Schwarzfahrer

Schwarzfahrer (also known as Black Rider) is a 1993 German 12-minute short film directed by Pepe Danquart. It won an Academy Award in 1994 for Best Short Subject. The topic of the film is the daily racism a black man endures in a tram. The title is a word-play: literally, "Schwarzfahrer" means "fare-dodger" in German, but is also translatable to "black rider". This word-play forms the punch line of the short film. A motorbiker (Stefan Merki) boards a tram, and witnesses a black man (Paul Outlaw) sitting down next to an elderly white woman (Senta Moira). In the entire 12 minutes, the old woman racially abuses the black man, stating they stink, are unintelligent, criminal and the perfect carrier for AIDS. The biker feels uncomfortable, but does not dare to interrupt. The black man stays quiet for the entire film, until the tram controller arrives : when the old woman produces her ticket, he grabs and swallows it. When the old woman accuses the black man for eating her ticket, he coolly shows his valid ticket to the controller; the latter nods at him and arrests the old woman. The punch line is that both the black man and the old woman are "Schwarzfahrer" now: the black man who rides a train, is a non-offensive "black rider", while the old woman now is a real law-breaking Schwarzfahrer (i.e. fare dodger).

Instantanés

The creation

There is another tradition for classical music in Berlin, always fabulous, at the 1st of January, we can enjoy the “Neujahrskonzert” (New Year’s concert) of the Rias Kammerchor at the philarmonie. This year with no exception and they decided to play : The Creation, Haydn(German : Die Schöpfung) is an oratorio written between 1796 and 1798 by Joseph Haydn, and considered by many to be his masterpiece. The oratorio depicts and celebrates the creation of the world as described in the biblical Book of Genesis. Haydn was inspired to write a large oratorio during his visits to England in 1791–1792 and 1794-1795, when he heard oratorios of Handel performed by large forces. Israel in Egypt is believed to have been one of these. It is likely that Haydn wanted to try to achieve results of comparable weight, using the musical language of the mature classical style.The work on the oratorio lasted from October 1796 to April 1798. It was also a profound act of faith for this deeply religious man, who appended the words "Praise to God" at the end of every completed composition. He later remarked, "I was never so devout as when I was at work on The Creation; I fell on my knees each day and begged God to give me the strength to finish the work." Haydn composed much of the work while at his residence in the Mariahilf suburb of Vienna, which is now the Haydnhaus. It was the longest time he had ever spent on a single composition. Explaining this, he wrote, "I spent much time over it because I expect it to last for a long time." In fact, he worked on the project to the point of exhaustion, and collapsed into a period of illness after conducting its premiere performance.Haydn's original autograph score has been lost since 1803. A Viennese published score dated 1800 forms the basis of most performances today. The 'most authentic' Tonkünstler-Societat score of 1799, with notes in the composer's hand, can be found at the Vienna State Library. There are various other copyist scores such as the Estate, as well as hybrid editions prepared by scholars during the last two centuries.The text of The Creation has a long history. The three sources are Genesis, the Biblical book of Psalms, and John Milton's Genesis epic Paradise Lost. In 1795, when Haydn was leaving England, the impresario Johann Peter Salomon (1745–1815) who had arranged his concerts there handed him a new poem entitled The Creation of the World. This original had been offered to Handel, but the old master had not worked on it, as its wordiness meant that it would have been 4 hours in length when set to music. The libretto was probably passed on to Salomon by Thomas Linley Sr. (1733–1795), a Drury Lane oratorio concert director. Linley (sometimes called Lidley or Liddel) himself could have written this original English libretto, but scholarship by Edward Olleson, A. Peter Brown (who prepared a particularly fine "authentic" score) and H. C. Robbins Landon, tells us that the original writer remains anonymous.When Haydn returned to Vienna, he turned this libretto over to Baron van Swieten. The Baron led a multifaceted career as a diplomat, librarian in charge of the imperial library, amateur musician, and generous patron of music and the arts. He is largely responsible for recasting the English libretto of The Creation in a German translation (Die Schöpfung) that Haydn could use to compose. He also made suggestions to Haydn regarding the setting of individual numbers. The work was published bilingually (1800) and is still performed in both languages today. Haydn himself preferred for the English translation to be used when the work was performed for English-speaking audiences.Van Swieten was evidently not a fully fluent speaker of English, and the metrically-matched English version of the libretto has given rise to criticism and various attempts at improvement. Indeed, the English version is sufficiently awkward that the work is sometimes performed in German even in English-speaking countries. One passage describing the freshly-minted Adam’s forehead ended up, “The large and arched front sublime/of wisdom deep declares the seat”. The discussion below quotes the German text as representing van Swieten's best efforts, with fairly literal renderings of the German into English; for the full versions of both texts see the links at the end of this article. The first performances in 1798 were sponsored by a group of noble citizens, who paid the composer handsomely for the right to stage the premiere (Salomon briefly threatened to sue, on grounds that the English libretto had been translated illegally). The performance was delayed until late April - the parts were not finished until Good Friday - but the completed work was rehearsed before a full audience on April 29. The first public performance the next day was a private affair, but hundreds of people crowded into the street around the Schwarzenberg Palace to hear this eagerly anticipated work. Admission was by invitation only. Those invited included wealthy patrons of the arts, high government officials, prominent composers and musicians, and a sprinkling of the nobility of several countries; the common folk, who would have to wait for later occasions to hear the new work, so crowded the streets near the palace that some 30 special police were needed to keep order. Many of those lucky enough to be inside wrote glowing accounts of the piece. In a letter to the Neue teutsche Merkur, one audience member wrote: "Already three days have passed since that happy evening, and it still sounds in my ears and heart, and my breast is constricted by many emotions even thinking of it." The first public performance at Vienna’s Burgtheater on 19 March 1799 was sold out far in advance, and Die Schöpfung was performed nearly forty more times in the city during Haydn’s lifetime. It had its London premiere the next year, in an English translation, at the Covent Garden Theatre. The last performance Haydn attended was on March 27 1808, just a year before he died: the aged and ill Haydn was carried in with great honour on an armchair. According to one account, the audience broke into spontaneous applause at the coming of "light" and "Papa" Haydn, in a typical gesture weakly pointed upwards and said: "Not from me - everything comes from up there!" Remarkably, The Creation was also performed more than forty times outside Vienna during his lifetime: elsewhere in Austria and Germany, throughout England, and in Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Russia and the United States. A typical performance lasts about one hour and 45 minutes.The Creation is set for three vocal soloists (soprano, tenor, and bass), four-part chorus (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), and a large Classical orchestra consisting of 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, and the usual string sections of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. For the recitatives a harpsichord or fortepiano is also used.There seems little doubt that Haydn wanted a big sound (by the standard of his day) for his work. Between the private premieres for nobles and the public premiere in 1799, Haydn added extra instrumental parts to the work. The forces for the public premiere numbered about 120 instrumentalists and 60 singers.The three soloists represent angels who narrate and comment on the successive six days of creation: Gabriel (soprano), Uriel (tenor), and Raphael (bass). In Part III, the role of Adam is usually sung by the same soloist as sings Raphael, and the roles of Gabriel and Eve are also taken by the same singer (this was the practice Haydn followed); however, some conductors prefer to cast each of the five roles with a different soloist. The choral singers are employed in a series of monumental choruses, several of them celebrating the end of one particular day of creation. The orchestra often plays alone, notably in the episodes of "tone-painting": the appearance of the sun, the creation of various beasts, and above all in the overture, the famous depiction of the Chaos before the creation.

Instantanés

One more second

On the night of 31st of December, the hourglass went crazy because it had to stay 2 seconds on the same second. In his office, the astronomer takes care very carefully of the Earth’s rotation. And, when needed, puts the clock “on time” every 3 of 4 years about. He then confirmed that 2008, at 11:59:59 p.m., had one more second. It’s in Paris that is decided those jumps of seconds, then applied worldwide. But if you ever enter the office of this astronomer, you’ll be disappointed : no big clock, no time machine. Only an old alarm clock, lost at the corner of the desk, under paperwork. He will then explains you that there are many ways to calculate the time. But since 1970, we stopped to take the Earth as a reference, too much unpredictable with its rotations. Instead, we use the atomic clock (based on the vibrations of the atom). This system is more precise and stable and has no controversial today. But time to time, we need to adjust the atomic clock with the Earth to avoid a big gap between both of them. The tolerated gap is maximum 0,9 second. End 2008, the gap was 0,6 and the guy says that we could have waited one more year. But they prefer to take care of it now, in case the Earth decides abruptly to turn faster. Because we don’t mess with the time. It’s even a very serious subject which has its international seminars and other diplomatic meetings. In the 1950’s, 15 minutes were not that important. Nowadays, every nanosecond (one milliard of a second) is important. To position a satellite, for example, A mistake of a second and the machine makes 5 kilometers more. For the stock exchange transactions : can you imagine if every trader does not have the same time ? Numbers of deals you can make in less than a second ? But sometimes, those little jump in the time can create some technical troubles. That is to say, a few months ago, the car manufacturer Volvo, had to call, in order to make any mistake in the programming of the new GPS. Some countries, like United States, would like, instead of jumping one second every 3-4 years, to add one hour every millennium. This is political and no scientifical considerations. Everybody wants to rule the time.Anyway, more essential question : but where is the famous “talking clock” ? Actually, not very far, in the building opposite, at the office of the physicians, guardians of the atomic hour. The time to be lost in corridors, and you will find yourself in a room, where it is controled the time reference. It’s a very small room with a lot of noisy machines, nothing extraordinary. This little grey box with black buttons, is the “talking clock” but we needed only half a second to see it. A physician came to see us and confirmed we can’t get in “ reserved domain” . In the end, we don’t mess with the time.

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The gay peril

For his traditional Christmas’ speech, the pope presents the “sex’ confusion” as a threat for the survival of humanity as bad as the climatic changes. In the name of the “natural law”. On the 22nd of December, the pope announces that humans must be straight and only wear trousers when they are male (what is he wearing, by the way ? anyone ?..., I guess he wants to be the only to give himself the right to wear something else) and dresses when they are female. He says that “the order of creation” is questioned by what we commonly call “gender”. In other terms, the pope disagrees with the fact that people born with a dick can behave themselves like women, to transvestite themselves, even feminize themselves, physically or sexually. And women must dress and behave themselves following the rule of the “natural law”, it means that they have to get married (with a man, you understood) to give him children (you read correctly). You can perfectly understand that this speech brought a lot of negative reactions from the gay community, and even more after the decision of the Vatican, to refuse to associate itself together with 66 countries at the UNO for the call to decriminalize universally homosexuality, last 18th December. American bishops and commissions of the Vatican already spoke about the notion of gender but it is the first time that the pope talks openly about it. It means that the church allows itself to play now the role to remind to the people this “natural law” established by God to protect man against its own destruction (not less !) like it defends the earth, water and air of ecological threats. But, exactly, of which « natural law » do we speak here ? Let’s have a quick look at mother nature and we can see that this union male – female is not as natural as it shows because the nature, long ago, for about 95% known of animals and vegetation, decided that there is much more simple to do, meaning reproduction is made without sexuality. Species avoid creating 2 types of cellule (spermatozoon and all this story), and inventing this big strange machine of desire, wasted energy for seduction and copulation. And I will not talk here about the bacteria’s system, which is there since beginning of earth. And is this division between male and female strictly observed by nature ? apparently not. I’m sure you all saw cows in heat climbing on the back of the nearest one, rats when they are stressed take part to gay orgies and I don’t mention dogs with a strong libido climbing on other dogs, no care if it is male, female, cut or not, your leg, the hand rail. All this means that nature has no morality. Thanks to Darwin, we know that nature is a machine working by trials and mistakes.

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Weihnachtsplätzchen

In winter, mostly in december when the weather is grey, Berlin dives in the night at 3 :00 p.m. . Then the balconies and windows are illuminated of decorations, all very tacky. With all its colours and dazzling stars, Berlin looks like a huge Luna Park. In my area, there is some kind of competition. The sky full of stars in golded paper of the third floor competes with the hilarious Christmas fathers, all in line (they are many of them, didn’t you know ?) in their nylon forest of Christmas trees (of course) of the groundfloor. Opposite on the balcony, you can see a little Jesus that ignites and goes out, without being tired, all day and all night. It can drive you mad. In the building, the marathon that leads to the 24th of December, begins a month before, you have to know. On the 20th of November, at 10:00 o’clock, precisely, a slight net with a cinnamon flavour climbs one by one the stairs. The day after, it’s a vanilla veil (of an endless sweetness) that caress the walls. Then comes the spined flavour of the orange. 4 days later, the almonds and nuts. The fifth day, the luxurious flavour of melt chocolate. The sixth, an exquisite steam of caramel is posing in the entire street. On the seventh day, my far-sighted neighbour of the first floor, fills endless of aluminium boxes of her Weihnachtsplätzchen, those little cakes for Christmas. She has good consciousness. At my place, at the same time of year, is still chaos before the world’s creation and a sad olfactive neutrality. The manufacturing of those little cakes for Christmas with the family, friends, at work, school, is a ritual that says a lot about the German mentality. In December, It’s as if all the living forces of the country that we say exhausted, in lethargy, depressed, crise’s minded, burst out in the warmth intimacy of the kitchen. As if all this creative energy, loaded during 11 months of the year, frees itself frenetically, furiously, between the pastry roller and the oven. Already in the end of summer, every magazine produces its special issue for its Weihnachtsplätzchen, and famous chefs gives its secret recipe. Because your little cakes can’t be only gritted cake’s commonplace. Everyone creates its own collection. And here is a nation of silversmith, lacemaker or mason that chisel, shape, stick licorice laces, spinkle like a painter , multicolored glitter on snail’s shell in almond paste, assemble very small chocolate and vanilla squares, only to build a domino. So you can see caramel towers, gingerbread pyramids, architectures in chocolate or fruits, fantastical constructions. The Weihnachtsplätzchen has nothing to do with the black English pudding. Nothing to do with the panetone or the French Christmas cake, suffocating under tons of cream. Gracious, those Weihnachtsplätzchen reveal the fantasy and the humor of their creators (yes, German can have humor). I know nobody who can resist them (to the cakes, not the German). Those who in the country make critics about the Christmas tree, the decoration of the windows, will be the first to dive for a cinnamon star. No cynic ever refused a coconut snowball. Unforgettable, those Kipferl, sort of croissant of nut and almond paste. Respected of all people, in this story repeating, you discover the true nature of the German, full of tradition, perfectionists, innovating. The collective manufacturing of those Weihnachtsplätzchen has also therapeutics virtues in this country, paralysed with anguish. Outside, the rain knock against the window and the wind bends the naked tree in the courtyard. There is a frontier between the smelly warm inside world and the dangers of the city outside. Sometimes, an echo of the outside world comes inside. Money is bad ? quick, let’s take another coriander piece in a bath of dark chocolate. The stock exchange is falling down ? Let’s make some white ice eggs. No growth next year ? In the kitchen, the cheeks are red, sweat is on the face, fingers manufacture a paste’s model. Actually, the Weihnachtsplätzchen are like a Prozac , efficient and without any secondary effects for the German.

Instantanés

Wishes

For all it takes, I wish you all a wonderful happy new year 2009. Here started already the fireworks thing so the city is like in fire. Some people celebrate inside but some other celebrate outside and at midnight, for the change of the year, It will be such a noise and light show because all will go outside and fire those fireworks. My advice, stay where you are ! Happy new year

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The magical fly

Because we have a little rest between Christmas and New Year's Eve, this is a penis Homoerotic story (the true one), magical organ, symbol of wealth, fecundity and happiness (of course). Between 35000 and 45000 years ago, men and women are represented only by their sex. Penis and vulva. All is symbolism, they use, to fight, wood pieces “decorated” with erected penis and testicles. It must be straight, we must see it, to hurt at the first hit to guarantee the survival of the tribe. 3000 years before JC in Egypt, in order to celebrate the cult of the bull Apis (God of fecondity), we’re looking all around the country, a young bull with "out of norms" genitals. The bull, arrived in the city of Memphis with triomphal celebration, must stay in a temple with a harem of cows, its concubines. 2000 years before JC, in Britanny, France, sterile women like to rub their belly with menhir dust and dance around erected stones. Greek and Roman give a cult to the phallus, represented with different forms and shapes in the house, in the street, at the temple and in the fields. Boundary-stones, ornamented by erections, protect houses and fields. Penis are on the doors and are used as road signals to give the right direction. Ancient Hebrews have difficulties to quit their cults to the phallus that their fathers shared with the entire civilization of Middle East : as soon as Moïse leaves, they build again gold sexes and dildos for their pleasure. Godefroy de Bouillon makes a present to the city of Antwerpen with the foreskin of the Christ that he brought back from Palestine. 1505, Leonardo da Vinci makes a fundamental discovery. He establishes that It is blood that makes your dick so hard and not air. King of France, Charles IX puts his fly visible by stuffing it with impressive proportions. The poor Villandri touches it by accident and is condemned. We don’t mess with royal jewels. 1540, King Henri VIII asks to be painted with his armor which has a metall shell as big as a fore arm. It’s the strenght of the sovereign. XIXe century : in Saintes (french Charente), Palm Sunday is called « pines celebration ». We give to the participants biscuits with the design of a phallus, that are eaten religiously. At the end of the 60’s, Jim Morrison fakes to open his fly in front of fans in Miami. His trip is interrupted by policemen. But some, in (under ?) ecstasy, confirmed having seen his penis. Legend tells Elvis Presley (the King of Pelvis) is risen. Did rock stars took the place of Jesus ? At the end of the 70’s, Elridge Cleaver, ex-black Panther, strikes again « social castration », throwing jeans with a big shell sewn on the front, with the design of a penis. In 1971, the fan Cynthia « Plaster Caster » affirms herself as an artist : she mould erected penis of 41 rock stars, among them Jimi Hendrix and most of all Clint Poppie, singer of the Dead Kennedys, who wins the price of the biggest … moulding. 1973 : Surgeon Scott invents the support, air blown with a pomp. These are flexible sticks in the penis, like bones. We can make them rigid thanks to the pomp put inside the testcles. In 1997, Mrs Bobbit cuts the penis of her husband and throws it on the motorway. We find back the organ, just in time, to graft it back and Mr Bobbit, restored, makes two acts in porn. At the same time, a majority of american teenagers, thinks that a blow-job is not a sexual act. Brought up with porn, they resume sexuality at the unique penetration, in its version, the most caricatural. The big penis of the porn stars has replaced the phallus, sacred and mystical. In 2008, Viagra celebrate its 10 years anniversary. Created to cure the angina pectoris, it is better known as a sexual stimulator. More than 50% of spams are advertising for Viagra and derivates (Cialis, Levitra, and numerous generic versions). More than 500 milliards of spams are blocked by some providers before they reach your email. Most of them are called “get bigger”, “Is your partner happy ?”, “some more centimeters ?” and strengthened the man in its belief that he must have a long time hard on (a strong one) if he wants to give pleasure. As if there was no other way to have sex ! As if the man is the only responsible of the pleasure ! As if sexuality was resumed only by the penetration ! Conclusion : penis has historically triumphed of the vulva, that It puts on second figure. The recent revolution of the women’s condition, puts it back to its normal place, as equal, as an organ of pleasure and procreation, role that It must learn to share. But things like Viagra have the risk to give it back, a too much trust with itself, erasing the fear of the failure, and comfort it in its will of exclusive domination. 2009 : long live the vulva and long live the penis !

An easier affair

Here comes one for the ladies

For the ones who love me

To think I thought I could be some kind of family man

I told myself I was straight

But I shouldn't have worried

Cos my Maker had a better plan for me

And I'm dancing with the freaks now I'm havin', I'm havin' so much fun

What you sow is what you reap now

I'll do my dance with everyone

I've been getting too much Sun (Yes I'm dancin' with the freaks now)

We're havin', we're havin' too much fun for them

Look who's talking Guilty feet now

Well let me tell you people It's An easier affair

Not living my life with other people on my mind

No, got nothing to hide from anyone

Yes, I'm walking on new air

Just living my life

Better believe I'm gonna get what's mine

See I don't have the time

For the haters

And all the time that I wasted

How careless of me

Too young and stupid to see I put my life in their hands (Gonna look for Cupid, man)

Oh, and I know that they want me to hate them

There's no hurry

I'll just have to be the bigger man

Dancin' with the freaks now I'm havin', I'm havin' so much fun

What you sow is what you reap now

I'll do my dance with everyone

I've been getting too much Sun

If I turn the other cheek now

Would that be, would that be too much fun for them?

Look who's talking Guilty feet now

Well let me tell you people It's An easier affair

Not livin' my life with other people on my mind

No, got nothing to hide from anyone

Cos I'm walking on new air

Just living my life

Better believe I'm gonna get what's mine

See I don't have the time for the haters

Don't let them tell you who you are is not enough
Don't let them tell you that it's wrong

Or that you won't find love

Don't let them use my life to put your future down

Don't let them tell you that happiness can't be found

For my life

Take it to the streets

There are stories you can keep

They're just passing you by

Don't let them tell you who you are is not enough

Don't let them tell you that it's wrong

Or that you won't find love

Don't let them use my life to put your future down

Don't let them tell you that happiness can't be found.

Fireworks

Christmas is now gone and there is still the next step to go before all this ceremony thing is over until next year. There is a difference between Christmas and New Year's Eve and that is the noise : Christmas is very quiet and I was very surprised, driving the bicycle through the city to attend my dinner-out, that the city was so quiet and empty. When I came back, of course, some bars were opened and almost full but the city remained quiet and comfy. Next step will not be the same as it is tradition to make as much noise as you can ... with fireworks. Meaning all night, probably a bit before and surely long after, we will hear 24/7 fireworks exploding everywhere. That is why you can see throughout the city, a lot of shops, usually not that coloured, flourishing of hard red adds on their windows because they sell fireworks. It is very regulated and they are allowed to sell those big quantities one time a year and It is very lucrative. After dinner, when midnight will be soon the time to go from a year to another, all people will go out on the street and start to fire. The people, the noise, the smell and tutti quanti ... my advice : stay home.

Horrifying gay amateur interiors

Lurid Digs : you will not believe what you're about to see ... or read. It's always easy to critisize what's in there on those pictures. But if It is the taste of the guy, why not ? You're not leaving in there. He does. So while critics is on Its way, nobody thinks of the interiors of the writer ... which I would intrigued to see, of course, just to be curious. Nevertheless, not my taste but sometimes surprising and funny.

Wiehnachtskonzert Berliner Dom Dec. 2008

Dom

There is a highlight once a year when It comes to concert : the Christmas concert by Rundfunkchor Berlin at the Dom. In German, Weihnachtskonzert, Berliner Dom. It is sacred music so we know the mood of the season will be fantastic. The one last year was absolutly fabulous (there is the recording on a previous post) but I'm still searching for one for this year's concert. It is planned to start at 8:00 p.m. but we know we are allowed a few minutes late because It is broadcasted live on German radio, after the news. Then silence comes and all stands still. We can, because we come from outside so we don't feel too much the cold of inside the cathedral yet. The Berliner Dom or Berlin Cathedral was built between 1895 and 1905. It faces the Lustgarten and the Berliner Stadtschloss (Berlin City Palace), soon rebuilt at the place of the Palaz der Republik, former DDR parliament, being destroyed at this very time. The first church built near here in 1465 was the court chapel for the Hohenzollern family within the castle complex. Later the church of the Dominican Order (Schwarze Brüder), located at the south side of the castle, was used as the first cathedral. The first church at this site was a baroque cathedral by Johann Boumann, which was completed in 1747 and in 1822, it was remodelled in the neoclassicist style by the Berlin architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The choir arrives from the right side and once in the center dispatches itself in four parts, front, rear, both sides. The conductor arrives and then it starts. Meaning you don't have the sound in stereo, but in quadriphonie. Amazing. Although the programm this year was very strong, It might have been maybe too difficult for us to follow sometimes. Last year, there was less difficulties but more emotion. I guess the children choir made a difference as well. This year was more intimate. Maybe the public was not as receptive (you know ...) as last year neither. We had this conversation with a friend and we thought the same. Nevertheless, high quality and a lot of pleasure. Always a must.

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