俄國的浪漫與幽默

最近兩週，接觸了不少俄羅斯的文化

在大會堂欣賞剛贏得伊利沙伯鋼琴大獎冠軍Boris Giltburg的演奏Rachmaninov's 10 Preludes, op23 and Prokofiev's Sonata no. 8 in B flat major, op.84，開始理解到俄國音樂的壯麗和浪漫風格。
在演奏會開始前，主持人講了作曲家寫樂曲的背景，兩位都經歷著戰爭的殘酷，並選擇到美國定居，繼續他們音樂家的生涯。

Rachmaninov 的前奏曲中我比較喜歡第4和第5首。
No.4 是D 大調，有如優美的夜曲歌聲。在右手音形伴奏下，左手唱出的旋律更為動人。
No.5 是出名作品，有著進行曲式的節奏，以三連音作出如鼓聲般的應答，中心旋律輕快，充滿力量。
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QB7ugJnHgs (ValentinaLisitsa·)
Prokofiev 的Sonata No.8 寫於第二次大戰最動盪的年代，因此常稱作 「戰爭奏嗚曲」
演奏家 Boris Giltburg 表示當他演繹第一樂章時，幻想著廢棄村莊的空虛感、悶熱戰火背後遙遠而悲傷的民歌，在雷嗚槍聲和喪鐘聲響下即將重臨。(crystalline emptiness above the abandoned village or the distant and sad folk song behind a smoouldering battlefield to the war once again being upon us with thundering guns and tolling bells.

之後再找找兩位俄國音樂家的著名作品，發現一些好音樂！
1. Rachmaninov Paganini  Rhapsody
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49dEdhsNpKE
* Variation 18-24 Piano  浪漫曲段

2.  Prokofiev-Romeo and Juliet


之後香港有Russian Film Festival，和朋友看了一部Russian Comedy，感受了不少俄式幽默。

戲名為The Moms.

電影講述8個母親怎樣渡過3月8日婦女節，電影溫馨動人，笑中有淚，有母親去跳傘慶祝、有

小朋友給母親驚喜，有小朋友千辛萬苦送媽媽一朿花作為禮物...


Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqXEqpmbmBs (only Russian)

最近閱讀-不滅的靈魂—叔本華及其驚世哲學

未讀此書時，知道叔本華的哲學主張比較悲觀。

在他看來，生活的本質就是痛苦。世界無時無刻都充滿著戰爭和騷亂，我們個體生活也充斥著各樣的鬥爭 (包括：欲望、金錢、生命)。他亦深信，人們最關心的東西並不是快樂和幸褔，而他們總是把注意力放在那些使他們痛苦的地方。人們並沒有真正意識到或者注意到可以使自己快樂的東西，因為那些東西總是不經意間從我們擦身而過。相反，那些令我們沮喪的東西郤常常引起我們的關注。所以，他認為人們在追求幸福的過程中，快樂是很少，而痛苦是無窮無盡。

看完這個部分後，不禁令人意識到，活著終究令人失望。

不過，每個人的人生也是為了生存而奮鬥。雖然我們也深知這場戰鬥的結果，可是即使面對失敗，我們仍然要去努力奮鬥。在他看來，不幸也有長處：如果人類能從欲望、艱難和困苦中走出來，生活便能順心如意，他們就會認為自己自身能力不凡，命運不凡。所以，對於每個人來說，一定的痛苦和焦慮是一本對人類不可少的讀本，就像行駛在大海的船也要有一定的質量才能航行。


他又提到我們最大的快樂在於受到別人的賞識，可是那些人無論處於什麼的緣由賞識我們，

也不願意立刻表現出來。因此只有那個能夠發自誠信賞識自己的人才是最幸福的。

他又提醒我們要保持生命力，就需要不斷地自我提升，去學會思考，去閱讀，並要多去感受

文學和藝術的力量。



我十分希望能做到此點，好好利用人生。

其實他的主張並不是全然的悲觀，能在悲觀裡尋找更多的人生哲理和正面的訊息，更為重要
和可貴。

Van Gogh in the Netherlands 3-Painting technique

Many have admired the beauty of Van Gogh's paintings.

His paintings are certainly different from others, in terms of the use of colour, his depiction of figures, light and landscape.

During my visit in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, I have learnt about his use of complementary colour, which makes his paintings stand out.

Complements are opposite each other on the color wheel

When two colours, placed side by side, they will appear differently depending on which colours are used and what they are placed next to.

The effect of this interaction is called simultaneous contrast.

Simultaneous contrast is most intense when two complementary colours are juxtaposed directly next to each other.For example, red placed directly next to green, orange placed directly next to blue.  

In this painting he has a very bold use of colour. Red against green, blue against orange, or yellow against purple. 

In this example he has used complementary colours to his advantage and went out of his way to create contrast and tension in his paintings.

When describing the painting below he commented to his brother Theo:

“I have tried to express the terrible passions of humanity by means of red and green. The room is blood red and dark yellow with a green billiard table in the middle; there are four citron yellow lamps with a glow of orange and green. Everywhere there is a clash and contrast of the most disparate reds and greens….’

Another example:
 
Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889 

The background in this self-portrait is made up of two main colours: orange and red. These form a powerful contrast to their complementary colours blue, used in the hat, and the green of the overcoat.

There is an interesting article talking about the complementary colours from the physiological point of view:
http://www.vangoghsstudiopractice.com/2011/09/a-physiological-look-at-complementary-colours/

Van Gogh in the Netherlands 2

It was my second time to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which contains the largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings in the world. I was so happy to visit there again and re-discover the beauty of Van Gogh's paintings including his most famous Sunflower and some of his self portraits.



The museum provides a detailed account of Van Gogh's artist life, including presenting his painting and decorating tools, drafts and personal letters. It also compares his paintings to works by other artists from the 19th century in the collection. (My brother and I both agreed that Van Gogh's was not that talented compared to other artists such as Monet and Camille Pissarro)

Anyway I found lots of well-painted works of Van Gogh in the museum after the 4 hour visit.
1. Apples 1887

After moving to Paris, Van Gogh met the founders and key artists of Impressionism and Pointillism and he transformed their colours and techniques in his still-life paintings. I was amazed by the background of this painting. The original setting is diffused by the directional swirls of coloured brushstroke, which reminds me of Monet's Blue Water Lilies.



2.Vase with Gladioli and China Asters

I like the bright colours and looser brushstrokes in this painting. If you observe it closely, you can see how thick the brush is.

3. Seascape near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer

I like the contrast in this painting created in this painting. Tranquil sky vs Wavy sea. Van Gogh stacked the paint on top of each layer, creating a thinker and defined colour for the sea. He also used blue, green and orange to paint the water in which i find fascinating. The painting depicts flow and balance through the use of these colours and directions of brush strokes, creating waves and tides in the sea. 

In contrast, the layer of the sky is rarely thin and the clouds are slowly drifting over the landscape.

4.Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat

Van Gogh painted over 30 self-portraits between the years 1886 and 1889. His collection of self-portraits places him among the most prolific self-portraitists of all time. He painted this one when he was in Paris. His eyes stare out from his face in half-profile and express his world-weariness. He seems to search for his identity and his style in the artist world.

Van Gogh in the Netherlands 1

I have been to two Van Gogh exhibitions/museums during my visit in the Netherlands.

At first, we went to Kröller-Müller Museum which is located in the midst of the woods in the National Park De Hoge Veluwe. We have spent around 2 hrs taking both trains and bus to arrive there from Amsterdam. But I think it is totally worthwhile to go. The museum is named after Helen Kröller-Müller who was regarded as one of the first European women to hold a major art collection. 

Under the influence and guidance of her aesthetic advisor H.P. Bremmer, she decided that Van Gogh's work was the highest and purest art that could ever be experienced, she roamed dealers and auctions for 20 years (from 1908-1928) to acquire a representative selection of his works, both paintings and drawings. She ended up with an odd 90 paintings and 180 works on paper by the artist.

 

Unspoiled natural surroundings 

 (taken by my Dad) 

We have visited this exhibition which focuses the works from his time in France (1886-1890) when he reached maturity.

From the huge collection of Van Gogh's paintings, I have picked 2 as my favorites.
1. Country Road in Provence by Night (Road with Cypress and Star) 1890

Van Gogh has painted this painting with many similarities to Starry Night, he has painted the artwork with numerous distinct brush strokes that merge and form together as you move further away. When I looked at this painting, there was a sensual effect which lies beyond the visual experience. I could sense the two gentlemen are coming towards me, hear the carriage travelling on the road, feel the silence of the huge night sky. 

"I still have a cypress with a star from down there, a last attempt - a night sky with a moon without radiance, the slender crescent barely emerging from the opaque shadow cast by the earth - one star with an exaggerated brilliance, if you like, a soft brilliance of pink and green in the ultramarine sky, across which some clouds are hurrying. Below, a road bordered with tall yellow canes, behind these the blue Basses Alpes, an old inn with yellow lighted windows, and a very tall cypress, very straight, very sombre. 
On the road, a yellow cart with a white horse in harness, and two late wayfarers. Very romantic, if you like, but also Provence, I think." - 

Vincent van Gogh to Paul Gauguin. Auvers-sur-Oise. Jun 17, 1890. 

2. Terrace of a cafe at night 1888

Van Gogh once again wanted to explore the colour of night. The sky in this painting resembles The Starry Night, but this time he portrayed the sublime nature of the sky. The sky is illuminated by artificial gas lanterns of the partially depicted exterior of a Parisian cafe, which is the focus of this painting. There is a waitress serving the guests while some passerbys taking a stroll under the starry sky. Van Gogh seeks to communicate his emotions and feelings through the entire piece. A strong sense of sublime feeling on such a perfect night is created by his radiant colours and sharp contrasts.

I admire his skills in painting the paving stones of the road. The pinkish violet tone of those stones could only be reflected under the darkness in the night time.

'Here you have a nocturne without any black, only beautiful blue, violet and green and in these surroundings the lighted square acquires a pale sulphur yellow'

Van Gogh note to his sister will

A New Hobby-Geocaching

It was a Sunday morning!
I was lounging around the house in Wittenberg, Germany.
The daughter of the host family introduced me Geocaching and asked me to join her adventure.

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt game, which focuses on exploring and finding hidden things through the use of GPS systems. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. The caches could contain different things, including videos, books, software, money, food. Thus, it is always a surprise.

The main idea behind it may have been around for hundreds of years, but Geocaching itself was only born in 2000. It was introduced by an US citizen Dave Ulmer after the removal of selective availability on civilian GPS receivers. He then celebrated this new found freedom in global navigation and developed the idea of Geocaching.

Before looking for the Cache, we have located the GPS coordinator in Sabina's mobile phone and made a note of the description of the Cache given by the person who hides the Cache, including the size and type. Then we drove to the location and looked for the hidden treasure.

We were led to a mountain in the town. It was described as one of the most beautiful places to view the town. We have enjoyed the view and in the meanwhile looked for the hidden Cache. We finally found it hidden under the big stone. Sabina signed the logbook and we found some small toys and a small camera in the box. We followed the guideline and took a picture of our feet and then we left to look for another one.

The Second one was hidden under a piece of wood. We have searched for the area for so many times. After 10 mins, Sabina found it! This Cache is smaller and contains only some papers.

I have found this idea very interesting. Sabina told me she usually did it on Sunday as she could go for a walk and have some fun at the same time. She also tried to find a Cache located in Hong Kong. To my surprise, there are quite a few in Hong Kong. Some are located even in the TST Pier and urban parks and most of them are located in the country parks. There are some groups in Hong Kong who like this game and they have organized tour regularly . But I doubt if the people in Hong Kong have the mood during weekends to find them. Anyway it is something new and I would like to go for a treasure hunt someday in hectic Hong Kong.

Official Website: http://www.geocaching.com/

Grad Trip-1st stop: Netherlands

It is my second time to be in the Netherlands.

Three years ago, I have been there with my friend Zivilus. I stayed in her house in southern part of the Netherlands most of the time and just spent a day in Amsterdam visiting the Van Gogh Museum and Zaanse Schans.

This time, I traveled with my family. We have spent 5 days in the Netherlands. We have been to different cities in the Netherlands including den Haag, Apeldoorn, Zaanse Schans and Amsterdam.

Den Haag
It was raining when we were in den Haag. Den Haag is famous for its Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis which is home to the world famous  ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ by Vermeer. Unfortunately, the museum is being renovated until summer 2014, and the famous painting is on a world tour. Luckily some of the collection could be seen  in the Gemeentemuseum. 

1. The Anatomy Lesson of dr Nicolaes Trip by Rembrandt in the Gemeentemuseum.

some details abt the painting: http://www.rembrandthuis.nl/index.php?item=229&lang=en

2. Johannes Vermeer, ‘View of Delft

details about the painting: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/view_of_delft.html

3.Jan Brueghel the Elder with Peter Paul Rubens, ‘The garden of Eden, with the fall of men’

I quite like this painting because you can sense both harmony and tension. Eden is a paradise where Adam and Eve live happily with different kinds of animals and enjoying the best from God. But when you see the left hand side of the painting closely, you can sense that the serpent is tempting Eve to eat the forbidden fruit which caused her and Adam to be kick out from the paradise. 

However, they are forgiven by God as Rubens drew the grapes on the tree which symbolizes Jesus's blood.

More information about this painting: http://www.mauritshuis.nl/index.aspx?FilterId=988&ChapterId=2346&ContentId=17460

Another painting form Rubens I like: old woman and a boy with candles

It is a touching scene. A boy is about to light a wick from the burning candle held by the old woman. It symbolizes the love and kindness of the old woman and she is prepared to pass the good deeds to the little one. Her old, wrinkled face and the boy’s smooth, soft cheek are beautifully lit by the flame.

tbc

My Kaffeehaus

Xanga is closing down so I open a new blog to record my life.

I just had been to Vienna and Budapest and visited a few Kaffeehaus.

The Kaffeehaus is a typical Viennese institution and it was once a meeting point for artists, intellectuals including writers Arthur Schnitzler and Peter Altenberg. They all had enjoyed a sip of coffee while reading the newspapers or involving in conservation. They inspired and learnt from each other.

The Kaffeehaus is the best place to gather people informally, to share an idea or carry a new project.

It can be a public and private spot. You can talk to others or instead do some reading quietly.

I hope to share my journey with you in this platform in an informal, relax manner.

I truly hope that you can get inspired:)