and now, a taste of Italy...
Jun. 20th, 2004 04:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thedarksiren2Italy is an amazing country. It's gorgeously laid out, mountains and monuments, sometimes both at once, flowers and trees planted everywhere in artistic expressionism...and that's really what the country is, the land of The Arts. Music is everywhere, all the time (note: this is the second year I've been to Rome and NOT been able to see Massive Attack play...:::grumbles annoyedly:::)
The art is unbelievable. I was able to see Michael Angelo's David, as well as several of his unfinished pieces where the figures seemed to be mid-birth, emerging from their rock-wombs, trying desperately to climb out and breathe life in the "real world." Oh, but they never wanted that. No, they never did. Michael never did either, he just had the Catholic church on his arse, his neck held by their religious noose which did, eventually, strangle him, or so I understand the tales.
Florence, or Firenze rather, was one of my favorite places along the way. It's a smaller version of Rome, but somehow more charming. There was the Duomo (dome), one of the largest churches in the world (I think it's #3 in size). Inside is a clock which is set to the old Judaism time, starting at 1 and ending at 24, only all in Roman Numerals. It looked like it was upside-down, the 24 at the very bottom, and, interestingly, it told time counter-clockwise, raising cusiosity in me: is the word "clockwise" something the Catholics created, or was it pre-Catholicism, and in either case, how did something going counter-clockwise come to be known as "evil" ? I will have to utilize some resources and find all this out soon.
I also visited this adorable little town on a peninsula called Sermione. It is a resort town, but it was so charming, and simply gorgeous. There is a 1700+ year-old castle at the very edge of the peninsula, something I first saw from a boat on the lake. We all had a tour of the small village, most of which is contained inside the castle itself, a wonderland of flowers, bistros, pizzerias, and shops. It felt almost comical at one point, rather like wandering through an amusement park. Reminded me a bit of Busch Gardens, Williamsburg VA, a place I both worked and played in as a teen.
Singing Mozart's Requiem was easily one of the most powerfully spiritual experiences of my life. The maestro, Dr. Floriani, works out of Geneseo NY, but is world-renowned as a conductor and director of music. His passion for his work, for his choir and their sound, the intensity of his expression when he conducted...it was unfathomable to me how anyone in the choir of 120 could not get lost along with him.
One of the things I loved most about working with this man was his demand for discipline and expression. He made his intent very clear the first night the entire ensemble got together when three girls came in four minutes past the alotted time for a break. He stopped the choir, and told them, "I said it was a ten minute break, not fourteen. If you have other things to do, then please, let's quit wasting your and my time." Needless to say, it became very apparent who was in this for the music and who was in it for the ride from that point on.
Over the course of the next several days, Floriani told us about Mozart, about his life and history, and read a letter Mozart wrote to his father somewhere either just before his father died or right after. It was a letter where he began to recognize his own mortality, his own spiritual nature and acceptance of death as a goal. Not that he wanted to die necessarily, just that it was inevitable, and that he should make the most of his life. It was amazing to hear, and inspired those of us who wanted to create a most extraordinary sound together.
There were two people in our group, the Tri-C choir, who lost family/ close friends while on this trip. Also, a member of the Geneseo choir died back in NY while we were there. I would dare say that singing the Requiem is a double-edged sword, and Mozart is sitting somewhere in the ether whispering the secrets of death everytime a choir embarks on his death-mass.
Ah, the fun of a good superstition!
~;)
I will tell more stories as time allows. I have spent the past several days re-assimilating my life as it was before Italy, diving quickly into obligations and plans I made before the trip. I am glad for the party and the show, but I never gave myself a good chance to rest and re-adjust. Today I am sore from working out and over-doing the social-life, but it's all been well worth it. I am more comfy with people again -- I have experienced some of the most amazing and beautiful sights, tastes, sounds and feelings over the past two weeks, but also, some of the most disturbing, sad and disgusting aspects of the human race. I have shed enough tears the past 4 days to last me a while,however, so it will all come at some later date.
I have to admit - it was a nice break, not being surrounded by glowing boxes but instead walking for hours every day, seeing and singing, experiencing life as someone else yet entirely as myself. It is hard for me to think that I will not end up out there somehow, living out my life away from the United States. This entry could float away into politics and moral conflicts at this juncture, but I will spare that gore for now.
I am just glad to be home, to see my dog, my plants, that Gabe's tree is growing strongly and more lushly than ever (thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wraptboy and his singing bowl~8). I am glad to see and be near to my chocolate-peeps again, and to dive back into the ritual of hearing Gabe's voice every night before I go to sleep. Ohhh...and my bed.....*sighs happily*
More in-depth tales to come...
The art is unbelievable. I was able to see Michael Angelo's David, as well as several of his unfinished pieces where the figures seemed to be mid-birth, emerging from their rock-wombs, trying desperately to climb out and breathe life in the "real world." Oh, but they never wanted that. No, they never did. Michael never did either, he just had the Catholic church on his arse, his neck held by their religious noose which did, eventually, strangle him, or so I understand the tales.
Florence, or Firenze rather, was one of my favorite places along the way. It's a smaller version of Rome, but somehow more charming. There was the Duomo (dome), one of the largest churches in the world (I think it's #3 in size). Inside is a clock which is set to the old Judaism time, starting at 1 and ending at 24, only all in Roman Numerals. It looked like it was upside-down, the 24 at the very bottom, and, interestingly, it told time counter-clockwise, raising cusiosity in me: is the word "clockwise" something the Catholics created, or was it pre-Catholicism, and in either case, how did something going counter-clockwise come to be known as "evil" ? I will have to utilize some resources and find all this out soon.
I also visited this adorable little town on a peninsula called Sermione. It is a resort town, but it was so charming, and simply gorgeous. There is a 1700+ year-old castle at the very edge of the peninsula, something I first saw from a boat on the lake. We all had a tour of the small village, most of which is contained inside the castle itself, a wonderland of flowers, bistros, pizzerias, and shops. It felt almost comical at one point, rather like wandering through an amusement park. Reminded me a bit of Busch Gardens, Williamsburg VA, a place I both worked and played in as a teen.
Singing Mozart's Requiem was easily one of the most powerfully spiritual experiences of my life. The maestro, Dr. Floriani, works out of Geneseo NY, but is world-renowned as a conductor and director of music. His passion for his work, for his choir and their sound, the intensity of his expression when he conducted...it was unfathomable to me how anyone in the choir of 120 could not get lost along with him.
One of the things I loved most about working with this man was his demand for discipline and expression. He made his intent very clear the first night the entire ensemble got together when three girls came in four minutes past the alotted time for a break. He stopped the choir, and told them, "I said it was a ten minute break, not fourteen. If you have other things to do, then please, let's quit wasting your and my time." Needless to say, it became very apparent who was in this for the music and who was in it for the ride from that point on.
Over the course of the next several days, Floriani told us about Mozart, about his life and history, and read a letter Mozart wrote to his father somewhere either just before his father died or right after. It was a letter where he began to recognize his own mortality, his own spiritual nature and acceptance of death as a goal. Not that he wanted to die necessarily, just that it was inevitable, and that he should make the most of his life. It was amazing to hear, and inspired those of us who wanted to create a most extraordinary sound together.
There were two people in our group, the Tri-C choir, who lost family/ close friends while on this trip. Also, a member of the Geneseo choir died back in NY while we were there. I would dare say that singing the Requiem is a double-edged sword, and Mozart is sitting somewhere in the ether whispering the secrets of death everytime a choir embarks on his death-mass.
Ah, the fun of a good superstition!
~;)
I will tell more stories as time allows. I have spent the past several days re-assimilating my life as it was before Italy, diving quickly into obligations and plans I made before the trip. I am glad for the party and the show, but I never gave myself a good chance to rest and re-adjust. Today I am sore from working out and over-doing the social-life, but it's all been well worth it. I am more comfy with people again -- I have experienced some of the most amazing and beautiful sights, tastes, sounds and feelings over the past two weeks, but also, some of the most disturbing, sad and disgusting aspects of the human race. I have shed enough tears the past 4 days to last me a while,however, so it will all come at some later date.
I have to admit - it was a nice break, not being surrounded by glowing boxes but instead walking for hours every day, seeing and singing, experiencing life as someone else yet entirely as myself. It is hard for me to think that I will not end up out there somehow, living out my life away from the United States. This entry could float away into politics and moral conflicts at this juncture, but I will spare that gore for now.
I am just glad to be home, to see my dog, my plants, that Gabe's tree is growing strongly and more lushly than ever (thanks to
wraptboy and his singing bowl~8). I am glad to see and be near to my chocolate-peeps again, and to dive back into the ritual of hearing Gabe's voice every night before I go to sleep. Ohhh...and my bed.....*sighs happily*More in-depth tales to come...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-06-20 01:29 pm (UTC)As for the rest, thank you very much for sharing this. Maybe you'll persuade me to visit Italy if you keep this up. ;)
no subject
Date: 2004-06-21 12:58 am (UTC)You should visit Italy, despite anything I say. It's a wonderful place, truly.~8)
no subject
Date: 2004-06-21 05:42 am (UTC)Good to have you back!
:D
no subject
Date: 2004-06-21 01:47 pm (UTC)~8)
Aside from singing the Requiem, I had the best time when it was just me and Desiree "roam"ing about the cities together, without all the other people in the group causing us grief.
Definitely a beautiful land though...I cannot believe you didn't have this on your "To-do" list already!