Literature and Music

Book of the day:
Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird. Published in 1960, this is a book dealing with, among others, racism, childhood dreams and fantasies and justice in the Deep South of the 30s. Told from the perpective of innocent children, it often achieves effects comparable to Roberto Benigni's oscar-winning movie "Life is Beautiful". Winner of the pulitzer prize and a classic to be found on the bookshelf of at least every lawyer.
Song of the day:
Goethe's chilling poem "Erlkönig" has been set to music various times. Haunting tremolos, profound horror and spine-chilling harmonies...... of course I'm talking about the piece by - - - Tapani Länsiö! I first heard this piece a couple of hours before flying to England in March, in the concert of the excellent choir "EMO Ensemble" (www.emoensemble.fi). Already then it made an impression, but now I have it on cd and it still hasn't lost its effect. Scored for string quartet and mixed chorus, it has some resemblances to Schubert's famous composition, but the effect achieved my portraying death through the cold voices of the women and calming pizzicati from the strings is very memorable.