Monday, December 21, 2020

Sergei Rachmaninoff

 A pretty late discovery. The first time I listened to Rachmaninov with intent and engaged with his music was in April 2019 when Concerto no. 4 in G minor for piano and orchestra was performed by Garrick Ohlsson and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.


I have bought Rachmaninoff's complete orchestral works conducted by
Pavel Kogan and Evgeny Svetlanov. Particularly, I have listened to Symphonies No. 1 and No. 2 and they are truly moving. I am listening to digital versions and I can just imagine how this pleasure would have been enhanced listening to these symphonies live or on vinyl. 

Maybe someday!

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Categorical Buckets

 There is a tendency to simplify matters and it is reasonable as we all want to soothe ourselves in the face of difficulties. It is a defense that I actually believe in on occasions. The feeling that we have grasped the concept and translated it into the wavelength of our knowledge. That is soothing and reassuring, anxiolytic in the most profound sense.

However, it is erroneous scientifically and misleading practically, when we are dealing with complex multi-faceted phenomena. The so-called well-framed knowledge is dealing with categorical buckets and is leading to a fractured understanding of facts. This notion raises the question of an optimal approach. 

The multidisciplinary approach and the teamwork in an intellectual sense is probably the best available option,  It is surprising how distant fields benefit from the synergistic impact they can induce on each other when working in tandem. 


Picture: Walk for Science, Pittsburgh, August 2017