This piece by JS Bach
Performed by Jean Rondeau
The back story on this piece from wiki
[For this work] we have to thank the instigation of the former Russian ambassador to the electoral court of Saxony, Count Kaiserling, who often stopped in Leipzig and brought there with him the aforementioned Goldberg, in order to have him given musical instruction by Bach. The Count was often ill and had sleepless nights. At such times, Goldberg, who lived in his house, had to spend the night in an antechamber, so as to play for him during his insomnia. … Once the Count mentioned in Bach’s presence that he would like to have some clavier pieces for Goldberg, which should be of such a smooth and somewhat lively character that he might be a little cheered up by them in his sleepless nights. Bach thought himself best able to fulfill this wish by means of Variations, the writing of which he had until then considered an ungrateful task on account of the repeatedly similar harmonic foundation. But since at this time all his works were already models of art, such also these variations became under his hand. Yet he produced only a single work of this kind. Thereafter the Count always called them his variations. He never tired of them, and for a long time sleepless nights meant: ‘Dear Goldberg, do play me one of my variations.’ Bach was perhaps never so rewarded for one of his works as for this. The Count presented him with a golden goblet filled with 100 louis-d’or. Nevertheless, even had the gift been a thousand times larger, their artistic value would not yet have been paid for.
The piece is an hour and a half long and I don’t know if it was performed in one setting, if so I hope the performer iced his hands down afterward, a lot of key strokes there.
Enjoy Jack
jack, wow! thanks. will take it a few bites at a time. but for now “it’s SNL live!!!”
nothing like Jesus playing harpsichord, now that’s serendipity
Ahhhh, Bach. I guess Fauci, Redfield and Hahn can listen to this from the comfort of their homes.
There’s a soft spot in my heart for harpsichord. A friend in Tuscaloosa who I worked with in a bicycle shop became a harpsichord builder by trade. He looks more like What I imagine John the Baptist would look like than Jesus. His instruments are world renowned apparently. He was building his first instrument when I worked with him. He didn’t play harpsichord but he did play recorder in a 3 piece recorder group. They didn’t tour.
Harpsichord is cool because since its action is the keyboard actually plucking the string with a quill or equivalent. The volume is constant, no matter how hard you punch the keys the volume is the same. So the piano came along which played louder or softer depending how much pressure on the keys.
Piano-forte……..Soft-loud.
Funny how things are connected. Andy introduced me to the word plectrum – would have been in ‘74. I remember him showing me one he made for his first build. I never heard the word again until I went into a little guitar shop in DC when Mrs. P and I were there for Poobah and David’s wedding. I was looking at a very old electric guitar that was hanging in the shop, picked it up and was noodling a bit. Shop guy asked me if I wanted a plectrum. I told him he was only the second person I’d ever heard say that word. He looked at me like I had two heads. I said sure. The pick had the shop name on it. LP still has it somewhere.
Toughest decision of my life is taking place right now. Should I travel from where I live, seventy miles away from where my mother lives, to visit her for Mother’s Day? She is 92. Aggravating me even more is I live in the county hot spot of COVID-19 infections.
I am sure of my decision. Another hour to finalize it.
Stay healthy, Ms Bronc. Mask up ! Can you kiss mom through a mask ? Hazmat hugs ?
By the way, for you moms and people with moms,
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY
I’d expect to hear a rondo from a guy named Rondeau.
The count would prolly be rolling over in his crypt if he knew we were calling those the Goldberg Variations.
Thanks, Jack. That’s heavenly.
Happy Mothers Day !
Thanks to all of you who mothered us.
Love,
Sweetie & X
The Amateur DoJ Fux Up Their flynn Droppings
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/michael-flynn-filing-error-adds-to-twists-of-criminal-case-reversal/ar-BB13QxYj?ocid=spartanntp
My decision is the risk of carrying the virus is too high to visit my mother today. I was considering it until I saw my little area of the county was the hot spot of virus infections yesterday and for several days running. I can visit her in a few weeks when the risk has dropped.
BB, our moms were born around the same time. Yours has had a longer run by 15 years. I’d like to have had the opportunity to see her in the past 15 years. I’d go see mine – even if it was through a window. But we each make our own decisions based on our own judgments. Regardless, enjoy the day.
Thank you for the Bach.
Now I am longing for the days when we had Presidents who actually liked music.
I always look forward to coming here on Sunday mornings and hearing Jack’s selection and seeing patd’s posting of the SNL opening… thanks!
In honor of the passing of Little Richard, Rick and I re-watched School of Rock last night. Stick it to the man!
Pogo – I am not looking forward to those Mother’s Day when a visit is not like one is today.
This is long, sorry. I’m e-mailing it to a woman I know here who got her nails done Thursday. Friday she bought a car in person and had her eyelashes done. Gah… She is 60 something, over weight and has asthma. She has no health insurance. And apparently doesn’t have a problem with risk?
Voices from the Pandemic WaPo 5/10/2020
‘How long can a heart last like this?’
Darlene Krawetz, on what life becomes when covid-19 won’t go away
I’ve hardly moved from this couch in weeks, but right now my heart rate monitor says I’m at 132. That’s double my normal. That’s like if I’m climbing a mountain. How come? Nobody knows. Nobody ever knows. And why has my fever been spiking again? Do I need to go back to the ER? I’m on week six of this crap, and I still don’t know if I’m getting better or worse, but people want to act like the threat is behind us?Wait, no, that’s not right. This is actually week eight for me. I started getting symptoms right before New York shut down. I mix up my dates. My mind is all foggy. I’ve been a nurse for 30 years, and now I can’t even remember if my last Tylenol was five minutes or five hours ago. It feels like electricity is burning through my spine, and nobody can tell me why. It’s like I’m sucking air through a straw. When I stand up, my ears start ringing until dizziness forces me back down. Every symptom is a whole new mystery. This virus is unpredictable and so, so violent.
I’m up to 140 now. See? It’s relentless. How long can a heart last like this? The palpitations come a few times every hour and go on for a minute or more. It’s just banging, banging, banging, banging.
It hurts too much to talk. I’ll try again later. I have to lie down and breathe through it. That’s what they tell me to do. he next morning, Wednesday, May 6
My heart rate is back down now to 105. That’s nothing to celebrate. That’s still considered abnormal, but it’s typical now for me.
I didn’t use to be like this. I’m healthy. I’m a vegetarian. I’m only 52. I’ve got grown kids in the military and a teenager at home, and we hike and kayak. I’m a positive, hard-charging person. Maybe I got it at the VA hospital where I work, but we didn’t have any confirmed cases yet. Or my son might have had an exposure and given it to me. Who knows? It’s one more mystery. I didn’t even notice I was sick until another nurse asked why I was coughing. I figured it was allergies. Take some Zyrtec and get on with it. Hardly anybody here in Syracuse had covid at that point. What were the odds?Then, after I tested positive, I thought I’d get a mild case. I told my husband: “Relax. I’m fine.” I don’t have diabetes. I don’t have hypertension, COPD or anything like that. I thought I could stay home, take care of myself and be back at work in a few weeks.
Right away I started running a temperature of 103, and the Tylenol couldn’t control it. I was shaking and cursing all day in bed, and the symptoms spread from there. I was head-to-toe exhausted. I wanted the whole world to let me alone. I had equipment at home from my nursing work, and I started checking my vitals and saw my blood pressure shooting up. I’ve never had that. I’d get up to shower and start gasping for air. My son was also covid-positive, and he ran a high fever and recovered within a week while I kept on getting worse. Maybe because I’m older? Or because I used to be a smoker? You can’t get a definitive answer on anything with this. I started coughing to the point of throwing up. I coughed until I was incontinent. My lips were chapped from dehydration. I had headaches. Migraines. Heartburn. Rashes. I lost 16 pounds in the first few weeks. I would lie down at night after taking melatonin and Benadryl, soaked in sweat and terrified of what might be coming next. What if I fall asleep and stop breathing? More Benadryl. More melatonin. Maybe try a Xanax. I’d lie there for hours but it was nonstop insomnia. I’d turn the TV to Lifetime for a distraction, but I couldn’t make sense of what they were saying.
One day, my son needed money to buy groceries. I said I’d give him $80, but I couldn’t count it out. I couldn’t do the math. I handed him $50, then $70. I asked him: “Is this really happening right now or is this a hallucination?” He took the cash and counted it himself. He begged me to get help.
I went to urgent care. The X-rays showed pneumonia, so they told me to go to the ER. I didn’t want to risk a secondary infection at the hospital, and I knew they didn’t have any magic treatment for this virus, but I couldn’t take care of myself. There wasn’t any choice. I wrote down my end-of-life wishes, and I had my son drop me at the ER.
I’m having another palpitation. Hang on. Are these panic attacks? I never had them before. It feels like my heart is trying to jump out of my chest.
Breathe. Stay calm. What is there to be calm about? It’s up over 150 now. Something is really wrong with me. I need to go rest. I need to figure this out.A few hours later
Okay. I’m a little better. It’s hour by hour. I’m not sure I can handle it again if I have to go back to the hospital. That first stay lasted 10 days, or at least that’s what they told me. I couldn’t tell days apart. I had a little glass isolation room with a curtain they kept closed. There was nothing to see out the window except a parking garage across the street. I couldn’t have visitors, and most of the doctors and nurses were afraid to stay in the room. It was okay. I was too sick to talk and too scared to feel lonely. I appreciate what they did. They were honest about what they didn’t know, and they tried. They kept throwing stuff at the wall to see what might stick.
They gave me a malaria drug, but it did absolutely nothing. They gave me an antibiotic for pneumonia, but I still couldn’t breathe without 15 liters of oxygen. They tried vitamin C, magnesium, shots of blood thinner, baby aspirin, Tums, multivitamins, Xanax, cough syrup with codeine. It was like fixing a car when you don’t know what’s broken. They gave me inhalers and breathing exercises to do every hour, but my oxygen level kept dropping. They wanted to put me on life support, but I was afraid I’d never come off. The doctor came in and said: “We have a team ready to revive you in case you start to code. We’re going to watch you closely.” Watching was all anybody could do. Then, one morning, my fever started to go down. Nobody knew why that happened either. But it stayed down for 36 hours, and they said I could go home.
Now I’ve got my oxygen on a long extension cord. I can make it to the kitchen or the bathroom if I’m feeling good, but usually I stay here in the den. My husband never caught it, so we’re staying apart. He works as a manager at Wegmans, and if he got sick, we might be out on the street. The $1,200 stimulus went to rent and hospital co-pays, and now we’re burning through our savings. I try not to think about it. I watch the news and check my vitals, but they’re always bad. My family stands in the doorway to visit sometimes, and other people text or call. “Are you feeling better yet?” It’s like they’re becoming impatient. They want to feel safe going out. We managed to buckle down for a while, but now it’s getting nice outside, and people need to work. The deniers and the protesters are coming out. One of my relatives went on Facebook and wrote that this whole virus is overblown, or maybe even a hoax. People want to minimize.
“Are you better yet? Why aren’t you better yet?”
I don’t know. I don’t know anything. My brain keeps racing with unanswered questions. Are my lungs scarred? Is my heart damaged? Can I get sick again? Will I be hiking the Adirondacks this summer or lugging this oxygen tank from the den to the bathroom for the rest of my life?
I hate this virus. It’s been two months of uncertainty and I don’t think I can take any more. Why are my legs burning? Why is my skin so hot? I need answers. I need help.The next morning, Thursday, May 7
I’m back at the hospital.
My fever won’t come down. The doctors say I have blood clots on my lungs and a mass on one of my organs. They’re trying to figure it out. There’s no timeline and no prognosis. All I know is they’re admitting me. I’ve been crying my eyes out. The morphine is making me in a fog. When will this damn thing let me alone?
BB – Take care whenever you take your trip.
Bach and quarantine hair. Nice.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the human and pet moms on the trail. Heard a joke that so many are drinking during quarantine that you don’t need a name generator to find out your *quarantine alcoholic name* —it’s just your regular name. My alcohol has been PB&J sandwiches. The only good thing about being back at work is that it’s not peanut butter/jelly-time all day long.
TT – Well, one thing in that sticks out. Anyone with a heart condition, whether ongoing or because of the virus, probably shouldn’t take Benadryl. I’ve been told to be careful because of my electrical, heart issue.
Oh, yesterday there was something about the dextromethoraphan in cough syrup possibly helping the virus take hold.
I had to get my car inspected. I was masked up; the guy who did the inspection wore a mask and gloves, but he had just been in someone else’s car. I wiped everything down after I got home, but it’s worrisome.
TT – That was pretty long and reasoned thinking for someone who is actually sick. Sounds more like a compilation of everything that could go wrong.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — President Trump, Attorney General William Barr and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn approached this Mother’s Day by saluting Mother Russia and insulting Mother Justice.
Just hit me Trail Mix turns 15yo next month, in a few years we can legally drink.
BiD, compared to Nick Cordero’s case of Covid, this is way less and different. I think that’s the point.
hydroxychloroquine causes heart problems. I didn’t know about the other drug.
As anyone see Rudy Guiliani lately
He seems the type that would be a carrier.
Think he is sitting out this time in the Ukrain?
Nick Cordero’s summary so far.
“He went to the ER on March 30th and intubated on a ventilator on April 1,” she shared.
“Since then has he has suffered an infection that caused his heart to stop, he needed resuscitation, he had two mini strokes, went on ECMO, needed surgery to removal an ECMO cannula that was restricting blood flow to his leg, a faciatomy to relieve pressure on the leg, an amputation of his right leg, an MRI to further investigate brain damage, several bronchial sweeps to clear out his lungs, a septis infection causing septic shock, a fungus in his lungs, holes in his lungs, a tracheostomy, blood clots, low blood count and platelet levels, and a temporary pacemaker to assist his heart.”
In any case, I don’t know how delusional folks are to think they just won’t get it. It seems to express itself differently in each person. No one knows the long term effects yet, obviously. And then there’s Kawasaki disease.in kids.
And now it’s it the magical WH. good for them!
Wow, Craig, 15 years! I was young when this started!
Good question, where’s Rudy? I’m still wondering what happened to Prince Bandar.
BB, I know you’re doing what you think is best, and I also know how analytical you are. I wouldn’t begin to question your decision. I certainly can’t assess the risk you face. After all, this shit is serious.
Rudy is busy heading-up the Ghoul, Vampire, and Hobgoblin Covid Response Team.
…or in Ukraine laundering money.
One of those two.
Another question what happened to John Bolton’s book?
KGC, Bolton’s book delayed again until 6/23
Thanks Pat. That’s my birthday!
can’t imagine Bolton would want much limelight on him during this pandemic as he was the one who scrapped NSC pandemic response team
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/10/business/airline-job-cuts/index.html
They threw money down an un-fillable hole. When the money is gone, so are the workers. Here’s your October not-so-much-a-surprise.
SBA payroll protection is a short-term solution to a long-term situation. Those layoffs will happen as soon as the terms of the payroll protection “loan” are met and the “loan” is forgiven. Especially, now that the IRS has made the “loan” taxable.
Craig – And next year we can drive!
Is it on D Day?
KGC, good question…Another question what happened to John Bolton’s book? Delayed they say? Time will tell.
It seems clear to me that the economy will not rebound until the biological entity, Covid-19, makes its rounds in the country & world. Otherwise, there will be many starts & stops as more shoppers and workers die. That’s the only outcome. We don’t like it. I don’t like it. But it takes time and the time is dictated by the virus no matter how hopeful and how much magical thinking we have.
Craig, we should plan another get together for next year. (Being hopeful that there’ll be a next year.)
next year, a sweet sixteen party!
another book to look forward to
https://www.thedailybeast.com/rosie-odonnell-reveals-shes-helping-michael-cohen-with-his-spicy-trump-tell-all-book
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/10/uk/uk-coronavirus-lockdown-boris-johnson-gbr-intl/index.html
I guess since Boris recovered from Covid and his baby-momma had it, too, he thinks Brits should all go infect each other if they can’t work from home. Does he realize that there will be nobody to do the jobs nobody wants to do if he kills them all off?
Preppers are preparing for the fallout from this and they may be right. Some jobs aren’t coming back, more will be lost, folks will get desperate. The supply chain is not stable (especially when so much manufacturing is outsourced). Food is OK, but many shelves are still pretty empty; lots of produce (so far) but still zero hand soap or sanitizer and very limited paper products yesterday. The only shelves that seemed fully-stocked were sodas and condiments. Someone who understands how to institute measures to help folks and to stop panic by needs to be in charge.
Hmmm. I kinda thought Melaniar might be a red sparrow. Now, how are cult members deprogrammed? Can it be done through the media? Programming definitely worked that way for the public at large. Maybe the reverse will work.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/10/politics/mike-pence-michael-flynn-interview/index.html
Pence is on Pooh-tin’s payroll, too.
Not at all surprised that Pence is a Russian asset. How could a woman have an intimate relationship with a man who called her Mother or Mom??? Ewwwww….
The Flynn debacle is another dictator distraction from the death & financial destruction that he’s reaping upon the land.
I don’t understand the sports dilemma
just put it all on pay per view
Even with a pair of shitty binoculars, you can see Mars in half-phase, right now. Two left from the moon.
6 planets visible, tonight, counting the one you’re standing on. Moon looks incredible through magnification.
Mars might not be at half-phase, hard to tell with magnified body-shake, and i don’t feel like getting my tripod.
Anyway, i’ve seen 5 planets, tonight, without a single confirmed case of C-19 among them, so that’s nice 🌗❤️🇺🇸
Jupiter has suppressed the real numbers, because they make it look bad.
Elon Musk is a funking fool if he thinks we’re colonizing that rock anytime soon. It’s sooooooo far away.
We can’t even social-distance! Colonize Mars- yeah, sure🙄
The same species that hoards toilet-paper is going to colonize Mars- sounds perfectly feasible!
This country sold out of toilet-paper BEFORE food. Talk about putting the cart in front of the horse!
i’m no fool- i bought food (thanks, idiots, there was plenty). C-19 might get me, anyway, and my government will determine that a reasonable sacrifice, so Hobby Lobby can be open. Thanks, my government!
Jesus-themed tchotchkes half-off! Sorry that cool dude down the street is dead!
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