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The opera chorus is in staging rehearsals for Samson et Dalila this week. In the story of Samson, the Philistines are the bad guys. Spoiler alert, everyone dies.
With all the Philistines walking around the stage I couldn’t help but recall a conversation I overheard between two philistines at a symphonic concert.
Philistine One: “Well you know, the Barber Adagio was used throughout the movie Platoon.”
Philistine Two: “Yes, yes, I remember that now.”
P1: “But you know, they never used the big climactic section of the music. I’m watching and just shaking my head because they’re missing the best part of that piece. How does that happen? Wasn’t there a music advisor? Surely if you’re using the adagio then you’re familiar with the entire piece.”
P2: “It makes you wonder what is wrong with culture in this country.”
Thankfully the conversation went a different direction but my thought was, “WTF?”
The climax of the movie comes when Willem Dafoe’s character is betrayed by Tom Berenger’s character and is left behind and killed--shot in the back. The music used is the climax of Barber’s Adagio. No one missed anything.
Perhaps we should wonder what’s wrong with the cultured in this country. This vignette made me wonder how much of the problem with culture in this country is created by the half-baked opinions of the half-cultured.
There’s no way to answer that one and for all I know I’m the one who has the half-baked opinion.
What was it Socrates was reported to have said? “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
Perhaps that’s sophistry but he makes a good point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue8VS-bcj88
The opera chorus is in staging rehearsals for Samson et Dalila this week. In the story of Samson, the Philistines are the bad guys. Spoiler alert, everyone dies.
With all the Philistines walking around the stage I couldn’t help but recall a conversation I overheard between two philistines at a symphonic concert.
Philistine One: “Well you know, the Barber Adagio was used throughout the movie Platoon.”
Philistine Two: “Yes, yes, I remember that now.”
P1: “But you know, they never used the big climactic section of the music. I’m watching and just shaking my head because they’re missing the best part of that piece. How does that happen? Wasn’t there a music advisor? Surely if you’re using the adagio then you’re familiar with the entire piece.”
P2: “It makes you wonder what is wrong with culture in this country.”
Thankfully the conversation went a different direction but my thought was, “WTF?”
The climax of the movie comes when Willem Dafoe’s character is betrayed by Tom Berenger’s character and is left behind and killed--shot in the back. The music used is the climax of Barber’s Adagio. No one missed anything.
Perhaps we should wonder what’s wrong with the cultured in this country. This vignette made me wonder how much of the problem with culture in this country is created by the half-baked opinions of the half-cultured.
There’s no way to answer that one and for all I know I’m the one who has the half-baked opinion.
What was it Socrates was reported to have said? “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
Perhaps that’s sophistry but he makes a good point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue8VS-bcj88