There's no official music selection this weekend, but I did see some interesting keyboard playing on television...
TVOntario's Saturday late show programmed Fellini's Casanova, featuring Donald Sutherland, loose plotting, some naughty bits, and excellent art direction. In this scene, Casanova is in Germany, talking philosophy and trying to wrangle patronage. I, um, think that the music is suggesting a twisted parody of J.S. Bach, or at least a critique of ornate pipe organ construction. The soundtrack is by Nina Rota (a very sweet composer, who was not afraid of some dissonance at moments). Sally had fallen asleep by this point. - VB 10-08-2012 9:06 pm
Hey VB, great clip.
Here's to dissonance!
(I wouldn't have recognized Donald Sutherland). - LP (guest) 10-10-2012 12:26 pm
Just found a hilarious argument between Casanova and Voltaire...
...
(C): "Very good; but supposing you succeed in destroying superstition,
what are you going to put in its place?"
(V): "I like that. If I deliver the race of man from a wild beast which
is devouring it, am I to be asked what I intend to put in its place?"
"It does not devour it; on the contrary, it is necessary to its
existence."
"Necessary to its existence! That is a horrible blasphemy, the
falsity of which will be seen in the future. I love the human race;
I would fain see men like myself, free and happy, and superstition
and freedom cannot go together. Where do you find an enslaved and
yet a happy people?"
"You wish, then, to see the people sovereign?"
"God forbid! There must be a sovereign to govern the masses."
"In that case you must have superstition, for without it the masses
will never obey a mere man decked with the name of monarch."
"I will have no monarch; the word expresses despotism, which I hate
as I do slavery."
"What do you mean, then? If you wish to put the government in the
hands of one man, such a man, I maintain, will be a monarch."
"I would have a sovereign ruler of a free people, of which he is the
chief by an agreement which binds them both, which would prevent him
from becoming a tyrant."
"Addison will tell you that such a sovereign is a sheer
impossibility. I agree with Hobbes, of two evils choose the least.
A nation without superstition would be a nation of philosophers, and
philosophers would never obey. The people will only be happy when
they are crushed and down-trodden, and bound in chains."
"This is horrible; and you are of the people yourself. If you have
read my works you must have seen how I shew that superstition is the
enemy of kings."
"Read your works? I have read and re-read them, especially in places
where I have differed from you. Your ruling passion is the love of
humanity. 'Est ubi peccas'. This blinds you. Love humanity, but
love it as it is. It is not fit to receive the blessings you would
lavish on it, and which would only make it more wretched and
perverse. Leave men their devouring monster, it is dear to them.
I have never laughed so heartily as at Don Quixote assailed by the
galley-slaves whom his generosity had set free."
"I am sorry that you have such a bad opinion of your fellow-
creatures. And by the way, tell me whether there is freedom in
Venice."
"As much as can be expected under an aristocracy. Our liberty is not
so great as that which the English enjoy, but we are content."
"Even under The Leads?"(in Prison)
"My imprisonment was certainly despotic; but as I had knowingly
abused my liberty I am satisfied that the Government was within its
rights in shutting me up without the usual formalities."
"All the same, you made your escape."
"I used my rights as they had used theirs."
"Very good! But as far as I can see, no one in Venice is really
free."
"That may be; but you must agree that the essence of freedom consists
in thinking you have it."
...
There's no official music selection this weekend, but I did see some interesting keyboard playing on television...
TVOntario's Saturday late show programmed Fellini's Casanova, featuring Donald Sutherland, loose plotting, some naughty bits, and excellent art direction. In this scene, Casanova is in Germany, talking philosophy and trying to wrangle patronage. I, um, think that the music is suggesting a twisted parody of J.S. Bach, or at least a critique of ornate pipe organ construction. The soundtrack is by Nina Rota (a very sweet composer, who was not afraid of some dissonance at moments). Sally had fallen asleep by this point.
- VB 10-08-2012 9:06 pm
Hey VB, great clip.
Here's to dissonance!
(I wouldn't have recognized Donald Sutherland).
- LP (guest) 10-10-2012 12:26 pm
Just found a hilarious argument between Casanova and Voltaire...
...
(C): "Very good; but supposing you succeed in destroying superstition,
what are you going to put in its place?"
(V): "I like that. If I deliver the race of man from a wild beast which
is devouring it, am I to be asked what I intend to put in its place?"
"It does not devour it; on the contrary, it is necessary to its
existence."
"Necessary to its existence! That is a horrible blasphemy, the
falsity of which will be seen in the future. I love the human race;
I would fain see men like myself, free and happy, and superstition
and freedom cannot go together. Where do you find an enslaved and
yet a happy people?"
"You wish, then, to see the people sovereign?"
"God forbid! There must be a sovereign to govern the masses."
"In that case you must have superstition, for without it the masses
will never obey a mere man decked with the name of monarch."
"I will have no monarch; the word expresses despotism, which I hate
as I do slavery."
"What do you mean, then? If you wish to put the government in the
hands of one man, such a man, I maintain, will be a monarch."
"I would have a sovereign ruler of a free people, of which he is the
chief by an agreement which binds them both, which would prevent him
from becoming a tyrant."
"Addison will tell you that such a sovereign is a sheer
impossibility. I agree with Hobbes, of two evils choose the least.
A nation without superstition would be a nation of philosophers, and
philosophers would never obey. The people will only be happy when
they are crushed and down-trodden, and bound in chains."
"This is horrible; and you are of the people yourself. If you have
read my works you must have seen how I shew that superstition is the
enemy of kings."
"Read your works? I have read and re-read them, especially in places
where I have differed from you. Your ruling passion is the love of
humanity. 'Est ubi peccas'. This blinds you. Love humanity, but
love it as it is. It is not fit to receive the blessings you would
lavish on it, and which would only make it more wretched and
perverse. Leave men their devouring monster, it is dear to them.
I have never laughed so heartily as at Don Quixote assailed by the
galley-slaves whom his generosity had set free."
"I am sorry that you have such a bad opinion of your fellow-
creatures. And by the way, tell me whether there is freedom in
Venice."
"As much as can be expected under an aristocracy. Our liberty is not
so great as that which the English enjoy, but we are content."
"Even under The Leads?"(in Prison)
"My imprisonment was certainly despotic; but as I had knowingly
abused my liberty I am satisfied that the Government was within its
rights in shutting me up without the usual formalities."
"All the same, you made your escape."
"I used my rights as they had used theirs."
"Very good! But as far as I can see, no one in Venice is really
free."
"That may be; but you must agree that the essence of freedom consists
in thinking you have it."
...
...it goes on for a while...
- VB 10-11-2012 3:57 am
possible next line:
"that may also be, but you must agree that so much depends on how you define freedom itself."
- LP (guest) 10-11-2012 1:08 pm
wow. I can't believe I slept through that!
- sally mckay 10-13-2012 11:12 pm