The Art-Music, Literature and Linguistics Forum

It is quite difficult to begin the process of very tentatively and with considerable diffidence attempting to inch back into this forum.

My last post was on my birthday in 2019. In my usual prolix fashion I responded in a combination of anger and frustration to a post by a member, a post I found personally troubling. That led me to a period of reflection which in turn led to a pause which became a prolonged and self-imposed absence. I had intended a much earlier return but unfortunately began to suffer from some personal issues which made that increasingly difficult. Amongst these were problems with my hearing which, although unresolved, are problems I have learned to live with. Indeed, in the great scheme of things, hearing issues really do pall into insignificance compared to the extraordinary difficulties so many have faced through the last year of pandemic.

I did seriously swither about writing any of this and indeed was advised by Albion (John) to simply start posting again as if nothing was more natural than such a "disappearance". It did seem however to be important to my own sense of self-respect to offer some explanation and my profound apologies for my extended absence from a forum which meant so much to me.

I return as a very junior member and will make whatever contributions I can to topics of interest to me as appropriate. It will take me some time to look through the forum and acquaint myself with these topics. In the meantime my profound gratitude to all members and the administrators of the forum.

Most happy welcome back, sorry you have had the rough spot and hope you stay well from now on. I learned a lot from you and have missed you, while hoping you would be OK. I look forward to your comments very much. Thanks for coming back.

A big welcome back, Colin! Great to have you here again at AMF...

 ;D

welcome back!!!

It is such an understatement to say we are happy that you are back! 
Your wit, wisdom and knowledge were sorely missed!

Welcome back!

Welcome back, Colin, it's great to see you here again. I am a 'newbie' myself but, like jimmatt, I learned a lot from you (albeit on 'another forum', in my case). I very much look forward to reading your posts.   

Welcome back! Your absence, especially in these times had me, personally, greatly concerned.

A very warm welcome back, Colin! It's great to have you with us again!

Really pleased to have you back in action, and looking forward to continuation of your valuable input - you have been missed!

My most sincere and heartfelt thanks to those members who have been kind enough to write in such warm terms. I do so much appreciate your kindness!

Great to have you back Colin, but you are by no means "a very junior member" - you return with all the expertise and musical knowledge that you always had, and your posts will help to revive a forum that had until recently been flagging somewhat.  By the way, what do you think of the "new look"?

Very well put indeed, if I may say so!  ;D

Indeed!


Hopefully, the "new look" makes this forum distinctive from others...

 ;)

Yes, it does (amongst other things...  ;) )

A nice surprise! Welcome back,Colin (Dundonnell)! I greatly,missed your contributions,knowledge and dry wit! :)

Hello Colin and indeed welcome back, I have certainly missed your erudite and knowledgeable posts.  I am sorry to hear of the difficulties you have been experiencing and wish you the strength to overcome them.  I'm really looking forward to reading your future contributions!

You are all extremely kind and I do so much appreciate the sentiments expressed!

It is however difficult to recognise some of these descriptions. I have never thought of myself as possessing much of a sense of humour, let alone a "dry wit". And I certainly make no claims to musical "erudition"! I cannot read music and I skip over the technical analysis of music in cd booklets as beyond my comprehension. All I can claim is a broad (but not necessarily deep) knowledge of the orchestral (and only orchestral!) repertoire from the late 19th century. That does not count as "erudition" by any measure.

Nevertheless I am delighted to be welcomed back in such a fashion............. :)

Honestly, speaking as someone who has some technical kowledge, I'm not sure that it's all it's cracked up to be!  ;) I think the main thing with music is how it makes you feel - the "tingle factor" if you like. It seems to me that most of the postings on this forum are concerned not with technical issues or anything particularly erudite; they're much more about what we like or don't like at a purely visceral level. Does it make the blood run faster or does it bring a tear to the eye? Or does a particular singer put your teeth on edge?  :o

The opinions you've expressed about the music you like have always been interesting and have sometimes directed me to stuff I didn't know, which I regard as a significant gift from you to me. So I'm very glad you're back!  ;D

Erudite, Schmeerudite. I applaud Lionel's response, and tell Dundonnell his lack of "erudition" is what makes him relatable and a friend I have never met. When I hear "erudite", or "musicologically speaking" I hark back to some personalities we all may have experienced in forums and my mental picture is of a cardiganed curmudgeon sitting in an uncomfortable chair sipping tea with both pinky and nose elevated, discounting all other classical music aficionados as philistines and rabble. Now that was kind of mean, I guess, and I absolutely approve of someone having real musical knowledge and expertise and being able to share it in an understandable way with me at my level. So, Colin, I picture you in your music room sitting, dancing, conducting, moving, crying or whatever response you get from really feeling and enjoying what you are hearing and not giving a hoot what anyone else thinks of you. I am American, so I can't really say xxxx

I speak as someone who might, to all outward appearances, look like a "cardiganed curmudgeon" (I love that phrase!) but there the similarity ends (I hope!) I have reached the age where "not giving a hoot what anyone else thinks of you" is one of the joys of everyday living. The trick is to express that "independent-mindedness", if I may so decsribe it, with grace, good humour and a twinkle in the eye so as not to actually offend others. If we conduct ourselves as grown-ups who have developed some "emotional intelligence" then this forum should be a rewarding place to be. So, once more, Colin, three hearty cheers for your return!

 

Just to confirm I only meant "erudite" in its most positive sense!! :)

;)

Your feeling the need to clarify that, christopher, sparked the thought that we must beware of the recent tendency to denigrate erudition and expertise. If I needed brain surgery, I'd rather that it were performed by an expert!

I just saw this post today.

Absolutely delighted you (Colin) are back.  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I have greatly missed your insightful contributions.  Thank you for returning.  :) ;) :D

🤗🥳🤩

That is, once again, extremely kind! And yes, I do sometimes (or did) "conduct" the music I am listening to in my sitting room, I have occasionally danced and I am certainly moved to tears by some music. I recall Holst's reaction to hearing RVW's Tallis Fantasia in Gloucester Cathedral, gripping his seat lest he was levitated upwards by the spiritual power of the music. There have been many times in the concert hall I have held onto my seat to prevent losing control of my arms-at the grandeur of a Bruckner brass chorale for example. It is the way I respond to music and I make no apology for such a physical, visceral reaction.

....but of course I have enormous respect and admiration for erudition in any form and in any subject provided it is expressed without arrogance or conceit. 

RVW seemed to have that effect on his fellow composers. You probably know that Sergei Rachmaninov played in the first half of Henry Wood's fiftieth anniversary concert as soloist in his Second Piano Concerto; when he heard RVW's Serenade to Music from his place in the audience, he was so overcome by the beauty of the music that he openly wept. If that isn't a compliment, I don't know what is.

There are certain pieces that have my humble tear ducts going every time I hear them.

"O Thou transcendent", from the finale of A Sea Symphony by Vaughan Williams....

(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/35/2a/58/352a58028d5d48ccb16a839fc0e66e5a--the-storm-landscape-photos.jpg)

For me it's the opening of RVW's 5th Symphony...

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Sheep_in_clover_-_geograph.org.uk_-_893782.jpg)

Colin. I just found a couple of quotes from Maurice Ravel that entirely back up your (and my!) position: "Music, I feel, must be emotional first and intellectual second." And "We should always remember that sensitiveness and emotion constitute the real content of a work of art".

So there!

Can someone tell me how to add the pictures to my postings?    I see a number of posts that include the photo of the CD jacket... I'd like to do the same.   ThanksKlAKKKKAKKKKA//Z

I had to ask about this too and Albion very kindly told me the method. First, you find the photo you want to insert somewhere on the web; right click on it and select "copy image address". Then, come back to this "post reply" box, click on the "Insert Image" button above to produce the square backet img thingy. Position your cursor between the two sets of square brackets, right click and "paste" the image address that you have copied into it.  You can then check by clicking on the "Preview" button below whether it's worked.

Good luck!

 ;D

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81gG-bLsjmL._SX425_.jpg)  like this??

OK   thanks

Colin:
To say you were missed would be a great understatement. Your musical preferences,knowledge,and gracious manner in which you expressed yourself was a strong motivator for me to be an member in this forum.