With culture’s obsession with youth, what are aging pop stars supposed to do? Either somehow keep their youth by artificial means or go and hide until they die? After some pictures of Macaulay Culkin’s gaunt appearance made the rounds last weekend, I heard an interview where he said he’s become a recluse. Other stars like Greta Garbo also went underground after they started declining. Some famous people, like Roger Staubach, have been able to reinvent themselves to adjust to aging, but it seems a lot can’t make the transition to something less glamorous. Glamorous is too shallow a word. Popular, or more specifically, our culture’s idea of perfection is more accurate.
Before I criticize that ideal, I have heard from Orthodox the saying that “love demands perfection.” Yesterday I heard someone comment that they prefer to remember so and so how they were 20 years ago. Maybe it was about Bruce Springsteen at the Grammy’s. I think maybe it is mostly the public’s reaction to fading looks and talent that makes these stars hide. There is very intense negativity when someone gains weight, when their face sags, when their voice cracks. People don’t want to put up with it. And should they? If someone isn’t strong enough to keep up appearances, what should they do?
Accept a dwindling amount of admiration, I suppose. Admiration is a hard thing to handle in the first place. So should no one capitalize on their talents when they are blooming so as to prevent the inevitable decline? I don’t think so. They just need to be better prepared for that eventuality. Nothing lasts forever. And I don’t want to give advice on how they should redirect themselves.
May God have mercy on Whitney Houston’s soul, whatever the cause of her death.
I must like crossover musical concepts because David Garrett’s work and now Tori Amos’ Night of Hunters are about the only secular offerings that aren’t boring me. I’m a bit tired of classical, very uninterested in pop, which I haven’t liked since Celine Dion, though I used to be totally in tune with it before that, and Celtic has gone stale. “Job’s Coffin” is my favorite, then comes “Battle of Trees”. Though it is a refreshingly eclectic blend of styles, I can’t listen to the whole album straight through because it becomes depressing after a couple of songs.
Sunday night my family and I had the privilege of hearing the Dallas debut of St. Matthew Passion by Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was presented at Highland Park Presbyterian Church on their invitation with their excellent choir and orchestra. Apparently one of their elders heard it in Russia and was impressed enough to pay for Metropolitan Hilarion to come here and present it in person. “Signifying the newly established ecumenical friendship between Highland Park Presbyterian Church and leaders in the Orthodox and Catholic communities in New York, Dr. Greg Hobbs conducted the U.S. Premiere in New York City before conducting the Dallas Premiere at Highland Park Presbyterian Church.” (from the program) It was performed in English, but youtube has the Russian version, which is available on CD, accompanied by a 90 page booklet with various translations. Here is the very engaging opening:
Come, let us sing a holy lament to Christ.
Come, let us sing holy laments to Christ. Alleluia.
Lord my God, I will sing to Thee a funeral song.
Thine all-holy Mother weeps for Thee, lamenting.
The beautiful choruses, orchestral fugues, and solos were interspersed with chanted Scripture readings from St. Matthew. The impressive reader, who had a very shiny earring in his left ear, told me afterwards that he had never chanted before. He was given a note, but he had to go to nearby St. Seraphim Cathedral twice to see how it was supposed to be done.
I am very amazed that Presbyterians provided this venue. Apparently they are PCUSA, which is considered the liberal branch from which the conservative PCA split. It is interesting to me that Orthodox are accepted by the more liberal churches. It is the open-minded who accept us, even though we are pretty closed minded about their developments.
+ Hilarion (as he signed my daughter’s program) was also invited to give the Sunday morning sermon, which he did with the title, “No One Has Ever Seen God”. The audio recording is available online. This sermon addresses moral issues most of all. I don’t know how it was received. The concert was received with many tears during “The Holy Virgin’s Lament” towards the end, and a long, enthusiastic standing ovation by the 500 or so attendees, including Metropolitan Jonah, at the closing.
A few thoughts that I had during and since the performance:
During I did not think about the western influence, even though the Metropolitan said it was patterned after J.S. Bach’s Passions. He had also said that it was very influenced by the Orthodox liturgical tradition, and that is what I focused on. I was not resistant at all to the musical style, even though I’ve since become more critical of the style of Handel’s Messiah, which solely uses Scripture verses, but with a certain aim at the end of what salvation is. The chanted pieces in Met. Hilarion’s St. Matthew Passion are all from St. Matthew, but the choral pieces, more gently introduced than Handel’s, include Orthodox hymnography with original music, and prayers. It was a very good preparation for Lent.
This is from the Program Notes,
It is the work of a professional composer, seeking inspiration in the traditions of church music of Eastern and Western Christianity, a composer who has also in many years’ service as a priest, brought the word of God to His people. This composition is unique in the history of contemporary music, in its musicality, its variety and coherence, and its emotional and spiritual depth.
[...] the text of which is mostly taken from the services held by Orthodox Christian during Holy Week.
[...] The choral section, ‘The Master’s hospitality’ (No. 7) and the recitative that follows it ["Glory to Thee, O Lord. Come, ye faithful, let us raise our minds on high and enjoy the Master's hospitality and the table of immortal life; and let us listen to the exalted teaching of the Word whom we magnify."], explore the theme of Communion as a saving mystery, as Christ taught his disciples at the Last Supper. The words of the choir here speak of Christ as the Wisdom of God, who warmly invites all Christians to His table and offers them ‘the cup of happiness’. This text reflects the Orthodox understanding of the Last Supper as the very important event of the New Testament, which marks the beginning of the Church as a community of Christ’s disciples, coming together at the Communion chalice.
[...] There follows the aria ‘I see Thy bridal chamber adorned’ (No. 11 [I see Thy bridal chamber adorned, O my Savior, and I have no wedding garment that I may enter there. Make the robe of my soul to shine, O Giver of Light, and save me.]), which is also dedicated to the theme of the Last Supper. The text contains poetic allusion to Christ’s parable of those invited to the marriage feast (Matt. 22:2-14). The soloist, a mezzo-soprano, can be heard initially unaccompanied, before she is joined by the strings one after another. This string accompaniment is emphatically minimalist and reserved in style.
The notes go on to describe in detail the effect of different styles, keys, instruments, and influences, both western and eastern. I assume these notes are also available with the CD and I would recommend them.
Mostly throughout the work I was wondering how the Protestants present were responding to the Orthodox elements rather than worrying if I was being corrupted by the western elements. Metropolitan is known for his ecumenical efforts, which has made him somewhat controversial among the Orthodox. His main theme was love, friendship, with a mention of things we have in common, but at the same time I think he provides a healthy contrast with uncompromising, but welcoming, Orthodox Christianity.
This is “The Kiss” from Last of the Mohicans. Viola gets the cool Celtic part. Violin is graduating to 3rd position for the sustained high notes. And Cello gets the drone. The higher the notes, the harder they are to hit accurately because there are no frets. You have to memorize distance. Also, the higher the notes, the less distance between them.
Since the Cellist’s part is pretty easy in the above, we’re going to try Bach’s famous Prelude for Cello in which he will also have to learn 3rd position. It’s about time he gets a starring part. I hope it’s not too hard, but our cheerleader likes a challenge.
Below, Rostropovich changes bow direction a lot more. I like the slurs in the above better. Much smoother.
I have 50 minutes. That is all. Not 50 minutes to write a post, but 50 minutes to do everything. Leaving is death. Death to my world. I must leave this world for another, the unknown one. The one that begins at the end of my driveway. Where other people have their way. It’s always either/or, your way or my way. Luckily the world to which I am going is one of Christmas Carols played by my children. We will bring accoutrements from our world to the next. And it’s an incarnated world. We will be playing at the Church. The person to whom I am surrendering my will has a similar goal, beautiful music. He is a Russian violist who goes to my Church. He has been instructing my violist, violinist and cellist on the hows. My background is in piano so mostly I just tell them when they sound like the music I know. He tells them things like, you must make round music with this straight bow. The marriage of the male and female as it were. I wonder if that went over their heads.
Still, when one surrenders to another master, even one who has similar goals, one must leave one’s comfort zone and make changes. Thankfully these are changes I want to make, which is often not the case. It’s not that I don’t want clean teeth or groceries. I do want those changes, but cooking and brushing are not as fun as practicing music. Cooking’s funner than brushing. Lately I’ve slowed down a bit and not been as frantic about it. The other day I ate two of Rachel’s double chocolate chip cookies at 5 pm, much too close to dinner, but found that I was in a much better mood while I chopped the vegetables. I positively lingered over them because I didn’t have that low blood sugar sinking feeling. And sometimes when brushing my teeth I try to be present and linger over them too, meditating on the Jesus prayer for every tooth. May the Lord cleanse my mouth. You get the symbolism.
I just love how they say Music and Meaning in Howard’s End.
Most of my kids share my love for quirky melancholy. Corpse Bride suits on most counts, especially in winter. A few of us are trying to learn this duet on the piano.
I just saw a picture of a bird taking off. In his eyes was determined faith. He believed that this whole flying thing was going to work and that he would not fall flat. It’s probably mostly instinctive and reflexive, but he still has to defy gravity every time. No crutch, no safety net. Just purposeful manipulation of the air.
I feel like that before I sing in the choir. Is this singing thing going to work? Am I going to fall flat? I usually make a sputtering beginning, but sometimes we get airborne and I’m amazed.
In speaking to someone who studies linguistics yesterday, I was interested to hear that animals, unlike humans, only speak of their present circumstances. They do not discuss their past, nor do they worry about the future. They only respond to their current hunger, sleepiness, or playful mood. I mentioned that in learning to pray, Orthodox teach that you should block out memories of the past and worries for the future, and even what’s currently happening somewhere else, but focus on God’s presence here and now.
However after singing Liturgy yesterday, I was told that I find my note better with minor keys than major ones. My first tendency is to think of the sad things that have happened in my past to explain it. Thinking back, I have always leaned towards minor, melancholy music. The chords strike a deeper place in my soul. Freud would probably say this is based on childhood trauma, but I’m leaning towards being more apophatic about it. I should probably just practice major chords more here and now.
