#Berlin: Symphony of a Great City

[inneroptics]

Berlin – Symphony of a Great City 1927 - Director: Walther Ruttmann

[if-only-angels-could-prevail]

Hi! Long-time follower here ig lmao. I'm moving to Chicago next week, any recommendations for stuff (to do/eat/see/go, etc.)?

oh lol this is such a huge question! and it also depends which area you're moving to. ummmm if you like theatre, there's a TON, more than i can keep track of tbh. but if you want something cool and late-night, the neo-futurists is a very Chicago thing to do. i think the two most famous regional theatres in chicago are the goodman and steppenwolf. they both do great work, and they're a good starting point. also shout out to the court theatre, blank theatre company, theatre wit, trap door theatre, a red orchid theatre, and lyric opera. i've adored at least one show from each of these companies (and they all do VERY different work).

in my neighborhood (andersonville), check out the bookstores women and children first, and uncharted books. and if you like thrifting, check out brown elephant. (i'm also addicted to going to tuesday night piano karaoke at elixir in andersonville lol. if you end up going sometime, there's like a 50% chance i'll be there)

the chicago symphony is where i spend most of my evenings these days tbh (the promo code "student" will get you a ticket discount lol)

the art institute is just as good as you've heard. the MCA also rules.

some of my personal favorite live music venues are: SPACE in Evanston, Old Town School of Folk Music, city winery in the loop, and constellation. i like these venues because they have chairs and i'm tired of going to concerts where i'm constantly bumping into twinks with $12 white claws, but also because they program great music at relatively affordable prices.

if you like dancing/nightlife, i like sidetrack, queen on sunday nights at smartbar (amazing djs), a diy queer drag party called boots (they're on instagram), and berlin (berlin is where the cool queers go, and has arguably the best drag in chicago--keep in mind it does get a bit crowded and claustrophobic). (NVM, BERLIN WORKERS JUST ANNOUNCED THEY’RE ON STRIKE, SO DON’T GO THERE LOL). the drag competition on thursday nights at charlie's is also a fabulous time.

oh and if you like going to movies, you have to check out the gene siskel film center (the best programming in the city), the music box (the COOLEST movie theatre in the city), and facets. be sure to look into the series (serieses?) that these theatres program—they do a lot of fabulous screenings of older movies, and also some great film festivals. i also go to the alamo drafthouse a lot for convenience, even tho they piss me off. but they do sometimes have cool programming.

that's what i got off the top of my head!!! congrats on the move, i love chicago and i hope you do too!!!

[1892]

sorry berlin: symphony of a great city you will never be man with a movie camera <- posts for me only

[tournevole]

'Berlin Symphony of a Great City', 1927

[leebird-simmer]

Intro to Film Studies, Ch. 9: Documentaries

1. How do we recognize and define documentary as a distinct form?

2. What types of documentary are there, and how do they overlap and interact with each other?

3. What relationship does documentary have with fiction, drama and reconstruction?

4. In what ways does the notion of performance problematize documentary as a form?

What is a documentary?

subgenre of non-fiction

makes observations about the real historical world, rather than fabricated fictional worlds

yet these boundaries are fluid. As we will see, several documentaries have re-enactments or even fictional narratives.

One of the earliest and most famous definitions is by John Grierson “a creative treatment of actuality.”

If we recall, ‘actuality’ was the term we used in relation to the early films like Lumiere’s Workers Leaving the Factory.

Actuality: derived from the French term actualite given to the short non-fictional films made in the early period (1895-1906 or so). These films often consisted simply of people going about their everyday business, or of particular events (sporting contests, visiting dignitaries).

associated with novelty, cinema of attractions

can be considered proto-documentaries

the technology was the star

accompanied by music, introductions, voiceovers, etc.

Educational/Informative

- not just “capturing truth,” but a filmmaker’s shaping of “reality” of that subject material

- Grierson states that the difference between recorded material and what we might call a documentary is “a method which describes only the surface values of a subject, vs. a method which more explosively reveals the reality of it.”

Bill Nichols’ six modes of documentary:

1. Poetic (mood or tone of a subject)

  Ex. Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (1927), Koyaanisqatsi (1982)

2. Expository (designed to persuade)

  Ex. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

3. Participatory (filmmaker actively engages with the subject)

  Ex. Michael Moore’s documentaries

4. Observational (appearance of neutrality/detachment)

  - shows a desire to preserve some way of life

  - Flaherty did fabricate events; questions of ethics are very important.

  Ex. Nanook of the North (1922)

5. Reflexive (commenting on the documentary itself)

  - encourages the viewer to think about the representation

  - Ex. The Thin Blue Line (1988)

6. Performative (filmmaker & subject are actively performing and co-creating the documentary)

  - Ex. Grey Gardens (1975)

* These categories are flexible and may blend into each other. Different modes can be dominant in different scenes.

Post-war developments in documentary film

less confrontational, more observational

longer shots, lighter handheld cameras

development of Direct Cinema

French filmmakers moved in the opposite direction, towards cinema verité, in which the filmmaker has interacts with the subjects openly and doesn’t try to hide their involvement.

Direct cinema: A type of documentary filmmaking that emerged in the US in the 1950s, associated with Robert Drew, Richard Leacock, Don Pennebaker, Frederick Wiseman, and the Maysles Brothers. Direct Cinema films often have a ‘fly on the wall’ aesthetic, linked to the strong belief that the filmmakers were mere observers of the reality they were filming. This apparent detachment and neutrality has been as controversial as it is influential.

Cinema verité: The French term (literally meaning ‘cinema truth’) is sometimes confused with a US kind of filmmaking which is actually closer to direct cinema. The confusion stems from the common ‘immediacy’ that the films have – filming people with handheld cameras and portable sound recording equipment – but cinema verité properly has a foundation of interaction between filmmaker and filmed, rather than the detachment seen in direct cinema films.

Reality TV: a relatively recent development in television, a form of highly structured program using observational material of ordinary people. The programs have a ‘documentary’ basis in the sense that they use actuality footage, but they are often shaped to fit specific formats (game shows, dating shows, before/after, etc.). In this respect, reality TV is a good example of how documentary can be taken and recontextualized by contemporary television to suit its schedules.

Rhetorical: Designed to persuade. Rhetorical strategies in documentary are those that relate to the film’s or program’s argument. This may be explicit (e.g. a voiceover or presenter actually stating what the argued points are), or it may be less immediately obvious (e.g. a filmmaker might cut from an image of a political leader to a shot of a firing squad; this could be seen as an argument against the politician).

Topicals: The name given to nonfictional ‘news’ items in the early period. A royal visit, the opening of a factory, a sports event – anything that could be of interest to a local audience – could be labelled ‘a topical’. As documentary developed as a form, topicals were subsumed into newsreels and other forms of film reporting.

Participant observation: A social science methodology where researchers immerse themselves in the social context/group they are studying, often for years at a time. In documentary terms, such an approach arguably leads to more ‘natural’ responses, as the subjects have become used to the filmmakers and cameras.

Ethics: concerning morality, or codes of conduct. There is a strong ethical discourse running through the history of documentary, and debates to be had about the ethical dimension of things like reconstruction, filming people without their consent, informing the viewer of the extent of filmmaker intervention, and so on.

[contrabassconversations]

934: Remembering Wolfgang Guettler

obituary courtesy of the International Society of Bassists:

Wolfgang Güttler, whose decades-long career as a performer, recording artist and educator garnered numerous awards, including the Concours de Genève, died on September 18, 2022. He was 77 years old. 

Born in Brasov, Romania, he was solo bassist with the SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg, and tutti double bass with the Berlin Philharmonic and Bucharest Radio Orchestra. He served as professor of double bass at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln and the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe, and gave masterclasses at the Julliard School. 

  He was dedicated to expanding the double bass repertoire, from classical standards to jazz, and was a champion of contemporary music. His remarkable musical partnership with the Rumanian double bass virtuoso Ovidiu Badila was cut short by Badila’s untimely passing. 

  Says Martin Wind of his late teacher Wolfgang Güttler, “He encouraged me to listen to my own voice, follow my instincts and become an independently thinking, complete musician. In my 25+ years of teaching there has not been one day where I did not pass on the lessons that I learned from him.” Petru Iuga also paid tribute upon learning of Güttler’s death: “He was one of the greatest bassists and musicians I ever met. A great man, friend and a spiritual double-bass father who has inspired me.”

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  theme music by Eric Hochberg

Check out this episode!

[hughescocksworthnews]

Walter Ruttman Berlin, Symphony of a Great City (1927)

[o-the-mts]

90 Movies in 90 Days: Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (1927)

Every day until March 31, 2024 I will be watching and reviewing a movie that is 90 minutes or less. Title: Berlin: Symphony of a Great City Release Date: 23 September 1927 Director: Walter Ruttmann Production Company: Deutsche Vereinsfilm AG | Fox Europa Produktion Summary/Review: A day in the life of Berlin is illustrated in a montage of images to symphonic music.  There is an emphasis on…

[antiphotogenicfilmographer]

After having completed some amateur-at-best short film documentaries this semester, I decided to switch it all up and make an audio doc for this last project. The product I ended up with was “thanks for the memories,” which is an auditory ode to my grandparents.

This was an attempt at a new twist on my non-fiction film, made for my film major application. I thought a lot more about my intent in making the film and how different modes of documentary can best convey the emotions I want to explore. When you lose someone close to you, their voice is most likely the first part of them that you will forget. In “thanks for the memories,” I wanted to restore the voice of my grandparents to my life and remembrance. I collected almost every piece of video and audio I have of them and their voices and strung them together like a series of lucid memories.

I wanted the poetic mode to influence my work on this project, in an effort to provoke thought and reflection, and while every piece of audio says something literally, none of what is said is of any importance or note. Each clip is a very simple, everyday exchange, which was caught on home video. Besides the book ending clips of audio, documenting the degradation of my grandma’s memory a mere month before she died, the sequencing of the audio does not result in any sort of narrative being told. I wanted the listener to get the impression that they are clicking on random clips of audio they find on their phone, searching for any piece of remembrance, of comfort in their grief. I also edited it in a way that mirrors the human mind and our tendency to blur different memories into one memory. In order to convey that, I placed audio that had similar wording next to each other, so that it would be hard to distinguish between the two, not knowing when one clip changes into another. I took inspiration from both Rain and Berlin: Symphony of a Great City for this project, as I took very specific bits and pieces of life and synthesized them together to create a greater mood and experience.

The participatory mode was built into the very soil of this project. The subjects are my grandparents and thus, I could not remove any part of myself from the project without also removing them. Actually, my decision to make an audio documentary instead of a visual one was inspired by the film Nobody’s Business. The scenes where the filmmaker interviews his father, with absolutely no imagery backing the audio, just pure black background, struck me the most and felt like the most personal and intimate in the whole film. Such a decision makes the interaction between the filmmaker and their relative seem so much more real and reflective, as if the filmmaker themselves are making an effort to remember something the other said, closed eyes, hearing only voices and phrases from the loved one. The filmmaker’s relationship with the subject of their film is essential to performative documentaries and the authenticity of the project. My grandparents were no celebrities and making a documentary as if they were, would be impossible for me and insulting to them. We were so close, and I needed to portray that closeness in the project, or else it wouldn’t be any sort of reality. At the very least, I could convey my reality. Luckily, I had access to small interviews I did with my grandma a couple times throughout my time with her, which let me get closer to her when she was alive and feel closer to her now that she is dead.

Another mode I wished to utilize is the observational mode. Although I could never accomplish “cinema verité” with only audio, I tried my best to let the reality of each interaction in the clips I used shine through. I did so by making the decision to use no voice over. I used only archival audio, without prefacing the occurrences in the clips and my reasoning for using them. In fact, the audio I used was never intended to prove any sort of point but be a pure observation of audio and auditory memory. The whole documentary is more important than individual clips, just as the whole person being remembered is more important than the little, insignificant recollection of conversations we have had with them. One reason I wanted to use observational filmmaking is to create a feeling as though one is listening to an exhibit at the zoo or an art museum, crafting a sort of depersonalized, distant listening experience. Such an experience establishes a paradox when this piece of media is consumed. The audience must listen to something so personal and private, with no broader context, and feel the misery of missing out on something they were never a part of, while for me, I must experience the piece, having been a part of it, knowing that I can never have that again. My grandparents are dead, living on only through the records I have of them. This audio is a part of that life, but a painful reminder that this is all there is. It is like listening to ghosts.

It is found media. When I began this project, I remembered the section of our books that talked about home videos used to incriminate the Nazis in Germany, and though I am not incriminating my grandparents of anything, I too was working off of home video footage. It made me feel like I was uncovering something new, when placing each clip together. That is why this project has been so interesting to me. I only used pre-existing pieces of audio, which I happened to be a part of already, and edited them as if I wasn’t a part of them. That is how I managed to use both observational and performative modes of documentary, and in my opinion, that irony and juxtaposition is in of itself poetic.

Sound is such a gift, but in the visual world we live in, it gets drowned out. Photos and portraits of family members have existed for centuries, and while we now have video with audio, physical copies of familial audio are still hard to create and preserve. The clouds will only hold so much memory until our own memories are wiped out. We must prize the audio we have while we have it, because audio is the first thing we will lose and the first thing we will forget.

[hpoxfordprogram]

Whimsical Adventures

~by Arya Tadepalli

Deciding to apply for the Oxford Summer Study Abroad program might be one of the best decisions I have made in college. Not only did I learn a lot about the world and was able to embrace different cultures, I also learned a lot about myself along the way as cheesy as that sounds.

I was part of Group 2 (the best group) and our itinerary was as follows: we took a flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam, Netherlands and then another flight to land in our first city Berlin, Germany. From Berlin we bussed to Leipzig, Germany stopping at Wittenberg on the way for lunch. After Leipzig we bussed to Prague, Czech Republic and stopped at Dresden, Germany for lunch. After Prague we went to Vienna, Austria stopping at Brno, Czech Republic on the way. From Vienna we stopped at a cute cabin hotel in the Alps for lunch before going to Lido right outside of Venice, Italy. From Venice we went to Rome, Italy with a quick stop at an Autogrill.

Side note: I am a huuuuuuuuge dog person and every time I saw a dog on this trip I would always squeal and point and say “DOG!” much to the embarrassment of anyone around me. At this Autogrill stop, which is basically what truck stops are called in Italy, I saw this beautiful German Shepherd. I had seen many dogs on the trip, but even with my two years of learning German in school I was not comfortable enough to go up to the dog owner to ask to pet their dog. However, something came over me when I saw this German Shepherd and people speak a lot more english in Italy so I just went up to the owner right before getting on the bus and asked to pet their dog. When they said yes I just started the usual small talk asking what their dog’s name is and how old they are etc. The owner said their dog’s name was Arya!! I then asked the owner how they spelled that name and they said, “A. R. Gamma. A.” I got so excited I said, “Wait! That is my name!” and I even pulled out my drivers license and pointed to my name to show the exact same spelling. Apparently in Italy, they do not have the letter Y so we got over the language barrier by gesturing the letters. Here is a picture of Arya squared.

Going back to the itinerary, when we were in Rome we went to the Vatican City for a day. Then, after Rome, we stopped at Montepulciano in Tuscany for lunch before continuing to Florence, Italy. Florence was the longest city of the travel portion for us and our schedule made it so that we had a half day for independent activities where a majority of us visiting the leaning tower of Pisa and an entire day for independent activities where many of us went to Monterosso in Cinque Terre for the day. From Florence we spent a night in Chamonix, France before leaving for Paris, France the next day. Paris was our last city of the travel portion so we ferried to Oxford, UK after.

I was not sure if I would enjoy the travel portion classes as much because I am more of an outdoorsy person instead of a gallery person, but I now realize those two are not mutually exclusive. I had such a great time learning about the art pieces and artists and then going to the gallery the very same day and seeing the original works of art in person. We went to a variety of famous galleries all over Europe from the Louvre in Paris to the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries in Florence to the Gemaldegalerie in Germany, they were all such cool experiences. The music class was just as fun because we would learn about different aspects of music and then go to a concert in a few cities. There were a variety of concerts that we went to. Our first concert was in Berlin where we saw the Berliner Philharmoniker perform the Turangalila Symphony which is a modern piece. Our second concert was at the National Theatre in Prague where we watched the Czech National Ballet and the National Theatre Orchestra present a spectacular performance of the “Onegin” Ballet which is a more Romantic piece. Our third concert was at the Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna where we watched the Schloss Schönbrunn Orchestra play Mozart, Haydn, J. Strauss, O. Strauss, and Lehár pieces which are more part of the Classical time period. The fourth concert was in the San Vidal Church in Venice, Italy where the Venetian Interpreters played Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons as well as Vivalid’s violin concerto and cello concerto. The last concert was in the Sunset underground part of the Sunset/Sunside Club in Paris, France where Larry Crockett and the Funky Cherokees performed jazz. Each gallery and concert made me appreciate the arts so much more and the talent and dedication that goes into every brush stroke or bow movement.

This trip also opened my eyes to how oblivious American tourists are, especially on public transportation. We are generally the biggest and loudest group, pretty clumsy especially the first day we are in the city, tend to hold people up the most when getting on or off buses and trains, and do not stay to the right side of the escalator to let people pass on the left. But we learned from our mistakes and tried to amend them later on in the travel portion. I mostly learned that I like traveling in smaller groups though. One of my friends and I had a plan to watch the sunrise in every city we traveled to and those were genuinely some of my favorite memories from the trip because it would usually just be the two of us planning where to watch the sunrise and traveling public transportation to get there and enjoy the views. This started during the very first city in Berlin when we ran from our hotel to the Brandenburg Gate for some pretty views.

Leipzig was the only city that we missed. In Prague we watched the sunrise from the Charles bridge. In Vienna we started near the Prater amusement park and walked around the city watching the sun rise. In Venice we watched the sunrise from the beach our hotel was right next to. In Florence we watched the sunrise from a park near our hotel. In Chamonix we hiked at 3AM up the French Alps near Mont Blanc doing a bunch of switchbacks below the Ski Lift that was shut off for the night.

In Paris my sunrise buddy fell asleep on me, but I was determined to maintain the streak especially since Paris was our last city of the travel portion so I mustered up the courage to travel Paris public transportation on my own at 5AM and I went to the Trocadero Square. This was a huge milestone for me because I had never traveled on my own before other than a few city exploration walks in well lit populated places and this experience was a culmination of all the tricks I had learned during traveling and Paris is notorious for pickpocketing so I had to be aware of my surroundings at all times.

I was able to apply everything I learned to my weekend trips I took during the Oxford portion. The first weekend we were told to stay in Oxford so I explored the town. The second weekend I went to Dublin. The third weekend I went to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Brugge. The fourth weekend I went to Wales and London, and the fifth weekend I went to Edinburgh. My favorite place during the Oxford portion was actually a 30 minute walk from Mansfield college and is called Port Meadow. I made it a point to go there every Sunday right after dinner to see the wild horses and cows and enjoy the sunset. It was such a magical place for me especially when the horses would come up to you to be petted because it made me feel like the chosen one.

All in all, the Oxford Study Abroad experience taught me a lot about being a considerate and respectful traveler and gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in the surrounding culture. It also gave me more confidence as a solo traveler and confidence in my ability to handle myself in general under various different circumstances.

[valliarys]

The Story Behind.

Valliante Iryssa Jade, a name adorned with elegance and innate talent, was born into the esteemed Jade family. With dark silk-like hair and honey dew irises, a porcelain skin and rose tinted lips, she was blessed in undeniable beauty. As the only child, she was nurtured with love and given every opportunity to flourish in her pursuits. Her journey unfolded within the lively embrace of Jakarta, where she took her first breath on 12th July of 2002 amidst the wonderful culture and the bustling streets. Little did she know, that she was destined for greatness.

From an early age, Iryssa’s heart was captured by the enchanting melodies of the violin. The moment she drew the bow across the strings for the first time, an indescribable connection was forged. Her days were adorned with countless hours of practice, devoted to perfecting her craft and delving into the profound emotions that only music could express. Her parents Oliver Jade and Louisa Mary Lee quickly recognized her endless potentials. Hence, she started to begin a transformative chapter of her life when she left her homeland and ventured to the enchanting city of Berlin. It was there that she unraveled the depths of her passions and honed her skills from elementary school to high school, embracing the rich history and artistic treasures the city had to offer.

As Iryssa grew, so did her reputation. She fearlessly embraced the stage, participating in numerous national and international competitions, where her talent shone brightly. Her name reverberated through concert halls and auditoriums in an orchestra of symphony, as she shares her love for music. Though Iryssa's devotion to the violin was unwavering, she yearned for more. With an entrepreneurial spirit burning within her, she seized the opportunity to establish her own culinary experience as she learned to grow her own business for three years.

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Shostakovich, Piano Concerto No. 2 (complete) for solo piano (sheet music, Noten)

Shostakovich, Piano Concerto No. 2 (complete) for solo piano (sheet music, Noten) ShostakovichOrigins and early years Best Sheet Music download from our Library.Beginning of his career Please, subscribe to our Library. Thank you!

Shostakovich, Piano Concerto No. 2 (complete) for solo piano (sheet music, Noten)

https://rumble.com/embed/v2n4p04/?pub=14hjof

Shostakovich

Origins and early years Dmitri Shostakovich (Russian: Дми́трий Дми́триевич Шостако́вич) ( Saint Petersburg , September 12 , 1906 (Julia) - Moscow , August 9 , 1975 ), full name with patronymic Dmitri Dmitrievitch Shostakovich , was a composer and pianist Russian of the Soviet period . He started on the piano of his mother's hand. Later, from 1919 to 1925, he studied piano and composition at the Petrograd Conservatory. He composed his first symphony in 1925, premiered on May 5, 1926 in Berlin . The Soviet government of the time commissioned the second symphony for the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution . From 1925 to 1935 he wrote several avant-garde compositions. His operas El Nas in 1930 and Ledi Màkbet Mtsènskogo Uiezda in 1934 stood out. The latter caused a scandal in New York City and strong criticism from the Stalinist government, which banned it. Over time, Shostakovich regained favor with the Soviet government, notably with his Fifth Symphony in 1937. During World War II he wrote about the heroism of the Soviet people. His seventh symphony was written during the siege of Leningrad . After the war, from 1948, he suffered the persecution of Andrei Zhdanov and could not write freely until the death of Stalin in 1953. He died on August 9, 1975, leaving a legacy of fifteen symphonies, fifteen concertos, two operas, three dozen film pieces and many works of chamber music, including fifteen string quartets, and many others minor works and songs. Born on Podolskaya Street in Saint Petersburg ( Russian Empire ), Shostakovich was the second of three children of Dmitri Boleslavovich Shostakovich and Sofiya Vasílievna Kokoúlina. Shostakovich's paternal grandfather, originally surnamed Szostakowicz, was of Catholic Polish descent (his family roots go back to the region of the city of Vileyka in present-day Belarus ), but his immediate ancestors came from Siberia . A Polish revolutionary in the January Uprising of 1863–1864, Bolesław Szostakowicz went into exile in Narym (near Tomsk ) in 1866 during the repression that followed Dmitri Karakózov's assassination attempt on the Tsar Alexander II . When his period of exile ended, Szostakowicz decided to remain in Siberia , where he became a successful banker in Irkutsk and raised a large family. His son, Dmitri Boleslavovich Shostakovich, the composer's father, was born in exile in Narym in 1875, studied physics and mathematics at St. Petersburg University and graduated in 1899. He then went to work as an engineer with Dmitri Mendeleyev at the Bureau of Weights and Measures in St. Petersburg. In 1903, he married Sofiya Vasílievna Kokoúlina, one of six children born to a Siberian who also immigrated to the capital. House in which Shostakovich was born (now School no. 267), with a commemorative plaque on the left. Her son, Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich, showed great musical talent after he began taking piano lessons with his mother at the age of nine. On several occasions, he showed a remarkable ability to remember what his mother had played in the previous lesson and was "caught in the act" of playing music from the previous lesson while pretending to read different music placed in front of him. In 1918, he wrote a funeral march in memory of two leaders of the Russian Constitutional Democratic Party murdered by Bolshevik sailors. In 1919, at the age of 13, Shostakovich was admitted to the Petrograd Conservatory, then directed by Aleksandr Glazunov , who closely monitored his progress and supported him. He studied piano with Leonid Nikoláiev after a year in the class of Elena Rózanova, composition with Maximilián Steinberg and counterpoint and fugue with Nikolái Sokolov, of whom he became a friend. He also attended the musical history classes of Aleksandr Ossovski. Steinberg tried to guide it in the way of the great Russian composers, but was disappointed to see him "wasting" his talent imitating Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Prokófiev . Shostakovich also suffered from his apparent lack of political zeal, and initially failed his Marxist methodology exam in 1926. His first major musical achievement was the First Symphony (premiered in 1926), written as his graduation piece in the age of 19 years. This work attracted the attention of Mijaíl Tujachevski , who helped him find accommodation and work in Moscow , and sent a driver in "a very elegant car" to take him to a concert. Beginning of his career After graduation, Shostakovich initially embarked on a dual career as a concert pianist and composer, but his dry playing style was often unappreciated (his American biographer, Llorer Fay, comments on his "emotional restraint » and «fascinating rhythmic impulse». He won an 'honorable mention' at the first Frédéric Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1927 and attributed the disappointing result to suffering from appendicitis and the all-Polish jury. He had his appendix removed in April this year. After the competition, Shostakovich met the conductor Bruno Walter , who was so impressed with his First Symphony that he conducted it at its premiere in Berlin that same year. Leopold Stokowski was equally impressed and directed the play in its premiere in the United States the following year in Philadelphia . Stokowski also made the first recording. Shostakovich concentrated on composition thereafter, and soon limited his performances mainly to his own works. In 1927, he wrote his Second Symphony (subtitled October ), a patriotic piece with a pro-Soviet choral ending. Due to its experimental nature , as with the later Third Symphony , it was not acclaimed by critics with the enthusiasm received in the First . This year also marked the beginning of Shostakovich's relationship with Iván Sollertinsky , who remained his closest friend until the latter's death in 1944. Sollertinsky introduced the composer to the music of Gustav Mahler , which had a strong influence on him from his Fourth Symphony onwards. While writing the Second Symphony , Shostakovich also began work on his satirical opera The Nose , based on the story of the same name by Nikolai Gogol . In June 1929, against the composer's wishes, the opera was performed and fiercely attacked by the Russian Association of Proletarian Musicians (RAPM). Its stage premiere on 18 January 1930 opened to generally poor reviews and widespread misunderstanding among musicians. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Shostakovich worked at TRAM, a proletarian youth theater . Although he did little work on this publication, it protected him from ideological attack. Much of this period was spent writing her opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk , which was first performed in 1934. It was an immediate success, both popularly and officially. It was described as "the result of the general success of socialist construction, of correct party politics", and as an opera that "could only have been written by a Soviet composer educated in the best tradition of Soviet culture". Shostakovich married his first wife, Nina Varzar, in 1932. Difficulties led to divorce in 1935, but the couple soon remarried when Nina became pregnant with their first daughter, Galina. Between October 1950 and March 1951 he composed the 24 Preludes and Fugues op. 87, dedicated to the pianist Tatiana Petrovna Nikolaieva . During the period that Shostakovich was composing these pieces, Nikolayeva called him every day and went to her house to watch him play what he had re-composed. In 1952, the complete 24 preludes and fugues were performed for the first time, in the city of Leningrad, by Nikolayeva. Read the full article

[independentartistbuzz]

Slow Teeth Debut “Still You Speak”; On Tour with Easter Island Now!

For the uninitiated, “Still You Speak” is a great introduction to Slow Teeth’s sound - cinematic and dynamic music made by three sets of hands and feet transfigured into a symphony of sound, with deeply introspective lyrics about familial relationships, disillusionment with our crumbling institutions, and the relentless passage of time in a world seemingly upside down.

Listen in here:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6CGpPCY0sTKTDE0tTtBQXI?si=e978e4311fb5407f

It’s not all bleak - other songs lean heavily into the band’s extensive and varied musical influences and favorite sci-fi novels and films, searching for a spark to light the way forward. Slow Teeth is at its core three people making music they wish existed, using the catharsis of live performance as the engine for creating songs and soundscapes whose reach exceeds their grasp. Recommended for those who like Radiohead/The Smile, Sigur Ros, Pink Floyd, Volcano Choir, Midlake, The Verve, and so much more.

Justin Ellis (vocals/ bass/ keys) shares of the release:

"Still You Speak" was one of the very first songs we put together when we started jamming in June 2021.  In those days we just recorded everything we improvised, then would listen back a few days later and keep any bits that spoke to us to turn into songs. The arpeggiated bass line and the mournful bowed guitar line that mimics the verse vocal melody quickly gave us something to latch on to.  Lyrically, it's about setting and maintaining boundaries with someone who is giving unsolicited advice, or perhaps talking down to you despite having NO idea what they're talking about. Though "Still You Speak" is about a specific heated conversation I had with a close relative one Christmas, I think the song is relatable to anyone who's had a difficult conversation with a parent or sibling or uncle or friend or boss or whatever.  It's about having to start an argument where the disagreement doesn't trump the fundamental love or respect you have for each other - which makes the conversation even harder because you're laying things out in a way that you maybe can't backtrack from. This song is about taking that leap."

Slow Teeth, composed of Robert Chamberlain, Justin Ellis, and Jeremy Haire, originates from the NC Triangle. They create original cinematic music that draws inspiration from renowned artists like Radiohead/The Smile, Pink Floyd, Sigur Rós, and others. The band made their debut in the live music scene in March 2022 and has since embarked on extensive tours throughout the East Coast. Slow Teeth has had the privilege of sharing stages with esteemed acts such as Xiu Xiu, Holy Fawn, Camp St. Helene, and Merci. They have performed at notable venues and events including Berlin in NYC, Pie Shop in Washington DC, The Cat's Cradle in Carrboro NC, The Pinhook in Durham NC, Asbury Park Yacht Club in Asbury Park NJ, as well as the North Carolina State Fair and the Carrboro Music Festival. In 2023, Slow Teeth has plans to release music produced by Sumner James Phillips (of Bombadil and David Wax Museum) and will continue touring.

TOUR DATES with EASTER ISLAND:

Friday May 19th – Carrboro NC – Cat’s Cradle Back Room

Saturday May 20th – Atlanta GA – The Drunken Unicorn

Sunday May 21st – Athens GA – The World Famous

Monday May 22nd – Raleigh NC – Longleaf Hotel

Tuesday May 23rd – Baltimore MD – The Crown

Wednesday May 24th – New York City – Berlin Under A

Thursday May 25th – Washington DC – The Pocket

Friday May 26th – Asheville NC – Fleetwood’s

Slow Teeth Continues the Tour with the Following Dates:

Saturday May 27th – Greensboro NC – The Flatiron

Sunday May 28th – Durham NC – Rubies on Five Points

Saturday June 10 – Richmond VA – Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

[expandedsoundpractices]

Walter Ruttman Berlin, Symphony of a Great City (1927)

[kellyrick]

Walter Ruttman Berlin, Symphony of a Great City (1927)

[hughescocksworthnews]

Walter Ruttman Berlin, Symphony of a Great City (1927)