Random Angle

In an effort to slowly get back to writing and expressing through art in different forms, I have been thinking about the pieces of art that have made the most impact. So, a little delving into the pieces that formed me:

1. Chopin - The Pianist, directed by Roman Polaski, (some say) was slow in the first act, marvelous the second act. I think that I was just mesmorized by the soundtrack the whole way through. I attest that Looney Tunes made me love the magic of classical music. I never really laughed at it, I always just listened. Then, in highschool I read A Clockwork Orange, which piqued my distaste of classical music (interestingly enough. The government didn't really bother me til later). It was The Pianist (specifically, Chopin) that brought me back to the magic of classical music.

2. Dylan Thomas - Probably when I was too young to understand Thomas' poetry, I was handed a book of 23 of his poems. Nothing special, except that I have not read and re-read someone's poetry as much as his. A little excerpt (by Dylan Thomas, "The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower"):

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower
Drives my green age;
That blasts the roots of trees
Is my destroyer.
And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.

3. Flute Greatest Hits. No kidding. I got this album in Jr High, and I have since been striving to learn each piece that was on that album. One piece, Dance of the Blessed Spirits, by Gluck, is the only piece that I have had memorized for over 10 years. You also can't imagine my disappointment when I found out that Maple Leaf Rag by Gershwin wasn't written for flute (remember this is Jr High, I wasn't exactly well-versed in classical music). I'm still a little baffled why 1) it's on this album, and 2) if it's one of Flute's Greatest Hits, I still haven't found a rendering for flute. Se la vi.