Kathleen Battle - Soprano
James Levine - Piano
Monday, October 27, 2014
Kathleen Battle - Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileires No. 5
Kathleen Battle 1st movement of Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasileires no. 5 concertoes for voice and eight cellists.
From "Gala of the Stars 1985"
Alicia Keys and Kathleen Battle - Ave María & Not Even The King
Alicia Keys and Kathleen Battle performing Ave María and Not Even The King at BlackBall 2013
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
John Lennon interviewed by Tom Snyder and by Dick Cavett
John Lennon (left) autographing a copy of Double Fantasy for Chapman (right), 6 hours before the killing.
Does this song get more meaningful as American society becomes more paranoid?
John Lennon on Dick Cavett (entire show) September 11, 1971 (HD)
Soli Deo Gloria - J.S. Bach
Parkening did an album with Kathleen Battle that introduced me to his playing
After an all nighter listening to classical music, his playing was relaxating....
J. S. Bach: Soli Deo Gloria - To the Glory of God Alone
‘The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
- See more at: http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/johann-sebastian-bach-soli-deo-gloria-to-the-glory-of-god-alone/#sthash.hH935ALF.dpuf
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring-Christopher Parkening.
Guitar Video: Christopher Parkening Profile on CBS
Parkening's rendition of this classic work for guitar, composed by Stanley Myers, and set against scenes from the 1978 film "The Deer Hunter."
Cavatina is a musical term, originally meaning a short song of simple character, without a second strain or any repetition of the air. It is now frequently applied to any simple, melodious air, as distinguished from brilliant arias or recitatives, many of which are part of a larger movement or scena in oratorio or opera.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Martial Artist Bruce Lee
The Lethal Physique of Bruce Lee
By John Little
Introduction by Mike Mentzer
It is absolutely amazing how much of an impact that Bruce Lee's strength and physical development have had on athletes, bodybuilders and average men all over the face of the globe. As a young boy in high school, I can clearly recall all of the talk among my friends about the great Bruce Lee; they all were intimately familiar with Bruce's films; and they would discuss not just his epochal martial arts skills, but, also, his incredible strength and lean, shredded physique.
John Little wrote this article, which is excerpted from one of the 11 books he's written on Bruce Lee. I first met John Little at Eaton's department store in Toronto where Arnold, Franco and I had made an appearance for Weider and the IFBB, in 1979.
In 1992, that Joe Weider brought John to Los Angeles to write for Flex. This only lasted three years, as John was more interested in writing freely about his passion, namely - philosophy, martial arts, the philosophy of Bruce Lee's, who, too, was a fervent student of philosophy, his personal library packed with philosophy books that extended from the floor to the ceiling and spanned the length of the room. His quest for the truth saw him avidly studying philosophies ranging from that of Krishnamurti's to Ayn Rand.
By John Little
Introduction by Mike Mentzer
It is absolutely amazing how much of an impact that Bruce Lee's strength and physical development have had on athletes, bodybuilders and average men all over the face of the globe. As a young boy in high school, I can clearly recall all of the talk among my friends about the great Bruce Lee; they all were intimately familiar with Bruce's films; and they would discuss not just his epochal martial arts skills, but, also, his incredible strength and lean, shredded physique.
Joe Weider remarked on the astounding muscular refinement and definition of Lee's physique, especially the master's abs. Bruce Lee's physique had a remarkable influence on some of today's top physique champs. Bodybuilding luminaries, including Lou Ferrigno, Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, Rachel Mclish, Lenda Murray, Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray have all spoken on record concerning the enormous impact the physique of Bruce Lee had on them.
Why would the physique of the mighty mite, never massively developed along but described by some "as the most defined physique in the world."
Lee used weight training to develop efficiency and strength.
John Little wrote this article, which is excerpted from one of the 11 books he's written on Bruce Lee. I first met John Little at Eaton's department store in Toronto where Arnold, Franco and I had made an appearance for Weider and the IFBB, in 1979.
In 1992, that Joe Weider brought John to Los Angeles to write for Flex. This only lasted three years, as John was more interested in writing freely about his passion, namely - philosophy, martial arts, the philosophy of Bruce Lee's, who, too, was a fervent student of philosophy, his personal library packed with philosophy books that extended from the floor to the ceiling and spanned the length of the room. His quest for the truth saw him avidly studying philosophies ranging from that of Krishnamurti's to Ayn Rand.
Mike Mentzer
..........................................
"If you're talking about combat -- as it is -- well then, baby you'd better train every part of your body!" -- Bruce Lee (from the video, Bruce Lee: The Lost Interview)
It's fascinating that decades later, people are still talking about Bruce Lee.
Certainly his following exceeds that of any bodybuilder of a similar vintage. And even more fascinating is the fact that almost everyone gets something different out of Bruce Lee.
Martial artists revere his physical dexterity, power, speed and the genius he displayed in bringing science to bear on the world of martial arts. Moviegoers are impressed with the man's screen presence and animal magnetism. He popularized a new genre of action film opening the door to Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan who followed in his footsteps. Philosophers are impressed with Lee's ability to bridge philosophies of East and the West.
There exists another pocket of humanity that sees in Lee something else -- although not entirely unrelated -- the bodybuilders. Bodybuilders, young and old, know from one quick glance at Lee's physique exactly how much labor went into its creation.
Ironically, bodybuilding luminaries of no less stature than Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, Rachel Mclish, Lou Ferrigno, Lee Haney, Lenda Murray and former Mr. Olympia, Dorian Yates -- that is to say, the best in the business - have all spoken on the record regarding the impact the physique of Bruce Lee had on their bodybuilding careers.
Ironically, bodybuilding luminaries of no less stature than Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, Rachel Mclish, Lou Ferrigno, Lee Haney, Lenda Murray and former Mr. Olympia, Dorian Yates -- that is to say, the best in the business - have all spoken on the record regarding the impact the physique of Bruce Lee had on their bodybuilding careers.
Bruce Lee was only 5'7" tall and checked in at a weight that fluctuated between 126 to 145 pounds. What could a behemoth like Dorian Yates, for example, see in Bruce Lee's physique that would give him grounds for any form of inspiration?
Every muscle group on his body stood out in bold relief from its neighbor -- not simply for show (unlike many bodybuilders) but for function. Lee was, to quote his first student in the United States, Seattle's Jesse Glover, "above all else, concerned with function."
During his famous "Lost Interview" Lee referred to his approach to training as "the art of expressing the human body." Indeed, lightening fast reflexes, supreme flexibility, awesome power, feline grace and muscularity combined in one total -- and very lethal -- package. On this basis, according to those who worked out with Lee from time to time such as martial arts actor Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee -- pound for pound-- might well have been one of the most powerful men in the world.
Lee's background in physiology and kinesiology helped him to discern a useful exercise from an unproductive one so he was able to avoid the obstacle of wasted time in his workouts.
Lee believed that the student of exercise science should aim at nothing less than physical perfection, with all that it implies in its totality; he should want great strength, great speed, great coordination, and exuberant health.
To Lee, the whole secret of success in bodybuilding lay in the principle of progressive resistance and persistence.
Although Lee is no longer with us, his teachings and his example live on. Certainly this is so in the realm of exercise science. Lee epitomized the athletic ideals of diligence, hard work, bearing up under adversity and refusing to short-change either oneself or one's potential.
"Low aim is the biggest crime a man can commit," he once told Tae Kwon Do Master, Jhoon Rhee. "Remember, Life is a journey, not a destination."
The Roman philosopher once said that,
The Roman philosopher once said that,
"Life, if thou knowest how to use it, is long enough."
Bruce Lee's commitment to excellence in his approach to training created a positive legacy.
exserted from:
"WARM MARBLE" The Lethal Physique of Bruce Lee:
Source: http://www.mikementzer.com/blee.html
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Albert Einstein on Religion and Science:
Even though the realms of religion and science in themselves are clearly marked off from each other, nevertheless there exist between the two strong reciprocal relationships and dependencies. Though religion may be that which determines the goal, it has, nevertheless, learned from science, in the broadest sense, what means will contribute to the attainment of the goals it has set up. But science can only be created by those who are thoroughly imbued with the aspiration toward truth and understanding. This source of feeling, however, springs from the sphere of religion. To this there also belongs the faith in the possibility that the regulations valid for the world of existence are rational, that is, comprehensible to reason. I cannot conceive of a genuine scientist without that profound faith. The situation may be expressed by an image: science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.
-- Albert Einstein
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Prajnaparamita Bodhisattva
Prajnaparamita Bodhisattva
All I do is refrain from grasping after what is not real.
The Buddha, Prajnaparamita
The Buddha, Prajnaparamita
The mind does not reside in the mind — its nature is pure light.
Perfect Wisdom, Prajnaparamita
Perfect Wisdom, Prajnaparamita
I see in such a way that I see no ordinary people, no learners, and no adepts.
Manjushri, Prajnaparamita 700 lines
The Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) texts, are said to be closest Buddhists got to putting truth (impossible task) into words.
—————————————
13th century Singhasari East Javanese art.
13th century Singhasari East Javanese art.
The statue was discovered in Cungkup Putri ruins near Singhasari temple, Singhasari, East Java.
Today the statue is displayed in the second floor of National Museum of Indonesia, Jakarta.
Buddhism Now | Buddhism now: "
"
source: http://buddhismnow.com/author/buddhismnow/
Sunday, October 5, 2014
From monastery to catwalk: The Miss Tibet beauty pageant
Contradiction in Terms?
Published on Oct 15, 2012
Miss Tibet: A beauty pageant and a political act, Tibetan women's moment in the limelight.
For downloads and more information visit: http://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=64448
The Miss Tibet beauty pageant claims to give women a platform to highlight Tibetan issues, drawing attention to the the plight of the its people as well as the brilliance of the lifestyle and culture.
For Director Lobsang Wangyal, the event is not just a beauty pageant, but a political act, "celebrating our identity, our culture and our proud tradition", whilst "implicitly asserting" Tibet as a nation and Tibetans as a people. But does the pageant really empower its women, or simply exploit them further?
Mark Gould - Ref:5652
Journeyman Pictures is your independent source for the world's most powerful films, exploring the burning issues of today. We represent stories from the world's top producers, with brand new content coming in all the time. On our channel you'll find outstanding and controversial journalism covering any global subject you can imagine wanting to know about.
For downloads and more information visit: http://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=64448
The Miss Tibet beauty pageant claims to give women a platform to highlight Tibetan issues, drawing attention to the the plight of the its people as well as the brilliance of the lifestyle and culture.
For Director Lobsang Wangyal, the event is not just a beauty pageant, but a political act, "celebrating our identity, our culture and our proud tradition", whilst "implicitly asserting" Tibet as a nation and Tibetans as a people. But does the pageant really empower its women, or simply exploit them further?
Mark Gould - Ref:5652
Journeyman Pictures is your independent source for the world's most powerful films, exploring the burning issues of today. We represent stories from the world's top producers, with brand new content coming in all the time. On our channel you'll find outstanding and controversial journalism covering any global subject you can imagine wanting to know about.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Hildegard of Bingen: Visions of the Trinity - St Paul's Forum
Published on Jun 22, 2012
Revd Prof June Boyce-Tillman discusses Hildegard of Bingen's life, theology and mysticism. Part of the Sunday Forum series held at St Paul's Cathedral on the first Sunday of every month.
Thomas Aquinas (1225—1274)
"Every perfection of the soul, which is not always in act, is a habit." - Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas Aquinas
Far graver is it to corrupt the faith that is the life of the soul than to counterfeit the money that sustains temporal life.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a lover of myths and poetic fables. Poets and philosophers are alike in being big with wonder.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Better to illuminate than merely to shine to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Love takes up where knowledge leaves off.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Fear is such a powerful emotion for humans that when we allow it to take us over, it drives compassion right out of our hearts.
St. Thomas Aquinas
It is necessary for the perfection of human society that there should be men who devote their lives to contemplation.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Faith has to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are not in hand.
St. Thomas Aquinas
To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.
St. Thomas Aquinas
I would rather feel compassion than know the meaning of it. I would hope to act with compassion without thinking of personal gain.
St. Thomas Aquinas
There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Happiness is secured through virtue; it is a good attained by man's own will.
St. Thomas Aquinas
For those with faith, no evidence is necessary; for those without it, no evidence will suffice.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe to know what he ought to desire and to know what he ought to do.
St. Thomas Aquinas
How is it they live in such harmony, the billions of stars, when most men can barely go a minute without declaring war in their minds?
St. Thomas Aquinas
We must love them both, those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject, for both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in finding it.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Beware the man of a single book.
St. Thomas Aquinas
The Study of philosophy is not that we may know what men have thought, but what the truth of things is.
St. Thomas Aquinas
The existence of a prime mover- nothing can move itself there must be a first mover. The first mover is called God.
St. Thomas Aquinas
The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A thing which is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing.
St. Thomas Aquinas
We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Wonder is the desire of knowledge.
St. Thomas Aquinas
SOURCE: http://meetville.com/quotes/author/st-thomas-aquinas
Saint Thomas Aquinas was a Catholic Priest in the Dominican Order and one of the most important Medieval philosophers and theologians. He was immensely influenced by scholasticism and Aristotle and known for his synthesis of the two aforementioned traditions. Although he wrote many works of philosophy and theology throughout his life, his most influential work is the Summa Theologica which consists of three parts.
The first part is on God. In it, he gives five proofs for God's existence as well as an explication of His attributes. He argues for the actuality and incorporeality of God as the unmoved mover and describes how God moves through His thinking and willing.
The second part is on Ethics. Thomas argues for a variation of the Aristotelian Virtue Ethics. However, unlike Aristotle, he argues for a connection between the virtuous man and God by explaining how the virtuous act is one towards the blessedness of the Beatific Vision (beata visio).
The last part of the Summa is on Christ and was unfinished when Thomas died. In it, he shows how Christ not only offers salvation, but represents and protects humanity on Earth and in Heaven. This part also briefly discusses the sacraments and eschatology. The Summa remains the most influential of Thomas’s works and is mostly what will be discussed in this overview of his philosophy.
SOURCE: http://www.iep.utm.edu/aquinas/
European Graduate School
Hildegard von Bingen - Music and Visions
The Origin of Fire - Music and Visions of Hildegard von Bingen
1. Hymn: Veni Creator Spiritus
2. Sequence: Veni Spiritus Eternorum Alme
3. Antiphon: O Quam Mirabilis Est
4. Vision 1 "The Fire Of Creation": Et Ego Homus
5. Vision 1 "The Fire Of Creation": Et Audivi
6. Sequence: O Ignis Spiritus Paracliti
7. Vision 2 "Wisdom And Her Sisters": Vidi Etiam
8. Vision 2 "Wisdom And Her Sisters": Prima Autem
9. Responsory: O Felix Anima
10. Vision 3 "The Fiery Spirit": Iterumque Vocem
11. Vision 3 "The Fiery Spirit": Et Imago
12. Hymn: O Ignee Spiritus
13. Vision 4 "Love": In Vera
14. Vision 4 "Love": Et Audivi Vocem
15. Antiphon: Caritas Habundant In Omnia
16. Antiphon: O Eterne Deus
17. Hymn: Beata Nobis Gaudia
As a child, I often saw or felt 'entities' from other worlds. Many children report supersensory experiences and one such child was Hildegard von Bingen.
Hildegard of Bingen, (1098-1179) was born a tenth child to a German noble family. She was an influential and spiritual woman whose fierce devotion paved the way for future generations of women to succeed in fields from theology, to medicine, to music and art. At a very early age she claimed to experience supernatural visions of a powerful, transformative light, but she hid her prophetic abilities until much later in life. She was admitted into a convent at the age of eight, and was prepared for a life of hermetic devotion and meditation.
Although Hildegard was not formally educated, her desire to record her visions and messages into book form was undeterred. She relied on secretaries to help transcribe her ideas onto paper and was a prolific writer on topics of philosophy, herbal medicine, the natural world, and a noted composer of hauntingly beautiful chants.
Hildegard became a well-regarded authority and the Mother Superior of her convent. Around 1135, at age 42, she undertook a series of visionary symbolic paintings in unmistakable mandala-forms. While she did not make the illustrations herself, it is thought that she oversaw their production. These cosmic memories occur in myth and archetypes we readily recognize. The pictures were thought to be as strong or stronger than the words themselves. There is a gesltalt immediacy, what Hindu's refer to as darshan, meaning the simultaneous act of seeing and being seen by a deity.
She created a drawing, or illumination, in her manuscript Scivias (Know the Ways), circa 1140--50, of her defining vision, in which the great span of the universe revealed itself to her in a trance as "round and shadowy...pointed at the top, like an egg...its outermost layer of a bright fire."
Hildegard's visions led her to channel cosmic laws into illuminations and illustrate invisible concepts such as ethers, air, and wind. She assigns meaning to these elements to represent such virtues as atonement, righteousness, and moderation.
Central to her mandala paintings is the understanding of a 'cosmic equilibrium' and a reverence for all life. In her use of 'quartering of the circle' we recognize the four elements (fire, air, water and earth), an archetypal depiction also used by Native American sand painters for the four sacred directions. Her concept of Viriditas, the Greening, was a precursor to our ecology movement. She described this power as the agent of the God, a divine vitality, that was the animating life-force within all creation. This 'Greenness' was the very expression of Divine Power on Earth.
Anonymous 4 is a female a cappella quartet, based in New York City. Their main performance genre is medieval music, although they have also premiered works by living composers such as John Tavener and Steve Reich. The group currently comprises Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, Ruth Cunningham, and Jacqueline Horner (Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek in more recent listings, following a marriage in 2008). Two membership changes have occurred during the group's history. The original lineup included Johanna Maria Rose rather than Jacqueline Horner. In 1998, Ruth Cunningham left and was replaced by Jacqueline Horner. In 2008, Ruth Cunningham returned to the group in place of Johanna Maria Rose.
1. Hymn: Veni Creator Spiritus
2. Sequence: Veni Spiritus Eternorum Alme
3. Antiphon: O Quam Mirabilis Est
4. Vision 1 "The Fire Of Creation": Et Ego Homus
5. Vision 1 "The Fire Of Creation": Et Audivi
6. Sequence: O Ignis Spiritus Paracliti
7. Vision 2 "Wisdom And Her Sisters": Vidi Etiam
8. Vision 2 "Wisdom And Her Sisters": Prima Autem
9. Responsory: O Felix Anima
10. Vision 3 "The Fiery Spirit": Iterumque Vocem
11. Vision 3 "The Fiery Spirit": Et Imago
12. Hymn: O Ignee Spiritus
13. Vision 4 "Love": In Vera
14. Vision 4 "Love": Et Audivi Vocem
15. Antiphon: Caritas Habundant In Omnia
16. Antiphon: O Eterne Deus
17. Hymn: Beata Nobis Gaudia
As a child, I often saw or felt 'entities' from other worlds. Many children report supersensory experiences and one such child was Hildegard von Bingen.
Hildegard of Bingen, (1098-1179) was born a tenth child to a German noble family. She was an influential and spiritual woman whose fierce devotion paved the way for future generations of women to succeed in fields from theology, to medicine, to music and art. At a very early age she claimed to experience supernatural visions of a powerful, transformative light, but she hid her prophetic abilities until much later in life. She was admitted into a convent at the age of eight, and was prepared for a life of hermetic devotion and meditation.
Although Hildegard was not formally educated, her desire to record her visions and messages into book form was undeterred. She relied on secretaries to help transcribe her ideas onto paper and was a prolific writer on topics of philosophy, herbal medicine, the natural world, and a noted composer of hauntingly beautiful chants.
Hildegard became a well-regarded authority and the Mother Superior of her convent. Around 1135, at age 42, she undertook a series of visionary symbolic paintings in unmistakable mandala-forms. While she did not make the illustrations herself, it is thought that she oversaw their production. These cosmic memories occur in myth and archetypes we readily recognize. The pictures were thought to be as strong or stronger than the words themselves. There is a gesltalt immediacy, what Hindu's refer to as darshan, meaning the simultaneous act of seeing and being seen by a deity.
She created a drawing, or illumination, in her manuscript Scivias (Know the Ways), circa 1140--50, of her defining vision, in which the great span of the universe revealed itself to her in a trance as "round and shadowy...pointed at the top, like an egg...its outermost layer of a bright fire."
Hildegard's visions led her to channel cosmic laws into illuminations and illustrate invisible concepts such as ethers, air, and wind. She assigns meaning to these elements to represent such virtues as atonement, righteousness, and moderation.
Central to her mandala paintings is the understanding of a 'cosmic equilibrium' and a reverence for all life. In her use of 'quartering of the circle' we recognize the four elements (fire, air, water and earth), an archetypal depiction also used by Native American sand painters for the four sacred directions. Her concept of Viriditas, the Greening, was a precursor to our ecology movement. She described this power as the agent of the God, a divine vitality, that was the animating life-force within all creation. This 'Greenness' was the very expression of Divine Power on Earth.
Anonymous 4 is a female a cappella quartet, based in New York City. Their main performance genre is medieval music, although they have also premiered works by living composers such as John Tavener and Steve Reich. The group currently comprises Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, Ruth Cunningham, and Jacqueline Horner (Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek in more recent listings, following a marriage in 2008). Two membership changes have occurred during the group's history. The original lineup included Johanna Maria Rose rather than Jacqueline Horner. In 1998, Ruth Cunningham left and was replaced by Jacqueline Horner. In 2008, Ruth Cunningham returned to the group in place of Johanna Maria Rose.
Saint Hildegard of Bingen, O.S.B. (German: Hildegard von Bingen; Latin: Hildegardis Bingensis) (1098 – 17 September 1179), also known as Saint Hildegard, and Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, visionary, and polymath.[1] Elected a magistra by her fellow nuns in 1136, she founded the monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150 and Eibingen in 1165. One of her works as a composer, the Ordo Virtutum, is an early example of liturgical drama and arguably the oldest surviving morality play.[2]
She wrote theological, botanical and medicinal texts, as well as letters, liturgical songs, and poems, while supervising miniature illuminations in the Rupertsberg manuscript of her first work, Scivias.[3]
Although the history of her formal recognition as a saint is complicated, she has been recognized as a saint by parts of the Roman Catholic Church for centuries. On 7 October 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named her a Doctor of the Church.
St. Hildegard of Bingen
Doctor of the Church
Online Documents
- Sabina Flanagan: Hildegard von Bingen
Biography of St. Hildegard of Bingen including a discussion of her books - Nancy Fierro: Hildegard's Music and Discography
Article on St. Hildegard's music - Guide to the Historical Sites
Illustrated Guide to the important sites of St. Hildegard's life - Traces of Hildegard in Today's Bingen
Guide to the sites in the town of Bingen
LINK: http://www.hildegard.org/
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