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Laraaji - Ambient 3: Day of Radiance

redatm — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:12:22 +0000

Sometime in 1979, Brian Eno met a man in Washington DC named Edward Gordon performing in a park on a zither, an eastern stringed instrument. Eno liked what he heard so much that he decided to utilize Gordon's talents in his Ambient series. It almost seems too perfect to be true, but Eno did record with Gordon who then became known as Laraaji. The result of their collaboration was Gordon/Laraaji's first internationally distributed release, Ambient 3: Day of Radiance. It could be said that Eno discovered Laraaji and was the spark to ignite his long, prolific career in new wave music, particularly through the use of eastern stringed instruments.

What is unique about Ambient 3 is that it is the only member of the Ambient series to not be recorded under Brian Eno's name. Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror was penned under the names of both Brian Eno and ambient guru Harold Budd, while Ambient 1 and Ambient 4 are both credited solely to Eno. However, Ambient 3 is treated in much the same way as Ambient 2. Both Harold Budd and Laraaji are the sole performers on Ambient 2 and Ambient 3 respectively, while Brian Eno produced both albums with great care. Eno may have had some more input on Ambient 2, because the production on said album is much more present, and sometimes the lush production and sound effects cannot be attributed to a piano. Although Eno produced Ambient 3, it is still credited soley to Laraaji. The fact that Ambient 3 is the odd duck suggests that its music will be different, and it is.

It was Brian Eno's theory from the start that ambient music should be as ignorable as it is listenable. This was the idea that he laid out in Ambient 1, what many consider to be Eno's ambient manifesto. Out of the Ambient series, Ambient 3's first piece, The Dance, segmented into three parts, is the only piece that simply cannot melt into the back of your mind, with the possible exception of a single track on Ambient 4. The beginning of The Dance #1 foreshadows an ambient experience. Beautiful chords cascade down Laraaji's fingerboard like water, and if this continued on for a half hour, it could be quite an ambient track. Instead, Laraaji takes a different approach utilizing the utmost of his talents with his instruments.

At 0:53, the downward flourishes stop, and loud, fast arpeggiations on the hammered dulcimer start. The far eastern instrument is as ethereal as it is muscular, and strong melodies unearth themselves between the multiple parts upon each listen. Brian Eno's production only does the already breathtaking sound more good. He echoes each strum and pluck carefully, and yet the notes keep on coming through the river of sound with the same quickened intensity. The effect is downright hypnotic in its complexity. The movements of The Dance descend in tone, in that the first movement is the fastest with the highest tones, the second is slightly lower with more string parts to support the solo dulcimer and create even more intertwining melodies, and the third is the lowest, slowest, and densest of three. All three are excellent on their own terms as variations of the same melodic structure.

This is not and cannot be the ambient music that Eno describes, as it demands and will inevitably receive full attention. This is not music you can fall asleep to. Yes, perhaps dance to. Daydream to. Live to. The life force that spirals outward from The Dance is simply wonderful and the piece is one that will stick in the listeners mind for a long time and will likely never be forgotten. This still says something for Eno's ability to arrange such a wonderful musical occurrence...This music evokes images and creates an atmosphere, but is not the same kind of ambient music found elsewhere in the series, and thus feels out of place. Make no mistake, The Dance is an extremely accomplished work. Laraaji has complete command over his instruments, the hammered dulcimer and the zither. This will be a compelling work, especially for Eno fans who most likely already have extremely open minds and would enjoy world music like this in the first place. But this is not Ambient music in the sense that we might know it as. Whether we need to change our definition of ambient music for it to fit in is completely up to us.

The second piece, Meditation, is also titled to fit its intention perfectly. Its two movements are different in form, but could both be considered ambient music in the classical sense of the word. Meditation #1 is the albums longest song, and moves continuously, at a snails pace to keep the music relaxing. The high notes in the repeated phrase can be somewhat distracting when subtlety is the goal, however. Meditation #2 is similarly slow and, well, meditative, this time with the strings moving almost exclusively in glissandos that range from extremely quiet to very loud, which may also work against ambient sensibilities. Eno's production shines here moreso than anywhere else. Even after a particular flourish has stopped, it echoes into the silence, making every moment feel complete. This is the piece that is worthy of Day of Radiance being included in the Ambient series. It can be listened to passively despite its compelling nature, but it is so interesting that it becomes hard to be discreet.

Ambient 3: Day of Radiance is the most lively album in the Ambient series, and is probably the hardest to treat as ambient music, thus causing it to stick out like a sore thumb. Although it is questionable whether or not Day of Radiance should have ever been in the Ambient series, it is a glowing piece of world music from an extremely talented musician treated by an equally talented producer, and is a timeless classic of its genre. It should also be noted that the album gave Laraaji his true start as a professional musician. This fact along with the music's sheer quality justifies the release, but even if you feel like it doesn't belong, Ambient 3 raises even more important questions about the nature of ambient music.

The First of May - the International Day of Workers for Everywhere but the U.S.

Matthew Webster — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:02:47 +0000

Yesterday was the first of May. In the United States, the day would have passed like any other Thursday. I would have gone to school, taught my immigrant students English as a second language, and would have returned to my house to lesson plan and prepare for another day´s work. Here in Santiago, however, May 1 is an important holiday. Not only does it mark the Ascension of Christ - it also is the day to celebrate workers all around the world. All across Europe, this day is remembered, but here in Galicia El Dia de los Trabajadores is an important festival, all the more important now that immigrants have internationalized the Spanish workforce.

The narrow cobbled streets here in Santiago are teeming with people, but it is hard to pay them mind. Vendors are standing in their doorways, offering passersby free samples of the traditionaly Galician almond cookie. Gaelic bagpipe bands march through the streets, their beautiful music reverberating off the ancient facades of Santiago´s downtown. I am fortunate enough to witness a traditional Gallegos dance, where the men jig around women who balance a giant loaf of bread upon their heads. The symbolism for the working class is clearcut, yet hauntingly beautiful - it would do the United States well to have a dance on MTV celebrating life´s simple gifts of our daily bread and friendship.

Above the plaza, the park is full of people. Pulperias sell grilled octopus, churrerias hawk tasty churros in chocolate, and gitanos advertise their carnival rides to anyone who will listen. It is a veritable sea of people, a river of workers celebrating their collective productivity and diversity as they chomp on cotton candy and ride kiddie rides. Atop the ferris wheel, I view the entire 100,000 people of Santiago from a vantage point on par with the highest peak of the Saint James Cathedral. It is easy to be filled with awe when one stops to think about the magnitude of so many life-works going on right now, and I rededicate myself to advocating for the migrant workers who hope to contribute their life´s work to a new country.

The mass at La Cathedral de Apostolo Santiago de Compostelo is stunning. It is part holy, part bazaar. Hundreds and hundreds of people mill around the main wings of the church as the various priests conduct the mass. Dozens of confessional booths are set up for busy workers to confess on this rare weekday holiday. A red light above the booth intimates that a priest is ready and waiting to listen. The interior of the church is amazing. Gold, which must have taken thousands and thousands of workers´tithes to purchase, is shaped into the most impressive angels and saints and Saviors. Granite walls echo the message of the Father, and the massive double-breasted organ takes up two entire walls. When those pipes are filled with the liturgy, it is impossible to ignore the Spirit.

During the service, I meander behind the cantors. In the background of the priests, there is a passageway which crosses behind a figure of Jesus. In keeping with tradition, I give him a quick abrazo like so many millions before me. After this warm hug, I pass beneath the cathedral into the crypt where James the Apostle is believed to be buried. It is cold, stony, and I pray quickly before leaving.

For the communion prayer, the ancient priest invites several other priests to say prayers in their language. It is beautiful to hear bequests to God in Spanish, Gallegos, Italian, German, and French. The priest closes these prayers by stating that God knows the language of our hearts; every worker in the crowd nods with understanding at this. Watching the people take communion, I see pilgrims who have walked over 100 miles to finish here at the cathedral in Santiago. I see persons who are obviously staying in the finest hotels, and local workers who have not had a holiday in ages. I see devout women who remind me of my grandmothers, and proud fathers similar to my own.

The service finishes with a trademark tradition. As a traditional zither plays music, 5 priests maneuver a long rope which runs up to the very top of the cathedral´s spire. A holy incense box swings back and forth, gaining momentum like a kid arcing heavenward at the schoolyard. The aroma of prayer wafts over the crowd, all of whom snap pictures as if the incense container were a death-defying trapeze artist. Incense everywhere, all the workers looking up, music harmonizing to the sounds of people praying - every one of us is overwhelmed. Whether this is the last thing a peregrino pilgrim will see on their Camino de Santiago, or this is merely the capstone of the International Day of Workers, it is a memory which will always mark the first of May for me. How overwhelming, to think of workers the world over clinging to faith in order to derive meaning from each day´s labor. From Santiago to San Francisco, from the twin cities of Brownsville and Matamoros to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, my heart goes out to immigrants working thanklessly, yearning for recognition of their work and their lives, longing for basic rights and hope of citizenship. When next I celebrate the International Day of Workers, I pray that we all will have done something more for the voiceless workers of our world.

A Review of Carol Reed's "The Third Man"

David H. Schleicher — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:16:11 +0000

CAPTION: In 1949, this Valli was located in GreeneLand.

CAPTION: In the best of film noir, a viewer can actually feel the dampness and breathe in the darkness.

The Trouble with Harry Lime, 1 April 2008

Author: David H. Schleicher from New Jersey, USA

I initially felt a fool for not having seen The Third Man earlier. However, in retrospect, having now read most of Graham Greene's major works, and having received some keen insight into the back-story of producer Alexander Korda through Kati Marton's book The Great Escape, I feel I was able to enjoy The Third Man even more for the staggering masterpiece that it is.

As a European/American co-production bankrolled by two legendary hands-on producers, David O. Selznick and Alexander Korda, The Third Man was masterfully crafted by director Carol Reed from a screenplay by British novelist Graham Greene. The film served as a pinnacle of the film noir movement and is a prime example of master filmmakers working with an iconic writer and utilizing an amazing cast and crew to create a masterwork representing professionals across the field operating at the top of their game.

Fans of Greene's novels need not be disappointed as the screenplay crackles with all that signature cynicism and sharp witted dialogue. Carol Reed's crooked camera angles, moody use of shadowing and external locations (Vienna, partially bombed out, wet and Gothic, never looked more looming and haunting) and crisp editing are the perfect visual realizations of Greene's provocative wordplay and often saturnine view of the world. Reed's brief opening montage and voice-over introducing us to the black market in Vienna is also shockingly modern, as it is that energetic quick-cut editing that has influenced directors like Scorsese to film entire motion pictures in just such a style. Also making the film decidedly timeless is the zither music score of Anton Karas, a bizarre accompaniment to the dark story that serves as a brilliant contradiction to what is being seen on screen.

The story of The Third Man slides along like smooth gin down the back of one's throat as characters, plot and mood meander and brood along cobblestone streets and slither down dark alleys in an intoxicated state. Heavy drinking hack writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten, doing an excellent Americanized riff on Graham Greene himself) arrives in post WWII occupied Vienna to meet up with his old pal Harry Lime (Orson Welles) only to find that Lime is reportedly dead, the police (headed by a perfectly cold Trevor Howard) don't seem to care, and Lime's charming broken-hearted mistress (Alida Valli, perfect as another Greene archetype) has been left behind. Of course, Martins can't leave well enough alone as conspiracy, murder, unrequited romance, and political intrigue ensue. Welles benefits greatly from being talked about for most of the film and appearing mostly in shadows spare for two scenes: the famous ferris wheel speech, and a climatic chase beneath the streets of Vienna through Gothic sewers. His top hap, dark suit, and crooked smile are the stuff of film legend.

The side characters, however, are what make The Third Man such a rich, rewarding experience. We're treated to small glimpses into the mindsets of varying people ranging from a British officer obsessed with American Western dime-store novels (of which Martins claims his fame) to an Austrian landlady eternally wrapped in a quilt going on and on in her foreign tongue as international police constantly raid her building and harass her tenants. The brilliance is that one needs no subtitles to understand her frustration. These added layers of character and thoughtful detail, hallmarks of Greene, set The Third Man in a class above the rest of film noir from the late 1940's era.

Make no mistake, The Third Man is arguably one of the most finely crafted films ever made. One's preference towards noir and Greene's world-view will shape how much one actually enjoys the film. For the sheer fact it has held up so well over the decades and has clearly influenced so many great films that came after it, its repeated rankings as one of the greatest motion pictures ever made can not be denied. With a good stiff drink in hand, and Graham Greene's collection dog-eared on my bookshelf, The Third Man is undoubtedly now one of my favorite films. Reed's closing shot of a tree-lined street along a cemetery and Joseph Cotten leaning against a car smoking a cigarette while Alida Valli walks right past him with that zither music score playing is one that has left an indelible mark on my memory and enriched my love of film as art.

Originally Published on the Internet Movie Database:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0041959/usercomments-308

CAPTION: On the outside Joseph Cotten is as cool as cucumber, but on the inside, the hopeless romantic screams at Alida Valli, "Don't walk away!"

Zauberbox, Zauberbuch, Zauberei, Zaubereien, Zauberer, Magier

eventkuenstler4visionshowag — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:59:37 +0000

Die Künstler-Vermittlung mit neuem Konzept

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4vision — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:49:03 +0000

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Internet: www.showag.de Titelseite Katalog: 7000 Künstler
Internet: www.showag.de/showag Auswahl: 440 Künstler im Schnellzugriff
Internet: www.showag.de/showag/brasil Brasil, Karibik, Limbo, Beasiltänzerinnen ...
Internet: www.showag.de/showag/top88 Auswahl von TOP88 ... 88 von 7000 Künstler
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Internet: www.showag.de/showag/service Wir tun alles für Sie!!
Internet: www.showag.de/showag/kontakt Kontakt zu uns der showag, 4vision gmbh
Internet: www.showag.de/showag/gesang Sänger, Sängerinnen ... Gesangsgruppen,
Internet: www.showag.de/showag/artisten Akrobaten, Seilakrobatik, Artisten auf Räder
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Internet: www.showag.de/showag/schlager Schlagerkünstler, Sänger und Sängerinnen
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Washington Phillips, Leadbelly and the Dolceola

Edvard — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:33:15 +0000

My interest in the Dolceola was piqued this past weekend when I discovered an 1870 Zither while rummaging through a flea market. Opening the worn hand painted box I had no idea what was under the torn frays of hand written music sheets with dates ranging from 1870 to 1911. After uncovering the oblong shaped Zither, I decided I had to have it and assumed that I could always pick up how to play it later on. While researching it online I came across the controversy and mystery of Washington Phillips Dolceola blues playing from the 1930's. The Dolceola is the piano sibling of the Zither and only 25 are known to exist. Unlike the Zither which is either plucked or played with a bow, the Dolceola is played like a piano. Its sound is somewhat like a harpsichord although with more of a bluesy string resonation. For years the sole historical example (and source of much controversy) of the Dolceola was the mysterious and intriguing blues songs played by Washington Phillips from 1927 to 1939. In 2004 a photo surfaced with Phillips holding 2 Celestaphones, only fueling the fire of whether or not he played any Dolceola on his groundbreaking yet relatively unknown recordings. Regardless of whether or not one side of the argument is right- Washington Phillips incredible music is what should be the focus. When listening to his music you can't help but be drawn into where the sound came from. The Dolceola perfectly captures the sound of the celestial sky being gazed upon by a minor leaving the mine after a grueling day. It was uncovered that Leadbelly was also known to use the Dolceola in several of his songs, these have all been collected into a single MP3 linked below:

[full album]Washington Phillips - I Am Born To Preach the Gospel

Lead Belly - Complete Dolceola recordings sample (Also has more information about the Dolceola)

Washington Phillips with his Celestaphones

Victorian Germans, In the US Civil War?

situseattle — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:17:23 +0000

Odd as it sounds, there appears to be evidence that there really WERE Germans here on our shores during the US Civil War.

This came to light for me because of two things:
1. I had attended a Civil War Re-enactment in February here in the Seattle, Washington area with my costuming group, Somewhere in Time, Unlimited, AND
2. I have begun studying the German zither, an instrument which kinda looks like a harp, kinda works like a hammered dulcimer and yet TOTALLY sounds different from either!

Now how exactly do I know about the Germans in the Civil War?
A website called zither.us has these photos on the site in an article http://www.zither.us/?q=node/13 making the claim that the soldier is either German or at least of German decent.

I noticed from the article written that the men were singing, "Hinaus in die Ferne..." which loosely translates to "out in the open" or "out in the field". This was one of my German grandmother's most favorite songs and I remember singing it with her many times. I find it personally interesting that not only did the song far outlive the Civil War years, that there was a GERMAN or two out in the field, but that there was at least one who had schlepped his zither out there for entertainment!
Goes-ta-show-ya that the haunting sounds that come from the zither have far surpassed the actual shores of Europe way back when.

As part of my efforts of researching other famous zitherists, I came across the website: http://www.zitherist.com/ The site's owner, Don, has awesome hook-ups for those of us owning zithers in our closests which we might've inherited from family overseas. He knows how to get replacement strings, instruction books, etc. AND he features cool articles and interviews.

One such article was done with Sebastian Fichtl, an Austrian who lives in British Columbia, Canada, just north of Seattle. You can find that article and photos of Sebastian's tour of the Amazon (just imagine THOSE costumes!) right on the front page of www.zitherist.net

Additionally, there is a letter which came from a young man in England who was haunted by the music from the 1950's movie called "The Third Man". The music from the movie was written and played by the infamous Anton Karas. If you go to orange text at the bottom of Don's website and then click on the link he provides, you'll be able to see Anton play in person!

Also, if you're interested in costuming, be sure to check out the Austrian costume Anton is wearing! I made a similar one to that for my own husband when my costuming group did a "Kaiser Wilhelm's Berghaus". Scroll down in the photos I've posted and you'll see me and Harry sitting on the couch.

Don't ya just find it sooo interesting how historical costuming is coming full circle with my current zither interests? The Universe at work....

Smiles from the lush and green corner of these GREAT United States! Auntie Rita

Double Josephs + Ennio

glowsinthedark — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:11:55 +0000

This weekend (on Saturday actually), I had the great pleasure of watching 2 great Joseph Cotten movies with the gf. She is a big Cotten fan, and before this weekend I was just indifferent about the man but all thats changed now thanks to The Third Man and Hellbenders. If your keeping score, this is the second time I finally saw a film classic at the insistence of my girlfriend (and also Darcy James Argue), and the second time I can say (type) WTF! The Third Man was a great mystery about Holly Martin (Joseph Cotten), who goes to Vienna to meet with an old friend, only to find out that this friend recently is involved in much illegal activity, and he's probably dead! Cotten always keeps it interesting, and could definitely carry the film by himself, but his "old friend" Orson Welles nearly steals the show. The amazing Zither score also helped this movie along. Great great stuff.

Next is Hellbenders. This is an Italian Western by Sergio Corbucci that tells the tale of a Confederate soldier (Cotten) after the Civil War who leads his sons on a mission to steal money and smuggle it back to their home by hiding it in a coffin. This movie is a total turn around from The Third Man in many ways. Now Cotten is the (real) bad guy, and the movie consists of watching his whole scheme slowly fail. It's an interesting way to frame a movie and would not have worked without the acting powers of Mr. Cotten combined with the amazing Leo Nichols AKA Ennio Morricone (thats right, he went by "Leo Nichols" in the American credits). I'm kind of obsessed with the score for this film, which is why I adapted the main theme and a couple other parts into the Glows in the Dark cover version I Crudeli. But anyway, like Corbucci's great film Django, we get to see a body-less coffin serve as a means of ruining lives. It's definitely not your typical plot device and so repeating it in this film is less about rehash and more about a creative choice being examined from a different perspective. Just for the sake of things that sound awesome, here is Ennio Morricone's title music from The Hellbenders/I Crudeli. Enjoy!

I Crudeli (from The Hellbenders Soundtrack)

Also, my gf has been embarking on an even larger Cotten journey on her blog!

Anton Karas - The Third Man (1949)

wilkee — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 02:52:06 +0000

Big Ben Tune
Main Title / Holly Martins Arrives In Viena
Harry Lime's False Burial
Holly Encounters Anna
Meeting Of Conspirators At The Bridge / Holly And Anna Talk About Harry
Holly Is Accused Of Homicide
Martins Is Harassed By The Mob
Martins Rans Away
Calloway Persuades Martins About Harry's Crimes
Holly Gets Drunk At The Casanova Club
Holly Brings Flowers To Anna And Lets Her Know About His Feelings
Hollyruns Afeter Harry's Shadow
Anna Is Arrested By The International Police
Holly And Harry Meet Al The Prater's Big Wheel
Trap To Catch Harry
Harry Lime's Escape
Harry's Funeral
Anna Walks Away - Alone / End
Anton Karas' Performance At A London Club (bonus track)
Trailer (bonus track)

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