I have memories of going to local electronics stores as a child and seeing clips of an orchestra playing on the latest big-screen TVs. When we watched TV at home, there would also be ads with orchestra clips in them. These memories stayed at the back of my mind, and I would come to realise that orchestras are used in commercials because they represent a high standard of quality, or so I think. To produce a single person who can play an instrument to a level of mastery takes years of dedication, anguish, and some divine intervention. A great orchestra is made up of 60, 80, 100 musicians who have all reached that nigh-impossible standard. It is akin to any technological marvel, whether it is the 1800s or the 2020s.
Classical music to me is something that is divine. Because it requires so much discipline to do well, humans have to transcend being human. To me it represents the highest form of living, and one of the greatest things that humans can create.
30s/F/Malaysia. Rini is my given name. I'm an amateur classical musician and I like playing viola in chamber ensembles. To be frank though, there's nothing extraordinary about my musical abilities. My husband, Ahmad Aliff, is the real deal. The two of us are on mission impossible to bring good music back to our community. We may or may not achieve our musical vision in our lifetimes, but there will always be a place for music in our lives.
I'm so happy that Neocities provides a space for the personal web to exist again, and glad to find others who created websites as a form of rebellion against social media and the commercialised web.
PS: There is a blue shark hidden somewhere on this site! Clicking on him will bring you to a “secret” page.
While recordings are a remarkable tool for preservation, classical music is meant to be heard live, preferably in a specialised venue for acoustic instruments. The sonority and reverberation of the collective instruments in that space is what pierces the heart and soul to leave a lasting impression.
Acquaintances, friends, and family who have raved about being impressed by classical music have done so because they've heard a live orchestra perform in a grand hall. Even the best-engineered recordings, listened through the best custom hi-fi system, cannot replicate the real thing. That said, not everyone can always watch a live performance, so recordings are better than nothing. As with any music, it requires repeated listening to develop a sense of familiarity before enjoyment can be derived.
Below is a recording that I really like. The bass has been tastefully exaggerated and was delightfully scary the first time I listened to it through my earphones, especially at about 0:27, 1:45, and 2:55.
Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, BWV 1041: I. Allegro
Elizabeth Wallfisch and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
3.7 MB | YT
Concert Posters
The following poster designs were made entirely using Apple Pages (not recommended). We also designed our own tickets for the earlier concerts, and programme books for all the concerts. It was mostly fun except when the fourth concert had to be rushed so the design was undeveloped, when I had to spend hours folding paper, or when borderless designs were printed with borders.
What's So Special About Ahmad Aliff?
Ahmad Aliff breathes magic into music. Given the chance, the greatness he could achieve is tantalising. As someone who has worked with and respected him since long before we got together, my life's wish is for him to be recognised and appreciated for what he does, on top of being properly compensated for his expertise. He has already accomplished miracles before the age of 30, but the reality is that if you're not famous, you don't get respect.
To what good to have the talent, when one must pass one's life at teaching the infants?
-from The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit
30s/F/Malaysia. Rini is my given name. I'm an amateur classical musician and I like playing viola in chamber ensembles. To be frank though, there's nothing extraordinary about my musical abilities. My husband, Ahmad Aliff, is the real deal. The two of us are on mission impossible to bring good music back to our community. We may or may not achieve our musical vision in our lifetimes, but there will always be a place for music in our lives.
