The mystery of music. This time of year it surrounds us. But then again it can always surround us. Let’s let it.
Chamber Musicians also Wash the Dishes, Check the Mail
But now the chamber musicians are
just past halfway in Glazunov’s Elegy,
the part where in rehearsal they stopped.
“It feels as if I’m behind.” “I don’t think
so. I think I’m ahead.” When I listened
all I heard was a whole note held
in the third movement of a symphony
by Tinnitus, all I felt was the wax waning
onto the timpani of my ear drum.
Next comes another elegy, this by Suk,
Suk who was fifteen when he wrote its
sorrow-filled walk through what he did
not yet know. The chamber musicians
know. They carry elegy in their fingers.
They open the world on the other side
of every note and let us breathe
within the haunting space between each
touch of key and pull of bow. They believe
heaven is between the stars, music
in the empty sleeve of the one-armed man.
–Jack Ridl
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in the empty sleeve of a one-armed man….ah Jack. Keep doing this again and again and again…
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I shall. I shall as long as that zany muse keeps showing up!
Thank ye!
And safe travels
As a child, I HATED poetry………not something I could say out loud being a granddaughter of an English professor and the daughter of an English major. As a student of your English 113 class, I tolerated poetry. I’m still not a fan, but for some reason I REALLY enjoy yours. And as I read them, I can hear your voice reading to me……….and I’m finding myself looking forward to the next one. If given the choice between listening to chamber music or listening to poetry, I would probably still choose chamber music, but poetry is gaining. Fly the W! Sue Carlson
Ahhhhh dear Sue. What a delight, your message is! Yes, you toughed out those poems in 113!
I know no fans of poetry. One turns to such when most else fails to comfort.
When I read with the musicians at the Chamber Music Festival, I realized that I had never bowed that much in my life! : )
So good to be with you again this way.
May the Merry of Christmas be ever with ya
Jack
Music, the soul of the universe.
Happy snow!
Sent from my iPad
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Ahhhhh, but of course you know that!
Good running my shopping cart into
yours today!!!
Jack, thank you for the music….here is some for you….a blast from 2010, Mitch and Max….. Season’s love to you and Julie…. All the best, Ginny
Joy Joy JOY!!!!!
Yes yes YES! So happy to have this Mitch and Max both here and from
your email. Thaaaaaaanks! And here’s to the joy of the season to
you and your magical family! XX
Hi Jack, I was inspired to listen to Glazunov and Suk, however, what I could use are a couple of chamber musicians who also shovel snow…blessings, bill h
What???? You don’t have ’em? Ours come by as soon as
the storm starts! Suk was from Bohemia. That’s where
Dad’s family was from. Had to have that allusion in
there.
Jack, love this! Especially the line, “heaven is between the stars” and “music in the empty sleeve of the one armed man”. Didn’t quote it exactly but you will know. Blessings to you and your lady fair. I happened to see Joy Oyler at a Presbytery meeting on Tuesday and was impressed with her blue/green hair!!! Hallelujah!
Thank ye, Linda. So much. So very much!
And now I must see if Tedd’s brush cut is also blue/green to match!!!
i love that: heaven is between the stars. so true. i use more empty space when i play than ever. the beauty is between the notes. thank you, so much!.love-john
Thanks, dear Friend! Man, we love having you with us
as we drive through the snow!
This is so lovely and melancholy; it reminds me of Barber’s “Adagio for Strings.”
Karin,
What a joy–what you wrote. It went right into
this melancholic heart.
Thank ye
ah, my weekly dose of beauty & performance reality = so much more insanely mundane than lay-people can imagine 😉 thank you! L
Thank YOU!!!!
Reading with the musicians was a joy. And they bow a lot!!
This lovely poem inspires me to track down and listen to those pices of music. Thank you for that, Jack.
I hope you enjoy them, Susan. It was a joy to do a reading with the musicians–and bow—–bow a lot. Goodness, they bow and bow and bow.
Ahh, Thursday….now primed to see more than I had anticipated in the 54 papers to grade on the table!
What?????!!!! Still grading papers????
Stop it!
But yes, see more than is there. Very wise!
Sidebar: It’s easier to read your poetry than it is to listen to Glaz-suk-unov (sounds like Gadzooks) and company…Blessings, bill h
Shhhhhh. The Saugatuck Chamber Music Society might have your house wired.