Daily Record 4/5/11: Symphony No. 1 in E Minor-Jean Sibelius, Philadelphia Orchestra
Late night thoughts on listening to Sibelius while hangin' with Jimmy in our semi-mancave during the NCAA Championship game.
I do not necessarily need a “mancave,” but if I were to have one, it would need to include my desk (currently in the basement), easy access to my record collection (currently in the family room) and a computer (which, for me is our PC, currently in what we conveniently call the “computer room.”). Flying in the face of typical mancaves, I would not need a television in my mancave. But, as you can see, the distribution of “my stuff” throughout our house makes the notion of a consolidated mancave a bit impractical at the moment.
My son Jimmy, on the other hand, would enjoy a television in his mancave. Preferably a television about three times bigger than the one we have, with a SurroundSound system to make those Michael Bay movies really go “boom!”. He’d probably also enjoy some kind of machine that continuously churns out a variety of tasty snack foods in him mancave.
Last night, Jimmy and I needed to share the family room as a combined makeshift mancave. I listened to my Daily Record, Symphony No. 1 in E Minor Op. 39 by Jean Sibelius. This album is a recent acquisition from my friend Val. I wore headphones to avoid annoying Jimmy with my classical music, but don't play the music too loud so I could catch snippets of the game, as well as Jimmy’s reaction to it. I took some notes as I listened/watched, and here they are:
Listening to Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1 in E Minor Op. 39, here in the family room, while Jimmy watches the NCAA basketball championship game, UConn v. Butler. I know nothing about Sibelius and very little about basketball, college or otherwise. I do know that Jimmy is rooting for UConn and I’m rooting for Sibelius and the Philadelphia Orchestra to entertain me with the symphony.
“The dogfight continues in Houston,” proclaims a basketball announcer, as the orchestra makes its way through the first movement. I have learned from the album cover notes that Sibelius was from Finland though I don’t think that the first movement of this symphony provides any direct information that its composer was Finnish.
According to the liner notes, the third movement features a theme that recalls the “characteristically national humor of Finland.” Not sure what the national humor of Finland is all about, but I guess that the third movement will provide a clue.
UConn 36
Butler 28
“Ooh, it’s a nine-point lead”-Jimmy.
First Movement ends with a big flourish that has me doing a little “air conducting” as Jimmy informs me that UConn is “pulling the rug out from under Butler.”
The second movement starts. Quiet. Pastoral. Apparently this movement is based on Finnish folk music, yet another area in which I have no expertise.
“Butler is really just collapsing. They’ve missed a bunch of shots.”-Jimmy.
UConn 39
Butler 28
“Wow.”-Jimmy, replying to another missed shot.
“We knew this was a historic Final Four when we got here.”-Basketball announcer.
UConn 43
Butler 30
Jimmy tells me Butler is only shooting 15%. “That’s horrible,” he notes.
There is lots of build-up in these Sibelius symphony movements. I am air conducting again.
I flip the record over for Movement III-the movement with the Finnish humor.
UConn 46
Butler 35
Despite any inherent Finnish humor, Movement III slows down a little too much to be an effective soundtrack to the last minutes of March Madness.
“Another blocked shot!”-Jimmy.
Butler guy looks like he’s in pain, as commercial break for The King’s Speech happens.
Jimmy and I briefly discuss The King’s Speech. He doesn’t think it looks like a great movie.
UConn 48
Butler 35
“If UConn makes one more good shot, I’m gonna call that the dagger.”-Jimmy.
The last movement of this symphony-the 4th-seems to be taking its time to really state itself.
Butler guy still looks hurt.
Butler scores.
Hurt Butler guy has a gash on his leg and is out as game continues and 4th movement takes a turn for the cinematic, though the liner notes inform me that the symphony was written in 1899.
UConn 50
Butler 41
1:22 left in game.
7:30 left in the 4th movement.
“Right after this guy runs out the clock I can start to focus only on baseball.”-Jimmy.
Fourth movement heads for swirling and triumphant as game winds down to its last 30 seconds. Butler guys look serious. They know what’s going down.
Game Over.
UConn 53
Butler 41
Jimmy is happy for UConn win and goes off to bed as orchestra builds up the finale of the 4th movement, and the symphony itself. Sibelius may have actually provided too stirring a soundtrack for an NCAA championship game that will proclaimed by both in the blogosphere immediately after the game and on ESPN the following morning as one of the worst ever March Madness finales ever.
And thus our cobbled-together mancave closes for the evening.
I do not necessarily need a “mancave,” but if I were to have one, it would need to include my desk (currently in the basement), easy access to my record collection (currently in the family room) and a computer (which, for me is our PC, currently in what we conveniently call the “computer room.”). Flying in the face of typical mancaves, I would not need a television in my mancave. But, as you can see, the distribution of “my stuff” throughout our house makes the notion of a consolidated mancave a bit impractical at the moment.
My son Jimmy, on the other hand, would enjoy a television in his mancave. Preferably a television about three times bigger than the one we have, with a SurroundSound system to make those Michael Bay movies really go “boom!”. He’d probably also enjoy some kind of machine that continuously churns out a variety of tasty snack foods in him mancave.
Last night, Jimmy and I needed to share the family room as a combined makeshift mancave. I listened to my Daily Record, Symphony No. 1 in E Minor Op. 39 by Jean Sibelius. This album is a recent acquisition from my friend Val. I wore headphones to avoid annoying Jimmy with my classical music, but don't play the music too loud so I could catch snippets of the game, as well as Jimmy’s reaction to it. I took some notes as I listened/watched, and here they are:
Listening to Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1 in E Minor Op. 39, here in the family room, while Jimmy watches the NCAA basketball championship game, UConn v. Butler. I know nothing about Sibelius and very little about basketball, college or otherwise. I do know that Jimmy is rooting for UConn and I’m rooting for Sibelius and the Philadelphia Orchestra to entertain me with the symphony.
“The dogfight continues in Houston,” proclaims a basketball announcer, as the orchestra makes its way through the first movement. I have learned from the album cover notes that Sibelius was from Finland though I don’t think that the first movement of this symphony provides any direct information that its composer was Finnish.
According to the liner notes, the third movement features a theme that recalls the “characteristically national humor of Finland.” Not sure what the national humor of Finland is all about, but I guess that the third movement will provide a clue.
UConn 36
Butler 28
“Ooh, it’s a nine-point lead”-Jimmy.
First Movement ends with a big flourish that has me doing a little “air conducting” as Jimmy informs me that UConn is “pulling the rug out from under Butler.”
The second movement starts. Quiet. Pastoral. Apparently this movement is based on Finnish folk music, yet another area in which I have no expertise.
“Butler is really just collapsing. They’ve missed a bunch of shots.”-Jimmy.
UConn 39
Butler 28
“Wow.”-Jimmy, replying to another missed shot.
“We knew this was a historic Final Four when we got here.”-Basketball announcer.
UConn 43
Butler 30
Jimmy tells me Butler is only shooting 15%. “That’s horrible,” he notes.
There is lots of build-up in these Sibelius symphony movements. I am air conducting again.
I flip the record over for Movement III-the movement with the Finnish humor.
UConn 46
Butler 35
Despite any inherent Finnish humor, Movement III slows down a little too much to be an effective soundtrack to the last minutes of March Madness.
“Another blocked shot!”-Jimmy.
Butler guy looks like he’s in pain, as commercial break for The King’s Speech happens.
Jimmy and I briefly discuss The King’s Speech. He doesn’t think it looks like a great movie.
UConn 48
Butler 35
“If UConn makes one more good shot, I’m gonna call that the dagger.”-Jimmy.
The last movement of this symphony-the 4th-seems to be taking its time to really state itself.
Butler guy still looks hurt.
Butler scores.
Hurt Butler guy has a gash on his leg and is out as game continues and 4th movement takes a turn for the cinematic, though the liner notes inform me that the symphony was written in 1899.
UConn 50
Butler 41
1:22 left in game.
7:30 left in the 4th movement.
“Right after this guy runs out the clock I can start to focus only on baseball.”-Jimmy.
Fourth movement heads for swirling and triumphant as game winds down to its last 30 seconds. Butler guys look serious. They know what’s going down.
Game Over.
UConn 53
Butler 41
Jimmy is happy for UConn win and goes off to bed as orchestra builds up the finale of the 4th movement, and the symphony itself. Sibelius may have actually provided too stirring a soundtrack for an NCAA championship game that will proclaimed by both in the blogosphere immediately after the game and on ESPN the following morning as one of the worst ever March Madness finales ever.
And thus our cobbled-together mancave closes for the evening.