A bit of music...

You know what I said about piano music, tonight I heard piano music that I actually like.  The sort of piano music that is. I mean, I liked what I heard, but I think it is a type that I like, not so much that specific piece.  If you watch episode 92 of Grey's Anatomy, you'll hear what I mean in the scenes where Christina and Owen look at each other or walk next to each other.

Oh, wait.  Let's Google.




The first scene...





This second piece I like best ... the parts where the notes are just hanging, almost flitting about like a butterfly, lightly landing on a branch and ever so slowly opening and closing its wings.  In some of the chamber music, I get to hear things like this that I most prefer.  So, in a nutshell, I don't totally loathe the piano.  It certainly has its uses.

And just to be ... weird ... I shall post another theatrical bit of music I like:






I like all the music in The Shipping News.  I also happen to think that it is a fantastic movie that touches on such deep wounds.  So, do I like the music because I like the story??

I do not like the story of Empire of the Sun, but I rank it amongst my top three soundtracks.  This is strange, too, because it has lots of choral elements and I do not really care for choral elements. And it has frenetic pieces. I do not care for frenetic pieces.




When I was at the chamber performance last Wednesday, I looked at what the next full symphony performance would be.  I was surprised to see that it will be performed without an intermission.  They are playing Verdi's Requiem.  When I saw it includes a choral performance, I thought I might offer up the ticket to someone.  But I did peak at the lyrics and discovered that it is some sort of liturgy.

Someone died and Verdi did not go to the funeral.  He thought it was not enough.  So, he wrote the piece.  I was surprised to see one section entitled "Agnus Dei."  Then I saw "Kyrie."  Next I spotted "Sanctus."  I do not get what the piece is ... for the liner notes said that Verdi wrote operas.  Anyway, there will be a soprano, mezzo-soprano, a tenor, and a baritone ... if I am remembering those titles correctly ... and a choral group.

The liner notes have the original text (a foreign language) and the English translation. I noticed in the Agnus Dei, the pronoun translation is different, it is what you would expect:  "who" for Lamb of God.  I wrote a while ago about how it took me so long to understand why, in the Lutheran Service Book, the pronoun is "that."  The antecedent is the Lamb of God, lamb as in sacrificial animal that Christ was for us.

I wondered all over again if it should be "that" or "who."  Grammar distracts me.  Grammar engages me.  Grammar is a most wonderful thing to me.  Except.  Except in times like this, when I cannot decide if the person pronoun should be used.  Or, for example, trying to figure out how to conjugate "smite."  As in, I worry that God will smite me for irreverence, amongst other things.  Will I be smitten... or will I be smited...  I get all hung up on how to phrase that word in various tenses.

But back to "that" or "who."  If Jesus is a metaphorical lamb, then I think it should be "who."  But if Jesus is a literal lamb, literal because He was sacrificed, then it should be "that."

I was distracted when I saw the titles of the movements (??) of Verdi's piece. But I still wonder ... Should I go to the symphony next Saturday when it is not something for which I usually care?  Do I spend the energy it takes to get ready and go out?  Do I endure the great discomfort that sitting throughout the entire performance without an intermission to move about and ease the pain building up in my body?