From: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org (basia-digest) To: basia-digest@smoe.org Subject: basia-digest V3 #200 Reply-To: basia@smoe.org Sender: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "basia-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. basia-digest Thursday, September 17 1998 Volume 03 : Number 200 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: THE COPERNICAN CHRONICLES: One invented Esperanto [Stephen Ylvisaker ] Re: THE COPERNICAN CHRONICLES: One invented Esperanto [Stephen Ylvisaker ] Re: THE COPERNICAN CHRONICLES: One invented Esperanto [Gorskiceap@aol.com] Re: THE COPERNICAN CHRONICLES: One invented Esperanto [Stephen Ylvisaker ] Tales of Poland ["Ashoke S. Talukdar" ] Re: Re: Flattery ...and William Hazlitt [Whipple930@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:33:57 -0700 From: Stephen Ylvisaker Subject: Re: THE COPERNICAN CHRONICLES: One invented Esperanto Gorskiceap@aol.com wrote: >Let me start out by admitting that Poland has never been a perfect country. >The way the nobles treated "their" peasants was not something we would condone >in this century, and I know that there were cases of frightened Poles who were [snip] > And yet, through all this, the Polish people kept coming back. Music was >one of the ways that they did this. Chopin is an excellent example. While >exiled in Paris, he even had the Polish eagle engraved on his cufflinks to >keep his Polish'ness visible to the French. Today, Basia does her part by >incorporating Polish phrases and sentences into her music, even though it is >designed to be marketed in to English-speakers, and by writing songs like >"Copernicus", which add a lighthearted touch to her patriotism. This is one >of the many reasons I love her so much. She portrays a beautiful image of the >Polish people that counteracts some of the negative stereotypes. > Ashoke, I hope you are not too sorry you asked! ~MG Thank you for that background. All of the Poles I've known have been justifiably proud of their heritage, in spite of derision from ignoramuses. Stephen ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:35:36 -0700 From: Stephen Ylvisaker Subject: Re: THE COPERNICAN CHRONICLES: One invented Esperanto >PS - Chopin's "military Etude" was partly a tribute to King John, and Chopin >wanted it to be played at the coronation of the next Polish king after they >got rid of the Russians. Unfortunately, this never happened! Wasn't that the "Revolutionary Etude"? I understand the King commented that "there are guns in that music." Stephen ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 09:05:23 EDT From: Gorskiceap@aol.com Subject: Re: THE COPERNICAN CHRONICLES: One invented Esperanto The Revolutionary Etude was indeed the one with "guns in that music." The way I read it was that when it was played for the Czar, he said, "This is dangerous music. It is like guns hidden under beautiful roses." (I read this in a 1940-something encyclopedia, so it definitely preceded Axel Rose and 'Guns and Roses'!) But it was inspired by the unrest and oppression that was happening right at the time of Chopin. The "Militaresque" is a different piece. It has more pomp and circumstance in it. Chopin loved Sobieski and longed for the liberation of his country by someone of King John's character and abilities. But Sobieski was long gone before Chopin's era. It's along the same lines as the "Revolutionary" etude, though, in that they were both politically inspired. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 09:32:09 -0700 From: Stephen Ylvisaker Subject: Re: THE COPERNICAN CHRONICLES: One invented Esperanto >The Revolutionary Etude was indeed the one with "guns in that music." The way >I read it was that when it was played for the Czar, he said, "This is >dangerous music. It is like guns hidden under beautiful roses." (I read this >in a 1940-something encyclopedia, so it definitely preceded Axel Rose and >'Guns and Roses'!) But it was inspired by the unrest and oppression that was >happening right at the time of Chopin. > The "Militaresque" is a different piece. It has more pomp and circumstance >in it. >Chopin loved Sobieski and longed for the liberation of his country by someone >of King John's character and abilities. But Sobieski was long gone before >Chopin's era. It's along the same lines as the "Revolutionary" etude, though, >in that they were both politically inspired. Oooh! Thank you for clearing that up. 8-) Stephen Stephen Ylvisaker greyfell@iname.com "That's the whole problem with science. You've got a bunch of empiricists trying to describe things of unimaginable wonder." - Calvin (& Hobbes) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 14:13:42 -0400 From: "Ashoke S. Talukdar" Subject: Tales of Poland On Tuesday, September 15, 1998 11:47 PM Gorskiceap@aol.com wrote: > > Ashoke, I hope you are not too sorry you asked! ~MG > Far from it. I read your post hungrily! History has always been a fascinating subject to me and I thank you heartily for taking the time to give us some background. It adds much charm and sincerity to one of my favorite Basia songs. Regards, Ashoke. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 00:49:46 EDT From: Whipple930@aol.com Subject: Re: Re: Flattery ...and William Hazlitt In a message dated 9/14/98 8:40:35 PM, you wrote: <> That was not called for and rude. Mike ------------------------------ End of basia-digest V3 #200 ***************************