Curiosities

It never ceases to amaze me how many curious things happen on a daily basis.  Take the email I got the other day inviting me to contribute as a guest author or otherwise talk about/ link to a Parenting blog that covers the fundamentals of child raising called The Traveling Parent.  The point of contact was to publicize a list of 150 restaurants where kids can eat free or cheap, with which I have no problem.  However, there may be some of you out there who do have kids who might benefit from the information, if so, click the links.  I do not think, however,  parents of small children are my target audience!

Another curious thing, how does Rudy Guiliani still have a job?  The man would not recognize the truth even if Trump slapped him in the face with it.  Of course Trump would not do that because he himself has no clue how to tell the truth in the first place.  How this administration ever does anything for anyone other than themselves is a mystery for the ages. The time has come for accountability and for Congress to call for that accountability from the man himself.  

I realize putting the Feds back to work is priority one, how could it not be. However the accountability cannot occur with out the Department of Justice.  Thousands of Americans are suffering for an unrealistic expectation by a deluded President who thinks he is the Belle of the Ball.  He has no care or compassion for anyone other than himself and Congress must bring him to the bar to account for his own massive treasonous actions.  Actions that have never been in the best interests of America or Americans.

 

His latest "success" is the continued ban on Transgender Service Members confirmed by his monstrously conservative Supreme Court.  There are thousands of Transgender Troops serving honorably and exceptionally across the entire spectrum of military service.  The only difference between them and everyone else is Mr Trump's insistence that they are "not combat effective".  I call Bullshit and so should the government.  Get out of the personal lives of your citizens and let us all work together to preserve the freedom we all deserve as promised by our Constitution all those years ago. 

 

 Curiously, the Object of Derision in the White House is oblivious to anyone and anything that does not get him his way.  Why do we have constant lies and obfuscations coming from this administration.  The Object of Derision in the White House is an direct result of collusion with and treasonous actions by this administration and the Russians.  And the only thing Trump wants is to reward his conspirators at the peoples expense.  Congress must stop him in his tracks.  Someone has to hoist the bastard on his on petard!

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Now that I am finished ranting, I have some wonderfully relaxing guitar music from Johann Sebastion Bach.  Here are the "liner notes" from the videographer:

"J.S. Bach composed no original works for guitar, and although several compositions for lute have been attributed to him, his interest in this expressive instrument appears to have been rather limited, possibly because his mastery and knowledge of it was less extensive than of other instruments, such as the violin and keyboard. However, the 20th century still witnessed an increasing interest in the possibility of performing Bach’s music on the guitar. It was in the late 1920s that Andrés Segovia recorded the Courante of the 3rd Cello Suite, and he followed this with the Chaconne from the Partita No.2 for solo violin, later recording the entire work. Julian Bream and Narciso Yepes also made recordings on the guitar of Bach’s music, but it was John Williams who eventually recorded the complete works for lute. These discs focus particularly on Bach’s Suites for lute – including BWV996, now attributed to his pupil J.L. Krebs. Also included is the complete Partita No.2 for solo violin. To ensure that questions of interpretation were considered thoroughly, these recordings were made following extensive study of 18th century performance practice, as well as secondary sources that discuss how Bach’s music was originally played."

The complete play list is under the video.  Scrolling past the video you will find some offerings served up by the Windows 10 Photos app culled from the first part of an album entitled Favorites.  Evidently the editors at Microsoft have similarly great eye for beauty as I.  I have not explored the entire album as yet as the Favorites album is a  highlight reel of the more than 157,000 images on my computer.  It will take me a while to go through them, oh what a pleasant task!  At any rate the display of male handsomeness is there for you to peruse at your leisure.  Thank you for stopping in, please come again.  And as always, Enjoy!

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach                                             
Artist: Luigi Attademo (guitar)

00:00:00 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: I. Preludio: Passaggio – Presto  

00:02:57 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: II. Allemande  

00:06:47 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: III. Courante  

00:09:19 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: IV. Sarabande  

00:13:31 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: V. Bourée  

00:14:42 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: VI. Giga  

00:17:32 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: I. Präludium  

0:21:40 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: II. Loure 

00:25:10 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: III. Gavotte en Rondeaux  

00:28:12 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: IV. Menuett I 

00:29:28 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: V. Menuett II  

00:31:38 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: VI. Bourée  

00:33:12 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: VII. Gigue  

00:35:07 Partita, BWV 1004 in D Minor: I. Allemanda 

00:42:10 Partita, BWV 1004 in D Minor: II. Corrente 

00:44:58 Partita, BWV 1004 in D Minor: III. Sarabanda 

00:49:14 Partita, BWV 1004 in D Minor: IV. Giga 

00:53:46 Partita, BWV 1004 in D Minor: V. Ciaccona 

01:08:07 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: I. Prelude  

01:13:26 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: II. Allemande  

01:20:10 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: III. Courante  

01:22:43 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: IV. Sarabande  

01:26:46 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: V. Gavotte I 

01:28:54 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: VI. Gavotte II en Rondeaux 

01:31:14 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: VII. Gigue 

01:33:22 Suite, BWV 997 in A Minor: I. Prelude 

01:36:46 Suite, BWV 997 in A Minor: II. Fuga  

01:44:51 Suite, BWV 997 in A Minor: III. Sarabande  

01:50:04 Suite, BWV 997 in A Minor: IV. Giga 

01:52:57 Suite, BWV 997 in A Minor: V. Double 

01:55:48 Suite, BWV 998 in D: I. Prelude 

01:58:34 Suite, BWV 998 in D: II. Fuga 

02:03:50 Suite, BWV 998 in D: III. Allegro  

02:07:23 Prelude for lute, BWV 999 in D Minor  

02:09:05 Fugue, BWV 1000 in A Minor

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Mid Week Mixed Bag

Today has a number of elements to it.  It is Wednesday of course, among other things like Hump Day and Veterans Day.  The day began with good News also.  Before I left work this morning the boss informed me of  a promotion and raise coming my way.  My elevation is due to his pending trip to visit his Mother in Bangladesh.  I am to assist his wife in the operation of the business while he is away.  More money is always nice and it not a salaried position so I will get paid fo rall the time I put in.  A definite win for me!

I had a really good Veterans Day moment this morning when I was sitting out on the patio in front of the store.  A handsome young man came up who was a regular customer approached the store.  The difference this morning  was that he was in the uniform of the a Navy ROTC cadet.  I had noticed his chevrons were of a Naval variety and had asked him to verify that it was Navy ROTC.  I mentioned that I like his branch of ROTC because I was a Navy Veteran.  He immediately thanked me for my service and I asked him about his goals and aspirations military wise.  He wants to be a pilot and as I served on an Aircraft Carrier in wartime, we had a lot to talk about.  It always gives me great pleasure to see a handsome young prospective Naval officer, dedicated to his goals,  So many of our young men have no direction, it is nice to see one who knows wherein  his path lies and a real pleasant way to begin my Veterans Day.  If you are a Veteran, Thank You for Your Service.  If you know a Service Member or Veteran, take a moment to say thanks today.  It will be so appreciated.  

Wednesday is also the usual day for New Adventures in Good Music, and I shall not disappoint there today, either.  I ran across a couple of fabulous recordings by Canadian Pianist Glen Gould.  I also found a couple of short documentaries that I want to share with you today.  

Today's play list explores the life and music of Gould, with two short documentaries and his most famously identified work, the Bach Goldberg Variations.  The first short documentary follows Glenn Gould to New York City. There, we see the renowned Canadian concert pianist kidding the cab driver, bantering with sound engineers at Columbia Records, and then, alone with the piano, fastidiously recording Bach's Italian Concerto.  In the second  short documentary, Gould enjoys a respite at his lakeside cottage. This is an aspect of Gould previously known only to the collie pacing beside him through the woods, the fishermen resting their oars to hear his piano, and fellow musicians like Franz Kraemer, with whom Gould talks of composition.

Glenn Gould's debut album of Bach's Goldberg Variations was recorded in June 1955. The Columbia LP quickly became one of the most revered piano recordings ever made and Gould became the most famous classical artist of the day. His exciting, unorthodox new way of playing Bach left listeners awestruck and critics around the world hailing him as a genius. But until recently this iconic album was limited by the dated recording technology of its time.

On September 25, 2006, history was made again. Zenph Studios recorded its debut re-performance® to standing ovations in the CBC's famed Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. The date would have been Glenn Gould's 74th birthday, and what a gift Zenph created to give his fans.

The Zenph re-performance is a revelation in its clarity, depth, and vibrancy. Gould seems to play at an almost inhuman speed and yet with complete accuracy. The 30 variations dazzle the listener with their inventiveness and variety. As music historian and Gould biographer Kevin Bazzana writes in the CD's liner notes, "Here, albeit with his trademark vocalizing no longer accompanying the performance, Gould's musical personality is unquestionably present..." 

The companion piece I have chosen to share with you on my tumblr is a gem also.  Gould's memory capacity was legendary. Both his mental and finger memory made it possible for him to reproduce and play music literature many years after his last practice and performance of the same. A famous illustration of this statement would be an event that occurred in 1970, when the renown Italian pianist, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, was unable to go through with his performance of Beethoven's Concerto No.5, Emperor, in Toronto. Gould was given a telephone call on Thursday evening. The problem was explained, and he was asked to substitute for Michelangeli the next morning, on Friday, when the Toronto Symphony and the conductor, Karel Ancerl, were scheduled to work with Michelangeli. Gould's answer was affirmative and good-spirited. In the space of the next few night hours, Gould rehearsed the Concerto he had not touched in four years. The program was televised and, subsequently, aired on September 12, 1970. To everyone's amazement, Gould played Beethoven's Concerto in front of the camera flawlessly and by heart.

Now it will be hard to top those performances, yet a little icing or 'candy' to add to the mix should tie things up nicely.  As it is Hump Day, the splash fest known as Wet Wednesday is filled with skimpily clad lads lounging about the page down below.  Over on my tumblr, Your Hottie of hte Day is the flawlessly beautiful Sins-Asian, Andy Honda.  Thanks so much for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Sunday Morning Concert

Hello and welcome to the first Sunday Morning Concert in November!  Things yesterday did not always go according to plan, but I did manage get a lot accomplished.  Sadly, I am still woefully behind on my backlog of TV episodes.  However all in good time, so they say.  Before we get into the concert proper, I thought I would share the latest video from the Piano Guys.  The Piano Guys, Peter Hollens, David Archuleta, and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir get together to sing "Angels We Have Heard On High"as the anthem for the #share the gift hash tag campaign.  I know it is still a little early for Christmas songs, but this is a really beautiful rendition which immediately took me back in time.  I remembered the first time I ever sang this song in public.  I was in the Junior Choir at the church and we sang this  as the processional hymn as we entered the sanctuary.  The only lighting visible during the processional were the candles we were all holding as we came down the aisle and lit the candelabras at the front.  Take a moment to enjoy this marvelous recording.  

Now as to today's fabulous live performance, I am in a fairly mellow mood, so I thought a little Beautiful Baroque would be in order.  And who better to carry the Baroque Banner than Johann Sebastian Bach as the featured composer.  The video posted below is of the Piano Recital by Vyacheslav Gryaznov performing 10 Fugues from Art of Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bachas well as  24 Etudes by Frederic Chopin as a bonus. Included in this play list are Contrapuncti 1, 3, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14. with the last unfinished fugue completed by Vyacheslav Gryaznov. His encores are : Bach-Prelude 1 from WTC(book 1); Chopin-"Minute Waltz", op. 64, 1 and Chopin-Prelude 7 op. 28. Recorded live in the Malyi Hall of Moscow's Tchaikovsky Conservatory, March 18, 2012.  Over on my tumblr, I have the 2010 live London recording of Bach's Partita No. 3 in E Major for Solo Violin, BWV 1006 by Soloist Julia Fischer.  

To add a little visual enhancement to your aural experience, I went back quite a ways into my 118 folders of male art, stopping at folder number 69.  From there, with lasciviousness in mind, I made today's selections.  I think you will be well pleased with the results of my search for sexiness au natural in this edition of Naked or Nearly So! posted down below.  Meanwhile, over on my tumblr, Your Hottie of the Day!, 'Vice Mike, the Enchanter' will charm you out of your clothes with his eyes alone before you even get to his magnificent, sculpted body.  Thanks for sharing part of your Sunday with ame, tune in again tomorrow as we begin another week of Music, Men & More!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Happy Hump Day!

My Monday was even busier than I expected, steam rolling its way non stop right into Tuesday Morning about 9 AM.  As a result, I accomplished pretty much nothing yesterday but watch a couple of TV shows and nap... a lot!  Of course then I headed off for truck night at work.  As I am, still recovering from Monday's 25 hour marathon, I have been pretty much napping off and on all morning.  I am just about to arise out of my grogginess to tray and get something of value done today, starting with these pages.  

I have no clue what is happening in the world as I have pretty much ignored it for the last day and half.  I am sure there are plenty of things to talk about in the news, but at this point I really don't give a fuck.  The world can take care of itself, I have more important things to do than mind the world's  P's and Q's today.  Maybe by Friday I will be able to catch up with myself and have something more enlightening to share with you.  

As it is, I do have things to do and so I best be getting started pretty quick like.  For your Musical Interlude today, I am in the mood for a little mellow music, so I went looking for something appropriate to share with you when a wonderful Baroque Lute Suite came on Venice Classic Radio.  That inspired me to find it on YouTube which I have.  Posted down below are 4 Lute Suites by Johann Sebastian Bach performed elegantly Eduardo Fernandez.  Included in this play list are BWV 996, 997 (the one I heard on VCR), 995 and 1006a.  Over on my tumblr, I have more Baroque with Bach with some Lute and Harpsichord suites, BWV 999, 998, 996, 908, 907, 823 and 1007.  That performance is by Robert Hill, who recorded both the Lute and Harpsichord parts then mixed them beautifully for this recording.

As this is Hump Day, why do I really feel like the one that has been humped?  If I had my druthers, I would turn tail up for almost any one of today's seriously sultry models in this edition of Wet Wednesday posted down below.  If that is not enough to boil the water on your personal beach, head over to my tumblr where Your Hottie of the Day! is one super sexy 'Nature Boy' and I am sure he will be able to do that for you.  Thanks for the visit, see you again on Friday for more Music, more Men and whatever else I can discover to share with you between now and then.  Until next time as always, Enjoy! 

Sunday Morning Concert (Ok So I'm a Little Late)

However, as I said yesterday, better late than never.That being said, let's get on with the show, shall we?  I have 3 Fabulous Live Performances to share with you today featuring the works of three great Composers, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig von Beethoven and Franz Schubert.  

In the play list posted below, we join renowned Cellist Yo Yo Ma in concert with friends for two fabulous performances.  First up is the 1986  performance of Brahms Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra recorded in Suntory Hall, Tokyo.  Yo Yo Ma is joined by Isaac Stern as the Violin Soloist and  Kazuyoshi Akiyama conducts the NHK Symphony Orchestra.  Fast forward about 9 years and we join Yo You Ma for Beethoven's Triple Concerto for Violin Cello, Piano and Orchestra along with Itzhak Perlman as the Violin Soloist and Daniel Barenboim who conducts the unnamed orchestra from the Piano.

Meanwhile over on my tumblr, you may join Yo Yo Ma accompanied by Rudolf Firkušný on Piano for their 1992 Tokyo Performance in Suntory Hall of Franz Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata for Cello and Piano.  

Finally, the weekend would not be complete without a little lasciviousness on display, which I of course will duly provide you forthwith.  Posted down below is a sizzling selection so sultry studs who are Naked or Nearly So! awaiting your cruise and peruse.  Then over on my tumblr, the Hottie of the Day! is full of 'Blond Ambition'.  Thanks for sharing part of your weekend with me, see you tomorrow as we begin another week of Music Men & More!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

New Adventures in Good Music

Welcome to this week's edition of New Adventures in Good Music, a tribute to Karl Haas, the original Adventurer.  This week we begin a 7 week study of the Great Composers as defined by the recent BBC Documentary Series.  Over the next 7 weeks we will look into the lives and music of Bach, Beethoven, Mahler, Mozart, Puccini, Tchaikovsky and Wagner, each with their own hour long documentary.  For no other reason than to not place any greater emphasis on one composer over another, I will post them in alphabetical order by the composer's last name.  That leaves us with a natural beginning with Johann Sebastian Bach who is one of the basic building blocks of Music as we know it today.  The photo above is a Riverview of Eisenach, Germany; Bach's Hometown.  The episode synopsis reads as follows:

"Know more about Bach at Classical Museum: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/class...

Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March 1685 -- 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include the Brandenburg concertos, the Mass in B minor, The Well-Tempered Clavier, two Passions, keyboard works, and more than 300 cantatas, of which nearly 100 cantatas have been lost to posterity. His music is revered for its intellectual depth, technical command, and artistic beauty. Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected throughout Europe during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the nineteenth century. He is now generally regarded as one of the main composers of the Baroque period, and as one of the greatest composers of all time."

As a companion piece, I have the first 24 Preludes and Fugues from book 1 of The Well Tempered Clavier posted over on my tumblr.  Then because it is Wednesday, it is time for some splashy sexiness from the pools, beaches and baths of the world in this edition of Wet Wednesday posted down below.  While over on my tumblr, the Hottie of the Day! is a 'Sun God on the Beach' for your visual edification.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Sólo la Música Sin Comentarios

J.S. Bach Violin Concertos

1. in A minor BWV 1041 0:00
2. in E major BWV 1042 13:00
3. for 2 violins in D minor BWV 1043 29:00
4. in D minor BWV 1052R 43:06
5. in G minor BWV 1056R 1:04:22

Giuliano Carmignola Violin (II. BWV 1043)
Mayumi Hirasaki Violin I. BWV 1043
Concerto Koln



Red, White & Hot, Your Hottie of the Day!

Johann Sebastian Bach Keyboard Concerto for 2 Pianos BWV 1060 C minor

Friday's Fantasy Fuel

Back in the Saddle Again

After much heartache, headache tears and loss of temper, Will rescued me and spent all night un- fucking my computer.  What I originally tried to do was download a program to free up my limited RAM to make ops easier.  Well I clicked on the wrong thing and my electronic world as I knew it went  Bat Shit Crazy in a Heartbeat.  self installers , malware, virus crap, you name it, it ate my computer up.  Thankfully I have Will who can fix most of my fuck ups, although this one really took some time.  I did not lose any data, so that is a good thing.  After all this crap we went through, we decided to replace my inadequate RAM with new max capacity models.  When it arrives from Amazon on Tuesday, then I will have 8 gigs of RAM to work with.  Maybe I can get something done in a timely manner now. 

We are finally back up an running in a first attempt since recovery to get a post up.  I have Music, I have Men, what I don't have4 is a lot of time, it is pay day after all and I have a lot on my plate to get done before I go on my first date with a gentleman with whom I have been flirting around with for 2 years and asking out for 6 months.  He finally said yes and we are going to go on a hang out an get to know each other better evening of drinks, dinner and conversation.   So I best get this show on the road.  

I had this play list  put together for Tuesday, but it never got up so here we have it for today.  Georges Bizet's Opera Carmen was, is and will continue to be a beloved and enduring part of Opera's standard repertoire.  The music is beautiful and the story is eternal.  The music also lends itself to adaptation to other orchestrations, variations and fantasies on a theme or themes found in the Opera's Score.  In this play list are two different Fantasies on a Theme from Carmen.  These are not the only two adaptations of Bizet's music, however they are two of the finest adaptations I have found.  The most famous of these variations and fantasies is Pablo de Sarasate's Opus 25 with Anne-Sophie Mutter as your Soloist accompanied by The Vienna Philharmonic under the Metropolitan Opera's legendary Conducter James Levine.  The newest Fantasy on a Theme from Carmen has been peened by the Anderson Roe Piano Duo of Greg Anderson & Elizabeth Joy Roe.  Their debut video of this fantasy was recorded at The Historic Asolo Theater at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida and The Hills of Lafayette, California.  

Over on my tumblr, Daniil Trifonov plays Franz Liszt's arrangement of J.S. Bach's Fantasy and Fugue for organ in G Minor, BWV 542 / S 463.  Recorded live at Carnegie Hall, New York, Dec 9th, 2014.  While you are over there on  my tumblr, be sure to check out today's Hottie of the Day! who comes to your "From Russia...With Love".  But before heading over, get your fill of denim delights in this week's edition of Men in Jeans posted down below.  Thanks for hanging in, see you soo, gotta jet.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Processus Interruptus

In days of yore, before technology ruled the world, group presentations and proposals were often done using visual aids.  One of the most popular was the utilization of an easel to hold essentially a giant sketch pad.   The presenter would create their presentation on the pages of the pad, then during the presentation, the presenter would flip the pages of the pad to illustrate the various points in the presentation or proposal.  That is the general premise behind one of the apps that is native to my new smart phone.  Flip Board is a customizable news feed where you pick the topics that interest you, and the app creates story boards with articles related to the topic at hand.  Instead of scrolling down the page, you flip the boards to read the stories, like turning the pages in a book only the flips are vertical not horizontal.  

Flip Board is where I ran across this story from the folks at Buzz Feed...... 

(***  It was at this point in my day that my FF decided to eat itself and basically lock up my computer.  The whole ordeal that transpired this afternoon drove me to tears.  After finally uninstalling FF, deleting all files and folders associated with FF and then reinstalling the latest version, I think I am back to where I was about 7 hours ago.)

.... relating the stories of LGBT service members all the way back to the Korean War and WWII.  Here is the headline blurb from the Article:

This Veteran’s Job Was Discharging Gay Sailors In The Navy — But He Had A Secret

From a closeted gay sailor who typed the dishonorable discharges for Korean War servicemen accused of homosexuality, to a lesbian correctively raped by Marines while serving in Desert Storm, these are the stories of LGBT veterans and their decades-long fight for equality in the armed forces. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is a fairly lengthy yet fascinating look at the lives and history of our heroic LGBT Service Members who have always been there alongside our hetero compatriots.  It ran 38 boards on Flip Board, but it really did not take that long to read.  At the end of the article is an 8 minute documentary on the closeted gay sailor from the Korean War, Otto Bremerman.  Also discussed in the article is proposed legislation to make it the review process easier for those dischaged before the repeal of DADT to have their discharges upgraded.  My own appeal is ongoing at the moment.  

The article also mentions the fund raising efforts of National LGBT Veterans Memorial Project for a LGBT Veteran's Memorial to be erected near the grave of Leonard Matlovich, the first Out Gay Service Member in the early 70's in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC.   You may recall Leonard's epitaph written on his headstone: “They gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.”  Been there, done that, got the fucking  T shirt.  Still fighting the battle and so....... life goes on.

For your musical entertainment today, I have four Concerti by Johann Sebastian Bach.  Included in the play list are the Violin Concerto in A Minor, BWV 1041; the Concerto for 2 Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043; the Violin Concerto in E Major, BWV 1042 and the Concerto for 3 Violins (reconstructed form the Concerto for Harpsihord, BWV 1064 by Simon Standage).  Today's performance is by Simon Standage and Collegium Musicum 90 featuring Soloists other than Standage in Micaela Comberti and Miles Golding.  Over on my tumblr you may join the Cologne Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Helmut Muller-Brühl featuring Christian Hommel as the Soloistfor 4 Concerti by Bach for Oboe/OboeD'Amore. 

As for some eye candy, your splashing good times are to be found in this edition of Wet Wednesday down below  as well as the 'Tropical Treat' who is your Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  One final note on a long and stressful day and then I will let you be on your merry way.  Today is my birthday, and absolutely no one remembered.  Not even Will.  Makes me wonder if I am even relevant any more.  Any way , you guys have a great day and we will see you on the flip flop.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Giants of the Guitar - The Performers II

Happy Tuesday all.  We continue our look at the Giants of the Guitar and this week's focus on The Performers.  Some 34 years after Segovia was born, in the small town of Lorca in the Murcia region of Spain, another legend was born in humble circumstances.  Narciso Yepes' father gave him his first guitar when he was four years old, and brought the boy five miles on a donkey to and from lessons three days a week. He took his first lessons from Jesus Guevara, in Lorca. Later his family moved to Valencia when the Spanish Civil War started in 1936.

When he was 13, he was accepted to study at the Conservatorio de Valencia with the pianist and composer Vicente Asencio. Here he followed courses in harmony, composition, and performance. Yepes is credited by many with developing the A-M-I technique of playing notes with the ring (Anular), middle (Medio), and index (Indice) fingers of the right hand.[1] Guitar teachers traditionally taught their students to play by alternating the index and middle fingers, or I-M. However, since Yepes studied under teachers who were not guitarists, they pushed him to expand on the traditional technique. According to Yepes, Asencio "was a pianist who loathed the guitar because a guitarist couldn't play scales very fast and very legato, as on a piano or a violin. 'If you can't play like that,' he told me, 'you must take up another instrument.'" Through practice and improvement in his technique, Yepes could match Asencio's piano scales on the guitar. "'So,' he [Asencio] said, 'it's possible on the guitar. Now play that fast in thirds, then in chromatic thirds.'"[2] Allan Kozinn observed that, "Thanks to Mr. Asencio's goading, Mr. Yepes learned "to play music the way I want, not the way the guitar wants."[3] Similarly, the composer, violinist, and pianist George Enescu would also push Yepes to improve his technique, which also allowed him to play with greater speed.[4]

On 16 December 1947 he made his Madrid début, performing Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with Ataúlfo Argenta conducting the Spanish National Orchestra. The overwhelming success of this performance brought him renown from critics and public alike. Soon afterwards, he began to tour with Argenta, visiting Switzerland, Italy, Germany and France. During this time he was largely responsible for the growing popularity of the Concierto de Aranjuez, and made two early recordings, both with Argenta[5] – one in mono with the Madrid Chamber Orchestra (released between 1953 and 1955),[6] and the second in stereo with the Orquesta Nacional de España (recorded in 1957 and released in 1959).[7]

Now as an established Concert and Recording Artist on the six string Classical Guitar, in the early 1960's, Yepes began working with renowned luthier Jose Ramirez III to develop a new 10 string Classical Guitar.  In 1964, when Yepes appeared in concert with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performing Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, he debuted his new guitar.  The new 10 string Guitar with a specific tuning designed to supply sympathetic string resonance to all twelve notes of the chromatic scale, in unison with any note played on the treble strings. This was significant for two reasons:

• The endorsement of an artist of Yepes' calibre drew attention to the instrument, and demonstrated its capabilities. Starting in 1963, and for the rest of his life, Yepes used only the ten-string guitar in recording and performance.

• The availability of high-quality ten-string classical guitars from the Ramírez Company allowed and encouraged other performers to investigate the instrument.

The use of the ten-string classical guitar is similar to that of the harp guitar:

• Six-string guitar music can be played on the first six strings, but with added resonance from the extra strings. This was Yepes' original intention and the reason for the design.

• Music specifically arranged for the instrument can make use of the extra strings directly, thus:
  • Music originally written for instruments with more than six strings can be more faithfully transcribed. Music written by Bach and his contemporaries for lute is of particular interest in this regard. The bass strings can be appropriately tuned.
  • New music specifically written for the ten-string guitar can make use of the extra strings however the composer might wish.

Unlike the harp guitar, the extended-range classical guitar has a single neck and allows all strings to be fretted.  While the six-string classical guitar remains the standard and most common instrument, since 1963 ten-string guitars in similar configuration to the original Ramírez have been adopted by many classical guitarists and produced by several first-class luthiers, using both Yepes' original tuning and others.

In today's video presentation the legendary Narciso Yepes performs an 80 minute solo recital, plus 25 minutes of encores, on the ten-string guitar of his own conception, at the Teatro Real de Madrid, in 1979. This is without electronic amplification of the guitar, as Yepes always insisted, but with his improved sitting position and revolutionary right hand technique, which, together with his 10-string guitar's sympathetic resonance, optimize tone quality and projection. (The microphone seen is for the video's audio recording only, not for amplification.)  The companion piece I have chosen for my tumblr today is "Chaconne" by Johann Sebastian Bach with Yepes in concert at Carnegie Hall in 1982.  One reviewer of the Concert said:

'Guitar concerts in Carnegie Hall can be a frustrating affair. Narciso Yepes brought his 10-string invention there last Thursday, and suddenly it was not a problem hearing that instrument in that space.

'His guitar fills the hall with sound. The musician who plucks it is one of the finest in the world today. The second half of the program was devoted entirely to 20th-century works, an intriguing survey of music - for an apparently limited instrument - that was at once engrossing yet challenging. Of greatest interest were Eduardo Sainz de la Maza's ''Laberinto,'' with its jazzy undercurrent, and Leonardo Balada's supremely virtuosic, exciting ''Analogias.''

'Mr. Yepes, who appears to be not much larger than his oversize instrument, is a selfless musician, putting the music before his personality in what could serve as the ideal of any performing artist but so rarely is. One left his recital stimulated and elated, with nary a thought as to the potential limitations of the instrument, dynamically or musically.'

As always, Wikipedia is our friend and has contributed mightily to this post. 

Now the day would not be complete without a a little eye candy to wake up the libido and remind you why you like men in the first place.  This little collection of Random Hotness posted down below should do the 'trick' nicely.  If that is not enough, then head on over to my tumblr where I am sure you will be 'A-dicke-ted' to today's Hottie of the Day!  Thanks for stopping in, tun in tomorrow for another Giant of the Guitar.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Belated Best Wishes 2 Bach

Yesterday we celebrated the birth of Haydn.  Yesterday is also recognized generally at the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach, although some say he was born as early as the 21st.  So today we extend our Best though Belated Wishes to Herr Bach with a bit of beautiful Bach that is seldom heard.  A popular instrument in Bach's time was the Clavichord, a European stringed keyboard instrument known from the late Medieval, through the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras. Historically, it was mostly used as a practice instrument and as an aid to composition, not being loud enough for larger performances.  

Bach wrote several pieces of music for the Clavichord which were quite popular but somewhat lost in time now days.  Christopher Hogwood recorded some of these in a CD entitled The Secret JS Bach which I have posted for you down below.   The play list includes the Chromatic Fantasia And Fugue ('Rust' Version BWV 903A),  Adagio In G Major (BWV 968), Fugue In G Minor (After BWV 1000), Allemande In G Minor (BWV 836), Menuet 1 (BWV 841), Menuet 3 (BWV 843), Partite Diverse Sopra Il Corale O Gott, Du Frommer Gott (BWV 767),  Partita In A Minor (After BWV 1004, Arr. Mortensen) Allemanda, Partita In A Minor (After BWV 1004, Arr. Mortensen) Corrente, Partita In A Minor (After BWV 1004, Arr. Mortensen) Sarabanda, Partita In A Minor (After BWV 1004, Arr. Mortensen) Giga and Partita In A Minor (After BWV 1004, Arr. Mortensen) Ciaccon. Additional celebratory music may be heard over on my tumblr with Ashley Solomon and Terry Charlston performing Volume 1 of Bach's Flute and Keyboard Sonatas. 

Then what would Wednesday be without a little wild wetness or sexy splashing to sear our senses with as we cruise down the page taking in this edition of Wet Wednesday (or just staring mesmerized by one photo or another).  There is also the Sexy Skinny Dipper Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr worthy of your adoring gaze.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Although not tomorrow as my day is already jam packed so I will be back on Friday!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Hump Day

Happy Hump Day everyone!  While it may be Hump Day for you guys, I did all my serious 'Humping' last night for Truck Night.  Now I am all 'Humped' out and ready for a long nap.  But first I have some great Music to share with you today.  Your featured selections for today comprise the complete Die Lautenwerke (Works for Lute) of Johann Sebastian Bach.  Your performance today is from the 1990 2 CD set recorded by Konrad Junghänel.  Junghänel (born 27 February 1953) is a German lutenist and conductor in the field of historically informed performance, the founder and director of the vocal ensemble Cantus Cölln.  You may hear more Bach over on my tumblr with Itzhak Perlman's live BBC Radio Broadcast recording of the Partita Number 2 for Solo Violin.  While you're over on my tumblr be sure to check out 'Adonis Rising From the Sea', Your Hottie of the Day!.  Speaking of Hotties, let's not forget to check out the lithesome lads in the Wet Wednesday post below this one.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Now I am off to Nap-Land for good long snooze.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Saturday Evening Concert

Welcome to the Weekend and your Saturday Evening Concert.  As always, I have a stellar live performance lined up for you this evening.  But first I must tell you, today is a special day here in Fort Worth, marking the end of the 2015 Stock Show and Rodeo (Oh, Thank You, Jesus!).  But that is not the only reason today is special here in Fort Worth.  Across from the Stock Show Festivities sits the Kimball Art Museum, recently expanded and World Class, whose facilities include a concert venue in their Piano Pavillion.  This evening the Piano Pavillion plays host to one of the premier masters of the accoustic Classical Guitar, Pepe Romero.

While I cannot live stream the simulcast of Pepe in Concert from the Kimball, I do have a Concert Performance from September of 2007 to share with you.  In this concert appearance Pepe Romero plays the world premier of Federico Moreno Torroba's Sabicas Concierto en Flamenco and also the Concierto de Malaga written by his father, Celedonio Romero, with his son, Angel Romero, conducting the Orquesta Filarmonica de Málaga from his hometown of Malaga Spain.  

For another classic live performance, head on over to my tumblr.  There you will find the 1954 recording of then 77 year old Pablo Casals performing the Suite Number 1 for Solo Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach.  You will also find the Hottie of the Day!, Brandon to put the cherry on the top of the sundae after  you cruise the Naked or Nearly So in the post down below.  Thanks for sharing part of your Weekend with me, see you again on Monday for another week of Music, Men & More! Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Three Stories

I slept in this morning after a rather long, very busy day off.  However after a quick look over my news feeds, I found three stories that I would like to share with you this today.  The biggest news story comes out of Florida where Marriage Equality began yesterday.  The Huff Post has the photos to show Here's What Same Sex Marriage in Florida Looks Like.  Response from supporters was overwhelming joy and wedding ceremonies while that of opponents was lukewarm at best.  We should not forget about the rest of the opponents of Marriage Equality, they are a devious lot and will plot some other strategy to fuck with us folks.  For now though, congratulations to loving couples all over Florida who have now gained the Freedom to Marry!

You all know that I have long been a supporter of LGBT youth in any way that I could.  It is always heart warming to hear young people tell their coming out stories.  This is especially so  when their stories illustrate the importance of the support of friends and family for those struggling with their sexuality or gender identity.  From Outsports come the story of Will Mansfield, a senior in high school who plays on the school golf team.  His story: Ex-girlfriend convinces high school golfer to come out on Facebook.  Now he's just one of the guys perfectly illustrates this point, the courage to overcome one's fears is strengthened when friends and families stand by them rather than reject them.  

Parental acceptance and support to an LGBT youth can make the difference between life and death, literally in too many cases.  This is especially true when the youth in question is Transgender.  Most Transgender kids know early on how 'different' they are.  Parents who show acceptance and love when their children begin showing non-traditional gender behavior prevents that youth's desire to suppress their true selves.  This enables the young person to grow into their true selves much more easily and with a great deal less fear.  BuzzFeed brings us this story: Transgender Teen Shares Coming Out Story With Inspiring Birthday Photos.  The old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words, is spot on the mark when reading this story abut Milo, a 15-year-old transgender boy, who gets special birthday pancakes every year from his parents.  These parents definitely got it right.  Would that all parents be that supportive to their LGBT kids.  

The telling of our stories, the illustrations of our being just people.  Undeniably different, not better or worse, just different.  That is what has gained us our progress since 1969.  It is so much harder to hate someone you know than some vague representation of your personal fear.  I will continue to share as many of these stories as I can to encourage everyone to be true to yourselves.  Please know: You are not alone & you are loved! 

You Tuesday Musical Moment features four Violin Concerti by Johann Sebastian Bach.  Numbers BWV 1042, 1041, 1052 and 1056a are beautifully performed by the Ensemble Aglaia under the direction of founder Cinzia Barbagelata.  You may also hear Bach's Partita for Solo Violin Number 2, BWV 1004 performed by Hilary Hahn over on my tumblr.

Then here to lead you down the garden path into passionate desire is this collection of sex on a stick.  These Tuesday's Temptations range from long and lean to hunky and hairy.  You will find them preening for you below the play list.  Of course I am a bit of a pepper belly, greatly preferring muy espicio hombres desde sur del norte.  You may enjoy a taste of Bernardo Velasco, Your Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Thanks for the visit, see you again tomorrow.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!