Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Who knows the stars in the sky by name?

Either the title of this painting is, "Viking Ship," or it is something else that I failed to notice .... but, obviously, it is of a fleet of Viking ships emerging from mist and fog. It is an oil on canvas painted in the 1860s by an expatriate Englishman, Edward Moran of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It currently resides in a private collection in New York and is available through an online auction. It can be your painting if you are the high bidder at an estimated $10,000 to $12,000.

The Vikings have a reputation as explorers and traders and pirates and mercenaries and .... well, a few other things. I think of each new year as a new age of discovery for each and every one of us. Next week, we will embark on a journey into an unknown time moving toward an undiscovered destination. How we utilize what we encounter during our trek and what we to do with those things depends upon the decisions we make along the way. I wish each of you good fortune as you undertake your own voyage of discovery in 2018.

Travel toward the sounds which please you

Troopers in the Marine Corps have a reputation of moving toward the sound of gunfire, not retreating from it. George Armstrong Custer had the same reputation, and it was well known among the cavalry soldiers he commanded.

Do not worry. This is not a post about the Marine Corps or about Custer. Rather, it is about sound and the appeal or the lack of appeal various sounds have to individuals. The sound of gunfire, for instance, is a pleasant sound to my ears. The sound of some music has significant appeal, while the sound of other songs sends me running in the opposite direction. Although I do not like all music in this genre, my preferred music is what I describe as "classic rock" .... conversely, songs marketed as "rap" or "hip-hop" -- as well as some others -- send me rushing for the nearest exit.

My range of musical interests is somewhat limited, but I enjoy an occasional dash of opera and Broadway and -- while loud sounds generally are an abhorrence to me -- I turn the volume up when a piece by Johann Bach or Johann Pachelbel reaches my ears. Despite my religious leanings and questions, I enjoy much spiritual music and nearly all Christmas music. Must be traits left over from childhood ....

There have been studies done on which voices and which languages sound pleasant to the ear and which do not. Hearing Italian spoken, it is said, is mostly a pleasant experience, while hearing French sometimes is and sometimes is not and hearing English or German spoken often is not. I assume we all have preferences in that regard -- I know I do.

Very, very rarely I encounter a woman whose voice is particularly melodious, and I could listen to her speak for hours no matter which language she was using. When I hear a woman with such a voice, I wonder if "she" is descended from the Sirens whose song Odysseus listened to only after having had himself tied to the mast of his ship.

I have a marginal hearing loss which I like to describe as due to "machine gun" ears, meaning overexposure to gunfire. In truth, this loss was first noticed when I was age twelve and the era of gunfire was just getting under way for me. As is my habit with many medical issues, I simply ignored it and learned to live with the deficit. (I could tell you a few stories about that, but some involve the Marine Corps -- like how to cheat to pass a hearing test -- so we will skip those tales for now.)

The question, which probably has no logical or satisfactory answer, is this: Why do some sounds appeal to some people and not to others? I could speculate and I suspect my partial loss of hearing affects my tastes since I do not always hear spoken words the way others hear them .... make sense ???? But, I have no real answers.

Whatever .... I hope the sounds which appeal to you and make you happy and bring you contentment are those you encounter during 2018. To begin the process, here are the sounds of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, composed by Bach and performed by an unknown organist, and Indescribable, written by Laura Story and performed by the Slavic Chorale .... I sure like them and I hope they fit your fancy ....




16 comments:

Anita said...

GoodmorningFram.What a beautiful piece of music that tocata and fuge organ music played by Bach.Thats and old organ work.I think written by young Bach having heard alot to german masterpiece and Johannes Ringk.Choose between those two music on this post deffently this one is my choice.Its beautiful.

Languages sound pleasant to the ear and which do not. So true.Some are nice to listen to and some not.I prefer american english spanish german russian.I do not why.May be beacause I grew up with it.But its very intersting.Yes many peaople "sing"when they speak.Some are good to hear some not.Some are funny.Some are frightening.I think the relation is important.Many people that have a little hear loss can pick up high tones.


If this is your new year post i wish all good to you Fram.
The vikingboats drifting away to where ?is a good sign.Desteny .
BTW i had a beautiful dream about you this night.You was here and there was alot of soft kissing.Can you imagine?Well well my brain is poking me in dreams.
So have a good time Fram.Beautiful and always good post to read and look at.

Anita

Fram Actual said...

It is not at all unusual to find someone has written, "Bach is God," as a comment on the internet. I am not prepared to go that far, but I do think his musical creations probably are the finest any human creature has ever or will ever compose. The song, "Indescribable," is a contemporary hymn and is very powerful in that sense, and also in the sense of absolute beauty unleashed through music.

I am not certain if there are any languages which always sound good or always sound bad to my ears, Anita. It seems to me much has to do with the voice tones of the speaker. Occasionally, I will hear a person on radio or television whose voice is so bad that it completely turns me off and I wonder why in the world anyone would have hired the person as an on-air broadcaster. Many singers can carry a tune, it seems to me, but there are some whose voices, in my opinion, simply are atrocious. You see? It takes a lot to make me happy .... but, such is life ....

Yes, it is my New Year post in that it is my last post for 2017. I had planned to run it the evening of December 31, but grew impatient for the days to pass. Winter arrived like a hammer blow in terms of the temperature. It is mid-afternoon as I write this and the temperature is minus eighteen Celsius. At least there is no wind today. The weather people are predicting it will reach minus twenty-six New Year's Eve night. I might try to cheat winter a bit this year and find somewhere warm to spend a week or two or three or ....

Yes, Anita. I can imagine .... about your dream, I mean. I am not sure what to think. I miss very much not having a woman present in my day-to-day existence, but life is complicated in many ways and I am sort of lost/trapped in a maze right now. Well .... again all I can say is, such is life ....

It is winter doldrums time for me, but there will be a break in it Saturday night when I go to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra performance.

I am glad you enjoy my posts, Anita .... I enjoy your photographs, as well, and appreciate the close look you provide of life in Bergen and in Norway.

Thank you, once more, Anita, for your presence here and for your comment here .... you are a special lady ....

Boris Estebitan said...

Hola amigo, te deseo un gran 2018.

Anita said...

Hi Fram!Do not think to much!Enjoy life!
I wish you a happy happy new year 2018 !May all your dreams come true:))

Here.Working my pants off ..But soo nice too..love the work and meet many many new people..Of course my income is high and taxes as well..

But who cares..I have one think that matters for me.Make it good for the poor sick and lonely.Nothing else matters.

So now I am prepering the lamb chops (Pinnekjøtt med poteter og kålerabistappe)and multecream for desserts.Expecting that dog.Pelle.And some lone Yeah hes afraid for he rackets and here it calm (even someone put fire to our trash..Ohh yeah Ba bu ba bu all over the village..)Soon the Julebucks are coming for their treats and snacks.
I have cuurled my hair and red lipstick on.Happy Happy Happy!

So see you maybe in 2018.If you still do the blogging.

Me.Have no time to new post.Real life takes my time

Big big hug to you family loved ones and Buddy!

xxxx

See you !
In Australia 2018 is already:))))

Anita

Fram Actual said...

Boris .... it seems like ages since your last appearance here .... actually, it really has been a long, long time. I hope good fortune and good health are your companions, and that your love life prospers.

May the best of everything come to you in the coming year ....

Fram Actual said...

You offer good advice, Anita. I do think too much of time .... over-think, I believe is one way to describe my habit in this regard. Unfortunately, it is the way I am .... always thinking, even when I am asleep.

I am happy for you that you enjoy your work and have the opportunity to meet many people, and mostly that you thrive on helping those who are sick and those who are lonely.

My New Year's Eve meal consisted of delivered pizza with coffee and egg nog. I will have bakery apple pie and ice cream later for dessert. Buddy and I are alone this evening, and will be again on New Year's Day. This is not unusual.

The word "Julebucks” is new to me -- either new or ignored in the past or forgotten. A bit of research led me to "Julebukking," which sounds like Halloween trick-or-treating to me or, maybe, the practice of people going door-to-door singing Christmas carols. I think it would be fun to give it a try, but not by myself and not in a country where people are unfamiliar with it.

Did you see the moon? I just came indoors after having Buddy outside and the moon appeared to be full. I am a day early, though. It will be a bit more than twenty-four hours yet before it actually is a full moon. By the way, are you aware that the January full moon is known as the "Wolf Moon" among some Native American tribes? And, that January and March of 2018 will be "Blue Moon" months. The next January full moon will be January 31. That is where the adage that something only happens once in a blue moon comes from = happens only rarely. Simply full of "fascinating" data, am I not ????

So, Anita .... again, I wish only the best for you and for Alexander during the coming year -- and, that all your dreams come true ....

Thank you, Anita .... your presence here makes me happy .... and, I will be in-and-out, here-and-there on the blogs for a while yet, anyway ....

Anita said...

Wow!!Blue Moon!!!!I had almost forgotten about that thing!I tried to google it but only a song by Billy holiday or betraid moon??You should do a post about it..Very interesting!I should like to know the myths about it..What the meaning the elder generation did see in it??Something about farming or??

Ohh yeah the Julebukks!!Its like your Haloween.They come dance sing and go again.the young ones from one to ten is always early the old ones..from 13 to..very old..come as well late in the night..Some are very drunk.

Its a normal good new years eve dinner you had..Alex says the best ever..May be it is time to change..old habits.Pinnekjøtt is very heavy!
I got freetime from work now for about a week.Looking forward to late movies(Godfather I looked at late night yesterday..Very nice music in the movie)
Thank you for very nice reply on my place..I was there and was thinking delete that post when I saw you r reply so..Well it stands.

Have a good day Fram!
Its always nice to hear from you

Anita

A Cuban In London said...

Lovely post, especially your musings on sound.

Happy New Year! :-)

Greetings from London.

Fram Actual said...

There really is not much to say/write about the "blue moon." It simply refers to a month with two full moons. My understanding is that a month with a blue moon (two full moons) is rare, usually not even once a year, and to say something "only happens in a blue moon" is to say something does not happen often.

Fun and games are where you find them, I guess, Anita. I liked to "trick or treat" when I was a boy and I am sure I would have equally enjoyed "Julebukking" even beyond boyhood. In college, a few hundred of us would join hands and "snake dance" through the downtown area the night before the annual "homecoming" football game -- even going in and out of some bars: Much fun, and occasionally a free drink or two. The evening would culminate with dancing around an absolutely huge bonfire. More than once, a stray piece or two of furniture would end up in the blaze. Yep, much, much fun ....

The "blue moon" concept is relatively recent, only dating to the 1940s, while the snake dance and the huge bonfire have roots going back thousands of years.

My son telephoned me while he was driving home from a gathering his girlfriend had hosted for members of her family last night. We started talking about food, specifically about lefse and its variations, then went on to talk about "pasties" and "pierogis" and you name it. I never have had much interest or curiosity in food, but I do have both interest and curiosity in customs among nationalities, and food is a major segment of them.

Well, I am glad you did not delete your post, Anita. There are a few I have completed and decided not to publish, but I never have deleted one after it was "up and running."

Thank you, Anita, for coming to visit me here and for your comment. I always enjoy knowing you have been here and reading what you have written ....

Happy New Year ....

Fram Actual said...

When I was a college boy, CiL, I took a few literature classes from a professor named Norman Adams. He was originally from Virginia, was sort of vain about his accent and loved to read aloud in class. He brought up the topic of "misquotes" one day and used our English poet and playwright buddy, William Congreve, to make an example: "Musick has charms to soothe a savage breast," Adams read in his slow drawl, and then added that over the years those words have been changed by some to these: "Music has charms to soothe the savage beast."

Either way, it seems a point well taken. Music stirs the emotions in ways both good and bad.

Thank you, CiL, for coming here today .... Happy New Year, and have a fine year ....

Liplatus said...

I could buy the Vikings on the wall, but it's too expensive.
I really like it a lot. It has a light atmosphere, lovely colors ... however ..
whether it is war.

The music of the first video sounded just fine.
No harm to the ears. Unlike in another video, the music does not know the ears.

Happy New Year to you!💖

Fram Actual said...

I never have been in a position where I could buy paintings as an investment; those I have either have been gifts or were purchased by me simply because I like them. There are a number of artists -- such as Michelangelo Caravaggio -- whose works I absolutely love and I would buy them in a heartbeat if I had the money. I suppose such paintings would be investments, although that would not be in my thoughts at the time of my purchases.

Yes, Liplatus, I like this particular painting very much, as well, but not at the anticipated auction price. To me, this looks like a Viking fleet approaching a shoreline -- perhaps in England -- with the intent of raiding the countryside.

I am not a fan of war, but neither am I afraid of it and it is fascinating to study it. Writer and journalist John Hersey wrote a novel entitled, "The War Lover." I am doubtful that you would enjoy it, but I think/suspect you would find it interesting in a number of ways. A couple of Hersey's other books are, "A Bell for Adano," and "Hiroshima."

The music in the two videos certainly is different .... I enjoy both.

Yes, Liplatus .... Happy New Year .... I hope the year will be good to you and to those you love ....

Marina Filgueira said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Marina Filgueira said...

¡Hello Fram!!

Fantastic that coral in concert, it was an exquisite pleasure to listen to it.
Thank you.
Point and a part. I also love the Viking ship oil painting, is beautiful! It will cost a lot of money that will not be within reach of all budgets, I have in my house, the sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh, and I am satisfied I don't need more. Well, maybe already continue traveling walking along new year of their winter days of the moment, until the spring where everything is reborn and flowers, we also, since we are nature.
Forgive my delay, is that I was hospitalized nine days, and I am still in the process of recovery. I must regain lost energy... For that reason am going slowly visiting you, thank your beautiful mark on my space. I leave you my brotherly embrace with my best wishes for all the good things. That this 2018, will fill you with health, peace and authentic happiness and prosperity.

A kiss.
********


¡Hola Fram!!!

Fantástica esa coral en concierto, fue un exquisito placer el escucharlo. Gracias.
Punto y a parte.

¡También me encanta la pintura al óleo del barco vikingo, es bellísima! Costará un dineral que no estará al alcance de todos los bolsillos, mas yo tengo en mi casa, los girasoles de Vincent Van Gogh, y me conformo no necesito más.

Bien, pues ya seguimos viajando caminando a la par del nuevo año de sus días invernales del momento, hasta la primavera donde todo renace y florece, nosotros también, puesto que somos naturaleza.

Perdona mi demora, es que estuve hospitalizada 9 días, y aún estoy en proceso de recuperación. Debo recuperar energías perdidas… Por esa razón voy muy despacio visitándoos, quiero agradecer tu huella hermosa en mi espacio.

Te dejo mi fraterno abrazo con mis mejores deseos de todo lo bueno.
Que este 2018, te colme de salud, de paz y de autentica felicidad y prosperidad.

Un beso.
*********

Fram Actual said...

I agree with you completely, Marina .... the Slavic Chorale is a marvelous musical group.

I enjoy all things Viking and, someday, I hope to visit the Scandinavian countries. You are right about the cost of this particular painting. The price seems excessive to me, and I think I would select others before bidding on this one.

Vincent van Gogh is a wonderful artist. I have seen his work in museums, but doubt I ever will own one. I have been to Claude Monet's home and garden in Giverny. I fell in love with the garden and, although there are countless other places I have not seen, hope to return there one day -- and, if all goes well, take a brief nap in the midst of the flowers and discover what I might dream there.

I am sorry to hear about your hospitalization and wish you a rapid recovery to good health. My own existence has been noteworthy for sound health -- "healthluck," is how I describe it -- and, I can only hope it continues to be that way.

I send the same wishes to you, Marina, that you sent to me -- may good "health, peace and authentic happiness and prosperity" be yours during the year just under way. Take care and stay safe and here is a bit of my "healthluck" just for you ....

Smareis said...

O grupo musical é muito bom Fram, e a pintura do Viking Ship é muito bonita, mais comprar um quadro nesse valor só na próxima encarnação quem sabe risos.
Gosto muito das pinturas de Vincent van Gogh e o nascer de sol de Claude Monet. São bem curiosas as pintura dos dois.
A vida é feita de sons, e tem sons bem agradáveis, e outros assustadores. Gosto muito do som do rock, me agrada bastante, outras vezes prefiro mais a música tranquila. Sobre vozes, eu gosto da melodiosa, não importa qual idioma.
Gostei da postgaem.
Sorrisos, e se cuida!

Something special ....