Welcome!
In 2020 much effort was taken to organize a playlist of the most important music (5fb3-deja-muse), timeless music, for all times. Following that, subsequent volumes would represent compositions and performances, supplementing the former. How many works, from what generas? How many volumes? These are tough questions, the answer is an amalgamation of careful study, practice, discovery, tools development, time effort balance, and some of the vitality that inspires all things.
A very significant effort has been taken to normalize the volume levels for a non-intrusive listening aesthetic. The EBU_R128 loudness normalization standard is incorporated in volume 2 and will be applied in the second release of the first volume. Additionally, appropriate compression profiles are applied to adapt a wide variety of source material (from old old vinyl to studio digital) and instrumentation (from solo baroque flute, to harpsichord, piano and orchestra) for an improved contiguous listening aesthetic.
Some selections have an altered tempo and/or pitch---for each alteration, there is an explanation. Generally, the intent is to remove avant-garde qualities, while accentuating timeless aspects; not to change the art, but minimizing the sensational to accentuate timeless genius.
These changes are intended help the works fit in the broader timeframe of today, verses the presentation that conforms to respective stylistic expectations of their age. Today more information is perceived as better, even though information overload is a concept we are all too familiar with. It is somewhat natural that modern attention will easily miss subtleties that make these selections timeless. Locatelli violin concertos are an extraordinary presentation of gesture and melody, careful study is required to appreciate them. Yet, their presentation is an apex of performance, not an introduction for modern ears. They are presented 10% slower and a full voice lower, so the subtleties and the high art of the original form can be heard. Ironically, in this case, less is more.
Certain tonal intermodulation is accentuated when performed with a baroque temperament (or rather, doesn't exist without it). Some compositions have a piercing element to accentuate an elegant novelty, which otherwise may have gone unnoticed, when originally presented. Some jazz standards have been been performed so slowly that it is difficult to recognize the melody. Today, All of these adjustments, as presented here, are intended to ring true the authenticity of the original, attenuating charisma of their age and accentuating the elements that make them timeless.
This is the optimal study sequence of the volumes (not their sorted sequence). Revisions to the various volumes are made, from time to time.
- 5fb3-deja-muse, volume 1, from Sun, 28 Feb 2021, is the only formally released volume, distinguished by notes linked here, vs only a file listing for the others. Some technical revisions are underway.
- 63d2-requeues, the second volume, is a logical extension of the first. It is on track for final release, but many additions, pruning, and balance changes are still planned.
- 5deb-melody-royal, the third volume, is it is a condensed presentation of the fourth volume. Unlikely there will be much content change, probably some technical revisions.
- 5d50-kindle-class, the fourth volume, is and marks the beginning of the effort to identify collections suitable for non-intrusive, continuous listening (aka timeless selections); for playback on a kindle reader and the foundation of the curation development workflow tool kit for playlist edification.
- 6344-Ithica, the fifth volume was divinely inspired. It is simply a collection of three CDs purchased in 1994 to memorialize a supernatural sign, rain, directing this musical curation. More on that later.
- 6350-forte-flute, volume six is a practice challenge of etudes. Many performances are re-tuned.
- 63e8-jazzmore, volume seven, is an extension of volume two with emphasis on jazz, and a side effect of pruning 63d2-requeues for release.
A breakout of the curation development workflow tool kit has commenced (for the download of recordings and release management)!
Questions and comments? george@galis.org
Enjoy!
-George
Initial 20221010 Mon 10 October 2022, rev 20230211, 20230418