Thursday, March 16, 2006

tchaikovsky

I have turned to classical music.

Try this: Tchaikovsky in traffic. Magic.

He really was a brilliant man, a tortured genius. Nothing quite gets me going in the world of classical concertos like his Piano Concerto No.1 in B-Flat Minor.

The piece is roughly 23 minutes long. I have henceforth set a challenge for myself. I will buy this music, no doubt bound in a large book the size of a Bible, and teach myself how to play it. I have played the piano all my life, but nothing as hard and as long as this.

Random facts about Tchaikovsky:
1) He was a Rusky
2) His name is Pyotr Illyich
3) He was gay
4) He broke his baby pinky in order to play better, but thereafter couldn't play again
5) He studied law before he started composing

What a guy.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Peas likes classical music?

The rough-riding, porn-consuming, alcohol-drinking, loud-shouting, swearword-loving nymphomaniac girl gone wild?

Who would've ever thought...

Peas on Toast said...

I'd never want to be too predictable, see ;)

Billy said...

You are nothing if not unique......Jenna Jameson's book and Tchaikovsky in one week. Not well at all.

Anonymous said...

Ek stem saam met jou, een honerd percent!

I switch to classic fm sometimes and drift along for hours... I'm not suprised by any of the tchaikovsky points above, apart from number 3. It always get me? Is it me or were alot of these historical chumps gay?

I'm not the biggest missile on the right wing but I just think it makes human history a bit more... skew than many think.

Peas on Toast said...

I'd like to think I'm not one dimensional, yes.

I live in hope that the rest of the often shallow population has conflicting interests too.

Peas on Toast said...

Sheldon - Yay, an appreciative Classic FM fan.

It's funny how genius people were such troubled and nutty souls during their time on Earth. If you take the van Gogh ear-off story, Beethoven's temper tantrums, and Mozart's opium addiction.

They were all fucked really. So there's hope for me. Hoorah.

Billy said...

I think its brilliant. I am a rugby nut but think Oprah is good too.

I hope my mates dont see this.

Peas on Toast said...

Ah yes good old Oprah. I just don't watch her often enough.

I wouldn't worry Billy. I know a lot of guys that watch Days of Our Lives and are proud of it. Boarding school wreaks soap opera watchers, know that.

Anonymous said...

So do you end up conducting wildly in your car in the traffic?

Peas on Toast said...

You got it Jam! :) I most certainly do. And not without blank stares from normal people sitting beside me at the traffic lights.

Antoine said...

Classical music can be oh so relaxing in stressful situations. However : Classical music demands to be listened to at full volume, with decent speakers.

I can identify Peas... and you are such a young one to have discovered this....

Peas on Toast said...

Antoine - yes, loud it definitely is, wonderful stuff. Each note is exquisite.

I have always listened to classical music and enjoyed it, pretty much since I was a lightie. But over the last couple of years I almost forgot about it. Am so pleased to have hauled out the old CDs now...