......

I like all sorts of music, but pop/dance music the most. I have some classical music, mostly average. Some Bach, Palestrina . One big love: Rudolf Escher (1912-1980). You won't find anything about him on the net (only about his cousin, the graphical artist). So here is a little quote by himself:

... The other compositions, smaller ones, which i was able to write during the War, fullfilled the function of allowing me to relax after the great tensions which found expression in the works mentioned above - Sonata Concertante (1943) and Arcana (1944) - , and thus their psychological density is less marked. The great tension i am describing was the product of the almost unbearable discrepancy between the total desctruction which daily threatened not only our bodies but also our minds at that time, and the desire, i might even say the obsession, to be constructively employed. Because for me the constructive element, far from being a merely formal matter is the essence and the surpreme fulfillment of the creative process itself. It is not necessary for me to say, that i do not regard it as in any way inimical to the emotional sources of a work of art.
Again, it is in this light that the virtuoso character of the two works should be seen. Virtuosity not as an end, but as a means; virtuosity for the performing artist as a way of expressing a contained rapture. I would of course never wish to regard virtuosity as the only criterion for attaining bliss, on the contrary. But looking back i understand that during the War inspiration was specifically impelled towards seeking a virtuoso performance.
The inspiration itself i experienced as a antidote to terror. The title Arcana, secret remedies, is of course meant symbolically and does not imply a programme. Secret, because the work came into being under Teutonic domination, 'somewhere in the Netherlands'.

What am i listening to right now? Beck. Shola Ama. Earlier this evening i played Radiohead's OK Computer, the Singles collection from David Bowie, a Baja Beach Club mix. The latest CD's i bought were from Missy Elliott, Janet Jackson, Portishead. And next on my list: the Verve, Queen Greatest Hits, Lill' Kim.
Top of my wishlist: a new CD from Scritti Politti. (???)