality, to value it intellectually, dispassionately.

The music is masterful in precision, balance, and progression. Cool and composed, the intricate sounds are the perfection of the Baroque.

Statue of Johann Sebastian Bach (1908) by Carl Seffner, in Leipzig

But I'll stop blathering and allow the music to state its case.

The Red Priest

Detail of View of the Santa Maria della Salute with the Dogana di Mare (1780) by Francesco Guardi

We can't let the day pass without celebrating the birth date of Antonio Vivaldi.

All year long, we've been enjoying his music, interspersed most notably within our seasonal posts. I absolutely adore his compositions, treasures of the baroque Venetian style. In terms of elegance, few composers can compare.

So, let's take a moment to enjoy these beauties and reflect on the shimmering image of 18th century Venice.

Detail of Venetian Capriccio (1760) by Francesco Guardi

Once again, let's listen to some music. ;-)

The Arena Is Full of Blood!!!

Detail of Bullfight, Suerte de Varas (1824) by Francisco Goya


Georges Bizet's opera, Carmen, premiered on March 3, 1875.

In operatic history, it is one of the most influential works, bringing into vogue an interest in realism as a viable subject matter for the stage. The music became a staple of the repertoire, breaking the Italian and German dominance of the genre. Sadly, it was Bizet's last opera, but it certainly was a masterful way in which to punctuate the life of a composer.

So, let's celebrate this classic work. And what of the Goya paintings? Well, the opera is about beauty, passion, and death in 1820s Spain. I figured the Goya's would make a nice visual accompaniment. ;-)

Detail of Young Woman with a Letter (1819) by Francisco Goya

Let's listen to some music.

Corridor to Coca-Cola

Empty Seats and a Coke Machine

For this new year of Paideia posts, I want to share more "whimsy" photos, which I've already started with recent "stairway" articles.

That doesn't mean that I'll stop doing my normal birth date celebrations for artists, painters, poets, and other such cultural luminaries. In fact, it'll allow me to feature some people about whom I normally know very little, but can appreciate. For example, today is the birth date of Federico Moreno Torroba, an interesting Spanish classical, born in 1891.

I know just about nothing about him, but I like his guitar music. ;-)

Federico Moreno Torroba was born on March 3, 1891.

So, let's listen to some music!

Time for a Schubertiade

Schubertiade (1868) by Moritz von Schwind

Franz Schubert is my favorite composer. He has influenced me more than any other creative genius, in any of the arts or sciences. No works of art resonate within my mind with the potency of his music.

Why? There are too many reasons to articulate in a coherent and accessible manner, but I think it can be boiled down to two main points: Romanticism and Melody.

Schubert's Romantic style fully embraces the wandering and dark musings of the imagination. However, he maintains Classical tightness and eloquence, avoiding the overblown excesses that weigh down the work of later Romantic composers. For Schubert, all of the passion and inspiration of the Sublime can be articulated, with effectiveness and efficiency, into a tightly structured, highly melodic song

As regards melody, it is through this that the Romantic narrative is expressed. Moreover, these tales of sound and emotion have the narrative purpose at their core, as their premise. Sometimes the story is vague, simply a progression of emotion, and, sometimes, it is direct, programmatic in design. In either case, one can't listen to this music within being drawn into Schubert's narrative mindscape.

Portrait of Franz Schubert (1825) by Wilhelm August Rieder

I could go on endlessly about these two topics, as well as countless other aspects of Schubert's music. However, in celebrating his birth date, born 1797, I think it is only fitting to let his music make its own case.