Comments on: European Madness in Search of a Name http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/ The glamorous life and thoughts of a concert pianist. Mon, 21 May 2012 04:43:40 +0000 hourly 1 By: mila http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/comment-page-1/#comment-3397 mila Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:12:28 +0000 http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/#comment-3397 Dear Mr. Denk, A friend and I were having a far more literal discussion of pot/pots and their functional uses. I so enjoyed the snippet from Watt, I sent it to her and hope to find a copy of the book for myself. Dear Mr. Denk, A friend and I were having a far more literal discussion of pot/pots and their functional uses. I so enjoyed the snippet from Watt, I sent it to her and hope to find a copy of the book for myself.

]]> By: Jeremy Denk http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/comment-page-1/#comment-3396 Jeremy Denk Sun, 25 Nov 2007 11:35:34 +0000 http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/#comment-3396 Charlotte, I don't mean to anchor the phrase in any model, though I think a four- or eight-bar model is pretty common, and is often "referred to" by the abovementioned practitioners of Classical Style, sometimes humorously, sometimes absolutely earnestly. (This model is "exploited" for their purposes?) In this case the two bars of "pure motive" seem to play against the idea of the phrase, against the proportions of the phrase, teasingly... like a phrase searching for its beginning, and realizing that it has already begun. I have to say, though I admire Satie, his work does not seem as earthshaking as Beckett's... as profoundly moving in its ironies ... however I am in the midst of being smitten by Beckett and am utterly unobjective. Beckett's prose is so musical in Watt that any superimposed music would end up being a major obstacle? My jetlagged thoughts, why am I up so early? Jeremy Charlotte,

I don’t mean to anchor the phrase in any model, though I think a four- or eight-bar model is pretty common, and is often “referred to” by the abovementioned practitioners of Classical Style, sometimes humorously, sometimes absolutely earnestly. (This model is “exploited” for their purposes?) In this case the two bars of “pure motive” seem to play against the idea of the phrase, against the proportions of the phrase, teasingly… like a phrase searching for its beginning, and realizing that it has already begun.

I have to say, though I admire Satie, his work does not seem as earthshaking as Beckett’s… as profoundly moving in its ironies … however I am in the midst of being smitten by Beckett and am utterly unobjective.

Beckett’s prose is so musical in Watt that any superimposed music would end up being a major obstacle?

My jetlagged thoughts, why am I up so early?

Jeremy

]]> By: Jeremy Denk http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/comment-page-1/#comment-3395 Jeremy Denk Sun, 25 Nov 2007 11:28:53 +0000 http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/#comment-3395 Mr. Zack, I will try to ? the ?. The oral defense drove me a bit off the cliff as well, esp. the bit when Mr. Fitzwein can't look Mr. Magershon in the eye, despite all his attempts. But perhaps my favorite moment is when Watt is looking at the picture in Erskine's room, the circle and a centre not its centre looking for a circle and its centre, which brings him to refreshing tears. Delighted to find another reader of Watt out there in ?. Jeremy Mr. Zack,

I will try to ? the ?. The oral defense drove me a bit off the cliff as well, esp. the bit when Mr. Fitzwein can’t look Mr. Magershon in the eye, despite all his attempts. But perhaps my favorite moment is when Watt is looking at the picture in Erskine’s room, the circle and a centre not its centre looking for a circle and its centre, which brings him to refreshing tears.

Delighted to find another reader of Watt out there in ?.

Jeremy

]]> By: Zack http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/comment-page-1/#comment-3391 Zack Sun, 25 Nov 2007 05:52:47 +0000 http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/#comment-3391 Mr. Denk, Regarding Watt, there is so much we will never know more than naught. However, regarding Watt, I have continually sought... that is so tempting, but I'll leave it to the artist. Anyway, have you ever been able to make anything of those bewildering, sanity-depriving "?"s? One reads along and suddenly ? Along with the oral defense section, it drove me mad as I read, which I believe was the idea. But I ? Mr. Denk,
Regarding Watt, there is so much we will never know more than naught. However, regarding Watt, I have continually sought… that is so tempting, but I’ll leave it to the artist. Anyway, have you ever been able to make anything of those bewildering, sanity-depriving “?”s?
One reads along and suddenly ?
Along with the oral defense section, it drove me mad as I read, which I believe was the idea. But I ?

]]> By: Laura http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/comment-page-1/#comment-3385 Laura Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:36:43 +0000 http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/#comment-3385 I like your analogy. It's clever. I like your analogy.
It’s clever.

]]> By: Charlotte http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/comment-page-1/#comment-3384 Charlotte Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:15:37 +0000 http://jeremydenk.net/blog/2007/11/23/european-madness-in-search-of-a-name/#comment-3384 I'd give my last shirt for a doner kebab right now ... lucky you! Regarding your little analogy (very cute, by the way), why do you anchor your understanding of a phrase in the 4-bar model? Why can't it be 6 bars or even more? Why not 8, 12, or 16? Habit? Theoretical conditioning? If I were to read Beckett against any music, I'd probably pick one of Satie's more ironic piano pieces or his "Salonstuecke," like "Je Te Veux" or "Poudre D'Or"--the idea, as I see it in both, is to disengage meaning from the phrase (something that Hindemith and Schoenberg tried to restore in different ways) and to ponder the meaning of meaning(s) separately from the sound/ painting qualities of language. But Schumann works for me, too--even though I have always thought of him as the desperate genius who couldn't quite put the entirety of his genius on paper. Something's always lost beyond the page. Anyway, if you like Beckett's _Watt_, you might like to move on to Gertrude Stein's _Tender Buttons_ afterwards. It's tempting to read her along with Schoenberg's piano pieces op.11, I think. I’d give my last shirt for a doner kebab right now … lucky you!

Regarding your little analogy (very cute, by the way), why do you anchor your understanding of a phrase in the 4-bar model? Why can’t it be 6 bars or even more? Why not 8, 12, or 16? Habit? Theoretical conditioning?

If I were to read Beckett against any music, I’d probably pick one of Satie’s more ironic piano pieces or his “Salonstuecke,” like “Je Te Veux” or “Poudre D’Or”–the idea, as I see it in both, is to disengage meaning from the phrase (something that Hindemith and Schoenberg tried to restore in different ways) and to ponder the meaning of meaning(s) separately from the sound/ painting qualities of language. But Schumann works for me, too–even though I have always thought of him as the desperate genius who couldn’t quite put the entirety of his genius on paper. Something’s always lost beyond the page.

Anyway, if you like Beckett’s _Watt_, you might like to move on to Gertrude Stein’s _Tender Buttons_ afterwards. It’s tempting to read her along with Schoenberg’s piano pieces op.11, I think.

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