Readings Q3-'17

This quarter I need to use this site to log my readings in real time.

10. 《威尔第生平》，by Peter Southwell-Sander, 1978; 1992年丁少良、丁少农译。Books bought when I was a student, probably not too long after book is published. Finally reading it after over 20 years! Good overview of Verdi's life and output. Core of hist outputs are Nabucco (Va Pensiero), the 3 operas in early 1850's (Rigoletto, Il trovatore, La Traviata), and the late Otello (1887). 

11. 《The Cello Suites: J.S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece》by Eric Siblin, 2009. Enjoyable read! Clearly not too much new about Bach; but gives me more info about the Cello Suites (e.g. one also has a lute version; V/Sarabande sounds like a modern 20th century piece). Casals' life is interesting - especially his marriage at 80 that still last for more than 10 years till his death. The author's experience (e.g. in a Bach chorale weekend camp in Canada; an old cellist he met in Montreal etc) is also quite amusing. 

From 《Happiness: A Very Short Introduction》 by Daniel Haybron (2013) I read 5 chapters (1-3, 5, 8). He supports the notion of happiness as a sustained emotional inclination rather than happiness as simple emotions (example: seemingly cheerful person who uncontrollably weeps at night)  or happiness as life well-lived (example: Mandela who was in jail most of his life). Important topic.

Introductory chapters of 《Unaccompanied Bach: Performing the Solo Works》by David Ledbetter, published in 2010. Also studied the analysis of Bach Suite 1, and now getting to Bach Suite 3, Violin Partita #2 Ciaconna, etc. Can't say I gained too much more knowledge about the work other than that Bach's pieces are likely to be studies, and that somewhat similar works before Bach do exist. The analysis of the pieces are sometimes helpful once I can play the pieces in question - knowing how the bass is supposed to be progressing and what rhythms to look out for are of some help.

Seven chapters from 《The Cambridge Companion to Haydn》in Part I & II,.and Chapter 12 on Haydn's vocal music in Part III. I am still reading the last chapter in Part III on Haydn's operas.

Didn't spend too much time reading given my recent interest in practicing various musical instruments (viola, violin, and sometimes piano).