So long and thanks for all the fish

It's telling I had not even realized that I had not posted a new entry since a week. A sign that it is time to pull the plug, and this time permanently.

Die Mensch-Maschine by Kraftwerk

 

 

The 1978 album Die Mensch-Maschine (English: The Man-Machine) is the seventh studio album by German electronic music band Kraftwerk. It was released one year after the album that is generally considered their best, but which I decided not to include in my list although I like it (Trans-Europe Express). I went for the German version of the 1978 album, which I slightly prefer over the English one. The theme of the album is future and urbanization, with the music moving more to dance rhythms. Their influence on the later synth pop bands of the eighties was tremendous. Although Die Roboter and Das Modell have rightly become famous in their English versions, my personal pick of the album would be Neonlicht.

 

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The devil wears Prada

David Frankel's 2006 movie The devil wears Prada is very good, and the poster is even better. A stylish design, forsaking the stars' faces for an image that may well become an icon.

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Gubaidulina's Jetzt immer Schnee and Perception

 

Sad news: yesterday we heard the news that Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina has passed away, aged 93. She had been my favourite living composer for decades, taking over from Tōru Takemitsu in 1996. In her memory I'm posting the very first CD that I bought of her works in 1995. Two outstanding works, Jetzt Immer Schnee (for Chamber Ensemble and Chamber Choir, on Verses by Gennadi Aigi) and Perception (for Soprano, Baritone and Strings, on Verses by Francisco Tanzer). They are performed by Stella Kleindienst, Siegfried Lorenz, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, and the Schönberg Ensemble under Reinbert de Leeuw. R.I.P. .

 

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Flowers in a Windowsill by Jan Sluijters

 

We came across this painting many years ago (pre-Corona) at a visit to Den Bosch to see a special exhibition of works by Dutch painter Jan Sluijters (1881-1975) in the Brabants Museum. This still life from 1913 may well be the most beautiful painting of flowers I've ever seen.

 

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Weimar chic

Some time ago I came across this beautiful fashion illustration at an Art Deco blog. There was no information provided, but I managed to find out that this illustration is for publications on Jews' fashion in the Germany of the twenties. It was created by Annie Offterdinger (1894 - ?), and although undated, it is quite in line style-wise with her dated works from around 1920.

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Firth of Fifth by Genesis

 

About the band: Genesis are a British rock band formed in 1967, whose output in the period 1970-1976 (the Gabriel and/or Hackett years) is among the very best of prog rock. After the departure of first Gabriel, and then Hackett, the remaining three members (Collins, Rutherford, Banks) opted for a more commercial rock sound that was highly successful for about 12 years. The band released 15 studio albums. One of my favourite bands for their prog years, even though I also appreciate some songs that came later. 

 
About the song: Firth of Fifth is the best song on the brilliant 1973 album Selling England by the pound. It is cited by many as the best prog rock song of all time. This majestic song of the sea weaves a magic spell for almost ten minutes, alternating between Peter Gabriels magnificent vocals and Tony Banks' keyboard virtuosity, and with Steve Hackett pulling off an amazing guitar solo in the middle section. 

 

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Bonniers (January 1929)

 

Bonniers Veckotidning (Bonniers Weekly) was (is?) a Swedish magazine, but unfortunately I cannot find much information about it on the internet. Great Art Deco covers though, like the one above, created by Georg Klinghammer.

 

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Windmill in Ice

This freeze frame from 2009 is one of my most popular shots from the years I spent on Flickr, and a personal favourite as well. This is the windmill in Rijssen (the same spot where our wedding shoot was done in 2000), reflected in ice and flipped upside down. 

 

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Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Pärt

Spiegel im Spiegel (lit. 'mirror(s) in the mirror') is a work for violin and piano from 1978 by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt (1935). He composed it just before his departure from Estonia (then part of the Soviet Union) to Austria, and later Germany. This minimalist piece is short, and also somewhat controversial. I've seen classical music lovers deride it as a snooze fest, or 'boring as hell', while others (including me) fall for its hypnotic qualities. It has certainly reached a wide audience, having been used in dozens of movies and TV series. The version shown above is by Tasmin Little and Martin Roscoe on an EMI CD. 

 

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New York Central System

The New York Central System, nowadays better known as New York Central Railroad, was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid Atlantic regions of the United States. This poster by Leslie Ragan is stunning in its blue design and industrial theme - it's probably from the thirties.

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Fur and Gold by Bat for Lashes

 

 

Fur and Gold is the 2006 debut studio album by Folktronica singer Bat for Lashes (real name Natasha Khan), a Pakistani British singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. It is a melodious, moving, and at times experimental Art Pop gem. There are obvious influences (Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Siouxie), but there is also some foreshadowing of later artists like Lana del Rey and Agnes Obel. There is not a weak song on the album, but even better than the other songs for me are Horse And I, Tahiti, Sad Eyes, Prescilla, Seal Jubilee, and I Saw A Light.

 

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Not Quite Decent

  

Going back about a century, when this Irving Cummings movie hit the theaters, accompanied by a beautiful jazz age poster. The movie itself is largely forgotten nowadays (it has zero reviews on IMDB), but the poster still appears in Art Deco sites on the web.

 

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Concertos by Gerald FInzi

The term "second best" often sounds a bit disrespectful. However, when I state that to my taste English composer Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956) gave us the second best concertos for cello and for clarinet (behind Moeran and Mozart) it is very high praise indeed. Lyrita made the wise choice to combine them on one album, played by Yo-Yo Ma with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and by John Denman and the New Philharmonia Orchestra, both under Vernon Handley. A magnificent CD.

 

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Lady in an Evening Gown by Charley Toorop

Last month we visited the Museum More in Gorssel, and this beauty was on display as part of their permanent collection. Dutch artist Jan Toorop (1859 - 1928) is relatively well known in the Netherlands, but fewer people have hard of his daughter Charley Toorop (1891 - 1955), who created this stunning portrait in 1923.

 

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San Yan and the Black Tiger

 

This is a book cover from our own collection - we bought it at a second hand market a few years ago. I could not find any relevant information on either the book or the author, but I love the Art Deco style cover.

 

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Give up your guns by the Buoys

 

About the band: The Buoys were an American pop/rock band from the early 1970s. Their career was short-lived, they never got to record an album. They are remembered for two singles: the notorious Timothy about cannibalism, and Give up your guns. 

 
About the song: for some reason, Give up your guns from 1971 is appreciated much more in Holland than elsewhere: it featured regularly in the all time top100 organized yearly by a Dutch radio station in the period 1970-2000, peaking at 22 in both 1974 and 1975, and getting a last entry as late as 1996. This story song with its desperado motive ("Shooting here or hanging there - and either way I lose") rather remarkably foreshadows later Eagles songs. 

 

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Judge (October 1926)

The magazine Judge is well known for its stunning covers, but this colourful Art Deco extravaganza is one of the best. It's based on work by Holmgren.

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Organ sonata in the modern style

 

Over the years, we visited the organ museum in nearby Elburg a couple of times. A lovely experience, and I was particularly impressed by this colourful modern organ. With these lines and colours, the shot becomes quite abstract.

 

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Symphony No. 4 by Franz Schmidt

Symphony No. 4 in C major was completed in 1933 by Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Schmidt (1874 - 1939). It is the best known of his four late romantic symphonies. The composer called it "A requiem for my daughter", referring to Emma who died unexpectedly after the birth of her first child. Schmidt is often seen as a Nazi sympathizer, although the facts do not support that point of view. Anyway, this symphony is an excellent one, and can be considered the last in the long line of great Romantic symphonies from Austria and Germany. The version shown above is by the London Philharmonic under Franz Welser-Möst on an EMI CD.  

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Agfa film

 

This 1930 poster is a prime example of why vintage posters is a category in this art blog. A beautiful design and execution, the work of Marcello Dudovich.

 

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Snow Borne Sorrow by Nine Horses

 

Snow Borne Sorrow from 2005 is the only studio album by the art rock band Nine Horses, a cooperation between David Sylvian, his brother Steve Jansen (also ex-Japan), and electronics musician Burt Friedmann, with a number of guests, most notably Stina Nordenstam and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Although not marked as such, this very much sounds like a David Sylvian album, returning to his jazz-influenced melodious best after the somewhat disappointing highly experimental 2003 album Blemish. Some highlights are Darkest Birds, The Banality Of Evil, Atom And Cell, A History Of Holes, and The Librarian. 

 

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The way of a girl

 

An early Art Deco masterpiece, this Danish version of the movie poster for the 1925 Robert Vignola movie starring Eleanor Boardman and Matt Moore. The poster was designed by Sven Brasch.

 

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Death and the Maiden by the Takács Quartet

One of my favourite chamber music CD's. The two most famous Schubert string quartets (No. 13 in A minor 'Rosamunde' D804 and No. 14 in D minor 'Death and the Maiden' D810), for me two of the best three string quartets ever composed, in impeccable performances by the Takács Quartet. Top notch Hyperion sound (as usual), and impressive cover art by Adolph Hiremy-Hirschl (1860-1933).

 

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Laura by Vilmos Aba-Novák

 

A few years ago I came across this artist I had never heard of before: Vilmos Aba-Novák (1894-1941). This Hungarian master painted frescoes and church murals, but also masterpieces like this 1929 portrait of a flapper girl. 

 

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Rhapsody in red

 

It's a nice picture of a girl in an orchard in full bloom, and the red parasol really stands out. Still, what's so special about it, why did I want to include it in the blog? Well, it was taken in 1907 by Louis Lumière, and it is one of the very first colour photographs made with a commercial camera (link).

 

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The Watchmaker by Steven Wilson

About the artist: Steven Wilson (1967) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer, most closely associated with the progressive rock genre. He became known as the founder, lead guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter of the band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield and No-Man. He released his first solo album in 2008, followed by many more over the years, mostly to great critical acclaim. 

 
About the song: as good as his first solo albums were, he outdid himself with the 2013 album The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) - a beautiful but spooky homage to seventies' prog. Genesis and Pink Floyd are the main influences on the track The Watchmaker. The lyrics are extraordinary even by Steven Wilson standards with lines like "You were just meant to be temporary while I waited for gold" and "I never really loved you but I'll miss you anyway". An extraordinary track from a brilliant album. 

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Vogue (March 1932)

 

One could argue that the best vintage Vogue covers were in the twenties, but this one from 1932 is right up there with my other favorites. No wonder, as it was designed by the famous Georges Lepape.

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Xinhua Bookstore

This is without a doubt the most beautiful bookstore I've ever visited: the Xinhua shop in the Aegean Place mall in Shanghai's Minhang district. The design is by famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando. What made it extra attractive from a photographer's point of view is that large parts were not used yet, making for stunning abstract shot opportunities. I've flipped this one upside down for an even more interesting effect. One of my favourite shots of that year (2018). A square version is on display on our gallery.

 

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The Curlew by Peter Warlock

The Curlew is a song cycle from 1922 by British composer Peter Warlock (actual name Philip Heseltine, 1894 - 1930) on poems by W. B. Yeats. It was written for singer and an unusual accompanying group of flute, cor anglais and string quartet. There are four songs, with a short instrumental interlude between the third and the fourth (see also its Wiki entry). When I bought the CD decades ago, it was to get the two Vaughan Williams cycles, but as good as they were, the Warlock turned out to be the real find. For me, bleak as it may be, it is one of the most beautiful song cycles ever composed. The version shown above is by Ian Partridge with the Music Group of London, including Janet Craxton on cor anglais, on an EMI CD.

 

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Amherst Villiers

Some years ago I bought a box of airplane-themed vintage posters reproduced on postcards. This was one of the most striking. Amherst Villiers (1900–1991) was an English automotive, aeronautical and astronautic engineer and portrait painter - a 20th century renaissance man. The poster depicts one of his projects, a (failed) attempt to break the world air speed record.

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Si On Avait Besoin d'Une Cinquième Saison by Harmonium

 

 

Si On Avait Besoin d'Une Cinquième Saison (If We Needed a Fifth Season), also known as Les Cinq Saisons (The Five Seasons), is the second studio album by French-Canadian progressive rock band Harmonium, released in 1075. The album, with both folk and symphonic influences, has a seasonal concept; the first four songs each represent one of the traditional four seasons, while the epic final track Histoires Sans Paroles represents the imaginary fifth season. This album is one of the few prog masterpieces sung in French - or any language other than English for that matter.

 

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Frantz

 

Sometimes a still from the movie is the best choice for the movie poster. A case of point is this poster for the 2016 Ozon war drama. Simply beautiful.

 

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Malcolm Arnold's Dances

 

This is such a fun disc, combining all six sets of dances composed by British composer Sir Malcolm Arnold: English (two sets), Scottish, Cornish, Irish and Welsh. They are performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under Andrew Penny on a Naxos CD.

 

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French landscape by André Lhote

 

Not exactly a household name, but I like to mix it up a bit in the "Paintings" part of the blog. André Lhote (1885 - 1962) was a French Cubist painter of figure subjects, portraits, landscapes and still life. He was also very active and influential as a teacher and writer on art. This painting from 1912 is very representative for his style.

 

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Flashback

  

Kampen, our home town since 2012, an old photograph of the Oudestraat and the old city hall. Probably taken around 1900. In the left bottom corner, behind the first carriage, the building where now our art gallery is located (ground floor, new front).

 

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Winter by Tori Amos

About the artist: Tori Amos (1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist, and one of the most successful women in her genre. To date she has released over 15 studio albums, many of which have received high praise. 

About the song: the fragile ballad Winter from the phenomenal 1992 debut album Little Earthquakes is one of the best Tori Amos ever recorded. In this song she goes back to her childhood days, and her relationship with her father, dealing with growing up and getting sufficient self-esteem, knowing her father will not always be there to support her. The lyrics are poetic and extraordinarily image provoking ("Skating around the truth who I am, but I know Dad, the ice is getting thin"), climaxing in the recurring image of the wild horses. The beautiful piano work that drifts through the song couldn't have been more effective and mood setting. 

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Social (September 1929)

A magazine one does not encounter frequently on the internet: Social from Cuba (long before communism took over). I could not find more information, but this cover is gorgeous.

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Firefall

Here we have one of my favourite shots. This abstract image shows the top of a large ceramic sculpture that I spotted in the Leeuwarden Ceramics Museum Princessehof in 2018. It looks like a lava lake cascading over the rim - hence the title. I also used this image for my most recent set of name cards.

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String Quintet No. 1 by Johannes Brahms

The String Quintet No. 1 in F major, op. 88, was completed in 1882 by German composer Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897). It is a three movements work, scored for string quartet with a second viola. Brahms described the quintet to his friend Clara Schumann as "one of [his] finest works" and told Simrock, "You have never before had such a beautiful work from me." Indeed, it is a gem. The version shown above is by Members of the Berlin Philharmonic Octet on a Philips Classics CD.

 

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The Blue Train

 

Yes, please, let's take the blue train to the French Cote d'Azur and take in some sunshine. The Calais-Mediterranée Express nicknamed the Blue Train was a luxury French night express train which operated from 1886 to 2003. This Art Deco poster is probably from the thirties and possibly designed by David Juniper.

 

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Daybreaker by Beth Orton

 

Daybreaker is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Beth Orton, released in 2002. With this album, she continues the Folktronica style that marked her earlier efforts. There's nothing new here in that respect, perhaps with a slightly more sombre tone, but it is all very well done, another great set of songs, and her voice still is personal and beautiful. To paraphrase one critic: much of Daybreaker is jaw-droppingly beautiful and brutally poignant, and the record's subtleties blossom over repeated listens. My selection of outstanding songs would include Paris Train, Mount Washington, Carmella, God Song, and Thinking About Tomorrow.

 

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The artist

 

A stunning poster for this 2011 movie directed by Michel Hazanavicius, dealing with the advent of talking pictures in Hollywood in 1929. Simple and effective and a great example of chiaroscuro. 

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French String Quartets by Quatuor Ebène

 

The three 'best' French string quartets combined on one CD in great performances by the Quatuor Ebène on Virgin Classics. Most classical music lovers would agree that Claude Debussy's  String Quartet in G minor from 1893 and Maurice Ravel's String Quartet in F major from 1903 are the top two. For a third there are a few candidates, but for me the clear third choice is Gabriel Fauré's String Quartet in E minor from 1924. A wonderful CD.

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Portrait of Anna Akhmatova by Nathan Altman

 

A name I first encountered a few years ago, when I came across this beautiful portrait from 1914 in a cubism influenced style. The artist is Russian (later Soviet) avant-garde artist Nathan Isaevich Altman (1888 - 1970).

 

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From Greece with love

 

Taken from a series of patriotic postcards by Nanni, created over a century ago, depicting various Great War allies (in this case, Greece). Little more than a sketch, but quite effective. And beautiful.

 

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Bedshaped by Keane

 

About the band: Keane are a British rock band formed in 1995. They achieved mainstream, international success with the release of their 2004 debut album, Hopes and Fears. I consider this one of the best debut albums ever, and unfortunately the quality if their work has gone down gradually since then - even so, they made many worthwhile songs. 

 
About the song: their 2004 debut album Hopes and fears is a beautiful collection of melodic songs, but even so, one track stands out for me: Bedshaped. Musically, a little more complex than most of their songs, and an amazing accomplishment for a new band. Especially the start of the instrumental section, where for a few seconds an Enya like atmosphere is created, which quickly gives away to powerful synthesizer magic. The lyrics are, well, interesting. Somehow I don't think that my wife would regard a line like "bedshaped with legs of stone" as a compliment....

 

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Motor Magazine (May 1923)

 

Motor is an American motorists magazine. It was founded in 1903 by William Randolph Hearst, and published by Hearst Corp. It is still in existence, but went for digital only in 2021 (information from Wikipedia). This is one of a series of 1921/1923 covers by Howard Chandler Christy. Everything works here: the girl's face, the setting, and the contrast between the red and the bluish pastel colours.

 

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Jailhouse Rock

One of the highlights of a trip to Leeuwarden a few years ago was our first visit to the old prison, which is now used as hotel and office space, while preserving many of the aspects of its original purpose. I like the line play here, giving the image an abstract quality. 

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Symphony No. 6 "Chinese Poems" by Krzysztof Penderecki

 

Symphony No. 6 "Chinese Poems" for baritone and orchestra was completed in 2017 by Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki (1933 - 2020). Its style is representative for the more mellow neo-romantic style of his final decades. It is in eight movements, and was obviously influenced to some extent by Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde. The symphony has an intimate character throughout. It comprises eight songs for baritone on Chinese texts, connected by solo intermezzi, played on the erhu (also known as the Chinese violin) - a fantastic idea even though it will limit public performances. The version shown above is by the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Sopot under Wojciech Rajski, with baritone Stephan Genz and erhu player Joanna Kravchenko on an Accord CD.

 

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Battersea

 

The Battersea Power Station in London is an icon of Art Deco architecture. I first encountered it on the album cover of Pink Floyd's Animals, and about a decade ago I first saw it with my own eyes. This poster is by the famous Charles Avalon.

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