Jim Pasto, teaches at Boston University and University of Massachusetts, Boston.
An example of a person really invested in knowledge and the civilized life.
We add this letter that responded to a post dated May 18, 2018
Dom,
I loved this post – but then I love them all.
What hit me most was my own connection to “chromaticism.” I came to classical music through a girlfriend when I was in my mid-twenties. I grew up on the music of my generation – rock, Motown, with Sinatra, Martin and Lou Monte thrown in. I never heard much classical music till I lived with her. She had been a music teacher. She liked the famous composers, the usual: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Schubert, etc.
I started my classical music interest listening to these but then drifted into more neo-Romantic composers who brought in the chromatacism that you talk about. I discovered that there is a whole world of classical composers – dozens if not scores – who were famous in their time and wrote wonderful works, but who are just not played on classical music stations or widely promoted. I like many of them because of their chromatic elements, which makes them all the more interesting to listen to for me. I think the chromaticism is what evokes the deep emotion I feel in the music – for me anyone.
I noticed you had some Debussy (and Chopin) in the musical mix at dinner on Wednesday. It was lovely music by the way, and contributed to the harmonious atmosphere of the evening.
Here are some links to works you might appreciate that are very impressionistic:
Jean Cras – Four Impromptus for Harp: https://youtu.be/IJHOziU-w60
Joseph Jongen – Pieces for en trio for flute, harp, and cello: https://youtu.be/sZBxAX8QCCk
Arnold Bax – Elegiac Trio for flute, viola, and harp: https://youtu.be/tj7_XukxgK0
And here is another by Jean Cras, the fourth movement to his Piano Quintet. A lot of chromaticism – and he even goes to the pentatonic scale at about 2 minutes and 50 seconds: https://youtu.be/ppDn8uztKgc
Cras was an Admiral in the French navy. He wrote many of his pieces while at sea. His opera Polyphème is lovely.
You also spoke about food in your post, of course. I have so many fond memories of cooking and eating while listening to classical music, alone or with company. I have to say I consider myself lucky to have been introduced to classical music. It is not better than other music and all music can touch the heart. I just think it is a genre that many of us today do not connect with because we don’t give it the time that it needs to settle into our souls. Once it does…well, a new realm opens up.
Heaven to me is Italian food and chromatic classical music.
Your blog touches on so many things and touches the heart in so many ways. Thank you.
Jim