becoming

Just don’t know what to make of it at this point. Even though I first blog about it 2 years ago.

In 1955, a young and promising pianist recorded Bach’s monumental Goldberg’s Variations. When released in 1956, this recording made him a star, and then into a legend.

His name is Glenn Gould.

What is unfortunate of that recording is that it is trapped in the sound-world of the 50’s. How can you improve on something that is locked forever in monaural sound? The recording which was made at the CBS studio that year now posed a great challenge to all music fans and sound engineers.

Then in September 25, 2006, Zenph Studios recorded its debut re-performance to standing ovations in the CBC’s famed Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, which would have been Glenn Gould’s 74th birthday.

The technology is simple enough to understand: Audio recordings are turned back into “live” performances, precisely replicating what was originally recorded. A software-based process discovers how every note would have been played, extracting the musical nuances of a recorded performance and storing the data in a high-resolution data file (Hi-res MIDI). Re-performance files are then played back using a real acoustic grand piano fitted with sophisticated computers and hardware, letting the listener “sit in the room” as if he or she were there when the original recording was made. Most importantly, the re-performance can be recorded afresh, using the latest microphones and recording techniques, to modernize monophonic or poor-quality recordings of beloved performances.

The result is a new recording of the 1955 performance in 2007!

I have not finish listening to the whole album. But it is certainly different, I can at least tell you that. It is definitely Gould’s playing, and yet it is not — no more of his signature humming at the back; some new notes are accented and some are softened. It is like looking at a hybrid — you just don’t know what to make of it or how to approach it. You lack the language to describe what you are looking at, or in this case, listening to. And you feel very perplexed.

I feel quite perplexed.

But it definitely worths the US$13.99 price tag!

Give it a try, and let me know what you think.

很久沒有blog過音樂類的post，碰巧日前遇上Classic Cat的網頁，必須第一時間向各位推介一下：

Classic Cat is a directory with links to over 4000 free to download classical performances on the internet, sorted by composer and work.

但既然是完全免費的古典音樂下載網站，那你就要忍耐一下當中演繹的參差。例如Bach的Goldberg Variations（哈哈，你以為我還會先聽甚麼？），當中的Cload和Katz雖然只得部份下載，但水準並不為過；但是另一位叫Paal的人兄的全版，一聽之下卻像隔鄰小孩的練琴聲！

再說說Mozart的Requiem，那裡有兩個可以全版下載的演繹。Chœur des Marais的Dies irae快到好似鬼上身咁，樂團的伴奏根本跟不上聲部！另一個版本是VU Kamerkoor的，各方面則比較統一和沉實。

雖然演奏可能會遇上多少參差的情況，但叫我驚喜的是Classic Cat連Arvo Pärt這些超級冷門的作品也有幾首！雖然Fratres那個由Columbia University Orchestra的演繹不聽也罷（我嚴重懷疑他們錄音前究竟有沒有練過／夾過？），但VU Kamerkoor的Magnificat和MIT Chamber Chorus的The Woman with the Alabaster Box則非常有水準！難得是The Woman with the Alabaster Box就算是CD錄音也很少，現在竟然免費（合法）下載，正！

另外，遊戲公司Micro Application則宣告他們正研發名為Mozart的電腦遊戲：

Micro Application has announced what they describe as "the first historical and musical game", titled Mozart. For the first time, you can step in the role as the legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Emperor's protégé, who has travelled to Prague in order to solve his money problems.

Not much has been revealed about the game's story, but according to the developer Game Consulting, Mozart will be a traditional point-and-click adventure in third-person with "exceptional graphics". The player is submerged in the historical city of Prague, with its legendary places and architecture, and as Mozart discovers the town, he has to solve musical riddles accompanied by the composer's music.

預計2007年底推出，並附上精彩場景插圖一張：

<sarcastic mode>

嘩，超好玩。

</sarcastic mode>

你有興趣嗎？

Well, when it comes to iPod or Zune, I am not much of a fan.

But the strangest thing happened today when I went to Tigerdirect Markham outlet looking for a power adapter for my notebook. I am 100% sure I saw a Zune (30 GB black) on display at the store. And knowing that they have made a "mistake" before to let people purchase online from Canada, it makes me wonder if there is another "mistake" in the making…..

And just how weird is that when you can purchase accessories for Zune but not the device itself? No updates have been made by Microsoft regarding the Zune's release date in Canada. As far as we know, the Zune is currently only being sold in the US.

Or is it?

Once again we are at the end of the year. It is time for me to look back and share with you some of the highlights which happened in my life in the year 2006.

In chronological order:

1. Feb 14 2006 marked our 10-year dating anniversary. I wrote a little poem for the occasion.
2. My life as a full-time pastor began on Feb 16 2006. All I can say is that it is a dream come true, a prayer answered, and a life offered.
3. Wrote a post on spiritual discipline. Those concerns still stand today.
4. Beginning in March, I started my sermon series on minor characters in the Gospels, the first one being Herod Antipas.
5. Blog about whether “Interpretation should be considered as part of the Creative process“. This post stirred quite a lot of discussions and remains as the highest commented post.
6. Celebrating Jocelyn’s first birthday.
7. To celebrate Mozart’s 250 birthday anniversary, I attended a live performance of Requiem K.626. Although it wasn’t a top-notch performance, I enjoyed it nonetheless.
8. Attended NT Wright’s lectures at UT. Almost feel like I was in a pilgrimage.
9. Was quite upset when I wrote the post about the church “expected” response in the midst of the DVC phenomenon in May.
10. Wrote some reflections after 4 months serving as a pastor.
11. Discovered that Cc begins to blog!
12. In July, my pulse went up to 125 for a few days. Triggered some thoughts about life.
13. Started a series on “Pastor: Proclamation, Word and Person”. (I hope I can go beyond the 3rd post in 2007, ha!)
14. Guest post by Peggy on Faith & Detective Stories. It is an eye-opener for me.
15. Spent 2 weeks in Brazil for Short-term mission. My first overseas mission trip.
16. Exhorting in Margaret & Kevin’s wedding.
17. It was our fifth wedding anniversary on October 13.
18. Went to Vancouver to enjoy a 1 week vacation with my 2 girls!
19. A parachurch fund-raising event prompted me to ask the relationship between Christianity and pop culture.
20. Cc received her Christian Education diploma from ABS Centre of Canada.
21. My reflection on the meaning of Christmas and “silent night” was surprisingly referenced by a number of bloggers.

So, what are the highlights of your life in 2006?

Don’t ask. Just read this, this (also this and this) and don’t forget to take a look at this.

I don’t even know what to say.

對特定形式的文體（genre）作徹底顛覆的「最佳示範」。

Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen’s work Complaint Choir gives you a chance to complain about everything. Many commonplace things are a source of irritation: the computer is too slow, busses do not run on time, everything is too expensive and the salary is too small. Complaints are gathered from the opening of ARS 06 onwards in various ways. Anyone can register for the choir to perform a song compiled and composed on the basis of the complaints, a singing voice is not a prerequisite. Choir performances in Kiasma and elsewhere in town are taped and the video is added to the ARS exhibition. The premiere of the choral piece composed from the complaints is in Kiasma on 25 March.

Complaints Choir was performed earlier in Birmingham. There the complaints were mundane and varied, serious and amusing. Through song, we can perhaps understand how much we complain every day. It also becomes equally evident from the finished work that, at first, singing in Birmingham was guarded but towards the end it turned out to be rousing and manifestly great fun, even if the subject was complaining.

以四步和聲合唱形式來「歌頌」我們一朝到晚的投訴，how refreshing!

若基督信仰用上流行曲的形式再把這形式內容來顛覆一番，又會是怎樣？ 

江牧師今天晚上用陳奕迅的Shall We Talk作了一個illustration，說明他用流行曲去了解這世界和這一代的怕與愛，並以此作為溝通的橋樑，和未信主的人分享他的信仰體會。

這是肯定了我之前所說作為「佈道成份，用流行曲作破冰，再切入福音內容也是可以了解 」，甚至是重要的。

但對於那天晚上，我的問題仍然是：「作為某機構的「音樂籌款晚會」，亦明知在坐九成以上的人都是信徒，為甚麼只唱民歌和那些懷舊流行金曲？」 

而今天晚上，我想問的是；

我們可否再進一步，吸納流行曲背後的心態和價值，並對它們作一個徹底的顛覆和改造？為甚麼只有林夕、黃偉文可以用大量的基督教術語和概念，在他們的歌詞上問問題，或以「語帶相關」的手法，表達對某種形式的宗教的不滿？為甚麼我們不可以借用他們的手法、他們的方式、他們的術語和意念，作回答／反轉／質問／對抗／體會／平衡？

這有原則性的錯誤嗎？還是我們以為根本不屑作這事？

你知道嗎？流行曲之所以流行，是因為它們寫中了這一代人的實情。在這點，可以說流行曲是自戀文化的典範。作為信徒當然我們不叫人自戀或者自憐，但我們卻不可能抹殺流行曲作為真實反應現代人心態（或反應人所不能說出卻真正存在的心態）的功能。

在這點上，教會是忘塵莫及的。

或者，這可以解釋為甚麼流行曲的聽眾那麼多，教會的聽眾那麼少。 

Today, we have Horace telling us why he loves Mozart's Requiem. Now, who else?

We welcome Horace to the "K. 626 club"!