Romance of Flying in Norman Foster's Architecture

Charlie Rose's interview with the eminent British architect, Norman Foster (October 1st, 2010, 30 minutes) is one of the most intelligent, informed and inspiring conversations in my recent memory. Foster is as eloquent a speaker as he's been a boldly imaginative architect. He's a poet of spaces, a composer of buildings, one who plays with bricks and mortar to let a solid edifice flow in the air, like a melody.

Incidnetally, his indelible design for an office building in London, widely known as the "Erotic Gherkin" (on the left), was aptly used as a backdrop in the movie sequel, "Basic Instinct 2".

His 75th birthday is being celebrated by a biography, and a documentary cleverly titled, "How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?", which I hope to catch on a DVD, if not on the large screen.

© Copyright: 2010, Review / Text by Payman Akhlaghi. All rights reserved for any respective party.

"All the Colors of the Dawn", Poem by Payman Akhlaghi

An original love poem, "All the Colors of the Dawn" (2010), was just published on Scribd. You may read more of my poetry on the same site, brought together in the following Collection: PA Original Poems in English or Persian. A link to this collection could also be found on the right column of this page.

Here's an excerpt:

Afresh, arrived
            The new year,
                  With a knowing gaze,
                           With a crescent smile,
                  With a kind wink,
                           With a caring voice,
            Carrying
                  A sweet basket of melodies
                           Adorned with cheese
                                 And my favorite bottle of wine...
...and I've already
          Begun to feel
                  Speechless,
                          Discovered,
                                Like a man, caught
                                       In a transparent armor!
[...]
Please read this poem and others in full at http://Scribd.com/PAComposer. Thank you.

America's Leadership Once More Ascertained

‎"Love, Not Dove" -- Thus read the T-Shirts worn today in Gainesville, Florida, as NY Times reported.

The many people wearing those T-shirts were trying to distinguish themselves from a certain priest in their town, a pastor, whose recent threat to an act of vandalism reminded me of the Middle Ages. They didn't do this because they believed in Islam: They did this because they wished to withhold that long revered American principle -- that anyone should be free to hold his or her beliefs in private. They wished the world to know that they are better than him.

An exercise in free speech, and a lesson in tolerance, that makes you certain America is bound to lead for decades to come.

What better way could be to celebrate the best of America, and to commemorate the victims of 9/11?

Could Facebook Become a Latter Day Wiener Kaffeehaus?

The following appeared first on FB, 8/21/2010. © 2010, All rights reserved for respective authors.

My friends; This is a good read, and an re-affirmation of the very idea that our many hours on the FB could some day be worth something -- vielleicht! Next step: Let's get together for a real coffee! Best, P.A.

Preface
I came across a very insightful post and its associated comments by Prof. Donna Shalev, and I thought that these deserved to be compiled into a single note. (You may find my own brief -- yet equally insightful! -- points at the end.)

I hope the non-musicians won't be distracted by musical references. Similar things were happening with writers, philosophers, poets and painters, also in Paris or Barcelona. The point is, it's possible that FB could become conducive to an unprecedented cross-culturization of a somewhat scattered community of intellectuals worldwide, with results similar to that of the close intellectual encounters of early 1900 Vienna. (Payman)

***

Kaffeehouse
By Donna Shalev

"Kaffeehaus was ueberall": Is Facebook the new fin-de-siècle Kaffeehaus? Does it fulfill similar functions? For these, see the following excerpt of an essay on the culture of the Kaffeehaus. (Schoenberg was a member of Karl Kraus' "stammtisch" [regular's table, or the regular's gathering] at Kaffee central... More ideas and pictures, more artists and their stammtisch/kaffee affiliations are welcome):

Wronged by Justice for 27 Years...

Wronged by Justice for 27 Years... (*)

By: Payman Akhlaghi

Until quite recently, when he was found to be innocent, Michael A. Green spent 27 years in prison for a crime he never committed. And if it were not for the new science of DNA, and some little evidence kept in the archives by accident (sic!), he might have had to remain incarcerated for another 48 years, to serve a 75-year sentence in full. Arrested at 18, Mr. Green was no angel; but nothing he did at the time came even close to the immensity of the accusations laid upon him by the prosecutors -- and by the victim of a gang rape, a white woman. (Mr. Green is black.) He never admitted to his guilt, and he even passed on a 5-year sentence, offered to him in exchange for admitting to something which he insisted he had not done, in the first place. While living a most torturous life in prison, he educated himself in law, and eventually typed the appeal request, which led to the re-opening of his case, and to his soon to be announced exoneration. As you contemplate the plight and misery of this now 45-year old man, bear in mind that 258 people have been exonerated in the past decade alone, as the result of DNA tests.

Two Love Poems in Persian by Payman Akhlaghi

To the Gaze of Your Smile

and

I Leave for You to Bloom

Two Poems in Persian by Payman Akhlaghi

 به خیرگی لبخندت... و
 می روم تا ببالی

‏دو شعر به زبان فارسی از
 پیمان اخلاقی

Please click on the titles to read the poems in full on Scribd.Thank you.

برای خواندن مطالب روی تیتر اشعار کلیک کنید.
هر شعر تنها شامل یک صفحه است و در تصاویر سمت راست و چپ این پست نیز قابل رؤیت هستند.

I just published two of my poems in Persian as a preview of several songs in progress. The lyrics in full are available to read for free on Scribd. I hope my Persian-speaking audience enjoys the words, while some day soon, everyone could enjoy the music, as well, regardless of the language. Let me know if you are interested in an English translation.

Film News: Black Swan (2010)

Ever since his very first feature, the 1998 BW indie "Pi", Darren Aronofsky has established himself as one of the most daringly original, if not always satisfying, art-film directors of his generation. What followed next -- "Requiem for a Dream", "The Fountain", and "The Wrestler" --proved that not even the director's penchant for dissonant visual formalism, and abstract mystical themes, would stop the likes of Jennifer Connelly, Ellen Burstyn, Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Mickey Rourke or Marisa Tomei, from lending their box office appeal to his visions.

This time, it's Natalie Portman's turn, who has reportedly played the role of a ballerina, in the soon to be released "Black Swan."  Opening this summer's Venice Film Festival should thus come as no surprise.this

Payman Akhlaghi

First published on FB

7/25/2010
(*) Revision 04.29.2014: The spelling of Mr. Aronofsky's name, originally misspelled as Aronovsky, was corrected.

Films: Four Snippets on Inception, Love, Grass & Sorcerers

© 2010, All text by Payman Akhlaghi. All rights reserved.

Christopher Nolan's "Inception" (2010) is a masterpice of form, concept and design. It's an impressive display of visual and narrative complexities, even as it childishly fails in offering any social, philosophical or psychological substance. I particularly enjoyed several animated Escherian structures, the more or less consistent logic of the script, the stylish mis-en-scène and frame compositions, the excellent cinematography and camera movements, the expressive SFX, and the tightly calculated edit of the film. The skillful cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, and including Marion Cotillard, Joseph Godron-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger and the very intelligent Ellen Page, have all imbued their characters with as much humanity as the script would have allowed. Only if Ken Watanabe had worked more on his English enunciation, computer games had not permeated the vision of the director, and the music were not so disappointingly shallow yet pretentious.

Original Drawing: Aspire MMX01b

 "Aspire MMX01 v01b"

eDrawing by
Payman Akhlaghi

July 27th, 2010
Los Angeles

Please click on the picture to see
more of Payman's artwork.

© 2010, Payman Akhlaghi. All rights reserved.

Bruce Sutherland: A Legend of the Piano World

Bruce Sutherland (*) is one of the most distinguished of all American classical piano teachers. His pedagogical lineage could be traced back to Beethoven, via Theodor Leschetizky and Carl Czerny. His students, young and adult, are frequent prize winners in national and international competitions. Despite his unique knowledge, fame and expertise, Bruce is one of the most soft-spoken people you could ever meet. I was fortunate enough to study with him for the summer of 1996, at his Santa Monica studio. This was a brief, yet instrumental period in my education as a performer.

(*) Update: Sadly, Mr. Bruce Sutherland passed away early September 2010, shortly after this post had appeared. You may find a link a touching eulogy by Max Levnison at the end of the note. Bruce Sutherland was born on February 26, 1926, and he passed away on Wednesday, September 8, 2010, in Santa Monica, California. Here's a Tribute Page dedicated to him. -- Payman A.

Original Drawing: Alternate World MMX01e

"Alternate World MMX01e"
By Payman Akhlaghi

This is the latest in a series of hand-drawn abstract artworks by Payman Akhlaghi. The series began in early 1990's as a sidetrack to my musical output, and it has continued to date to provide me with personal joy and emotional relief.

The original work was drawn using only a Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Marker, on an 8.5x11 size white paper. The scanned picture was then modified into a high-contrast BW JPG file.

© 2010, Payman Akhlaghi. All rights reserved.

Music Review: Robert Shaw, "Symphony of Psalms"

Remembering a Legend

Robert Shaw (1916-1999)

The American conductor Robert Shaw is likely to remain the standard by whom all other choral conductors will be measured. In this video, he conducts the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the first movement of Stravinksy's "Symphony of Psalms". Notice how effortlessly he guides the massive force before him, how well coordinated the uniformly dressed chorus acts -- even when turning pages -- how clear his cues are, and how musical and comprehensible this difficult piece sounds under his baton.

This is indeed America at its best...

Film Review: Toy Story 3 (3D)

© Copyright 2010: All text by Payman Akhlaghi. All rights reserved.

"Toy Story 3: 3D" is a visual, narrative, vocal and musical marvel of a film -- a delightful work of art and entertainment. Preceded by a most creative short, "Day and Night", the Pixar team has proved once more that an unprecedented attention to detail doesn't have to cost the film its structural arc. In short, it's a masterpiece.

It's a tale of child-plays come to life, with the characters' diverse psychology and behavioral traits decided by each toy's individual morphology, and some aspects of its stereotype. The contrast between the human and toy perspectives, and the interaction of the two worlds, are maintained throughout with consistency. The music is a highly accomplished blend of score and songs, mostly composed, conducted, and even sometimes performed effortlessly, by Randy Newman.

Films: Four Snippets on Eclipse, Sex, Igor and Mahler...

© Copyright 2010: All text by Payman Akhlaghi. All rights reserved.

Happily, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" (2010) has the tightest script & edit of the series so far, even as it often lacks the touching sincerity and the throbbing teen-heart of the first two installments. The cinematography, SFX and action scenes are superb -- and the gifted Kristen Stewart has only got even better. A big disappointment, however, comes from the Oscar-winning Howard Shore. His music bears little marks of decaces-long experience, filled with such successful scores as Silence of the Lambs, Lord of the Rings, Cop Land, or Panic Room. Pro bono? Tired? Ghost-composer?! Alexander Desplat (New Moon) might better be back for the next 2 planned chapters...

(Payman Akhlaghi, July 2010, on FB)

Life's Full of Wonders...

One hopeless evening, living alone, far away from home, and pressed by poverty, he went to the bathroom, tied his belt to a high hook, and wrapped its free side around his neck. He was barely 21. The belt tore apart under his weight. He fell to the ground. He lied there, right where he had fallen, and broke into bitter tears. Then he found his way to his instrument, pulled himself together, cried his heart out, and never looked back. He went on to live one of the longest and most fulfilled lives one could have ever wished for.

His name was Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982).

"Let me say only that in this chaos of thoughts I discovered the secret of happiness and I still cherish it: Love life for better or for worse, without conditions." (My Young Years, 1973)

Swap Craze: A Short Story by Payman Akhlaghi

 Swap Craze

A Short Story

Somewhat Inspired by Sort of True Events

By: Payman Akhlaghi

© 2010, Payman Akhlaghi. All rights reserved.
Read Swap Craze on Scribd!

"Status: Bored With My Glasses! Fancy Yours! Care to Swap?!" -- I typed and clicked Enter. Two hours later, his reply came up with a bleep: "Likewise! Affirmative! Opt for Overnight Delivery!" The next morning, I appeared before my class in a pair of golden retro pince-nez. My students ogled. One finally broke the silence, "Professor, are those Jimmy's, too?" I smiled.

As everyone knew, Jimmy had been my number one eSwap pal for the past six months. I knew very little about Jimmy, except that he lived somewhere far in northern Canada, and that we both had an apparently insatiable craving for anything that belonged to the other one. Since we had discovered each other on eSwap, we had exchanged many things via this online bartering service, from books to pants, to furniture, or to whatever else which we'd suddenly found boring. Swap-wise speaking, Jimmy was my soul-mate, and eSwap, with its revolutionary regression to the early days of bartered goods, was the Heaven, where we had luckily found each other.

Life's a Sweet Melody...

Life's a Sweet Melody...
Old Thoughts in Fresh New Words

A Selection of
Original Ideas,Observations, Aphorisms & Humor

By Payman Akhlaghi

Previously Scattered on My FaceBook Page (2008-2010)

Awaiting Categorization & Extended Application

(All material: © 2010, Payman Akhlaghi.)

Life's a sweet little melody: Sing it well!

Don't be blinded by Centuries: Human life is measured in Seconds...

(June 24th, 2010)

A good memory is a gift, only if you can forget -- and forgive, when you can't.

What if life had an Undo button...how far back would you go?

The 11th Commandment: "Thou Shall Back Up Your Data on an External Drive at All Times!"

I wish myself the truth, no matter how sweet or painful. I wish those I love peace, more than truth, but no lies. So I won't ever try saving you, if you find peace in self-deception!

Life Is Beautiful -- because of the first man who said, "Let there be music..." -- Or was it a woman?!

If there is any meaning to life, it must be The Fifth...

Be Fair and Kind in Your Criticism…‎

Be Fair and Kind in Your Criticism…‎

This past weekend, upon invitation by Koorosh (Kory) Yazdani, I attended the June 5th, ‎‎2010 gathering of “Daftarhaye Shanbeh” to speak about his debut music album, “Mahi”, i.e. “The ‎Fish”. As I understand, “Daftarhaye Shanbeh” is an LA-based Persian Camerata of mostly ‎literary professionals, amateurs and enthusiasts. The meetings take place on the first Saturday of ‎each month, hence the name, during which both members and guests are allocated some time to ‎discuss, debate, analyze, criticize or simply opinionate on, preferably original works of art, ‎particularly poetry and short stories. It's a rather famous series, about which I had long heard, but ‎to which I had never been. Naturally, I was nervous.‎

Pouran K. Akhlaghi (1944-1990)‎

The Night of the Ends…‎

She shone all her life,

Protecting me,

And she gave away

Her last glimmer,

Saving me…‎

She followed him,

On that night of the ends — ‎

The end of

‎            The flight of the dove,

The end of
‎            The song of the star…‎

Left behind
You could find
A mirage,
An echo,
And the mirage of an echo...

It's all for you...

Aziz Akhlaghi (1928-1990)‎

The End of the Dove…‎ ‎

He loved as he walked,‎

And he flew away,‎

When the roads

Closed on him –‎ ‎

Overnight. ‎

I close my eyes, and ‎

I hear his voice, ‎
I see his smile, ‎

I taste the smell of his wings, ‎

I sense his pride –‎
When I sang or played. ‎

All the time, it feels, ‎

He’s been around, ‎

He’s been alive.‎

‎ ‎
Yet, for nine years and ten, ‎
It seems, he's never aged.‎..‎

Photo: © Rob Palmer. Digital modification for P.R. by P.A.

Sar Oumad Zemestoun (Winter Is Over)

The melody of Sar Oumad Zemestoun is of Armenian folk origin. In the 1970's, an unknown lyricist added the currently well-known Persian lyrics to the song. It has been revived in 2009 as the de facto anthem of the Green Movement in Iran.

The current transcription was based on two recent performances. Instrumental bridges have been excluded. Attempt was made to notate the melody as accurately as possible, and to have it fit on a single page, for ease of distribution. I dedicate the score to the democratic movement of Iran, and to the more than hundred of Armenians who were killed on July 14th, 2009, in a tragic plane crash near Tehran.

"نت موسیقی "سر اومد زمستون
The Score of Sar Oumad Zemestoun
[Also: Sar Oomad Zemestoon in PDF]

The PDF version of the score is available at Scribd or MediaFire, to download and print for free.

The Sibelius file of the score is available here for free. (Requires the free installation of Scorch.)

(You can also click the picture above to print a JPG version, ableit of a lesser quality.)

Edward Downes, Conductor (1924-2009)

(Sir Edward Downes and Lady Downes; Photo, BBC News)

Sir Edward Downes (1924-2009) was a famed British conductor, who for years worked as the principal conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (1980-1991).

In early 1990's, by then in Los Angeles, I came to own an astonishing recording of Sergei Rachmaninov's Symphony No. 2, in E minor, conducted by the maestro. The recording is sublime, engaging, unforgettable. Its fluidity of dynamics and its masterly balance of contrapuntal lines are hauntingly beautiful. You couldn't have wished for more. It remains one of my all time favorite recordings of any symphonic composition.

As I read in the news, on Friday, July 10th, 2009, after 54 years of marriage, he and his wife calmly left the world by their choice, assisted by the services of a dedicated Swiss clinic. The report struck me as a most honorable message of civility, and a most courageous affirmation of life, freedom and human dignity. This was an inspiring climax for a life spent in making sense of the world through arts, a life devoted to the love of a woman, and to the intimate art of music.

-- Payman Akhlaghi, Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
(Revised: February 18th, 2015)

Corrigendum: In my late teens, while still in Iran, I was introduced to a large array of the classical symphonic repertoire, by name and description, through a (partial) translation of an original book in English. It was a collection of essays and (radio?) commentaries, written by the American musicologist, Edward Downes (1911-2001), under the original title "Adventures in Symphonic Music" (1944). It would take me years before I could hear many of those pieces live or in recordings, but the impact of his vibrant, imaginative prose, and his love for the sheer beauty of this music would never leave me.

However, not until I had received his "Guide to Symphonic Music" (1976) on February 18th, 2015, would I realize that I had wrongly identified the author of that book as Sir Edward Downes (1924-2009), the famed British conductor, and the subject of this post. This gross misconception was boldly reflected in the original version of the post on July 15th, 2009.

As such, hereby, I wish to correct the error made in the original version of this short note. You may see Wikipedia.org for more biographical information on each respective figure. Thank you.

-- Payman Akhlaghi, February 18th, 2015, Los Angeles

Aaron Copland: "A Lincoln Portrait"

A masterpiece of modern times, Lincoln Portrait was composed in 1942 by the American composer, Aaron Copland (1900-1990). It's well known for its genuine use of narrated text interacting with the orchestra, as well as its uplifting patriotic tone. The text was written by Copland himself, using quotations from Abraham Lincoln's writings and recorded speeches. Some eloquent voices have so far recited the work, including actors Gregory Peck and Henry Fonda. The above clip, narrated by actress, Katharine Hepburn, begins a few minutes into the piece, after a most imaginative orchestral introduction.

The composition ends in a crescendo to Lincoln's timeless words, "...the government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

(*) Update! Since the publication of this note, the video featured in this post has been removed. Please don't be disappointed; find another link on YouTube, or even better, purchase a CD of the work. Just a few days ago, on July 2nd, 2010, I heard another wonderful version played on KUSC (91.5 FM), the classical music station of Los Angeles, also streaming on KUSC.org. It was narrated by James Earl Jones, with Seatlte Symphony, conducted by Gerard Schwarz. In this particular case, the ethnic background of the narrator made the impact of the composition even more profound. (The veteran actor is of African American descent.)

Happy 4th of July 2010!

Cold Veins of Pomegranates (Original Poem)

رگهای سرد انار
شعری از پیمان اخلاقی
برای قربانیان بی گناه خشونت های جاری در ایران

Cold Veins of Pomegranates

A Poem by Payman Akhlaghi
For the Innocent Lives,
Lost in the Ongoing Brutalities in Iran

دیروز
رنگ انار
رنگ لباس عروسکها،
رنگ کفشهای دخترکان،
رنگ گونه های سرخ شدۀ زمستانی،
رنگ هلهلۀ عصرانۀ کودکانی بود
که برای هم گلولۀ برفی پرتاب می کردند،
و رنگ شبانۀ رؤیای خورشید بود،
آنگاه که خسته از بازی
همه آرام خفته بودند…‏

دیروز
رنگ انار
رنگ سیرابیِ عطش،
رنگ زندگی، هوس،
رنگ آرزو،
رنگ غروب عشق بود…‏

امروز
رنگ انار
رنگ خشکیدۀ ترس در خیابانها است،
رنگ انتقام،
رنگ خشم،
رنگ کین توزی عفریت تعصب است.‏

امروز
رنگ انار
رنگ انتظار دخترکی است
که کنار جوی،
به نظارۀ آدمها ایستاده است،
و رنگ چشمان گرگی است
که از فراز پشت بام
نگاه حسرت
بر لبانش می دوزد
و گلوله
بر سینه اش.‏
امروز
رنگ انار
رنگ طغیان خون
از دهان دخترک،
و رنگ دَلمۀ مرگ
بر گونه های او است...‏

رنگ انار
امروز
رنگ نالۀ برّه هایی است
که به کشتارگاه گرد آمده اند
و فردا
رنگ
سکوتشان…


‏پیمان اخلاقی
شنبه، بیستم ژوئن ٢٠٠٩‏
لس آنجلس

June 20th, 2009, Los Angeles
‎© Copyright: 2009, Payman Akhlaghi. All rights reserved.‎

Introduction (6)

Part 6: Rimonim, Chests of Rubies

Ever since a child, I have been taken by the sheer beauty of ripe pomegranates (انار). That dark-red, translucent, juicy flesh, called the “aril”, which belies the hardness of the white seed inside, shines so brightly, like a polished piece of jewelry, and it fills me with joy and an ethereal pleasure. It’s a constant delight to graciously hold one in the light, marvel at its perfection of color and texture, enjoy its soft touch, feel a rich man for a brief moment — before passing it on from the eyes to the teeth. It could taste punishingly sour, deliciously sweet, or somewhere in between, and the white seed would invariably taste bitter. Yet, it’s the enduring memory of that fleeting beauty which makes the experience linger, long after the taste has faded away. Fortunately, there’s more left in the chest to behold…