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Starring: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James Rated PG-13 This film is based on a true story that took place in 1939 just before WWII in Suffolk, Great Britain. The performances of Mulligan and Fiennes are award worth as is beautiful cinematography. The story is about a young widow, Edith Pretty, who believes there are ancient burial mounds on her property. She hires a self-taught archaeologist named Basil Brown to help her with the huge project of digging into the mounds to verify her claim. Brown, played by Ralph Fiennes, slowly excavates the mounds with the help of several of Pretty’s employee’s from her rural estate. During the months of the work we see the relationships of all the people involved develop and this is what makes the movie a very evocative story. While some people has argued about the historical accuracy of the film, "The Dig" is still a fascinating accounting of people who were dedicated to their mission and the obstacles they faced personally and professionally as they went abut their task. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_POvnICuj4

For the first time, I had a chance to listen to an online concert on live stream. The performance of virtual "Live Time" was done by a local chamber orchestra in North Carolina (https://www.carolinaphil.org/), and the music was Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, K.488. Personally, I really enjoyed the lecture by the conductor (and the pianist) before the performance. Even though you are familiar with a masterpiece like this, if you listen to it with the knowledge (or Mozart's intention) in mind, you enjoy the music with different perspectives and depth. What was particularly impressive was the story of F # minor, the key that Mozart chose for the second movement of K.488. According to the conductor, this one movement is the only music that uses F # minor in Mozart's repertoire. From any music Mozart composed, I rarely notice the raw and intense emotions of human beings. The only exception that comes to mind is the second movement of K.364 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szMu8si_YYQ), a concertante for violin and viola, which was written in C minor. I found it interesting that F # minor was not used for this piece where the second movement reveals so much sorrow. Apparently, F # minor was the key Mozart generally avoided to use, but this key, F # minor, provides greater musical effects than just “light and darkness” and “sadness” throughout K.488. When we think about performances of concertos, a full orchestration and a soloist combination comes to our mind. This evening's on-line performance however was done with a much smaller configuration, perhaps was as close as possible to the original configuration that Mozart intended when his music was played in a salon. Or it may have happened this way because the number of performers was limited due to COVID-19, and the music also needed to be performed in a smaller studio. It is difficult for musicians to balance each other's sounds while maintaining their social distance. I understand that the ensemble playing does not work too well if musicians are placed too far apart from each other as they hear a small time-difference of other players’ sounds, let alone it is fundamentally difficult to hear each other’s sounds. In ensemble playing, being able to see each other's faces and feel the breathing of others are also important, thus it makes it more difficult when musicians are wearing a mask. I felt most uncomfortable when I could not hear the applause at the end of the virtual concert. Since sound is transmitted through the air, online concerts that do not share that air are decisively different from live concerts. Also, in live concerts, not only sound but also various musical experiences are felt and absorbed by our five senses. What kind of experiences are they? For example, according to a violinist friend, "when you feel a tearful and sorrow sound in your ears and through your skin, it remains in your body for a long time. For performing artists this experience could become an excellent practice point to recreate the sound with the same sensations they experienced. Live performances are special, and it is a treasure to put yourself in the same space as performers and listen, or if you are a performer to play live." Music lovers understand the experience of listening to a live performance cannot be totally replaced by a virtual performance. Many musicians continue to be in a difficult financial condition as almost all live concerts have been canceled for a long time. Many younger musicians have side jobs just to barely make a living by working in restaurants and bars that are also suffered in great deal. This blog depicts some of NC's music industry as of April last year (https://www.ncarts.org/comehearnc/365-days-music/covid-19-pandemic-brings) it has been already 10 months since then. How are these musicians doing now? I sincerely hope that the day will come back soon when you can enjoy live performances.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGDJZgQPK8E Barton-Hill’s selection is “Consolations” by Franz Liszt. It is also called in the original French “Consolations, Six Penseés poétiques” (Consolations, six poetic thoughts). Vladimir Horowitz often played No. 3 in D flat major for encore, which is considered also one of his favorite-romantic works. Of the total of 6 pieces, the one that is played very often is No. 3 in D flat major. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bykV906nKMk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=705LabZ1U88 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqPi2esJgZA It is interesting to compare how different performers play the No. 3 in D flat major. I chose pianists I like, including Arthur Rubinstein (one of the best pianists in romantic performances, including Chopin), Daniel Barenboim (a pianist and a conductor), and Alicia de Larrocha (a Spanish pianist and one of the leading pianists of the 20th century). “Consolations, Six Penseés poétiques” (Consolations, six poetic thoughts) are composed with 6 small pieces of music in total: No. 1 in E major, Andante con moto, quiet chorale-style piece No. 2 in E major, Un poco più mosso, a relaxing rising sound and free style music No. 3 in D flat major, Lento placido, the most famous among the six No. 4 in D flat major, Quasi Adagio, a chorale-style piece like No. 1 No. 5 in E major, Andantino, Impressive bass dotted rhythms No. 6 in E major, Allegretto sempre cantabile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyZa7KKLBCo A full recording of “Consolations, Six Penseés poétiques” ”Consolations” are among the best-known piano works by Franz Liszt. Their popularity is due not only to their expressive and lyrical characters but also to their relatively moderate (thus amateurs can play) pianistic demands. Presumably, Liszt was inspired by Charles Sainte-Beuve's collection of poems, and this set of six pieces provides a wonderful introduction to Liszt's melodic invention, mood evocation and harmonic language. These pieces are successful when performed individually as well as in various combinations. Particularly No. 3 is played frequently for an encore piece at concerts and used as a requisite for student piano competitions.

Staring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Gore, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr. Rated: R The film is set in February of 1964 on the night a young Cassius Clay won his first Heavyweight Boxing Championship. The win was such a surprise to everyone, no one even thought of having a victory celebration, so a makeshift party was held in at a small motel in the African American section of Miami. Clay, soon to be known as Muhammad Ali, invites three of his real- life friends to join him: social activist and minister-Malcom X, legendary signer-Sam Cooke and football hero-Jim Brown. The event and the celebration actually happened but what the men truly talked about is unknown. However, the film is a fascinating account of what these four famous people could have talked about and how they affected each other’s lives. Although Cassius Clay is the center of the story, this is not a boxing movie. It really is about friendship and the effect friends can have on each other’s lives. Each of men’s careers are discussed in a clever way that ties these people together. For example; Malcom X was murdered in 1965 and there is an eerie foreshadowing of what will come in his portrayal. In addition, I really enjoyed Leslie Odom Jr. as Sam Cooke. He flawlessly preformed several of Cooke’s famous songs-especially “A Change is Going to Come”. It’s very moving. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8vf_Cmh9nY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPr3yvkHYsE

It is a beautiful, crisp morning and Igor and I are about to commence our daily routine of rousing him out of his crate, and after a little playtime, off to the barn to train for an upcoming competition. But as I turn the corner and look off at the pond, I can see it looks different. The surface is glassy and still and the waterfowl are crowded in one small corner that still has some movement. It is the first time that I have seen the pond start to freeze over, and later my husband will comment that he watched geese walk across the surface. It is such a serene moment that in an instant, I alter my plans, and with my faithful companion by my side, wander down to the pond. With the sun rising in the background, I was able to catch this moment with my dog, Igor. Eleven months have passed since the start of the pandemic, six since I left California for North Carolina, and while both these beginnings were fraught with fear of the unknown, a much calmer and slower pace of life has settled in. There is more time to enjoy the bounty that nature offers. Too not be so distracted, that you miss the marvel of your surroundings. “It’s the beauty within us that makes it possible for us to recognize the beauty around us. The question is not what you look at but what you see.” Henry David Thoreau – Walden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walden#/media/File:Walden_Thoreau.jpg 2020 has been a tough year with drastic changes to so many lives and so many people at odds with one another, that it is easy to feel anxious about the future. Yet right outside my door the herds of deer move through nightly to graze, the geese make their scheduled morning rounds, the Great Blue Heron pair fish daily in the pond, and the surrounding woods have changed their seasonal cloak, from, green, to red-gold, to a barrenness that allows for more light, and soon to be bursting forth with new growth in the spring. There is peace in this continuity and I am grateful for the pandemic’s gift of a slower paced life and the opportunity of contemplating my corner of the world.

Rating:PG-13 Staring: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel I haven’t seen an old time Western movie is a very long time. However, this isn’t your traditional Western with lots of gun fights and people chasing each other on horses. In fact, it’s a rather slow moving film but it is worth watching because of the relationship between the two leads: Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel. Set around 1870, in the plains of Texas, Hanks portrays, Kyle Kidd, a traveling news reader. During that period, many people couldn’t read and newspapers were scarce to find so some people made a living by moving from town to town to bring non-fictional news to the people in remote areas. During one of his trips, Hanks comes across 10-year old Johanna who had been taken in and raised by the Kiowa tribe when she was four and they raised her as their own. The child being taken to her aunt and uncle by the authorities against her will. Hanks agrees to take the child to her family and they travel hundreds of mile into the wilderness on their journey. The movie does not glamorize this period of history. The West was a dirty and harsh place to live and the people were largely uneducated. Both Hanks and Zengel give very good performances. Zengel especially is very touching in the role of a vulnerable child. She also had to learn to speak the Kiowa language which is now almost a dead language. The real-life Kiowa woman who taught her said she learned it faster than any native Kiowa she had ever taught. News of The World is a story of trust and friendship between two people. It might not be the greatest film I ever saw, but it is definitely entertaining. Because of Covid the movie was not widely distributed in theaters when it was released in December of 2020. I saw it on Netflix and I think that is still the best place to view. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMHcvYQH0Ls

OP18 no.1 in F major by Beethoven is the first quartet I played with a group (of older ladies living in Menlo Park, CA.) in the late 1980s, and I have a lot of memories relating to the group and the music. Under the current "stay-at-home" circumstances, I play ensemble virtually on the internet with my music friends using open-source software called JAMULUS, and op 18 no.1 is one of pieces we play. The cellist and I, violinist, live in Silicon Valley, California, and another violinist and violist live in North Carolina. I am afraid that I do not play any better now than almost 40 years ago, but I think playing the string quartet is one of the best musical forms amateur musicians can enjoy. Perhaps that is the reason why there are so many amateur string quartet groups of different levels all over the world. Therefore, if the repertoire is wide, we can play with amateur musicians world-wide and that is what I started to do in the last few years. There are total of 16 string quartets Beethoven composed; 1-6 are his early quartets (composed around 1794-1800 when he was around the age of 27-30), middle quartets from 7-11 (around 1800-1815 at around the age of 35-40), and late quartets from 12-16 (around 1816-1827 during the last three years of Beethoven's life). OP18 no.1 was composed around 1800 and published in 1801. In concerts and recordings, it has come to be conveniently called the early, middle, and late quartets, where each period expresses a unique musical personality. OP18 no.1 is labeled no.1, but it was not the first-string quartet composed by Beethoven but OP18 no.3 in D major is his first work. Beethoven is said to have brought this no.1 F major to the forefront at the time of publication at his friend’s recommendation, Viennese violinist Schuppanzigh’s. OP18 was dedicated to Prince Joseph Franz von Lobkowitz (1772-1816) in Bohemia and is said to have premiered around 1800. The early string quartet still follows the format established by Haydn, but it is a work of the time when Beethoven began to establish his unique musical personality as a composer in earnest. In 1800, Beethoven's first symphony No. 1 in C major was also composed. While there are so many string quartets performed and there were so many recordings of op 18 no.1, I chose the recording of the Budapest String Quartet (1952). According to the Wikipedia, “the Budapest String Quartet was formed by members of the Budapest Opera Orchestra in 1917 and was active until February 1967 while undergoing changes in membership. Although the group has been established in the United States since 1938 it acquired a solid position when the Russian Joseph Roisman became the first violine. The final members were all Russian and had no relation to Hungary and Budapest. The group avoided Romantic musical interpretation and its principled singing of the 19th century style, avoided the overwhelming dominance of the first violin, and took the equality of each voice. The group influenced on the style of modern string quartet performance. As you can hear in the recording below, the Budapest String Quartet is noted for its pure sound and straight-forward musical interpretation. Budapest String Quartet (Recording 1952) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SJq_MfN3lE&pbjreload=101

"Year of Wonder" by Clemency Burton-Hill's is frequently referred to in this blog. The book has been highly regarded by many young readers (especially in England where the author is from), who are not typical classical-music lovers and “are enlightened by the book and enjoy listening to classical music the author recommends throughout the year." The author, Burton-Hill, is both a violinist and a BBC radio personality. In this introductory book on classical music, she selects and explains to readers, one music per day throughout the year. "Classical music is boring and unintelligible," or it is also said to be a "dying art form" because there are many more elderly fans. In this book Burton-Hill tries to overturn its reputation of classical music to be "boring and unintelligible". She is an award-winning writer, broadcast announcer and violinist, with a deep knowledge of the art form of classical music and a passion for the "beauty" of its diverse musical qualities. She shares her knowledge and her passion with readers through the "Year of Wonder" and says "the only requirement for enjoying classical music is open ears and open heart". "Year of Wonder" covers a wide range of genres and era, including Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Puccini to Gershwin, Clara Schumann, Philip Glass, Duke Ellington, and other commonly overlooked musicians and works. One music a day is introduced to readers from the treasure house. I think that the carefully selected and skillfully researched "Year of Wonder" is a book that gives us a good overview of "the enjoyment of music". Year of Wonder (copy) https://www.google.com/books/edition/YEAR_OF_WONDER_Classical_Music_for_Every/WS43DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover Year of Wonder (audio) https://www.audiobooks.com/book/stream/345344

The oboe, which is perhaps the most difficult of the wind instrument, occupies a privileged position in the orchestra. Before the performance begins, the principal oboist gives a perfect "A" (“la” sound) to the other orchestra members. This is the sound used by musicians to tune each instrument. The sweet sound of the oboe, which has a fascinating combination of purity and emotion, is unmatched by other wind instruments. Tomaso Albinoni, an Italian composer in the early 18th century, was one of the first composers to recognize the potential of an oboe as a solo instrument, and this oboe concerto op 9 no. 2 is an extant solo oboe piece. This is the first concerto composed by Albinoni and was admired by many composers of the time, including J.S. Bach. Bach himself has left many oboe-based music. (Clemency Burton-Hill) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLxJLrjvl8A A recent oboe-based music is the movie theme of "Schindler's List" composed by John Williams. The combination of oboe and violin sounds with a "purity and emotion” is also a fascinating combination. The performance on YouTube (below) is said to be the performance when the oboist Davida Scheffers (left photo) who has a painful neurological disease and thought she would never play in an orchestra again performed at her daughter's 18th Birthday. The young woman in red dress in the audience is the daughter of Davida Scheffers. This is the background of the oboist crying after the performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqVRcFQagtI

On January 16 Burton-Hill selected Scriabin's etude op 2 no. 1. According to Burton-Hill, "Look, sometimes what we must really need in the middle of January is music, that feels like a large glass of red wine." It is a 2–3-minute etude that has been played by many pianists. The recording I chose is by Horowitz. This is frequently performed as an anchor piece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=327D03P5Xxc This etude was composed in 1887, when Scriabin was only 16 years old. According to Wikipedia “the melody is poignant and heartfelt, showing many characteristics of Russian Gypsy music. It is accompanied by repeated chords in both hands, featuring rich harmonies, inner voices, and large spreads in the left hand. The dynamics of the piece are varied constantly to display emotion and passion and to add interest. The piece features many key changes but finally concludes in the original key. Although it is a slow and somber piece, like many other études, it is considerably difficult to perfect.” As Burton-Hill says this may be "music that feels like red wine poured into a large glass" that you want on a cold winter night.

I have been fortunate as I have been able to enjoy a normal life and to stay safe in 2020 although the year has been rather long and unproductive. I also feel that 2020 just flew away without me really accomplishing anything. As perhaps many people did, I have spent plenty of time thinking about life in general and the importance of human relationships. California initiated a stay-at-home order in mid-March due to the pandemic and, after just a few months of “semi-normalcy” in the summer, we are back again with restaurants, hair salons and the like closed for at least the month of December. Small businesses have been hit the hardest. I am receiving donation requests from unfamiliar sources, particularly from small, health-related business, which are simply trying to survive. Under such circumstances, I had some fortunate gains. I started to play string ensembles over the Internet using open-source JAMULUS software. This has given me a chance to play with my musical friends who live thousands of miles away. I have reacquainted and deepen friendships, talk music, and play ensembles. I would like to share my experience in the blog. I also picked up a book "Year of Wonder, Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day," which I bought a few years ago. The author Clemency Burton-Hill selected one music a day (for 365 days) and shared them with her introduction to the music. Many concert halls, theaters, and museums are currently closed, and there is no definite prospect to be resumed, so music from YouTube, CDs and radio / TV are great entertainment to calm my heart. In general, I listen to music I want to listen to at random, so listening to the selected music (by the author Clemency Burton-Hill) is a fun experience as if I had returned to school. It is also one of the purposes of this blog to introduce the music selected by the author and some of my thoughts. I would be grateful if you could write and share not only your thoughts on music but also art in general, books, movies, Museum reviews through blogs. Unlike the usual blog format, I did not set up a "chat" so please e-mail me (zephyrpianotrio@gmail.com) your blog / opinions. In addition, since the blog is in an open environment on the Internet, I will delete any personal information that should not be published on the Internet, and I would like to keep our privacy as strict as possible. I look forward to your contribution.