Edge if Heaven Reaction:
I found the movie delightful but, like many of the others in the class, was disappointed in the way it ended.
The movie spoke to me about the concepts of background and ethnic identity; that people live in one country but have heritage and history in another. The film portrayed people moving back to their country of origin. Reasons for the move included longing (the German bookkeeper), a personal quest (the protagonist), or being moved against wishes (the protagonist’s father).
The film did not give the impression that moving back to one’s country of origin was either positive or negative—just that it’s important to know what one’s heritage is and recognize it’s there.
Ghosts of Berlin Reaction:
“Part of what made the event so festive was the absence of any clear message” (95)
This quote described the wrapping of the Reichstag. It stuck out to me as festive events that I’m aware of all have an underlying reason/meaning—a friend’s 21-run, the 4th of July, the Street Fair on the AVE (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009228914_udistrictfair17m.html), etc.
I guess Berliners like to celebrate art as a group (so long as it’s dissociated from politics)?
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Miniature: Research Progress
Research Progress: Still looking for a research question
Some stuff done (thanks to Manuela for giving some hints on what to look for):
-Started to peruse stuff on Herbert von Karajan, a former conductor for the Berlin Philharmonic and also former Nazi member
-Beginning to read stuff on popular music of East vs. West Germany. Each side actually had its own distinct genre—so maybe research will be easier?
I still think that doing something related to classical music would be nice, but I’m getting less picky.
Another direction I am thinking about is maybe looking at the role busking plays in different parts of the city. In order to do this, however, I need to know how much busking there is in Berlin. I e-mailed Manuela asking her about this.
…it’s been a busy few weeks (and will continue to be so until the beginning of next week) so I've had less time than I would like to think about this research...
Some stuff done (thanks to Manuela for giving some hints on what to look for):
-Started to peruse stuff on Herbert von Karajan, a former conductor for the Berlin Philharmonic and also former Nazi member
-Beginning to read stuff on popular music of East vs. West Germany. Each side actually had its own distinct genre—so maybe research will be easier?
I still think that doing something related to classical music would be nice, but I’m getting less picky.
Another direction I am thinking about is maybe looking at the role busking plays in different parts of the city. In order to do this, however, I need to know how much busking there is in Berlin. I e-mailed Manuela asking her about this.
…it’s been a busy few weeks (and will continue to be so until the beginning of next week) so I've had less time than I would like to think about this research...
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Etude: Response to "Istanbul's Choice"
In perusing through Asu Aksoy’s essay, “Istanbul’s Choice,” I was struck by the final section discussing exclusionism in Istanbul:
“With high levels of unemployment, an unqualified labor force and the continuing influx of immigrants from the rule areas of turkey…social exclusion finds fertile ground in Istanbul.” (82)
…and later:
“Defensive and fearful responses to what are in fact ‘complex, confusing, and often highly contradictory implications of this ongoing neoliberalisation of urban political-economic space’ start slipping easily and seamlessly into an exclusionary language, to rejection of difference and diversity and ultimately to nationalistic fanaticism” (83)
Yet, according to the NPR article linked to us (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99189265), exclusion also seems woven into the German mindset:
“Jan Techau of the German Council on Foreign Relations says the German concept of identity is based on exclusion.
‘For hundreds of thousands of years, identities were created by excluding those who weren't part of the crowd, by drawing up borders,’ he says."
In both Istanbul and Germany, exclusionism appears to play a significant role in society. However, the logical endpoints couldn’t be further apart; Dr. Aksoy argues that Istanbul may head toward nationalistic fanaticism whereas Germany is the last country that will resort to such a mindset (at least according to Misha Neininger). I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens—history may not have ended yet.
“With high levels of unemployment, an unqualified labor force and the continuing influx of immigrants from the rule areas of turkey…social exclusion finds fertile ground in Istanbul.” (82)
…and later:
“Defensive and fearful responses to what are in fact ‘complex, confusing, and often highly contradictory implications of this ongoing neoliberalisation of urban political-economic space’ start slipping easily and seamlessly into an exclusionary language, to rejection of difference and diversity and ultimately to nationalistic fanaticism” (83)
Yet, according to the NPR article linked to us (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99189265), exclusion also seems woven into the German mindset:
“Jan Techau of the German Council on Foreign Relations says the German concept of identity is based on exclusion.
‘For hundreds of thousands of years, identities were created by excluding those who weren't part of the crowd, by drawing up borders,’ he says."
In both Istanbul and Germany, exclusionism appears to play a significant role in society. However, the logical endpoints couldn’t be further apart; Dr. Aksoy argues that Istanbul may head toward nationalistic fanaticism whereas Germany is the last country that will resort to such a mindset (at least according to Misha Neininger). I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens—history may not have ended yet.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Performance: Elegy and Fugue
Another "wall" in my life is a cultural one. Having been raised as a Japanese American, modesty is a favorably looked-upon trait. Yet, in America, modesty will do nothing in helping to make connections or get a job advancement--in short, the trait is ignored.
In posting these videos, I shy away from my usual Japanese American self. I am not trying to get a "job advancement" or anything of the sort; these are neither the best nor the worst performances I have done of the pieces. I do feel, however, that to get to know my music is to get to know me a little better--however flawed both are. So if you have a few minutes, enjoy!
From my Junior Recital (January 11, 2009):
In posting these videos, I shy away from my usual Japanese American self. I am not trying to get a "job advancement" or anything of the sort; these are neither the best nor the worst performances I have done of the pieces. I do feel, however, that to get to know my music is to get to know me a little better--however flawed both are. So if you have a few minutes, enjoy!
From my Junior Recital (January 11, 2009):
Fantasia: "Preliminary Research"
Waking up, I was still undecided between food and classical music. Although I leaned towards the latter topic, I was unsure if I would have enough resources to pursue it.
I perused the blogs of a few people interested in music on the ’08 Berlin trip—Levi Linsey’s was particularly interesting as he dealt with the differences between Seattle and Berlin in how each present opera. His methodology consisted of attending some performances and being a keen observer. Personal interactions seemed to play little role in his final blog posting (and presumably, paper).
Regarding classical music, I am more interested in the instrumental genre. I am also a musician, but am also the first to admit that my ear is embarrassingly underdeveloped (intonation isn’t too much of an issue on classical guitar). As instrumental performances don’t have as obvious of “sets,” I feel as though I will not be able to conduct a project based around comparisons of performances. In theory, I could try and compare only on the auditory aspect of musical performance (think about that one for a second), but that can be accomplished by sitting in a library all day with a CD player—plus, I already mentioned the issue with my ears.
To further dampen my spirits, I noticed that another student from the ’08 trip who originally pursued the topic of instrumental classical music ended up with a final project on swing dancing. I thought that maybe there wasn’t enough information out there to pursue a research project based around classical music.
Enter Shawn and Julie (or more accurately, I entered Julie’s office). I stipulated my situation, and they started filling me with ideas on how to pursue music. One intriguing suggestion put forth by Shawn is to look for “found music,” that is, walk around and try hard to notice the sounds surrounding you. Although this isn’t “classical music” per say, the idea of wandering around for the sake of getting lost and listening intrigues me. Julie also got me in contact with Manuela, who responded by giving me a wealth of people to read up on—some “classical,” some not.
As it stands, I think I will pursue the topic of music. Although I prefer looking at instrumental classical genres specifically, it is no longer a requirement—getting lost in other types of music is starting to appeal to me. Finally, my fear of not having enough sources to get information from has been dispelled.
Julie and Shawn were like surgeons yesterday—I came in with a problem, and they fixed me up in 30 minutes. So…a special thanks to you both, (Medical) Doctors Wong and Villegas.
I perused the blogs of a few people interested in music on the ’08 Berlin trip—Levi Linsey’s was particularly interesting as he dealt with the differences between Seattle and Berlin in how each present opera. His methodology consisted of attending some performances and being a keen observer. Personal interactions seemed to play little role in his final blog posting (and presumably, paper).
Regarding classical music, I am more interested in the instrumental genre. I am also a musician, but am also the first to admit that my ear is embarrassingly underdeveloped (intonation isn’t too much of an issue on classical guitar). As instrumental performances don’t have as obvious of “sets,” I feel as though I will not be able to conduct a project based around comparisons of performances. In theory, I could try and compare only on the auditory aspect of musical performance (think about that one for a second), but that can be accomplished by sitting in a library all day with a CD player—plus, I already mentioned the issue with my ears.
To further dampen my spirits, I noticed that another student from the ’08 trip who originally pursued the topic of instrumental classical music ended up with a final project on swing dancing. I thought that maybe there wasn’t enough information out there to pursue a research project based around classical music.
Enter Shawn and Julie (or more accurately, I entered Julie’s office). I stipulated my situation, and they started filling me with ideas on how to pursue music. One intriguing suggestion put forth by Shawn is to look for “found music,” that is, walk around and try hard to notice the sounds surrounding you. Although this isn’t “classical music” per say, the idea of wandering around for the sake of getting lost and listening intrigues me. Julie also got me in contact with Manuela, who responded by giving me a wealth of people to read up on—some “classical,” some not.
As it stands, I think I will pursue the topic of music. Although I prefer looking at instrumental classical genres specifically, it is no longer a requirement—getting lost in other types of music is starting to appeal to me. Finally, my fear of not having enough sources to get information from has been dispelled.
Julie and Shawn were like surgeons yesterday—I came in with a problem, and they fixed me up in 30 minutes. So…a special thanks to you both, (Medical) Doctors Wong and Villegas.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Warm-Up: Current Event in Berlin
It looks like I misread the last blog-post assignment we had to do (though I have no regrets touring around the virtual Berlin Philharmonie). To my fortune, something interesting has cropped up:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4531669.stm
60 years after the end of WWII, a holocaust memorial is being placed in an area that divided East and West Berlin. The work consists of 2700 concrete slabs.
Figure 1. Picture of Holocaust memorial.
As usual, there is controversy (in both the expected and unexpected ways):
“The stones have been treated with an anti-graffiti agent that authorities hope will ward off vandals and neo-Nazi sympathisers.
Even the anti-graffiti agent provoked controversy: initially the architect felt graffiti could benefit the memorial; later it emerged that the company supplying the agent once manufactured poison gas for use in Nazi death camps.”
Yet another area added to my list of “places to go” in Berlin.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4531669.stm
60 years after the end of WWII, a holocaust memorial is being placed in an area that divided East and West Berlin. The work consists of 2700 concrete slabs.
Figure 1. Picture of Holocaust memorial.
As usual, there is controversy (in both the expected and unexpected ways):
“The stones have been treated with an anti-graffiti agent that authorities hope will ward off vandals and neo-Nazi sympathisers.
Even the anti-graffiti agent provoked controversy: initially the architect felt graffiti could benefit the memorial; later it emerged that the company supplying the agent once manufactured poison gas for use in Nazi death camps.”
Yet another area added to my list of “places to go” in Berlin.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Warm-Up: Berlin Philharmonie Virtual Tour
http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/philharmonie/virtual-tour/
White and bright—that’s what strikes me when I go through the virtual tour of the Berlin Philharmonie. Although the ambiance will probably change during the evenings, it is interesting that the “public face” of the building is one that is light and gives the impression of being full of life (I didn’t find any evening pictures/tours on the site). I expected a darker and more somber appearance as I always thought the Western classical music was viewed as no-nonsense, serious business over in Germany.
Contrast this to Benaroya Hall. I have only ever been there in the evenings, but white and bright do not describe the building interiors during those times. Around here (the US), classical music seems to carry with it a sense of sophistication. Perhaps not surprisingly, the general ambiance of Benaroya Hall matches that found in a dim-lit, expensive restaurant.
It is entirely possible that during the evenings, the Berlin Philharmonie possesses the same ambiance as Benaroya Hall, but a big question mark still floats above my head as to why the website shows off the building as it does. Along with a concert schedule that makes me salivate, this question provides yet another reason for me to go and attend a performance there.
…
As a side-note, the following quote is taken from the website:
“Wildly controversial at first, today universally regarded as an emblem of the city of Berlin: Hans Scharoun’s Philharmonie. In 1956 the architect’s design won the competition for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’s new concert hall, but his modern, visionary conception also unleashed a great hubbub. The building went up (1960-63) in the face of great resistance.”
With a description like this, the building seems worthy of mention in Brian Ladd’s “Ghosts of Berlin.” Is controversy really that important a trait for buildings to have in the once-divided city?
I know that correlation does not mean causation…but I can still wonder, yes?
White and bright—that’s what strikes me when I go through the virtual tour of the Berlin Philharmonie. Although the ambiance will probably change during the evenings, it is interesting that the “public face” of the building is one that is light and gives the impression of being full of life (I didn’t find any evening pictures/tours on the site). I expected a darker and more somber appearance as I always thought the Western classical music was viewed as no-nonsense, serious business over in Germany.
Contrast this to Benaroya Hall. I have only ever been there in the evenings, but white and bright do not describe the building interiors during those times. Around here (the US), classical music seems to carry with it a sense of sophistication. Perhaps not surprisingly, the general ambiance of Benaroya Hall matches that found in a dim-lit, expensive restaurant.
It is entirely possible that during the evenings, the Berlin Philharmonie possesses the same ambiance as Benaroya Hall, but a big question mark still floats above my head as to why the website shows off the building as it does. Along with a concert schedule that makes me salivate, this question provides yet another reason for me to go and attend a performance there.
…
As a side-note, the following quote is taken from the website:
“Wildly controversial at first, today universally regarded as an emblem of the city of Berlin: Hans Scharoun’s Philharmonie. In 1956 the architect’s design won the competition for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’s new concert hall, but his modern, visionary conception also unleashed a great hubbub. The building went up (1960-63) in the face of great resistance.”
With a description like this, the building seems worthy of mention in Brian Ladd’s “Ghosts of Berlin.” Is controversy really that important a trait for buildings to have in the once-divided city?
I know that correlation does not mean causation…but I can still wonder, yes?
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