Art should comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable.

What a blessing it is to enjoy music – on both listening and performing ends – at public pianos.

Let me recount some memorable encounters while I was plonking away at the keys.

“my father is dead”

• Venue: National Library Building, Singapore. Level 1, Lobby
• Song request: “Golden Hour” by JVKE
• Requester: a young lady, age-wise, maybe in her late twenties

“My father is dead. Before he died, he used to play this song for me. Can you play it?”

“sure, I can't play it fluently, as I'm unfamiliar with it, but I can try.”

“Thank you.”

“my mother likes it”

• Venue: Tan Tock Seng Hospital, atrium, facing the food court
• Song request: “Always with me (theme song from the anime, Spirited Away)“, by Joe Hisashi
• Requester: middle-aged lady, standing next to her elderly mother, who was seated in a wheelchair

“excuse me, can I request something? My mother likes this song. It's from an anime.”

(thinks to myself) your mother likes anime?!

“sure, I can try. I'll play it slowly though.”

“let me buy dinner for you”

• Venue: National Library Building, Singapore. Level 1, Lobby
• Request: “Love story” by Taylor Swift
• Requester: young Chinese-looking male, appearing to be in mid-thirties of age

Thinking on hindsight – I wasn't used to being paid, but okay, no problem, I can try letting others pay me. The gentleman took me to a road-side food stall, some fifteen minutes' walk away from the piano. He also gave me SGD$1.50 in coins, to buy myself a drink at a vending machine.

Thank you, kind sir.

“I like Studio Ghibli”

• Venue: Orchard MRT Station, near the corridor facing Wisma Atria
• Song request: any song from a Studio Ghibli anime. I picked “The changing seasons (theme song from the anime, Kiki's Delivery Service)“, by Joe Hisaishi
• Requester: a young lady, who appeared to be in her mid-twenties

She was very enthusiastic in recording my performance with her smart-phone's video-recording function. She was recording the video for such a long duration that I worried that her phone would run out of (digital) storage space.

After my performance ended, she shyly handed me a little key-chain, and then blushed, her face turning a deep crimson in colour. The key-chain featured a figurine of Totoro, the panda-like character from another Studio Ghibli anime, My Neighbour Totoro.

References

1. “Find a public piano to play.” https://pianos.pub/
2. “Play it Forward Singapore: Public Piano Movement in Singapore. Public pianos around Singapore for all to play!” https://playitforwardsg.org/
3. “The Creative Economy: Arts, Cultural Value and Society in practice”. a book by Ashley, and Loh, et al. Publisher: ‎ Routledge. Publication date: ‎ May 8, 2024

#piano #lists

I decided to organise a performance featuring those young pianists – and myself. Money was not in the picture – the venue was free, and these pianists were enthusiastic – even when they knew they would not be paid in money.

Long story short, we had a great time, performers and audience alike. One of the performers is now in the U.S.A., pursuing a Master's Degree (in the History of Economics, if I remember correctly) and he said that this concert was one of his best memories of Singapore.

From a bigger perspective – I hope this sparks a change, a movement – from commodity-transactions to gift-circulations. A transaction requires a “exchange price”, between both parties, whereas a gift makes no demand on the recipient; it is unconditional. Think of the difference between a gift community, and a commodity marketplace.

further reading

• Written by Lewis Hyde. “The gift: How the creative spirit transforms the world.”
• Michael Sandel. “What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets”.
• Sheila Liming. (2023). “Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time”.
• Randy Pausch. (2008). “The last lecture”.

#piano

#lists #piano

But, may glory be to God, and not to men. God gives skills, talent and craftsmanship to wretched, unworthy creatures like myself.

1. O what a friend we have in Jesus
2. Amazing grace
3. Be thou my vision
4. Living hope (popularised by Phil Wickham).
5. Oceans (popularised by Hillsong).
6. How great thou art
7. How great is our God (popularised by Chris Tomlin).

#piano #lists

I've been stumbling upon publicly available pianos, and practising on them.

Slowing developing my repertoire.

1. A waltz from the 19th century A.D., by Granados: Valses poéticos, No. 5: Elegante.
2. Für Elise, by Beethoven.
3. Danube Waltz, by Strauss.
4. To Zanarkand, by Nobuo Uematsu.
5. Garibaldi Courtyard, by Yamane Michiru.
6. Forbidden Love, from a Japanese television-drama.
7. Moonlight Densetsu, theme song from an anime, Sailor Moon.
8. Hedwig's Theme, from a movie, Harry Potter.
9. La chanson d'Hélèn, from a French movie, titled “Les Choses De La Vie” (“The Things of Life”). Composed by Philippe Sarde.
10. “First love”, a Japanese Pop song by Utada Hikaru.
11. Tchaikovsky's Nocturne, Op. 19, No. 4.
12. Chopin's posthumous Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, B. 49.
13. Brahms's Romanze, Op. 118, No. 5.
14. “Bratja (Brothers)”, a theme song from an anime, Full Metal Alchemist.
15. Clockwork, a soundtrack from a video-game named “Castlevania III”.
16. 菊花台，a song popularised by 周杰伦.
17. 夕陽之歌，popularised by 梅艷芳.
18. 月亮代表我的心，popularised by 邓丽君.
19. Sakura Prelude, a Japanese folk song.
20. Chan Mali Chan, a Malay folk song.
21. Be Thou My Vision, a traditional song of religious worship (that praises the God of the Bible).
22. “Home”, a local Pop song. Popularised by Kit Chan, and composed by Dick Lee.
23. Prelude in C Major, BMV 846, by Bach
24. “Yea, though I walk (Psalm 23)”. by: Kristi Kruse.

What's next? Considering a choice from the following:

• The Entertainer
• Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (R.I.P. Sakamoto Ryuichi)
• Moonlight Sonata (dare I try?)
• Revolutionary Etude, by Chopin.
• a curious composition that I have stumbled upon: Six Ecossaises, WoO 83. Composed by Beethoven.
• Italienisches Konzert, BMV 971. By: J.S. Bach.
• Bądarzewska-Baranowska. “The Maiden's Prayer”, Op. 4
• “La Campanella”, by Liszt. (Dare I try?)
• an arrangement of a famous song, titled Hallelujah, with music and lyrics by one Leonard Cohen.
• Keyboard Sonata in A Minor, K. 3, by Domenico Scarlatti. (Circa 1685 to 1757 Anno Domini).
• Sonata in F sharp minor K.25, L.481, by Domenico Scarlatti.
• Klindworth's arrangement, for two hands on piano, of Mozart's posthumous Requiem.
• Rachmaninoff's Elegie, Op. 3, No. 1.
• Brahms' Intermezzo in A Minor, Op. 116, No. 2. (circa 1892 to 1893 A.D.)
• Brahms. Rhapsody in G Minor, Op. 79.
• Brahms. Sixteen Waltzes, Op. 39
• Bach's Prelude in D Minor, BMV 875.
• Bach. Prelude and Fugue in E-flat minor, No. 8, BMV 853.
• Fauré. Nocturne No. 2 in B Major, Op. 33, No. 2.
• Gabriel Fauré. Nocturne in e-flat minor, Op. 33, No. 1.

Anyway, thank you to all the composers of the above music, and thank you to the makers of all the pianos I've played on. I'm just a drop in the ocean of humanity.

#PlagueDiary #Piano #Lists

1. Nocturne by Tchaikovsky
2. Clair de lune, by Debussy
3. A duet by J.S. Bach
4. “Kiss the rain”, by Yiruma
5. “Maybe”, by Yiruma
6. Ballade pour Adeline, by Richard Clayderman
7. Pathetique Sonata, 2nd Movement. By Beethoven.
8. Raindrop Prelude, by Chopin.
9. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BMV 846.
10. “Ocean”, by Chopin.
11. Theme song from a movie: Pirates of the Caribbean.
12. Canon in D, by Pachelbel.
13. A soundtrack from a Korean television-drama, Winter Sonata.
14. “My destiny”, a soundtrack from a Korean television-drama.
15. “I miss you”, a Korean Pop song by Kim Bum Soo.
16. “SkyFall”, theme song from a movie, James Bond.
17. “Comptine D'un Autre Été, L'après-Midi”, by Yann Tiersen.
18. A soundtrack from a movie, Interstellar. Composed by Hans Zimmer.
19. Liebestraum (“Love Dream”), by Liszt.
20. “Cruel Angel's Thesis”, the theme song of an anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion.
21. Nocturne in E Flat, by Chopin.
22. Mazurka in A Minor, by Chopin.
23. Nocturne in C-sharp minor, B.49, Op. Posthumous. By: Chopin.
24. “I dreamed a dream”, a song from a musical, Les Miserables.
25. Theme song of the ending credits of an anime, titled “86”
26. “Magic waltz”, part of the soundtrack from a movie, titled: “The Legend of 1900 (Italian: La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano)“.
27. “手紙 (Tegami)”, soundtrack from a Japanese movie, titled: “くちびるに歌を, Kuchibiru ni uta o (Have a song on your lips)”.
28. Bach. BMV 974: Concerto in D Minor. 2nd Movement: Adagio.
29. “Golden Hour”.
30. Schumann. “Träumerei” or “Dreaming” (from the album Kinderszenen or “Scenes from Childhood”), Op. 15, No. 7.
31. Schubert. “Ständchen”. (Lyrics are there.)
32. “Autumn leaves”. In the genre of jazz.
33. Bach. Prelude and Fugue in B Flat Minor, BMV 867.
34. Claude Debussy's Reflets dans l'eau (“Reflections in the Water”).
35. Beethoven's Piano Sonata, No. 1, Movements 3 and 4.
36. Bach's Goldberg Variations, BMV 988, variatio 5.
37. “Early spring”, a Japanese song.
38. Ravel. “Le Tombeau de Couperin”.
39. Chopin. Etudes Op. 25, No. 7
40. an Impromptu by Schubert
41. a Piano Sonata by Mozart
42. a Polonaise by Chopin

#Piano #Lists

1. Dvořák Symphony #5
2. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in Cm, Op 18
3. Beethoven's 7th Symphony in A Major?
4. Eroica
5. Beethoven's 5th piano concerto, 'Fate'
6. Tchaikovsky, 'Pathetique'. Symphony no. 6 in Bm, Op. 74
7. Liszt's Mephisto Waltz No. 1, 'Dance in the village inn'
8. Edward Elgar Sonata for violin and piano in E Minor, Op 82
9. Mozart's Concerto for oboe and orchestra in C major (K. 314)
10. Brahms Symphony No. 1. C Minor Op. 68
11. Schumann Op. 115 'Manfred Overture'
12. Schubert piano sonata No. 16 in Am D. 845
13. J.S. Bach. Well-tempered Clavier No. 2. No. 16 in Gm. BMV885
14. Chopin Etude Op. 10-4
15. Liszt Études d'exécutíon transcendante No. 5 'Feux follets'
16. Debussy “the isle of joy”
17. Brahms 'Paganini variations' Op. 35-1
18. Ravel 'Phantoms of the night '
19. Beethoven's Symphony No. 7
20. Stravinsky. Three movements from Petrouchka.
21. Beethoven. Sonata No. 23 in Fm, Op. 57 'Appassionata'
22. Schumann. Sonata No. 2 in Gm, Op. 22
23. Debussy. Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune.
24. Sarasate. 'Carmen Fantasy'.
25. R. Strauss. 'Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche'.
26. Chopin. Preludes Op. 28 No. 21

#lists #piano #lunaticus #TinyLetter #literature