Imaginary

Fictional Narratives

Poetry

Give me a golden pen, and let me lean
On heap'd up flowers, in regions clear, and far;
Bring me a tablet whiter than a star,
Or hand of hymning angel, when 'tis seen
The silver strings of heavenly harp atween:
And let there glide by many a pearly car,
Pink robes, and wavy hair, and diamond jar,
And half discovered wings, and glances keen.
The while let music wander round my ears.
And as it reaches each delicious ending,
Let me write down a line of glorious tone,
And full of many wonders of the spheres:
For what a height my spirit is contending!
'Tis not content so soon to be alone.

[John Keats, “On Leaving Some Friends at an Early Hour”]

Music: Composers, artists, and major works

Manuel de Falla, Nights in the Gardens of Spain (Noches en los Jardins de España) (1916) (approx. 25-28’), is a set of three nocturnes for piano and orchestra – “a pure flight of fancy, rich, dark, and mysterious.” Each moment invites us into the time and place the music evokes. Excellent performances on disc are by Curzon (Jordá) in 1950, del Pueyo (Martinon) in 1956, Rubinstein (Ansermet) in 1960, Haskil (Markevitch) in 1960, Weber (Kubelik) in 1966, Rubinstein (Ormandy) in 1969, de Larrocha (Comissiona) in 1971, de Larrocha (de Burgos) in 1984, and Tryon (Woods) in 2014.

Morton Feldman composed music without themes, or rhythms. To appreciate it, the listener must strip away those expectations and just listen, centered in the present moment. A compilation of some of Feldman’s works called “The Ecstasy of the Moment”, is available, though rare and hard to find.

• Piano and String Quartet (1985) (approx. 80-84’)
• Three Voices (1982) (approx. 50’)
• Projections (1-5) (approx. 17’)
• Intersections: No. 1 (approx. 10’); No. 2 (approx. 11’); No. 3 (approx. 3’); No. 4. (approx. 3’)
• Durations (1-5) (approx. 33’)
• Vertical Thoughts: No. 1 (approx. 7’); No. 2 (approx. 5’); No. 4 (1963) (approx. 2’); No. 5 (approx. 5’); No. 6 (1) (approx. 3’)
• Instruments: No. 1 (approx. 21’); No. 2 (approx. 18’); No. 3 (approx. 18’)
• Voices and Instruments (approx. 13’)
• Voices & Instruments II (approx. 16’)
• Voice, Violin and Piano (approx. 5’)
• Bass Clarinet and Percussion (approx. 20’)
• Voices & Cello (approx. 7’)
• Piano and Voices (approx. 18’)

Other works:

• Antonio Vivaldi, La Senna Festeggiante, RV 693 (1726) (approx. 72’): three allegorical characters interact in a rumination on life.
• Raga Chhaya is a Hindustani raag for early evening. “Chhaya” means shadow, or influence. Performances are by Buddhadev Dasgupta, Buddhadev Dasgupta, Anirban Dasgupta and Radhika Mohan Maitra.
• Jennifer Higdon, In the Shadow of the Mountain (16’)

Albums:

• Monty Alexander, “The Montreux Years” (1993-2016) (85’). Alexander said: “Montreux was like going to the Olympics. Up to then, I was going about my business as a jazz performer, playing in real down-home clubs all over the US. The people there weren’t too interested in what you might call intellectual content, they just wanted the music swinging.”
• Shakti, “This Moment” (2023) (57’) “has space for conversational rhythmic workouts, patient floating meditations, sweeping flights of fancy . . . and even a jaunty folk dance fit for a European royal court or the American south. Amidst those surprises, a couple more overly acoustic jams . . . Through all those modes, it is nothing if not a moment of heartfelt celebration.”
• Rufus Reid & Sullivan Fortner, “It’s the Nights I Like” (2024) (55’): “As the title suggests, this is mostly quiet, emotional, reflective music that also uncannily has a similar repertoire to the Mehler solo piano album in that we hear tracks from Ellington, Mingus, hints of Monk, and jazz standards mixed in with six Reid originals.”

Music: songs and other short pieces

• Jason Mraz, “Living in the Moment” (lyrics)
• Billy Joel, “The Longest Time” (lyrics)

Visual Arts

• Lucian Freud, Naked Child Laughing (1963)
• Francisco Goya, Young People Laughing (1819)
• Rembrandt van Rijn, Bust of a Laughing Young Man

Film and Stage