the isle of the dead
once upon a time—that’s how a tale always commences—i despised rachmaninoff. to tell the truth, i’m repelled by the technical monstrosity. the array of notes could not only be unnecessary, but also an unmitigated disaster for performers to practice. a juvenile me once fell so in love with his prelude in b, yet scared off by the difficulty of its technical. fortunately, growth comes with time—both personally and music-wise. today i’ve evolved into a big fan of rachmaninoff. i’ve started to appreciate rachmaninoff.
rachmaninoff the defector also has one of the most hilarious tales in the records: he defected from Russia by sledding into finland.
no doubt that i’m mesmerized by some of his most well-known works: symphonic dances, symphony 2, and the isle of the dead. i find myself humming the melodies in my private moments, especially the adagio of symphony 2, which starts with one of the most heart-gripping lines on planet earth:
classic rachmaninoff in a slow movement: two against three. two lines devlelop at the same time while the harmony wanders in a major.
expressif et cantibile! !
then, poco crescendo…
the horizontal line moves in whole steps, proceeds only to the most adjacent notes, and then returns to the initial point without a firm destination…
in four chinese characters: 踯躅不前…
the maestro and the pupil… russian repertoire’s become incredibly relatable to me
i associate this album with my hometown. i remember circulating this album when i was volunteering teaching in xishuangbanna. i also associated it with darkness—not the figurative meaning of darkness, but the color.
speaking of home… a lot has happened during the past 6 months. here’re the updates:
my family visited me in may. family is the most important and irreplaceable part of one’s life.
i started lsat prep. which is expectedly unpleasant and agitating.
i found a job—thank god. i really admire my employer, whose trajectory inspires me.
the humane society of huron valley is packed with 500 animals now. please do adopt if you can!
i adopted a cat and named him after teodor (currentzis). i kinda regretted naming him that.
i started lifting weights and practicing handstand.
i also got my yoga teacher (ryt 200 hour) certificate—which is surprisingly easy.
i finally moved away from the nightmarish apartment that is next to two of the loudest nightclubs in the town
i came back to flute and am having weekly lesson.
a reunion is no doubt exciting and touching at the same time. my parents don’t speak or know english. dad bought a synchronous translator in the classics graduation ceremony, attempting to understand the mind of his eccentric daughter.