At the Academy Bookstore today Cecilia Lindqvist talks about her latest book - 'Qin'.For those of you not knowing who Lindqvist is: She is a sinologist and one of Swedens foremost connoisseurs of the Chinese history and culture.
Qin is the name of a string instrument played in ancient China by the wealthy classes.
As with most wealthy classes around the world, before WWII, they were educated and brought up reading poetry, playing different kinds of instruments and so forth.
The instrument was never used in any other context than within a small circle of highly educated and wealthy people.
When they were trained to become masters of others and lead a province for example, they were left very much on their own and the instrument functioned in making their everyday life less lonely.
The music was not only therapeutic but became a substitute for human relations and they also composed their one music.
When the educated leaders in different societal functions came together they performed their music for one another and discussed it.
They also discussed the instruments, how old and well preserved they were and so on and so forth.
After this I visited the gallery Åmells in Stockholm and took a brief look at Swedish contemporary art by mostly well established painters like Jockum Nordström, Ernst Billgren, Ola Billgren, Lars Englund, Jan Håfström and many more.
Cinemateket next: Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte by Robert Aldrich with among others Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland (se video below).
This movie begins in the late 1920:s in a big mansion at a party where a man get's killed and Bette Davies rôle figure is accused of the murder after a fight with the murdered man.
Many years later we find her living alone with a female 'servant' hidden to the world because of the accusations towards her, even if one never could prove her guilty.
The town now wants to expropriate her ground in order to build a road and they try to make her move out of the house but she refuses.
Her cousine (Olivia de Havilland) arrives for a visit. They haven't seen each other for years, not since the murder. Her cousine was also among the guests at the time of the above mentioned party.
She wants to help Davies but this leads to a conflict with other people involved and a doctor treating Davies cooperates with the cousine but maybe not in benefit of her interests?
Qin is the name of a string instrument played in ancient China by the wealthy classes.
As with most wealthy classes around the world, before WWII, they were educated and brought up reading poetry, playing different kinds of instruments and so forth.
The instrument was never used in any other context than within a small circle of highly educated and wealthy people.
When they were trained to become masters of others and lead a province for example, they were left very much on their own and the instrument functioned in making their everyday life less lonely.
The music was not only therapeutic but became a substitute for human relations and they also composed their one music.
When the educated leaders in different societal functions came together they performed their music for one another and discussed it.
They also discussed the instruments, how old and well preserved they were and so on and so forth.
After this I visited the gallery Åmells in Stockholm and took a brief look at Swedish contemporary art by mostly well established painters like Jockum Nordström, Ernst Billgren, Ola Billgren, Lars Englund, Jan Håfström and many more.
Cinemateket next: Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte by Robert Aldrich with among others Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland (se video below).
This movie begins in the late 1920:s in a big mansion at a party where a man get's killed and Bette Davies rôle figure is accused of the murder after a fight with the murdered man.
Many years later we find her living alone with a female 'servant' hidden to the world because of the accusations towards her, even if one never could prove her guilty.
The town now wants to expropriate her ground in order to build a road and they try to make her move out of the house but she refuses.
Her cousine (Olivia de Havilland) arrives for a visit. They haven't seen each other for years, not since the murder. Her cousine was also among the guests at the time of the above mentioned party.
She wants to help Davies but this leads to a conflict with other people involved and a doctor treating Davies cooperates with the cousine but maybe not in benefit of her interests?
(Bild/foto 'Qin' kopierat från: http://melodyrain.blogg.se/images/2010/cimg7288_108427520.jpg)
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