Saturday 12 December 2015

Thought 85: Ascending the Mountain of Enlightenment


What is the Mountain 
of Enlightenment?

The Climb out
of Illusion.

What is at the 
Summit of 
the Mountain?

The Temple
of Initiation.
 



Friday 11 December 2015

Thought 84: Which Gouldberg?


The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, is a popular collection
of keyboard pieces by the god of composition 
Johann Sebastian Bach. 

It was his first recording of them
that brought the pianist Glenn Gould
to international classical music stardom.



Gould re-recorded them many years later,
not long before his death.


Among those who appreciate the pianist,
the question has therefore long been
which version is the superior one.

My answer to this question is that
neither of the above recordings is his best
take of the Go(u)ldberg Variations
for, despite that musician's fondness
for the recording studio over live performance,
the most vigorous, fresh, and lively recording
that he made of them is the concert version
of the famous aria and its thirty offspring.

Thursday 10 December 2015

Thought 83: Controlled through Fear


Fear shuts down
consciousness
and is therefore
the best means
of mind control.