How Can Knowledge Be Acquired? How Can Liberation Be Attained?... So Begins The Ashtavakra Gita A Dialogue Between An Earnest Seeker Of Truth (King Janaka) Nd The Enlightened Sage Ashtavakra As Translated From The Sanskrit By Ramesh S. Balsekar.In This Book Ramesh Reveals Himself As A Spiritual Master For The Modern Age. His Insightful Commentary Unlocks The Beauty And The Mystery In This Ancient Text. He Points Us To The Understanding That Is The True Nature Of Us All.
This book features four essays that illuminate the relationship between American and Soviet film cultures in the 20th century. The first essay emphasizes the structural similarities and dissimilarities of the two cultures. Both wanted to reach the masses. However, the goal in Hollywood was to entertain (and educate a little) and in Moscow to educate (and entertain a little). Some films in the Soviet Union as well as in the United States were conceived as clear competition to one another – as the second essay demonstrates – and the ideological opponent was not shown from its most advantageous side. The third essay shows how, in the 1980s, the different film cultures made it difficult for the Soviet director Andrei Konchalovsky to establish himself in the US, but nevertheless allowed him to succeed. In the 1960s, a genre became popular that tells the story of the Russian Civil War using stylistic features of the Western: The Eastern. Its rise and decline are analyzed in the fourth essay.
Opera is the grandest and most potent cultural expression of the nationalist movement which led to the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918. During this period Czech opera developed into a genre of major artistic importance cultivated by composers of the stature of Smetana, Dvorák and Janácek. Czech Opera examines opera in its national contexts, and is a study not only of operas written in Czech, but also of the specific circumstances which shaped them. These include the historical and political background to the period, the theatres in which Czech plays and operas were first performed, and the composers and performers who worked in them. The role of the librettists is given particular prominence and is complemented by a detailed chapter on the subject matter of the librettos shedding light on the subject matter of the historical and mythic background of the genre.
The second half of the twentieth century saw a great number of powerful vocal pairings as short-lived, but undeniably magical collaborations. With firsthand interviews from many of the artists, readers will enjoy the back story about which duos got along well and which did not, which stayed together or kept in touch, and vice versa. Arranged alphabetically from Bryan Adams to Dottie West, Dynamic Duets gives the back stories on all of the pairings that cracked Billboard’s Top 40 between 1955 and the end of the century. The book includes photographs of many of the records and/or the performers, chart and label information, year of release, facts about the songs, and quotes from many of the performers, songwriters, and producers themselves. An appendix listing “Honorable Mentions” follows this book’s large main section and consists of those twosomes that did not reach Top 40 (but simply couldn’t be omitted), or those whose duet partners played more of a minor role. Baby boomers, vinyl collectors, music historians, and classic hits radio DJs will find Dynamic Duets a must for their music library.
Now appearing in an English translation, this book by Szymon Paczkowski is the first in-depth exploration of the Polish style in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach spent almost thirty years living and working in Leipzig in Saxony, a country ruled by Friedrich August I and his son Friedrich August II, who were also kings of Poland (as August II and August III). This period of close Polish-Saxon relations left a significant imprint on Bach’s music. Paczkowski’s meticulous account of this complex political and cultural dynamic sheds new light on many of Bach’s familiar pieces. The book explores the semantic and rhetorical functions that undergird the symbolism of the Polish style in Baroque music. It demonstrates how the notion of a Polish style in music was developed in German music theory, and conjectures that Bach’s successful application for the title of Court Composer at the court of the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland would induce the composer to deliberately use elements of the Polish style. This comprehensive study of the way Bach used the Polish style in his music moves beyond technical analysis to place the pieces within the context of Baroque customs and discourse. This ambitious and inspiring study is an original contribution to the scholarly conversation concerning Bach’s music, focusing on the symbolism of the polonaise, the most popular and recognizable Polish dance in 18th-century Saxony. In Saxony at this time the polonaise was associated with the ceremonies of the royal-electoral court in Dresden, and Saxon musicians regarded it as a musical symbol of royalty. Paczkowski explores this symbolism of the Polish royal dance in Bach’s instrumental music and, which is also to be found to an even greater extent, in his vocal works. The Polish Style in the Music of Johann Sebastian Bach provides wide-ranging interpretations based on a careful analysis of the sources explored within historical and theological context. The book is a valuable source for both teaching and further research, and will find readers not only among musicologists, but also historians, art historians, and readers in cultural studies. All lovers of Bach’s music will appreciate this lucid and intriguing study.
The greatest tips and tricks used by professional musicians to create their unique sounds -- by the best experts in the field! Each section contains dozens of articles on the topics you want so you can browse at your heart's content, or choose just the information you are looking for! This book is a virtual encyclopedia of information on playing keyboards for more enjoyment and satisfaction.
Of musical notation. Time and meter ; Notes ; Rests ; Measure notation ; Measure signature ; Pitch notation ; Staff and clefs ; Tones in key ; Signatures ; Tonic sol-fa ; Patent notes ; Grace notes and embellishments ; Trill ; Pedals of the pianoforte ; Phrasing and expression ; Abbreviations ; Special signs in instrumental music -- Classification of musical forms -- Rules of pronunciation.
