Cancun 11/2010 Part 1 (Chinese)

學術主辦單位選擇在渡假聖地或是迷人的城市開會，無疑是吸引大家前來參加的一種好方法。半年一次的美國聲學學會會議，既上次四月在Baltimore那個不甚吸引人的城市舉辦之後，這次十一月的會議很明智地選擇在墨西哥的Cancun。在這兒之前，我並沒去過墨西哥，因此有這次的大好機會，當然也不放過。

Fischer: Musicalisches Blumen-Büschlein (Olga Martynova)

Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer (1656-1746) 是我之前寫那一篇有關法國鍵盤組曲時有提到一位巴洛克中期的德國作曲家。他是將法國鍵盤組曲那特別的風格，引進德國的人，其作品也深深引影了年輕的巴哈與韓德爾。他被許多同時期的音樂家稱為是當時最厲害的鍵盤音樂家，也極優秀的作曲家。可惜，歷史對他不盡公平，今天並沒很多人知道他是何許人也。

Movie: Alice (2009 Miniseries) & Alice in Wonderland (2010)

It seems nowadays that, films that follow the original novel faithfully just don't seem to create any interest in the public as much.  There has to be something cool or new in the movie to capture anyone's attention.  One thing today's directors like to do is either shoot a film with a story that "takes place after the main events of the book," or a "present day setting."  English classics Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass has been adapted to film numerous times, yet as the embodiment of the fantasy genre itself, it never stops to fascinate people.  It is interesting that two very different attempts at injecting new life into these 100-year-old stories are released so close to each other.
 

In Cancun 11/14-11/19/2010

In Cancun for an academic conference, how nice ! 
Will post any photos if I get a chance. 

Facco: Pensieri Adriarmonici 6 Concertos Op.1 (L'Arte Dell'Arco / Federico Guglielmo)

Giacomo Facco (1676-1753) 是位巴洛克晚期的義大利作曲家。Facco雖然出生於義大利的威尼斯，但日後到西班牙發展，和小史卡拉第有類似的際遇。當時十八世紀初，威尼斯來了一位西班牙的候爵，Marquis de los Balbases，叫 Carlo Filippo Antonio Spinola。Spinola家族原本來自北義大利Genoa，因為政治鬥爭失利，轉向投靠西班牙帝國，而後來被封候的。Spinola在威尼斯的時候，結識了24歲的Facco。從此，西班牙的宮廷開啟了這扇大門給Facco。

Movie: The Ghostwriter

The Ghostwriter is a political thriller by Roman Polanski, starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, and Olivia Williams.  Ewan plays the ghostwriter, who is supposed to finish the memoirs of the former prime minister of UK, Adam Lang.  Lang is now involved in a political scandal of alleging turning over prisoners to the CIA for torturing and questioning.  Furthermore, Lang's previous ghostwriter committed suicide another suspicious circumstances.  Despite the extremely good job offer, Ewan's character starts to suspect a larger conspiracy going on as he continues to dig deeper and unravel the inconsistencies of the existing manuscripts.

Telemann: String Concertos II - Sinfonia Spirituosa (Musica Antiqua Köln / Reinhard Goebel)

直接在這兒開宗名義：如果今天發生了天災，只能從手邊的CD裡挑選出幾張跟著逃難，那這張會是其中之一。在我生日的這一天，特別為它寫那麼長的篇幅，就可知道我對這一張CD的厚愛。

Concert: Archetti Baroque String Ensemble (10/24/2010)

Handel : Concerto Grosso in G major Op.6-1
Geminiani : Concerto Grosso in C major, after Corelli Violin Sonata Op.5-3
Vivaldi : Concerto in D minor for 2 violins and cello, Op.3-11
Corelli : Concerto Grosso in F major, Op.6-12
Handel : Concerto in F major for Organ and Strings, "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale"
Locatelli : Concerto Grosso in B flat major, Op.1-3

Davitt Moroney

Movie: Law Abiding Citizen

Law Abiding Citizen stars Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler in a thriller film that will dumbfound the regular audience until the last scenes of the movie.  Gerard Butler plays Clyde, a husband and dad whose wife and daughter was murdered by two perpetrators breaking into his home.  When Philadelphia prosecutor Nick (Jamie Foxx) makes a deal with the criminal instead of going to court to maintain his high conviction rate, Clyde loses hope in the justice system.  Instead, after 10 years, using his insane sets of skills he acquired through various intelligence work, he becomes the main villain of the film and exacts total revenge on the justice system itself. 

Austria Trip Part 8 : 9/2 Vienna Day 2 - Schubert Sterbewohnung (Chinese)

舒伯特過逝之家

Concert: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra + Lars Ulrik Mortensen (10/19/2010)

10/19/2010

J.S. Bach

Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C major, BWV 1066
Concerto for Harpsichord in D minor, BWV 1052
Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten (The Wedding Cantata), BWV 202
Concerto for Harpsichord in D major, BWV 1054

 Lars Ulrik Mortensen

Quantz: Flute Sonatas Nos. 272 - 277 (Verena Fischer)

Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773) 是長笛版的韋瓦第，在長笛上寫了三百多首協奏曲，四十首多首三重奏鳴曲，以及兩百多首奏鳴曲等，是極量產的作曲家。除了是十八世紀歐洲最優秀的長笛手以外，他最重要的著作為1752所寫的On Playing the Flute，清楚記載當時十八世紀的長笛吹奏技巧和表演方法。這和C.P.E. Bach(大巴哈的兒子)為鍵盤以及Leopold Mozart(莫札特的爸爸)為小提琴所寫的論文並稱十八世紀最重要的音樂教科書。

Austria Trip Part 7 : 9/2 Vienna Day 2 - Naschmarkt (Chinese)

Naschmarkt

Austria Trip Part 6 : 9/2 Vienna Day 2 - Haydnhaus (Chinese)

 海頓在維也納時住的家

Movie: Date Night

Date Night is a screwball comedy starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey, a married couple in the New Jersey suburbs who experience a crazy night on their weekly date night, when they decide to do something for a change and dine in at a fancy Manhattan restaurant.  They get themselves into one absurd situation after another, and next thing they know, they are held at gunpoint, are in a car chase, you name it.