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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsIf you are not watching 'Jake Tapper Ruins The Debates'
like I'm not and you're not tied down to a computer screen or cell phone, what new or favorite book title is your choice for this evening?
Myself, I'm taking a walk down the path of the seen and unseen by rereading the English translation of Morning Of The Magicians by Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier. If you have never read this classic tome of fortian knowledge, mysticism and Pseudoscience you should find a copy to read right away.
What's your paper poison tonight?
NRaleighLiberal
(60,018 posts)True Dough
(17,314 posts)Life could be better!
NRaleighLiberal
(60,018 posts)True Dough
(17,314 posts)Enjoy 2018!
revmclaren
(2,529 posts)revmclaren
(2,529 posts)RockRaven
(14,990 posts)I just started -- genuinely, not a half dozen pages into it -- so I cannot comment on the quality of the information therein nor the narrative structure yet.
But the Late Bronze Age collapse sounds very interesting, so I've got high expectations.
revmclaren
(2,529 posts)pangaia
(24,324 posts)ba DUU ba duu baaaaa..
NRaleighLiberal
(60,018 posts)And he and I share the same favorite composer - Mahler!
pangaia
(24,324 posts)Well, mahler and beethoven
NRaleighLiberal
(60,018 posts)pangaia
(24,324 posts)Looks like we are on the same page.
Do you know his Viola Sonata?
NRaleighLiberal
(60,018 posts)pangaia
(24,324 posts)I have never played the 4th... have played, 1,5,7,10.
I played the 7th symphony under his son Maxim in.. about 1982-3.
Shostakovich's life was so, so difficult. I don;t know how he kept on...
There is a really wondeful book- "Leningrad: Siege and Symphony: The Story of the Great City Terrorized by Stalin, Starved by Hitler, Immortalized by Shostakovich"
Absolutely riveting...!!
The first time I was in Leningrad (and in Jan.,1984 it was still Leningrad) was also the 1st time I attended a concert at the Leningrad Philharmonie, across the street from the then Europskaya Hotel-now the Belmonde Grand, I believe. THIS was the hall where the 7th Symphony was first performed in the Soviet Union and it is this concert and all that led up to it, that the book is about. This night the Leningrad Philharmonic played the 5th Symphony... I felt then that it was the greatest orchestra I had ever heard...the stories were certainly possibly true...
I met the percussionists after the concert. There were 7 of us all told-4 Russians and 3 Americans. We carefully snuck into my room across the street. One of the Russians, with whom I am still in touch, told me to go to the 'dollar bar" (There was also the 'ruble bar.) and buy vodka. I asked, 'how many bottles?" he said, well, there are seven of us, so get seven!" I did just that. We finished all seven bottles..and I still have the photo to prove it.
A couple years ago the St Petersburg Philharmonic toured the US. I went to one of the concerts at which they played the 5th Symphony. Again, I went out with the percussionists afterwards. Of course they were all newer members of the orchestra, but they all remembered my friend from decades ago. I called my friend, who is now living in the UK, put him on speaker phone...We all drank to Russia- the aspects of Russia we all love- to my friend and to Shostakovich. We, of course, drank Stoli... It was a very special evening.
Oh, when I left Leningrad back in 1984, I also smuggled some music out from a composer acquaintance, but that is another story...
If you are interested, there is a Shostakovich 'group' on FB- "DSCH Shostakovich Journal"
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)I majored in History in college, with a focus on Apocalyptic Studies. This work was just released this year, so I am reading more out of a sense of duty than anything else.
Kaplans work really could have used another proofreading.
zanana1
(6,125 posts)Fun reading.