Famous Quotes

"I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person."

Audrey Hepburn

When all the world is a hopeless jumble

The Curse of the Ninth

In Mahler’s time, there was a persistent fear amongst composers of the Curse of the Ninth. Beethoven died with only 9 symphonies completed, and several other composers such as Bruckner and Dvorak has also only have 9 symphonies. In Schoenberg’s words, “It seems as if something might be imparted to us in the Tenth which we ought not yet to know, for which we are not ready.” Mahler was especially terrified of writing his own 9th. Therefore, after his 8th, he combined two of his most proficient forms, the symphony and the art song, and created a “Symphonic Song-cycle”. This is the Das Lied von der Erde, the song of the Earth. With this, Mahler proceeded to writing his 9th, believing to have broken the curse. Unfortunately, he died with his 10th incomplete.

I wish you lots of PAIN

World in a string

by Markus Reugels

Sometimes...

Time is invaluable

If you want to know the value of a year, ask a person who has just failed the university entrance exam.

If you want to know the value of a month, ask a mother who has just gave birth to a premature child.

 If you want to know the value of a week, ask a person who has had cancer at the last period.

 If you want to know the value of a day, ask an editor of a daily newspaper.

 If you want to know the value of a hour, ask a person who has just been stuck in an elevator.

 f you want to know the value of a minute, ask a person who has just missed a bus.

 If you want to know the value of a second, ask a person who has a relative that has just died in a traffic accident.

 If you want to know the value of a tenth of a second, ask a person who has just won the silver medal in the  Olympics.

Hugs

Happy Carnival

Five fingers

Adagio in G minor by Albinoni

The Maestro

Liebe, du Himmel auf Erden

Ich kann es nicht fassen, nicht glauben,

daß grausam mein Traum ist zerstört,

man will dem Geliebten mir rauben,

dem ganz mein Herz gehört!

Das Glück will ich halten, das lauenhaft,

das Schicksal gestalten mit eig´ner Kraft,

und stünd´ ich auch gegen die Welt allein,

er sei mein, er sei mein!

Liebe, du Himmel auf Erden, ewig besteh´!

Liebe, du Traum aller Träume, niemals vergeh´!

Du sollst mich umschweben

holdselig im Leben, nur du gibst unserm Sein

Inhalt allein!

Liebe, du Himmel auf Erden, ewig besteh´!

Liebe, du Traum aller Träume, niemals vergeh´!

Du schenkst alle Freuden,

du heilst alle Leiden, dein,

dein ist die Macht über jedes Herz!

Valentine's Day revisited

When did it all start?

St.Valentine kneeling in supplication

There are various theories on the origin of Valentine's Day, but the most popular dates back to the time of the Roman Empire during the reign of Claudius II, 270 AD. Claudius didn't want men to marry during wartime because he believed single men made better soldiers. Bishop Valentine went against his wishes and performed secret wedding ceremonies. For this, Valentine was jailed and then executed by order of the Emperor on February 14. While in jail, he wrote a love note to the jailor's daughter signing it, "From your Valentine."

Curious Facts

The ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia on February 14th in honor of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses. Juno was also the goddess of women and marriage.

 

Many believe the 'X' symbol became synonymous with the kiss in medieval times. People who couldn't write their names signed in front of a witness with an 'X.' The 'X' was then kissed to show their sincerity.

Girls of medieval times ate bizarre foods on St. Valentine's Day to make them dream of their future spouse.

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. This was the origin of the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve."

The first Valentine’s Day card was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. He remained a prisoner of war for the next twenty-four years.

Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine's Day in the late 1800's.

The most fantastic gift of love is the Taj Mahal in India. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife.

Famous Quotes

"If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it."

Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, Ch. 9

Whitney Houston (1963-2012)

Psychoanalysis and Music

Sigmund Freud’s attitude toward music was ambivalent. Freud described himself as being ‘ganz unmusikalisch’ (totally unmusical). Despite his much-protested resistance, he could enjoy certain operas such as Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro and he used musical metaphors in the context of theory and therapy. To be emotionally moved by something without knowing what was moving him or why, was an intrinsically anxious experience. The operas he listened were ‘conversational’ and ‘narrative’ forms of music, which is theorized, provided him with some kind of ‘cognitive control’ over the affective impact of the musical sounds. Theodor Reik took up the theme of the "haunting melody" to demonstrate, by contrast to Freud, that musical structure can represent feelings. In Reik's view, melody can convey emotion far better than words. Reik showed that music is the voice of the “unknown itself” that may become compulsive in its attempt to convey a secret message. Reik speculated that the reason unconscious material sometimes emerges as a melody rather than as mere thoughts may be that melody better indicates moods and unknown feelings. Recent developments in cognitive neuroscience have led to a new way of looking at music and emotion. Neurologist Oliver Sacks states that music occupies more areas of the brain than language does, and that humans are primary musical species. Since the fetus has an active auditory system 3-4 months before birth, the rhythm of the mothers womb and the sound of her heartbeat could be the start of our responsiveness to music.

Thanks

"Mi stavi aspettando?"

"Da tutta la vita!"