
Finding words for the many thoughts always floating through my mind…
‘Wie alles war, weiss ich;
wie alles wird, wie alles sein wird, seh’ ich auch’
‘Höre! Höre! Höre! Alles, was ist, endet.’
‘Mein Schlaf ist Träumen.
mein Träumen Sinnen,
mein Sinnen Walten des Wissens.’
From Wagner Rheingold and Siegfried
Erda is the most intriguing and wise woman.
A little homage to Erda and her wisdom at the end of 2018.
Erda Christa Ludwig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hR0-qoTay8
Streaming and Floating Thoughts of life, people, living beings, universes, world, woods, trees, flowers, beauty, art, music, opera, books, poems, science, philosophy, memories…
Name changing of my site. Great Moments felt good for years. Made even a list of all my Great Moments from diary and catalogues and tickets and from memory. They are all always lively in my mind even after years.
Yet picturing these moments in plain words is nearly impossible, to me. Words fall short for all these emotions and feelings. And Life feels more as One Endless Continuing Great Moment, highs and lows, coming and going, in life and in memory. Life feels more and more as Streaming Thoughts. Floating through my mind as birds in the sky.
So better using this site for Streaming and Floating Thoughts. If I can hold them for a moment. And if I can give them words. English words and words from other languages, when I feel their sound or image more beautiful.
Zénon is the physician and philosopher from L’ Oeuvre au Noir by Marguerite Yourcenar.
Der Mönch am Meer Caspar David Friedrich
I have always been reading. As long as I can remember. So I suppose at least from the moment, that I learned the alphabet. I got many books in my youth, took them from my brothers bookshelves, and from the, forbidden, parents bookshelves, borrowed them from the library. So I read all the books, that I could get.
It has been all my life a pleasure to wander through the bookshops. As it is nowadays through the wider world of the online bookshops. And I welcomed the ereaders and the likes from the moment they were there. Physical books or ebooks, I don’t mind, all are good, if I can read.
I read because I love the words, the language, the stories, the discoveries, the memories, the familiar and the unknown.
I only need my mind and the letters of the alphabet.
I read all kinds of books, novels, study books, art books, you name it. They all have 2 things in common. They show me familiar situations, to keep me reading. And they show me unknown situations, to keep me reading.
I write about my thoughts and feelings. Perhaps a short description. But do not expect any expertise here. And certainly no good or bad judgement or more or less stars. You will never hear me tell you, that you should read this or that book, or just not.
You will hear only some more or less loose, incoherent, coincidental thoughts and feelings. About books I feel close to.
Well, if I succeed to put them into words.
Will be continued…
Interesting info from Janson History of Art (2nd edition 1977)…
“Stone Age men were content to collect pebbles, as well as less durable specimens, in whose natural shape they saw something that rendered them ‘magic’; echoes of this approach can sometims be felt in later, more fully worked pieces. Thus the so-called Venus of Willendorf, one of many such female fertility figurines, has a bulbous roundness of form that recalls an egg-shaped ‘sacred pebble’; her navel, the central point of the design, is a natural cavity in the stone. ”
This reminds me of collecting pebbles as a child.
A kind of connection with unknown people long long ago.
And I feel again the joy of the lovely round forms of the warm pebbles in my hand.
Wagner Tristan und Isolde.
Needs no explanation. I played it countless times. Hard work in the LP era. Easier now, when the whole Act 2 is on 1 CD, as this one by Karl Böhm. Birgit Nilsson as Isolde and Wolfgang Windgassen as Tristan.
I don’t remember when I heard Tristan und Isolde for the first time. It must be long ago. The prelude, whole Act 2 and Mild und Leise are the highlights. Actually, Tristan und Isolde is one highlight, from beginning to end.
It is a miracle to me how Wagner could have thought and composed this music. Be it physical or spiritual. The music is magical.
CD:Karl Böhm, Birgit Nilsson, Wolfgang Windgassen, Christa Ludwig, Martti Talvela, Eberhard Waechter, Bayreuther Festspiele 1966. Amazon
CD:Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Ludwig Suthaus, Blanche Thebom, Josef Greindl, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Philharmonia Orchestra. Disadvantage is Act 2 on 2 discs. Amazon
DVD: Not found one yet, that I preferred to the CD’s.
YouTube:Birgit Nilsson Mild und Leise Bayreuth 1966.
1.Mozart
The music is enchanting. The story is, well, let’s say, a little burlesque. Above all, Susanna, Figaro, La Contessa and the other characters remind me always of my friends. Mozart’s music is all-
human.
CD: Karl Böhm, Hermann Prey, Edith Mathis, Gundula Janowitz, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Tatiana Troyanos, Chor and Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin. Amazon
DVD: Karl Böhm, Hermann Prey, Mirella Freni, Kiri Te Kanawa, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Maria Ewing, Wiener Philharmoniker. Amazon
YouTube:The Jean-Pierre-Ponnelle movie, Karl Böhm, Hermann Prey, Mirella Freni, Kiri Te Kanawa, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Maria Ewing, Wiener Philharmoniker.
Series: Favorite Paintings
Catena Saint Jerome in his Study from the National Gallery
Standing alone before St Jerome.
Wandering through the National Gallery in London, I am always looking for my favorite paintings. One of them is St Jerome in his Study by Catena. Some years ago, I fell in love with this painting. As no other people seemed interested, I could watch St Jerome for a long time without being disturbed. It gave me a wonderful feeling, to stand alone before this painting. I felt totally quiet.
Readers and silence.
There is silence. The bird does not make noise.
The lion is sleeping. St Jerome is reading.
It is this act of reading which is holding my attention. Reading is an interaction between two people, the author and the reader, actually from author to reader. It is a lonely activity. Readers are alone with their thoughts. Before this painting, I forget all the people, walking behind me through the National Gallery rooms.
I am just there with another reader, although he cannot talk with me. That does not matter. Readers like other readers. Readers like silence.
Colors and composition.
The quiet green and brown colors and the geometrical composition with right lines are greatly contributing to the feeling of rest.
Favorite details.
The reading St Jerome in his red and blue gown.
The view through the window of the blue grey mountains and the sea.
And especially the sleeping lion.
Some thoughts.
I love paintings because of the pleasure of lines and colors.
Moreover, they are arousing old and new thoughts and feelings.
Some feelings are reminding of personal life events, sad and happy ones.
New thoughts are sometimes more interesting. They can produce another way of looking, of thinking, about personal life, about humanity, about the world.
Perhaps this painting is representing another meaning than a reading St Jerome. I am sure it has many different meanings. Sometimes that is important, sometimes not.
The painter creates, the art lover re-creates.
I am an art lover. I value art historians and art books highly. Art books show me details, I could overlook. They help me seeing more. However, when I am standing before a painting, it is between the painter and me. It is about what he wants to show and say, and about what I think and feel.
Jerome – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vincenzo Catena | artist | active 1506 – 1531 | The National Gallery, London
Vincenzo Catena | Saint Jerome in his Study | NG694 | The National Gallery, London
Other paintings of St Jerome
Limbourg Brothers Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
In spring the beautiful rondeau of Charles d’Orléans sings in my head.
Le temps a laissié son manteau
De vent, de froidure en de pluye,
Et s’est vestu de brouderie,
De soleil luyant, cler et beau.
Il n’y a beste, ne oyseau,
Qu’en son jargon ne chante ou crie:
Le temps a laissié son manteau !
Riviere, fontaine et ruisseau
Portent, en livree jolie,
Gouttes d’argent d’orfaverie,
Chascun s’abille de nouveau:
Le temps a laissié son manteau.
From Charles d’Orléans Poésies ed. Pierre Champion, Librairie Honoré Champion 1971.
Nature has taken off her coat of wind, of rain and of cold, and has dressed in embroidery, in bright and beautiful sun. There is no beast or bird, which in his own tongue not sings or shouts: nature has taken off her coat. River, fountain and creek dress, in beautiful livery, drops of silver, everyone dresses in new: nature has taken off her coat.
Charles d’Orléans lived from 24 November 1394-5 January 1465. He became Duke of Orléans at a very young age, after the murder of his father Louis d’Orléans in 1407. He was captured at the Battle of Agincourt and lived as a hostage in England during 25 years. The last years of his life, he lived in Blois on the Loire River. He wrote rondeaux, chansons and ballades. I first heard about him through the wonderful biographical novel by Dutch author Hella Haasse: Het Woud der Verwachting or In a Dark Wood Wandering.
Another beautiful poem for this time of year:
En regardant ces belles fleurs
Que le temps nouveau d’Amours prie,
Chascune d’elles s’ajolie
Et farde de plaisans couleurs.
Tant enbasmees sont de odeurs
Qu’il n’est cueuer qui ne rajeunie,
En regardant ces belles fleurs.
Les oyseaus deviennent danseurs
Dessuz mainte branche flourie,
Et font joyeuse chanterie,
De contres, deschans et teneurs,
En regardant ces belles fleurs.
Watching the beautiful flowers that the new era of Love invites, they are all glad and full of beautiful colors. They are so full of perfume that everybody with a heart is happy. The birds are dancers under many flowering branch. And sing for joy, high and low. Watching these beautiful flowers.
He also wrote in English:
Ayens the comyng of may
That is full of lustynes,
Let us leve all hevynes
As fer as we can or may.
Now is tym of myrth and play;
Wynter weth hys ydylnes
Is discomfet as y ges,
And redy to fle a way.
Ayens the comyng of may.
Wherfore, ladys, I yow pray
That ye take in yow gladnes,
And do all your besynes
To be mery nyght and day.
Ayens the comyng of may.
I love his poems. Some are happy. Some introvert and melancholic. Charles d’Orléans has written his poems nearly 600 years ago. However, I could still feel the joy and the grief of the poet. In the same way as I feel joy and grief.
Wikipedia Charles Duke of Orléans
Charles De Orléans Poésies Ed. Champion
Hella Haasse In a Dark Wood Wandering
Some years ago, I visited Champmol in Dijon, the grounds of the old monastery of Chartreuse de Champmol, today a psychiatric hospital. I made the journey just for visiting the sculptures of Claus Sluter. After some rather heavy traffic, I drove onto the site. At my surprise, there was a small parking for visitors under beautiful trees. Walking across the site, I met only a few friendly patients and nurses. It was a hot day, but thanks to the trees, it was very pleasant.
Of course, I went straight to the Well of Moses, in a backyard with some scattered construction material. I could walk around the sculpture group as many times as I wanted to. Nobody disturbed me. It is always nice to be alone with a work of art. It is as if you are alone with the artist. It is exciting to stand in front of a sculpture and realizing that ages ago an artist has touched it with his hands.
The second sculpture group was in the chapel. After a short walk under beautiful trees, I went into the portal of the chapel. It was there in the portal that the beautiful statue of Maria struck me. I have seen many beautiful medieval sculptures. Mostly, they were more static and serious. This time however, I saw a very lively Maria. She was moving, turning and smiling, with the child on her arm. It was as if I was seeing my grandmother, my mother, and many other women, washing, cleaning and caring for their child. There was something human between the mother and her child. Maria seemed almost real. I loved it. Never before I saw such a lovely statue of Maria, of any woman. It was worth the trip. Go see it when you are in the neighborhood. Claus Sluter has made a beautiful image in favor of women.
Last week, after a troublesome journey, I arrived at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. After some queuing up in the rain I was going at once to Jan Six. There he was, with his beautiful red coat. I liked him at first sight. His appearance, his posture. His polite impatience, was he going out ? His gorgeous cloths. The many buttons. Most of all I liked his eyes. Were they green ? Friendly but a little absent. He had other things on his mind.
In another room his etch, more casual, Jan Six was leaning against a window-sill. Reading some papers. As if not aware of the portraitist.
A reader lives in another world or age. Forgets the other people around. Can a reader be unaware of the attention when pictured ? Is it possible to picture the very moment of reading ?
Both portraits showed a real person. Someone you could give a hand and speak to. I felt the presence of two people. Jan Six or was it Rembrandt that I saw or maybe, interpreting, me ?