Here is performance information for the pianist without apologies. There are numerous excellent books for organists and harpsichordists from which I have been forced to extrapolate to the piano. Badura-Skoda exhaustively covers all facets of Bach performance on the piano: rhythm, articulation, tempo, and that endless bug-a-boo, ORNAMENTS! He is fearless in expressing his insight and opinion on ornaments and their execution. Musical examples are plentiful, avoiding the need to fetch scores. Of particular interest is his section on the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, a short chapter on 18th c. organ-barrels(!), and a Gouldian Imaginary Interview on the "Urtext Problem". "Interpreting Bach" is an informative reference book reminiscent of Rosenblum's "Performance Practices" in scope and ease of use. Well worth the investment for the pianist knocking on Bach's door seeking entry. Badura-Skoda can help open it for you.

Pardon me I was overcome with alliteration. This book is a brief but detailed synopsis of Bach's life and experiences. Good book for those who just want to learn about "The Man", but don't want to read a 300 page book. :) Has a complete BWV listing of his works!

J. A. Comenius: "The Labyrinth of the world and the paradise of the heart" (1623) Comenius gives a representation of his own life experiences in the 17th century. But "The Labyrinth" are in my opinion relevant also to-day, when educators discuss the present situation in our society and culture. Comenius confronts us with a series of critical questions. Examples: Chapter 7.4 : What is the true nature of man, behind the masks, behind the roles? Chapter 7.6 and 9.7-8 : Are the things we do and the things we produce and consume really useful and necessary? Chapter 7.8 : Are our physical surroundings, our institutions and social structures organized to prevent our fellow beings from stumbling and falling? Are we cynical to others and insensitive to the suffering of others? Comenius is not naively optimistic. He describes life as a labyrinth, a more difficult one than the classical Greek model. The entrance is our birth, the exit is our death. Both are blurred in darkness. People are moving towards the east, to the castle of Fortuna, to Happiness seen as wealth, pleasures and honour, and to the queen of the world: "Her Most Gracious Queen Wisdom", in Chapter 33.1 unveiled as Vanity, with painted, swollen face, a foul breath and a disgusting body. The pilgrim in "The Labyrinth" has two "helpers": the inquisitive guide "Find-out-everything" and the interpreter "Mirage" who is blurring all problems by soothing words, so the problems seem to be harmless. Both are the Queen's men. The pilgrim is tempted by the first to a mania for novelty, continuously inquiring new problems; by the second he is tempted to resign, to be satisfied by half-truths. However, he resists seduction by these helpers, thanks to his own personal view. He is not always looking through the glasses they have given him, and therefore he is not led astray by superficial inquiry or accumulated "wisdom". Everywhere searching "the highest good", summum bonum, (Preface to "The Labyrinth"), he finds only a terrible truth: Nothing in life is absolutely good. The famous Czech humanist, Jan Patocka (Die Philosophie der Erziehung des J.A. Comenius, 1971), interprets "The Labyrinth" as a pretheoretical myth or story, anticipating modern existential analysis: Our minds are scattered and directed by others. We fail to comprehend ourselves and try to run away from ourselves and our limited existence. When, in his despair, the pilgrim finally cries to God, though he is not sure of God's existence, he is awakened by a voice calling him to go into his own heart. There he finds an inner ruin akin to the rotten situation in the labyrinth. But to this chaotic heart, Christ comes as a guest, and the personal appearance of Christ immediately attracts the pilgrim. A relationship of trust is founded. He therefore opens his ears to listen to the words of Christ. He is initiated in Christian practice and teaching, makes a total conversion to God, gives his senses, reason, heart and will to God and joins the invisible fellowship of believers. For them all things are relative, except one: to keep the good relationship with God. Therefore the pilgrim gets new glasses through which it is easier to see the vanity in the world and the joy in God. The frame is the Bible, and the lens is the Holy Spirit. (Chapter 36-41). I think we misunderstand "The Paradise of the Heart" by interpreting it as a way out of "The Labyrinth", if this is understood as a way to complete openness. In my reading of "The Paradise of the Heart", I have not found this notion of "getting out of the labyrinth". On the contrary, Comenius' clear message is that the labyrinth has to loose its power within our heart (Chapter 37 and 38). We are not leaving the labyrinth, but the labyrinth should no longer be allowed to occupy and govern us (Chapter 43). If Christ is God, the absolute true and good, he is able to amend the inner labyrinth of man. He creates order within, and gives man strength to live in the world, live in the outer labyrinth without resignation, facing the problems in a flexible and fruitful way. If Christ is not God, then Comenius' insistence on a total surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ (Chapter 38.3 and 39.3), the crucified (Chapter 50.4), is just another variant of fanaticism. Stein M. Wivestad

Little has been published on this unique artist, and what has been published is mostly out of print , or only found in Europe. It was in Europe that I first saw Carroll's work in Kassel, Germany during Documenta 9 , the most important exhibition of contemporary art held every 5 years. Ever since I have been intriqued and drawn to the work. Mr. Millazzo's essay alows an entrance into the process of Caroll's work, and allows questions to form that engage the reader. Beautifully designed and illustrated with mostly color plates allows the viewer to glimpse into the range of this talented painter. Carroll's fascination with the fleeting, temporary nature of our very own exsistence is written about thoughtfully in the text. Carroll has been exploring these personal and complex ideas since the early 80's
I highly encourage this book if you are interested in contemporary art of our time.

I have been exceedingly pleased with the recipes I've tried.

very helpful to read Mozart's own words, & correspondence w/his father & others. would be helpful to have more footnotes, & more of the texts. what is there is tantalizing.

This guide to the care of lizards is great. It has everthing you need to know about keeping a lizard, such as feeding and housing the it.

Esta novela es un perfecto género de romanticismo, no simplemente por ser una novela "romántica" sino porque tenemos a un personaje dispuesto a perder su vida antes que vivirla renunciando a los ideales artificiales que se ha creado sobre ella.

En este caso particular, el Joven Werther sufre y es bendecido con una gran sensibilidad que al tiempo que le permite vibrar con cada pequeño detalle cotidiano, le impide relacionarse con los demás de una manera que sea indiferente a sus personalidades. Lógicamente su vocación de solitario sufrirá un shock cuando encuentra una mujer que, aunque prometida para casarse con otro y por lo mismo, fuera de su alcance debido a las convenciones de la época, le mueve el piso de manera tal que toda su energía vital la dirige a lograr su atención y dedicación, aceptando anticipadamente su destino al fracaso, pues aunque la desee, debido a que ella es su imagen de la pureza y la nobleza, si lograra su objetivo destruiría su ideal y con eso la esencia misma de su búsqueda.

Por ello al colocarse en una situación en la que solo puede optar por el desengaño o el sufrimiento opta por este último.

Como los suicidios por amor no han pasado de moda y tristemente aún son muy frecuentes los estúpidos que los practican por esta causa, la trama de esta novela aún puede acompañar emocionalmente a uno que otro lector de este siglo. De hecho Goethe se esfuerza en justificar la conducta de su personaje durante la novela cuando le hace afirmar:

"N se trata, pues, de saber si un hombre es débil o fuerte, sino de que si puede soportar la extensión de su desgracia, sea moral, sea física; y me parece tan ridículo que un hombre que se suicida es un cobarde, como absurdo dar el mismo nombre a quien se muere de una fiebre maligna".

This book offers a very good introduction into the work of Johann Baptist Metz. The work of this important Roman Catholic foundational theologian is not as well known in the United States. Dr. Downey has performed a great service making Metz's thought and methods available to Roman Catholics in the United States. Metz's arguments and proposals represent important insights into the foundational social-critcal aspects of Christianity. Such topics as "the dangerous memory of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ", "the future in the memory of suffering," and the need for a real grappling with the theological problems posed by Auschwitz are some of the important theological questions that need to be addressed by modern theology. I would liked to have seen a longer and more detailed introduction and analysis of Metz's theology by Dr. Downey. However, his overall anthology is a must read for anyone in ministry and should be required reading for theology students.

One feels transported from epoch to epoch, culture to culture as she reads these lovely poems which vary greatly in style and point of view.