"Les Baricades Mistérieuses" by Couperin

Though I can't really give the film a rave review (first I have to figure out its meaning), I fell in love with this piano piece, and appreciated the role music played in the story:



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Chopin, Nocturne in E-flat Major, opus 9 no.2

In my opinion, this piece by Chopin captures life's bittersweet reality better than any other song. Watching this visual video is a helpful reminder that there are highs and lows constantly playing together in the symphony of time. At any given moment, on any given day, we can point to something good but also point to something difficult.

I believe theologian John Piper said something to the effect that there is no unadulterated joy in this life, yet there is no sorrow so deep that light cannot break through it. I think Chopin decided to say it without using words:

Australians Discover 14 New Notes on Piano

I heard this on NPR this morning, and I was glad to hear that even something as standard as the grand piano still has room to grow.

Apparently there is a piano maker in Australia (Stuart Pianos) who decided that the 88 key piano as we know it is insufficient. Instead of only going lower by adding nine additional notes beneath the low A key, they also tacked on five

It sounds like the main benefit to the overall sound is that the notes' harmonics have more room to play. Result: a potentially fuller and crisper sound. I'm just curious what Rachmaninoff could have done with the extra notes.

Listen to the story, or read the transcript here.

Keep writing,

Ben