Musical Meetings, or "reunions musicales"
Why did I choose the name "musical meetings" for my blog?I've been looking for a good name for a musical blog, one that records and shares my musical adventures, readings and thoughts. At first, I was gonna call it "musical confessions". The name is effeminate, which suits part of my character. However, I found that different people have registered blogs using that name on blogspot and wordpress, and they have all stopped writing for more than a year (!)
Then, as I was continuing my pre-PhD program readings, I came across this:
"The indoor concerts of the Bon Marche, which began... in January 1873... In the beginning, they were called "musical meetings" (reunions musicales), as if they were intimate gatherings."
(from Jann Pasler, "Material Culture and Postmodern Positivism" in Writing Through Music, p. 437)
Musical meetings! Great name!
1. I intend to write all the blogposts intimately to myself and to you. All are my authentic thoughts. It's less academic, but spoken from my heart.
2. Meeting can mean a "hi-bye", a instantaneous encounter; it can also mean a detailed discussion. This pun definitely suits this blog's purpose. You can do both, and sometimes, I'll write shortly in an aphoristic style, sometimes in a detailed discourse.
3. It suits my historic interest: I love old (as well as new) music! Reunions musicales... how nostalgic :)
4. Bon Marche (the first department store ever) is one of the venues where high music is shared between connoisseurs and Liebhaber (amateur listeners). This blog is for everyone.
So, the story goes on like this:
"By 1880, however, the store began to them them [the concerts] seriously. Fr the two or three choral concerts that took place within the main hall for the store each winter, the merchandise was cleared out, Oriental rugs, curtains, exotic plants, and lighting were brought in, and the space was turned into ahuge, luxurious salon.. Six thousand invitations were sent for one concert in 1881 This included 300 pink ones for female employees, 2000 green ones for male employees, and the balance presumably for customers and invited guests. Four thousand free programs were printed."
I hope you'll enjoy the stories that I'm bringing you in the future!
