Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Quilapayun

Neruda Productions presents Quilapayun , November 10, Kitchener.

Odd that Rzewski should have been in town only a few months ago. I have been listening obsessively to his The People United Will Never Be Defeated!, base on the song by Quilapayun. Isabella attended a talk by Rzewski, and he mentioned how the publishers of the song had come after him when he had recorded the song (Imagine! Socialists!). What he minded was that to them his variations were not considered original but merely an 'arrangement'. He ended up splitting the proceeds with the songwriter. "Music should be free!" said Rzewski, "and if it's not free, steal it!" He meant his own music. (A friend reported that shortly after this Rzewski's oeuvre began appearing on Demonoid.) This story is as Isabella told me and I remember it, so it may not be entirely complete or accurate.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Solidarity

Here. I have to write this down. Am reading The Primacy of Politics: Social Democracy and the Making of Europe's Twentieth Century by Sheri Berman and here's Corradini addressing the opening congress of the Italian Nationalist Association in 1910:
"For years and years the socialists ... have been preaching to the workers that it was in their interest to show solidarity with the workers of Cochin-China or Paraguay and to dissociate themselves completely from their employers and the Italian nation. We must drum it into the worker's heads that it is in their best interests to maintain solidarity with their employers and, above all, with their own country and to hell with solidarity with their comrades in Paraguay or Cochin-China"
And I just had to write that down. Because it is illuminating. Easy to disagree with but hard to resist the allure of -- this fuck the wretched of the Earth, what about us?

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Stephane Dion

I think the man needs to learn some poker. Not that I know any. But some people recommend it for just these situations. I'm sure David Mamet would urge it upon him.

Here's a line for him, from Henry V:

We would not seek a battle as we are,
yet as we are, we say we will not shun it.



Of course he may not want to use this line, as it is the English taunting the French, after all. But the sentiment and style are what's called for.

He needs to remind Mr. Harper that Canadians have elected a parliament in which every party is a minority -- that nevertheless Canadians expect the parties to co-operate in governing the country -- and that it is the height of arrogance to declare that bills offered by his government are complete, perfect, unalterable, irreplaceable and desperate necessities of our country. He should also remind Mr. Harper that it is not in his power to call an election; only the Governor-General may do so; and if Her Majesty's Representative sees fit to call on him, Stephane Dion, he would gladly attempt to form a government that can govern the country by making astute compromises with the other parties in parliament; yes, even Mr. Harper's.

Anyway, that's how I imagine a game of poker being played. But it's possible I am thinking of chess.