Spring is arriving here whatever we may think of things around ourselves

I have been concerned about what went on in the politics in our country, that is, the drift to the far right, for the past several weeks. It is a reason why I haven't renewed this blog. I still have some observation and view on it. But not so cranky at it any longer like when I was younger. People may realize what they have chosen for the administration in our country in the near future. Or before that, they may encounter drastic peril. I still believe the problem is that people are accepting and even supporting the reign by ultra right politicians, who often make very bad and thinly veiled or even obvious lies. It often causes unscientific as well as unreal conspiracy in the society. As quoted Arendt's words previously, it is akin to or leading them to fascism.

Enough with politics. I am still cooking dinner at home. This is pork seasoned with salted rice malt. I knew salted rice malt was useful in cooking. I have practised it as the seasoning of chicken breast thinly sliced. You may preserve it for a week or two. This pork dish was also good. Salted rice malt contains protease or amylase. Once foods are is marinated with it, protein and/or starch is digesed and the food becomes even more delicious. 

How many times I have uploaded the photo of blooming Ume? One of the earliest signs of spring here. From the end of last month to a few days ago, it had been pretty cold. But it seems the biological clock within these trees tells them to come out. 

I could not help askng myself how many times I could appreciate it. Not asking such unnecessary question, I may have to enjoy the moment of arrival of joyful spring. It is the time for me to start planting such as potatoes very soon.

A pleasant moment of music related event

About 15 years ago, when I was practising the Nr2 Piano Trio by Brahms with friends at the violinist home, it was the violinist's birthday. While the violinist was out of the room for a while, the pianist proposed me a trick. At the moment we started practising the trio again, as the pianist said, piano and cello would not go on with Brahms but with the famous melody of "Happy Birthday to You". The violinist has given us the Einsatz with breathing as usual. But the other two instruments started singing the melody as promised. At first, the violinist was wondering what had happened with eyes wide open. In a second, she realized that and laughed a lot. One of the happiest moments we shared. 

Shown in the reel clip below, it is such a moment for conductor Eliahu Inbal having his 90the birthday with the members of Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra at a concert. When Inbal came to the podium from the wings, the orchestra started an arranged version of Happy Birthday to You. Solemn and impressive adagio like Mahler's slow movement. When it  sounded as if to end, the music started with the whole orchestra and chorus in unison of forte! The maestro stood still close to the podium. Of course, when the performance was over, he has grinned being given a bouquette and even a big cake there. It is not a moving moment of music but is surely a pleasant time for the performers as well as the audience. Without account in Meta, it might not be able to be watched;

 https://www.facebook.com/reel/2596249997426257

Beef and Tofu

Beef and tofu with vegetables. Seasoned with sugar and soy sauce. Tofu, processed through cotton filter, is rich with protein, calcium and fiber. This dish is a simplified Sukiyaki. Tofu absorbs the taste or the umami of beef. 

Simple, nutrient rich and also economical! Good for elderly.

I am starting farming. Surprised to see how expensive the seeds of vegetables are now. Have ordered a couple of Tomato seed packs, which cost 14 USD. Most of them are imports from oversea. Farming materials are also mostly imported. The biggest trading partner is China. I am afraid the vegetables will get more expensive very soon. Only few japanese people are aware of that. I will take the seeds from the matured vegetables this year.  

Apres un Reve performed by Sol Gabetta and Bruno Fontaine

This lovely piece arranged by Casals from a Faure's song has been one of my favorites since young days. I have written about it for a few times quoting excllent renditions. 

This one by Sol Gabetta and Bruno Fontaine also attracted me so much. Gabetta plays it with beautiful and neat phrasing as usual. The piano part is playing mostly chords in eighth note all the way through. Very simple on the score. However, there are still a lot of agogique since it is originally a song. It might be a matter of common sense for such professional players but they, especially the pianist, are making perfect ensemble. That agogique is just for artistic expression like breathing in song. I remember music is originated from song whatever the genre it might be. Breathing is a basic characteristic of life. Breathing together in ensemble of music gives us the pleasure of living together.

I have missed all the chances for ensemble. Given my arms are getting better with possibly ulnar nerve trouble, I would try to play cello again. What pleasure of sense of existence I have been given in ensembles in the past. I am full of thanks to the company, especially, the violinist who has played together with me for almost 3 decades. 
 

Snowfall

It has snowed a lot yesterday. This amount of snowfall rarely occurs here. In northern areas, they have had too much snow and 45 people were killed in accidents due to snowfall yesterday.  Until the end of next month, we might have massive snowfall for a few more times. Yes, massive only in our standard.

Ume flowers seem to be ready to come out. It means spring is not too far from now. I should prepare planting such as potatoes and other spring vegetables. Hilling the farm with compost plowed into the ridges.

Winter won't last long. We should get ready for spring.

 

Prof Isoyama's memorial day A concert of a high school alumni orchestra 26 years ago

Yesterday, 8 years ago, Prof. Isoyama has been fatally injured falling on an icy road on the way back home from a chorus competetion working as a judge in suburb of Tokyo. It was so snowy as today. A couple of weeks later, he has died. He must be 72 years of age and had made excellent works on J.S.Bach. A week or two before that accident, he has published the dissertation on Johannes Passion which was credited the doctorate later.

I have been greatly influenced by his another book on Matthew's Passion, which I repeatedly read from time to time. Other than reading his books and attending a concert of Matthew's Passion in Toyama where he gave a short lecture before the performance, all I have known his activities was through his blog. I knew of his serious injury and consequent death from the news his disciple made there. Almost all of these topics have been written here in the previous posts like this;

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/229771691402494724/5236348433992853847

I have mentioned of his high school in Nagano and possible relationship with the orchestra of that school, even though I have not definite evidence showing it. He seemed to be captivated by classical music, most likelily, J.S.Bach. He has majored in aesthetics at Tokyo University and has become one of the most renowned researcher in Baroque music.

As I told in this blog, it has been one of the sweetest memories that I was invited to a concert of the high school alumni orchestra by a friend of mine 26 years ago. I also mentioned about her a few times as a chamber music company since med school days. The concert master has turned out to be the husband of a violist at the university orchestra whom I had known quite well. Ever since, I have exchanged the season's postcard every year, even though I have had no chance to see her in person. At this alumni orchestra, we have played the pieces of Faure and parts of Messiah together with chorus. Achievement with the music as well as reunion with old friends or seeing new friends was an extrordinarily pleasant gift to me.

Later, I knew of Prof Isoyama having graduated from the high school and possibly related with this music circle. I could not help feeling there is such mysterious relationship with all of them. I wonder if Prof Isoyama has been contented with what ha had made when he was leaving the earth.  

Among the jungle of files in this computer, I accidentaly found this photo of the concert. I was on the 3rd pult of audience side in the cello part. 

 

Reason why head copy is recommended in reception of Morse Code

Away from operating CW for some time, I might seem to have lost interests in it. No way. That hobby still resides deep in my mind. Whenever anything happens or come in sight  regarding it, I always pay attention to it. It may not be changed until I leave this earth. 

Enough about self-telling. While I was reading on generative grammar and related brain science, I happened to meet an interesting finding. 

As I iriterated in this  blog, head copying of CW is indesipensible for real communication on CW like conversation. One reason is that our working memory could handle only 5 to 7 things at a time. If we try to remember all the characters flowing in a CW message, we tend to forget those sent prior to 5 or 7 characters before. Then we grind to write down all the characters, that is, hand writing copy. It is quite different from conversational CW and hinder the latter.  

We should not write down or not try to remember the characters being sent but should try to understand what the words/sentences the message brings mean. That is the essence of head copy. The finding on brain mapping for linguistic activities tells a particular area named pars orbitalis of inferior frontal gyrus responsible for handling sentences different from the center for words, irrespective mode is concerned. In practising head copying, this area must be activated and trained. From this finding, we could tell not to copy words basis but do with what sentences are meaning. It is much easier to copy and gives us pleasure when our expectation for the following is correct.

This finding with fMRI, a kind of brain mapping, excited me a little bit. Morse code, the simplest mode of communication, could be a tool to investigate our cognitive process in epistemology, even though it is not a spontaneous languag without its unique syntax. 

Since the scientific methods like fMRI, PET or procedures of transcutaneous magnetic stimularion or of intrinsic optial signal are applied to research in mapping and functions of lingistics, there are numerous new findings accumulated. But because of limits in accuracy in location and timing, it is far from understanding in neuron level. It is still fascinating to know any new findings in this area.