February 2010Posted by Marieke Wed, February 03, 2010 23:16:57This contemporary Estonian composer of old music is pretty famous by now, but I would like to share some of my favorites:
Summa for Strings (I like the choir version as well, but I can't find it online. I cannot upload my own version because of limitations to my internet quota in Lebanon, which is only 2.5 GB a month of down- and uploading, currently shared by me and my other half)
Fratres for Violin and Piano (try to find a cello and piano version if you can! I find that much nicer than this one with a violin)
Miserere (entire album)
Kanon Pokajanen (entire album)
Te Deum (entire album)
...and many, many more. For me it was great to discover the world of Arvo Pärt and composers that use the same style of medieval European music in contemporary compositions. More about these other composers soon!
January 2010Posted by Marieke Sun, January 03, 2010 15:59:18Bach's 3rd Brandenburg Concerto 1st movement is a very famous piece that most people will recognize once they hear it. But listening, really listening to this piece, is an enormously energizing exercise for me. It is full of energy. Try it! Play it three times on full volume. It makes my day when I play it in the morning. You can find it for download here. 
December 2009Posted by Marieke Tue, December 22, 2009 10:38:58Last Flowers, Radiohead, In Rainbows Disc 2
Get it here.
appliances have gone berserk
i cannot keep up
treading on people's toes
snot-nosed little punk
and i can't face the evening straight
you can offer me escape
houses move and houses speak
if you take me there you'll get relief, relief, relief, relief
and if i'm gonna talk
i just want to talk
please don't interrupt
just sit back and listen
cos i can't face the evening straight
you can offer me escape
houses move and houses speak
if you take me there you'll get relief, relief, relief, relief
relief, relief
it's too much, too bright, too powerful
too much, too bright, too powerful
too much, too bright, too powerful
too much, too bright, too powerful
December 2009Posted by Marieke Sun, December 20, 2009 18:16:33From Mozart's Great Mass in C Minor, K427.
You can find it for download here, unfortunately embedding didn't work.
Edit: this link does not seem to work either. Try it again here.
I personally prefer the version I have at home. This one has too much vibrato in the singing to my liking. I wonder if my preferences are shaped by listening over and over again to the same version and then disliking other ones, or that I am just lucky to own a beautiful recording of this mass. I will look into it tonight.
The text is as follows:
Et incarnatus est
de Spiritu Sancto
ex Maria Virgine
Et homo factus est
Jesus was made flesh by the holy spirit, from the Virgin Mary, and was made human.
Edit: The version I have does not have any name tags on it, so it's impossible to determine who and what. Here's a download link. It is just one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.
December 2009Posted by Marieke Tue, December 15, 2009 22:40:13Alamo Race Track
Black Cat John Brown
Last track
You'll be here with me
Into a life you'll see
You'll be here with me
Down the chocolate years you'll see
I need you to be with me
For my life's so cold
You'll be here with me
Find yourself in me
For there is nothing here to recall
The life once left for me
Need you to be with me
Need you to comfort me
I'll take you away with me
From a life so cold
I'll take you away with me
2009-General postsPosted by Marieke Mon, December 14, 2009 22:05:20Hello! I'm giving this blog life again! From now on it will carry anything that I find inspiring, funny, ass-kicking, beautiful and moving, from Lebanon or not. It will be random, and I apologize for that. But better a random blog than no blog at all!
2009-Daily life in BeirutPosted by Marieke Wed, August 05, 2009 23:31:10New photos on Facebook, March 2009
I intend to change this blog into a photo blog next year. More in September hopefully! I'm a bit talked out about the Middle East, I mean what can I say? So many things, but other people are already doing this much better than I can (I think Sietske and Nicolien are a good example of that).
So hopefully I will start publishing pictures after summer!
