A good friend of mine, Takeshi JA4IIJ, told me he would prefer Faure's requiem to Bach's St. Matthews Passion when I mentioned about the latter around Easter last month. St. Matthews Passion is a bit too heavy for him, as he said. I fully understood what he had meant. The latter depicts a story of Jesus from the pleasant story of pass over to his death on the cross in Golgotha. His ressurection, although it is not directely described in this Passion, assures of redemption of our sin, which is the main creed in Christianity. It sure is involved in the existence of ourselves. In that context, it could never be more serious than any other religious music.
On the other hand, Faure has described a departure from life on earth full of relieves and pacification. So beautiful and paradisiac world is unfolded in every piece of this requiem. Death seems to be a relief itself. Different from the other requiem, Dies irae, the day of wrath, itself is miniaturized in the end of Libera me. I often ask myself if Faure has yearned for death and subsequent world of paradise. This music may reflect such an idea he has had.
For a while in my twenties of age, I have spent a time when I admired this music. In the 1st movement of Introit et Kyrie, after several measures of introduction, a phrase of nostalgia starts in unison by the two parts of viola and the highest part of three parts of cello. I was most fascinated with that phrase which might work as a counterpoint to the phrase of tenor sung a few measures later. I sure would have liked to play it in an orchestra by myself. Dreaming of such a chance, I often listened to this music at the dorm of the medical university late at night.
I have got a score of this music. The date I got it was written down on the 1st page as May 7th 1974. With methodical hand wiring. I have started very busy days with professional studies at the school those days. In a life of ups and downs as a student, I wonder what I was thinking when I got this score.
It is a pretty poor binding book. With rather thick papers of page, already sunburnt, it could be torn apart easily when being read repeatedly. I don't believe anyone would take it over after my death. I would read it until it wears out.
Almost half a century since I got it. As I often say, time flies so fast.
Potatoes are sprouting now. Surprisingly, the old wrinkled ones have come out earlier than fresh ones. They were already budding much before being planted. It is not yet clear if they would bear good potato fruits. Seemingly, though, they would. I am sure those old potatoes are working hard in order to deliver lives to the next generation. Is it too much exaggerated to say that we old bones could do something for the next generation in the society?!
Green peas crawling up the net. They have survived this cold winter. The growth is a bit slower than expected. As an amateur farmer, I am always puzzled if I should give such plants some fertilizer. I have given enough amount of compost but least fertilizer. I have learned too much fertilizer could spoil the vegetables and have them eaten by insects easier than less fertilizer given. The balance is a matter of experience. Could I become experienced in the rest of my life?
A corner of the flower bed. It belongs to my wife. She does with such spiritual metaphysics as these flowers while I work for physical matters, that is, edible vegetables.
I have been preparing pieces of small farms for pumpkins and sweet potatoes which will be planted in several weeks. I realize, as the natural farming says, that farms could be a small nature. We should refrain from modifying it and should keep it as it is. Such soil cared for with the natural farming way should be prosperous and sustainable, I know. But the problem in such way of soil making in the natural farming requires a few years to be accomplished. So I should go in a style of compromise between the natural and the conventional farming. Not easy but still a fun.
Stretching out my back, I often feel amazed at myself working as a part time farmer like this way. It is totally out of my life plan.
At my age, I could not be more interested in how people in the past have spent their last years in their lives than ever. Especially the musicians and/or composers whom I love. I believe that time in their lives is always the fruits or the results to how not only they but we ourselves have lived. No, I am not a fatalism believer but am still firmly believe that our lives could be wonderful, depending on what attitude and way of life we are in that period of our lives, however miserable they may look like to others. It is the last and most important chance to enhance or enrich our lives in the end chapter.
A couple of informations regarding Beethoven's last days have been published by a group in Facebook and in a medical journal, respectively. They let us know how he has lived in the end of his life and what pathograpical meaning these events might have had especially to his last works.
The group named "Ludwig Van Beethoven" in Facebook announced it was the anniversary of Beethoven's passing in the end of last month. It told that Beethoven had asked his doctor to publish on his death and its cause after he passed away. The sketch of him at deathbed mentioned in the announcement is not sharerable here but showed his peceful countenance. In his desk, there was the famous Heiligenstadt Testament found after his death. He has fought against the hearing issue for nearly 3 decades as the Testament told while composing the historically renowned and memorable works.
The announcement describes how he and his room looked like as follows;
"196 years ago today, on the afternoon of March 26, 1827, Ludwig van Beethoven died. The pencil drawings of Beethoven on his deathbed come from the sketchbook of the Austrian painter Josef Teltscher. He made them in March 1827 in Ludwig van Beethoven's sickroom. "The ailing Beethoven lay, as when well, in the room with two windows (in the room entered before going into his study). The bed stood next to the wall which separated the large room from the study, opposite the door, with its head next to the back wall, so that Beethoven's face was towards the two windows, his left side towards the middle of the chamber, thus commanding a view of the room.", recalled Beethoven's friend Gerhard von Breuning in 1874."
This description and his sketch makes me feel as if I was attending there at his death. The paper mentioned below said he had had a lot of wine at lunch almost every day for the last years. It sure has aggravated his illness, I believe, even if I am not sure he should be diagnosed as an alcoholic. As with most alcoholics, however, he must have had physical as well as mental hardship especially as for the problem of his nephew at that time.
There was a research paper regarding the genomic analysis of his hair published lately.
He has had a genetic predisposition for liver dysfunction. Together with massive intake of alcohol, the hepatitis B virus infection seemed to have caused liver cirrhosis, which could lead him to death. It has denied lead poisoning which was previously insisted as a death cause. At least, for the last several months, he must have had symptoms of cirrhosis.
Liver cirrhosis is a chronically progressive illness not curable. I don't know exactly when it has started with him. But pathographically, it must have influenced on his composition of the latest works. In his declining health and the problems surrounding him, he must felt he would be free from the world soon. The great last 3 piano sonatas and the latest quartets beginning from OP127 through OP136 all are treasure in not only the history of music but also of human culture. While he realized his death in the near future, he might not be feeling even more freedom from the world than ever. I have been listening to the last 3 piano sonatas played by a respectable pianist, Horszowsky, recently. I am even more convinced that Beethoven has reached to a mind state free from any meaningless constraints in the world. The usual structure of piano sonata or the sonata form itself has been abandoned. He played in the world of freedom and transparency in music with those works.
Talking of the Heiligenstadt Testament, I have recalled of John AC4CA, with whom I often told and heard of the music which we recently listened to. I won't do that often. For it could force the others to listen to my favorites. It could be an aggressive peddling. John was an exception whom I could freely converse about such favorites. One time, when he was in a difficult situation with his wife's and his own health, I told him I had recently listened to Archduke trio by Beethoven. It was a music of affirmative and positive attitude in life, I believed. I also mentioned about that Heiligenstadt Testanment. Without much words for a response to me, he seemed he would listen to it and also try to find the testament by himself. I was pleased to know my story had not ended as a high pressure selling. He has been helped by music for sure. When he told me his neuroendocrine tumor won't be responsive to the current treatment and he should discuss for the future choice of treatment with the doctors in MD Anderson, he also told me he had been practising the famous Nocturn of farewell by Chopin. I was deeply moved imagining him playing piano alone at his home. I sure miss such a chance to talk to him. But I know, like Beethoven in his last days, he has become free from anxiety and physical pain for now. I must even congratulate him for that. I only hope his wife jackie has been doing well at the facility. I still miss John.
Archduke piano trio B flat major OP97, by Casals, Vegh and Horszowsky.
The last piano sonata, Nr32 OP111 c minor, piano Horzsowsky.
The base of the pressure vessel of the 1st reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant has been found destroyed. This photo shows the melted out concrete and the naked metal structure due to the nuclear fuel melting through the base of the vessel. They say it has never been directly observed nor taken for a photo before.
It proves that the fuel has really melted through the base of pressure vessel. It has melted the base structure made of reinforced concrete. Only the iron bars are left while the concrete is completely disappeared.
Without the base structure, the pressure vessel, which weighs 400 tons, could easily fall down and destroy the containment vessel with the result that the massive radioactive substances are scattered into the air. There have been earth quakes occurring possibly as the aftermaths of the big earth quake in 2011. They could unstabilize and render the pressure vessel fallen down.
The melted fuel could cause contamination of the underground water pouring into the reactor. The inflowing water is told up to the amount of 150 tons in a day. They are starting marine disposal of the "ALPS treated" water, which still contains tritium and probably small amount of the other nuclear materials. The newly produced contaminated water due to underground water surpasses the disposed treated water in amount. It means the marine disposal should continue almost eternally. We know little about the result of such disposal into the ocean yet. It is clear that disposed radioactive materials won't be retrieved even if there is any serious issue happening from its contamination.
A couple of years ago, as the roadmap to decommissioning of the Fukushima nuclear power plant says, they could have reached the melted through nuclear fuel and have started discharging it out. They could never even reached it yet. Only taking photos like this around the area in the reactor.
Our government designated the nuclear power as the base load. And they would restart some nuclear power plants beyond their time limit of running planned at construction and even construct new plants. The power necessity for the country already became less than the power generation capacity mainly because of the decrease of the population.
Without elucidation of the real cause of the serious accident at Fukushima nuclear power plant, they could bring on a disaster with another nuclear power plant in the near future. Honestly, there were discussions or proposals by researchers in seismology and science of disaster prevention alarming the nuclear power plant accident with an earthquake/tsunami at Fukushima after the big earthquake in Kobe in 1995. However, the power companies and the politicians/beaurocrats/researchers affiliated with them have postponed it or shut down before it was on the table of politics. This affiliated group of politics/business/administration is called as the Nuclear Power Village in our country. They are chasing only their own interest or concession neglecting possible further disaster.
The plum trees are fully flowering. This biggest one which was planted at the western corner of the property almost 40 years ago has been suffering from mold and won't bear so many fruits for the past years. It seems, however, much better this spring. Every branch has beautiful flowers.
As reiterated in the past posts, it was first only a couple of meters high thin sapling when planted by my father. It had not started growing until it was given chemical to prevent something like mold in spring.
My father liked trees bearing fruits. Possibly, because he has experienced the time of hunger during and after WWII. This was one of the fruit trees he had planted in addition to a chestnut, a few umes and a few persimmons. Later, we have added apples, blue berries and a fig. Most of them are not well cared for, though. This might be a story I have already told in this blog.
In close up. Amazing tiny twigs are growing from the trunk and even making flowers bloom.
We have planted a small partener plum at the opposite side of the lawn garden. Over 10 years ago, all of sudden, it had borne a lot of fruits without it. We thought bees might have brought its pollen from another tree far away. But it turned out to thank to this tree also planted by my father at the eastern side of the property hidden with the barn or the storage house. I found it fully blooming a few days ago. Writing about it, I have remembered of a goumi tree planted just next to this plum. In spring, my mother picking up its fruits and cramming them into her mouth came out from that corner with a big smile. She was already in dementia state by then.
Again, a series of trivial history in our garden. Investigating about it in this blog, I have found a lot of posts regarding it. I have already forgotten some of them. I have realized how our garden had grown for the past decades. It is surely a history for us.
There used to be, or probably still is, a group of CW lovers around 7026KHz, who have showed up there around 13Z every day. It has started spontaneously about 10 years or even longer ago. Not a club but only a number of close friends through Morse QSOs. Most participants are in the Midwest US. There are a few joining from the Eastern Asia. The main guy was Don WB6BEE in Colo. then. Everyone in the US have had morning coffee while we in Asia were relaxing before going to bed.
It was around 2013 when Chris NW6V showed up like a comet into the group. He told he had been in QRT for many years. His fist won't sound like that long absence on CW at all. He was handling a bug proficiently like Don etc. He was 64 years old then, a year older than me.
It was 2019 when I first heard of his project for writing a book on CW. He was going to NJ, his mother state, to investigate on the history of CW. He was looking forward to seeing his, possibly, younger sister there.
He asked me to review a part of the manuscript one time. It seemed it was intended for new comers on this mode. I have been interested in the neuropsychological process of CW reception. From my own standpoint, I guess, I have replied on my impression to him.
Several days ago, a friend of mine, Takeshi JA4IIJ let me know of the following book being published and he has found my name/call sign in the acknowledgement in it. I was surprised to know that he did it so fast. A few days later, a copy of this brand new book was sent to me from Amazon in the US. I believe it was a gift from Chris. I have read only the table of content and the few pages in the beginning. It was still written for Morse code learner to give a perspective of Morse code and communication with it. The subtitle, "Learning, Living, Loving Morse Code (in a digital World) says Morse code seems to have occupied a large part of his life, despite of the modern trend in digital communication.
In the beginning of this book, an episode seeing his sister in his trip in 2019 is depicted. When he told her what purpose he had had for that trip, she said to him "Dah Di Dah Di Dah Dah Di Dah, isn't it?" While Chris and his father talked with Morse code over the table half a century ago, she was linstening to it and still remembered of the code. It was an impressive episode in fact. Things we learned in youth won't go away even in half a century and Morse code is such a complete system to be remembered easily.
This book could be a handbook for a Morse code learner and also maybe a autobiography of a great CW lover.
I feel I am inclined to come back on 7026KHz some day, not too soon but in the future for sure, before the group is gone.
Only 3 or 4 years have passed since I started learning cello when I dared ask friends at the university orchestra to play this piece, Piano Quartet Nr2 in g minor OP45 by Faure. The pianist was a younger colleague in the cello section, who used to debate himself if he should major in music or in medicine before coming in the med school. He has chosed the latter and has been involved in the research for oncology at an institution. Possibly already retired. I asked the violin part to a guy who had been playing it since young days and would take the position of the concert master of the orchestra for a few years later. The violist was the part leader in viola at the orchestra, who was a student in chemistry at a women's university. The best members conceivable at the orchestra at that time except for me. It was a really pleasant ensemble at least for me. All of us were absorbed in Faure.
We have played it at a coffee shop managed by the orchestra in the annual festival at the women's university. What excitement I have had when listening to the arpeggio by piano in the beginning of the 1st movement. It sounded as if luring us strings for the decisive theme in unison. Viola sung the elegant 2nd theme in a while. Both themes would be developed in complexity and finally the 1st theme would be recapitulated in fortessimo. Again in unison. I could recall how they have played each phrase and theme. The other movement we played within limited time was the 3rd. Slow movement regarded as the best part in this music. It started with something like ringing bell at a countryside church, possibly, knelling death of someone. Around the time Faure composed this piece, he has lost his father. It is just a guess. Peaceful as well as nostalgic world would be evolved to the audience. It won't stop calming down our mind of sorrow. I was again deeply moved while participating its performance. We had to cut the other movements due to limit of performance time and also lack of technique in the cello player! How are they doing right now? Most of them must have retired. If I should have a chance to see them in person again, I would ask them how they have lived their lives. I have dreamed of making ensemble, that is, one of the deepest communication for us, again sometime somewhere. But it seems not to happen. Listening to this chamber ensemble, I always recall of the company and the performance at the coffee shop late in fall.
This is one of my favorite Youtube videos by a piano quartet named Aurora Quartet. Each player, so young as we used to be, seems to enjoy playing it. They are soloistic in a sense but still keep the ensemble. The violinist, a japanese Polish, sounds quite charming. They all play each phrase thoroughly. The last note in each phrase sounds beautiful with ample vibrato. Unfortunately, this violinist has been changed to another chinese player later.
It is the time of his mastership in composition achieved in his life when he composed this one. One of the best pieces in this genre in modern French music. I was lucky to have had a chance to play it with such great company. Though I wished I could have conquerred all the movements possibly with the same members, I should be satisfied to have such a good memory with them.
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