Language

[Forza Romana]

This is a link to some poems done in my dialect in the South of Italia, in the region of Basilicata.

http://userhome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bonaffini/DP/finiguerra.htm

Also here is a picture of "Sul Lago di Senise" in the province of Potenza :

http://www.novasiri.it/Basilicata/Immagini/diga_di_senise_Basilicata.jpg

Also, If anyone has language links that I may heat, so I can get an understanding of your native tongue!

Grazie!

[Septicemia]

I've spent a great deal of time recently thinking about the genesis of languages. Like the nature vs. nurture, chicken/egg relationship with culture sort of stuff. I guess this has arisen from my observations of the English language in the States degenerating into a more indefinite and uncultured thing, since around the early 20th century.

Does anyone know of any respectable literature exploring this issue?

[Forza Romana]

I do believe I have seen a book in Borders in the States that had to do with the genesis of the language!

[Prospero]

The best tribute to Quebec's language, a unique French, is this album where René Lussier made musical instruments play every notes produced by human voices from historical documents and people interviewed all over Quebec.

René Lussier - Le Trésor De La Langue

If you like languages, this might be interesting and perhaps very amusing also. Give me some feedback.

[chrstphrbnntt]

The best tribute to Quebec's language, a unique French, is this album where René Lussier made musical instruments play every notes produced by human voices from historical documents and people interviewed all over Quebec.

René Lussier - Le Trésor De La Langue

If you like languages, this might be interesting and perhaps very amusing also. Give me some feedback.

I know a bit of French and downloaded this album a few months ago -- good stuff. Harry Partch also used this technique (although, he incorporated everyday speech of people he met while living as a vagabond into vocal parts of his music, as opposed to just playing the notes of words spoken in recordings), as did Steve Reich, Leos Janacek, and a few others that I'm probably forgetting.

[K. Sear]

My understanding of Quebecois was that it is much more akin to Old French than what is spoken in France today.  I find it fascinating how isolation/separation can play a role in languange evolution (or anything for that matter), just as it does in the evolution of species.

While I would not call it my native tongue, Finnish is a language I grew up speaking quite fluently.  Unfortunately, this has degraded after moving away from home.  Recently, I have really begun to mourn this and have been using this site http://donnerwetter.kielikeskus.helsinki.fi/FinnishForForeigners/parts-index.htm  for getting back in touch with the basic grammar and brushing up on things.  I've been considering moving to Finland in the next few years and figured that I should get my language skills back in the event I do decide to do this!

[KIRK JOHNSON]

Tu intelegi ce spun, mai Forta Romana?

Awaiting response.  

[Forza Romana]

BRAVOOOOOO!  

MA SEMPRE FORZA ROMANA!!

NON OMNIS MORIAR!

[Prospero]

I know a bit of French and downloaded this album a few months ago -- good stuff. Harry Partch also used this technique (although, he incorporated everyday speech of people he met while living as a vagabond into vocal parts of his music, as opposed to just playing the notes of words spoken in recordings), as did Steve Reich, Leos Janacek, and a few others that I'm probably forgetting.

I am aware that Steve Reich's opera "The Cave" uses similar techniques (with obviously more melody), but it was done in 1994, which a few years after Lussier. Maybe he did some before but not that I know of. Perhaps you know who developped this type of composition first? I am wondering...

[chrstphrbnntt]

I am aware that Steve Reich's opera "The Cave" uses similar techniques (with obviously more melody), but it was done in 1994, which a few years after Lussier. Maybe he did some before but not that I know of. Perhaps you know who developped this type of composition first? I am wondering...

Apparently the Florentine Camerata, a group of Renaissance musicians & artists, were the first to employ the technique; although, I haven't heard any compositions by the group - save Dafne, which was actually the first opera.

[Christ Fucking Malarkey]

Hungarian is an agglutinative language, which lends it a rustic, ancient character. It is also a very effective means of communication, as it enables the expression of nuances that are glossed over in the English language. Hungarian is a melodious language, with a vowel to consonant ratio of 100:141 (the same as French).

I've got some audio to share. The first is a video that was filmed to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Duna national television station. The first few scenes attempt to display Hungary as a multicultural haven (which, luckily, is not the case). I'mcurious as to why this was done, althoug later scenes seem to nullify such an ideal in favor of traditional culture:

DUNA televizió születésnapi himnusza

This is a recording of a poem by Petöfi Sándor. A little overdramatized, perhaps, although characteristic of our performance style:

"Dreadful Times"

[Forza Romana]

Wow.. Bravo! I like it! It has a great quality to it!