English Blog
The movie “The Master” tells the story of Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a World War II veteran struggling to adjust to a post-war life, and meets Lancaster Dodd (Philip Symour Hoffman), a leader of a philosophical movement known as “The Cause” (Scientology). Dodd sees something special in Freddie, and accepts him into Dodd’s movement. They […]
We heard Sir. Schiff’s WTC Book I last Wednesday, and he performed Book II a week later at Disney Hall. As I was deeply touched and moved by Book I concert, I was more involved by his playing with Book II. The concert started little after 8pm, and with a regular length intermission the concert ended […]
We are so blessed to have “BACH Week” in LA until next Wednesday October 24. Sir. András Schiff will perform WTC Book II. Mr. Mark Swed, a music critic for LA Times, wrote a very good review on Sir. Schiff’s concert last Wednesday on WTC Book I, and I totally agree with his wonderful observation. […]
It will be my 3rd year, performing at LA Bach Festival, and I am looking forward for the opportunity. The program includes Aria variata in A minor BWV 989, Partita No. 1 BWV 825, Italian Concerto BWV 971, and French Overture BWV 831. Below is the program note I wrote for the concert. I hope […]
I totally have forgotten 2012 is John Cage’s Centennial. This LA Times article made my Sunday morning joyful and fun. As a musician, I have played John Cage’s music, but I did not know much about his life, especially connection to LA culture life. This is a substantial article (5 pages) about one composer on […]
It is a very touching and interesting movie. In 1968, two producers went to a downtown Detroit bar to meet an unknown artist, a charismatic Mexican-American singer-songwriter named Rodriguez, who had attracted locals with his mysterious presence, soulful melodies and lyrics. They were immediately touched by this singer, and believed they had found a musical folk hero. This discovery led the recording […]
This is a book review on Artur Schnabel’s auto-biographical book. Schnabel (1882-1951) is a legendary figure and he has been one of pianists I always respect and admire. I have studied his famous edition on Beethoven sonatas, and heard his recordings mainly on Beethoven and Schubert sonatas. Whenever I play Beethoven or teach Beethoven to […]
I have seen movies about French Revolution and the life in Versailles, but this French movie focuses on Marie Antoinette and her lesbian relationship, and an affection to Queen by Marie Antoinette’s librarian lady. The life is intimate and beautiful in Queen’s quarters. It seems almost like Japanese Ōoku, which was a ladies’ wing in Edo Castle in […]
When an unusual classified ad, which is the title of this movie, inspires a writer and 2 interns at Seattle magazine. They really needed a hot story and it seemed a perfect start! They discovered a mysterious eccentric guy named Kenneth (Mark Duplass), a paranoid supermarket clerk, who put this ad. He believes the time travel […]
“The Magic of Line” is the first fully dedicated exhibition to the drawings of Gustav Klimt (1862–1918), and the 150th anniversary of Klimt’s birth (1862-1918). The drawings in this exhibition come mostly from the Albertina Museum, Vienna, which houses one of the most comprehensive collections of Klimt’s drawings. Klimt was one of the important figures of the International Modernism. […]