Music

Haven’t you heard about Freischütz

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  • “In the evening the dove returned and carried an olive leaf in its beak.” Bach’s St. Matthew Passion
    “In the evening the dove returnedAnd carried an olive leaf in its beak.O beautiful time! O evening hour!We now make our peace with GodFor Jesus’s sufferings are ended.” From St. Matthew Passion no. 64 (an excerpt) In this short text of the …
  • Thoughts inspired by Schubert’s song Nacht und Träume
    Have you ever had a beautiful dream and somehow lost it somewhere. Schubert’s Nacht und Träume is about bringing back this fair dream from above to us. If it is a beautiful dream, be courageous to dream again, and never let it …
  • Curating organ programme – Wanderer’s Diary
    Time continues to play its organ diligently,Its little song sings to you every day,Mixed with sounds that are not cheerful,That no one wants to hear. The sounds continue. And as the years go byIt becomes a full singing society.It makes you go …
  • The Lord had sent me an organ and a spinett
    At Easter 2022, I left my previous occupation as a church musician and started new life as a self-employed musician. Shortly before the Easter, I still have many vacation days available, so I travelled to Freiburg, Dresden, Postdam and Berlin for spinett …
  • You would have no authority over me – thoughts on St. John Passion and The Thomanerchor (1940 – 1945)
    “No one who was there will ever be able to forget the poignant effect of the St. Thomas Boys Choir singing Bach’s St John Passion on Good Friday in 1945, the first year of peace, performed in the beautiful old St Thomas …
  • Love Letter (19.12.1944)
    Today I accompanied 3 funerals on the organ. It was a very special day to accompany funeral on 19.12. Around 90% of the funerals that I played, bereaved families wish to have Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “Von guten Mächten” (By Gracious Power) at the …
  • Winter Journey (D.911): My selection of soundtrack for The Secret History (Chapter 1- 4) by Donna Tartt
    I am in the chapter 5 of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. The privileged, well-educated and moral-degraded college kids are getting more horrible page by page. I have only read 1/3 of the book, it is still too early to say anything …
  • Die Forelle as morning alarm, a very beautiful ritual to start the day 🎵🎶
    I travelled and spent beautiful time with my little friend last week. Since I gave her “Schubert Sound Book” last year, she loves it so much that her parents got her Mozart and Bach. So “Schubert”, “Bach” and “Mozart” belong to her …
  • Heidelberg Once More
    I am very sorry if I have disappointed you, when I talk about Heidelberg without showing you the old bridge, the old castle and the old church. I love the Heidelberg old town, like the whole world does. People from all over …
  • A music for tomorrow
    A blog I’ve written on March 23, 2022 received a comment recently. The blog is about a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach – Ich habe genug, BWV 82. The memories of when and where I’ve heard this cantata in concert come back …
  • Miscellaneous thoughts on music
    I love music, but I don’t want to use music to feed my vanity; on the contrary, I should starve the vanity in me to death. Furthermore, too much of everything is obsession, and obsession is unhealthy. Also, a life after achievements …
  • Fictionalized Biography Books by Peter Härtling
    The Four Fictionalized Biography Books by Peter Härtling: 📚 Schumanns SchattenRobert Schumann (1810 – 1856) 📚 Liebste Fenchel! Das Leben der Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn in Etüden und Intermezzi.Fanny Hensel (1805 – 1847) 📚 SchubertFranz Schubert (1797 – 1828) 📚 HölderlinFriedrich Hölderlin (1770 – …
  • Concert Review: (Not) Political Music
    “He (Salman Rushdie) sent us a text about love and art.” Case ScaglioneChief Conductor of the Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn David Philip Hefti’s Rhapsody for baritone and orchestra with a text by Sir Salman Rushdie is a music composition (25 minutes) commissioned by …
  • The leaf has several names
    In this essay “Shuo Mu Ye” , 林庚 Lin Geng（1910 – 2006）examines the names of the leaf in Chinese classical poetry. “Mu” 木 and “Ye”叶 both mean leaf, but in the poetic realm, the subtle differences between the two are individually and …
  • “Must the love that comes in dream necessarily be unreal?”
    “Must the love that comes in dream necessarily be unreal?” Tang Xianzu (1550 – 1616) asked. He written an opera “Peony Pavilion” to answer this question. The storyline of this opera reminds me of Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute”. Fell in love …
  • My very amateur thoughts on “Sounds and Sweet Airs”
    Anna Beer inspecting the lives of eight exceptional women composers in Western classical music. It starts with Francesca Caccini (1587 – 1641) and ends with Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994). Beer’s narrative style is clear and vivid, it was nearly impossible to put down …
  • To wake the dreamer up or not?
    The most painful thing in life is to wake up from a dream and realized there is no way out. He who dreams is happy; if he does not see a way out, it is important not to wake him up.So I …
  • In the search of our favourite pianist
    Like K said, our knowledge about piano is only a grain of sand in the ocean. However, for me, when one become my favourite, it is personal rather than greatness
  • Keep going
    “Joy belongs to the one who seizes it. The song belongs to the one who sings it.” So, the mission is keep singing your song! But how many mental barriers to overcome?
  • Double Rainbow
    I practice organ piece “Fantasia Chromatica” composed by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. After practicing, I could see a double rainbow in my little piece of heaven.
  • Attending a pipe organ exam
    Am I betraying my calling? To serve is not equal to to be a people pleaser though. Is the church the only place to live out my faith? Is it my selfish ambition?
  • The Closed Chapter
    I was so close to corona, so close to unable to complete my internship on time. Still, I am safe, I completed the internship, and now I am in my new flat. Therefore, give thanks! 
  • The Volunteer Organist
        A friend bought me these post cards from St Nicholas Market in Bristol.  “You can hang them in your music room.” she smiled. “So beautiful! He played organ with his life! But isn’t it impolite that he left before the …
  • A prayer, a poem and music for Eternity Sunday
    Today is Eternity Sunday in Germany. It is a Protestant religious holiday commemorating the dead. I would like to share 3 pieces that touch my heart on this very special Sunday.  1. A prayer in English:  God be in my head and in my …
  • The philosophical Hefezopf
        This is one of my favourite bread in Germany, its name is Hefezopf. Traditionally, in the area I live, Hefezopf is for breakfast or tea time during the weekend. It is also for the special event like birthday party or …
  • Chamber Music
    I Strings in the earth and air Make music sweet; Strings by the river where The willows meet. There’s music along the river For Love wanders there, Pale flowers on his mantle, Dark leaves on his hair. All softly playing, With head …
  • The ancient enemy
    On a birthday party, I sat next to an 8 years old girl, with enthusiasm she told me about her violin lesson. She just learned pizzicato, and she can play 3 tunes on A-string, her teacher put sticker to mark where her …

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