Some Easter Listening Suggestions

With the shift to the sunny side of the Vernal Equinox (for those of us in the northern hemisphere) comes the occasion of spring and the Easter reflections on rebirth, resurrection and renewal. Every year around this time I try to put on a few works of music that either directly or indirectly relate to the spiritual expressions that expanding daylight hours provoke.

Passio by Arvo Part. This is an incredibly beautiful recording performed by the Hilliard Ensemble (bathed in rich ECM-flavored reverb). The text is an account of the resurrection story from the New Testament that unfolds in choral splendor for just over an hour. As an expression of devotion and love this work hints at intimidating depths of faith.

Requiem, op. 5 by Hector Berlioz. I first heard this work on an Easter Sunday as an undergraduate student and it has stuck with me ever since.

Mary Lou's Mass by Mary Lou Williams. Solemn devotion that swings.

Angel Song by Kenny Wheeler. With Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and flugelhorn, Lee Konitz on alto saxophone, Bill Frisell on guitar and Dave Holland on acoustic bass. This is a great quartet of musicians who each musically mean a great deal to me individually coming together to realize an inspired set of compositions by Wheeler.

Chrysalid Requiem by Toby Twining. Sacred prose set with incredible harmonic range. There's plenty for open ears to drink in with this one.

A Love Supreme by John Coltrane. Possibly the most sacred work of them all.

Scale of the Day: F 11, Square-root-of-2, Construct #1 - Lydian Mode

The F 11, Square-root-of-2, Construct #1 - Lydian Mode - Scale. This "simple" scale features an exquisitely beautiful 'dissonance' with a what sounds like a major seventh just over a quarter-tone sharp beating against that octave and nothing else. (Here it's actually spelled out as an octave that is 48.68 cents flat.) The 11/8 "tritone" is added to the 600-cent Square-root-of-2 "tritone" and falls just short of a full octave.

Scale of the Day: E 3, 5, Construct #1 - Lydian Mode - in Square-root-of-2-space

The E 3, 5, Construct #1 - Lydian Mode - in Square-root-of-2-space Scale.

Baseball Post: 3 picks - National League Aces

April 13
Doug Davis (MIL) vs. Jeff Suppan (0-1) (STL)
This is the final game of the inaugural series at St. Louis' gorgeous new ballpark. Doug Davis put together 208 strikeouts last year with a .500 record and shows a lot of promise. But the big draw for watching Brewer's games is that phenomenal closer - Derrick Turnbow. I'm hoping that guy turns in 50+ saves this year.
update: final score - MIL 4, STL 3 (11 innings) -- W Jorge De La Rosa, L - Jason Isringhausen, SV - Derrick Turnbow
This was the game of the day by any standard. It's good to see Turnbow picking up his fifth save of this young season but the story of this extra innings affair is clearly Carlos Lee as he pretty much won it single handedly with a wall climb to rob a would-be walk-off 2-run homer off the bat of Juan Encarnacion in the bottom of the 10th and then led off the top of the 11th with the home run that determined the outcome of the game. I'm trying to remember why I didn't put Lee on my fantasy team.
Doug Davis: 6.0IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 4SO, 0HR - ND
Jeff Suppan: 6.0IP, 5H, 3R, 1ER, 2BB, 2SO, 0HR - ND

April 14
Jason Schmidt (0-1) (SFG) vs. Brad Penny (2-0) (LAD)
actual: Jamey Wright (1-0) (SFG) vs. Brad Penny (2-0) (LAD)
The old Giants/Dodgers rivalry renews itself in Los Angeles this year with a couple of big game pitchers. Both these guys have some postseason pitching experience that I remember well. In particular I remember Penny's wins against the Yankees back in the 2003 World Series when he was a Marlin. Schmidt was also a winner in his World Series appearance in 2002 even though the Angels ultimately took that series.
update: final score - SFG 2, LAD 1 -- W - Jamey Wright, L - Hong-Chih Kuo, SV - Tim Worrell
After a rain delay to start the game it was Wright that actually took to the mound for the Giants as a pitching duel ensued. Randy Winn supplied one home run for San Francisco and Jeff Kent balanced it with a homer for Los Angeles. But in the end it was a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ray Durham that allowed Omar Vizquel to score the winning run for the Giants at the top of the ninth.
Jamey Wright: 8.0IP, 5H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 5SO, 1HR - W
Brad Penny: 6.0IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 4SO, 1HR - ND

April 15
Jake Peavy (1-1) (SD) vs. John Smoltz (0-1) (ATL)
Peavy was rocked by the Colorado Rockies (and some bad defense working behind him) in his last start on April 9. The Padres need this ace to get back to his dominating form. When he's on he's electric and incredible to watch. And Smoltz is still tough in the tail end of his Hall of Fame caliber career.
update: final score - SD 0, ATL 2 -- W - John Smoltz, L - Jake Peavy
This will be a long, long season if the Padres don't provide some kind of run support for their ace pitcher. This was a good, old fashioned pitcher's duel and complete game shutout performances tend to win games and that's what Smoltz delivered to get the better end of this short, well-pitched game.
Jake Peavy: 7.0IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 8SO, 1HR - L
John Smoltz: 9.0IP, 4H, 0R, 0ER, 2BB, 4SO, 0HR - W

Scale of the Day: E 3, 5, Construct #1 - Lydian Inversion

The E 3, 5, Construct #1 - Lydian Inversion - Scale.

Scale of the Day: E Flat Whole-tone 1% narrow

The E Flat Whole-tone 1% narrow Scale.

Scale of the Day: E Flat Whole-tone 2% wide

The E Flat Whole-tone 2% wide Scale.