MINIATURES

  "Sturm und Drang" was an 18th-century German literary and artistic movement, serving as the precursor to the broader Romantic Movement that emerged in 19th-century Europe. Rizal's early education introduced him to readings on Graeco-Roman literature, Spanish classics, and French authors like Dumas. However, once he arrived in Europe, his literary horizons expanded significantly. He referenced literary figures such as Heinrich Heine, Friedrich Schiller, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his writings—authors associated with the German Sturm und Drang movement. In "Crisostomo Ibarra," Rizal created a character deeply rooted in the "Sturm und Drang" mold. Ibarra, a young and naive individual, possessed a belief in the power of reason and rationalism. He embarked on a mission to convey his ideas and ambitious plans to his homeland. Ibarra epitomized the mestizo figure, a product of the Age of Enlightenment and the sophisticated Asian response to liberal i...

  I often describe the symphony as "spielerisch" or playful. Although the opening theme of the 1st movement starts with a grand forte and vivace, the whole opus reminds one of the light hearted evenings of Vienna or the symphonic themes of his one time teacher, Papa Haydn. But above all this, it seems that Beethoven was telling us to take a deep breath, inhale (hinga muna), that eerie stillness and easy air before the coming of something gigantic -- the 9th. It was also the time when his mental faculties were greatly undermined by the deafness that engulfed him. Beethoven relied on a small notebook where people he conversed with could write their messages. He was by then getting detached with humanity because of this disability. He never really heard his last symphonies. Indeed tragic to anyone whose life is music. In the end, it's the same humanity he chose to do a "common union" , immortalizing with his music, the verses of Schiller that heralds the brotherh...