Imaginary

Fictional Narratives

Novels:

• Lauren Grodstein, We Must Not Think of Ourselves: A Novel (Algonquin Books, 2023): “Can sparks of human kindness, however tiny, fend off hopelessness in the face of evil?”

Stories, from the dark side:

• Manuel Muñoz, The Consequences: Stories (Graywolf Press 2022): “A common thread throughout the collection is the choice between kindness and cruelty, whether through violence or disregard.”

Poetry

• Matthew Arnold, “Dover Beach”

Music: Composers, artists, and major works

Especially in his later years, Louis Armstrong became a musical ambassador, in particular for American jazz. His persona exuded love and kindness, which were reflected in his music.

• Live with his All-Stars, May 8, 1954 (29’)
• Live in Stuttgart, West Germany, February 15, 1955 (29’)
• The Great Chicago Concert, June 1, 1956 (113’)
• Satchmo the Great (1957) (64’)
• “Louis and the Good Book” album (1958) (62’)
• Live concert in Stuttgart in 1959 (59’)
• “Satchmo Plays King Oliver” album (1960) (44’)
• “The Great Reunion” album, with Duke Ellington (1961) (31’)
• Paris jazz concert in 1962 (76’)
• BP super show 1963 (56’)
• Live in Australia in 1964 (55’)
• Live in East Berlin in 1965 (110’)
• Show of the Week (1968) (50’)
• “What a Wonderful World” became a signature song that expressed the man and his music.

Edvard Grieg’s Lyric Pieces (Lyriske småstykker) are brief works for solo piano. “They are basically simple pieces, but beautifully fashioned. . . they are simple in the way that Mozart can be simple. . .” “The pieces form a poetic piano diary running through his life. There are banalities, here and there, but the boldness and tenderness of the melodic ideas are paramount.”

• Håkon Austbø's recording of the complete lyric pieces (169’)
• Chris Bremmer's recording of Grieg’s complete lyric pieces (194’)
• Alexander Goldenweiser’s recording of Grieg’s complete lyric pieces
• Emil Gilels, selections
• Sviatoslav Richter, selections from Greece, 1993 (80’)
• Walter Gieseking, 31 lyric pieces ( 86’)
• Peter Donohoe, 27 lyric pieces in volume 1 (83’)

Georg Christoph Wagenseil was a Viennese composer whose life began late in the Baroque era and ended early in the Classical era. His compositions reflected the outward gentility of that time and place. L’Orfeo Barockorchester (62’) and Salieri Chamber Orchestra (74’) have released albums of his symphonies, which Wagenseil composed most likely, in the 1760s or thereabouts. 

Napoléon-Henri Reber’s piano trios display the ethic that characterizes most piano trios, particularly those of genteel society in 19th-century France.

• No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 12 (1846) (approx. 26’)
• No. 3 in G Minor, Op. 16 (1850) (approx. 30’) “provides a sound picture of the style appreciated during the Second Empire.”
• No. 4 in D Major, Op. 25, “Sérénade” (1862) (approx. 19’) “was given the nickname ‘Serenade’ most likely because of its second movement, Allegretto, un poco andantino, which begins with the muted strings playing a lovely song like melody over the soft arpeggio accompaniment in the piano. The music has great beauty and delicacy.”
• No. 5 in C Major, Op. 30 (approx. 17’)
• No. 6 in E Major, Op. 34 (1876) (approx. 23’): “The music has a timeless dimension, clearly of the mid-romantic era, but with its roots traceable to the late 18th century.”
• No. 7 in A Minor, Op. 37 (approx. 19’) 

Other compositions:

• Arthur Foote, Piano Quartet in C Major, Op. 23 (1890) (approx. 29’): Foote’s biographer Nicholas Tawa described this quartet as benevolent and compassionate.
• Foote, String Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 4 (1883) (approx. 30’): Tawa characterized this work as warm, direct, simple and clear.
• Carl Maria von Weber, Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 11, J 98 (1810) (approx. 19-21’)
• Antonín Dvořák, Symphonic Variations, Op. 78, B 170 (1877) (approx. 22-23’) have been described as “Jubilant Explorations of an 'Impossible' Theme”.
• Josef Mysliveček, complete violin concertos (8)
• Raga Chandrakauns is a Hindustani classical raag for late evening. It is portrayed in visual art as a fair-skinned man, talking sweetly, wearing a leaf necklace and carrying lotus and blossoms; or as a pale moon-god with a lotus in each hand. Here are performances by Shivkumar Sharma, Rashid Khan, Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, Nikhil Banerjee, and Bahauddin Dagar.
• Gerald Finzi, 5 Bagatelles, Op. 23A (1938-1945) (approx. 15-16’)
• C.P.E. Bach, Flute Concerti: in D minor, Wq 22 (1770s) (approx. 22-25’); in A minor, Wq 166 (approx. 30’); in A major (approx. 18’)
• Carl Philipp Stamitz, 6 Trios, Op. 14 (approx. 70’) are “elegant works for flute, violin, cello and harpsichord . . . mostly dwelling in the sunlit major . . .”
• Franz Berwald, Piano Concerto in D Major (1855) (approx. 21’) “can be equated with its soul-mate the Robert Schumann concerto. It is extremely romantic - scintillating grace with little or nothing of the vapid about it. The three movements are played without a break.”
• Johann Gottfried Eckard, keyboard works 
• Louise Farrenc, Piano Trio No. 2 in D minor, Op. 34 (1844) (approx. 26’)

Albums:

• Deuter, “Sun Spirit” (2000) (57’) “celebrates the essence of the sun . . .”
• Zach Brock, “Almost never was” (2012) (63’)
• Jane Ira Bloom, “Mental Weather” (2006) (43’) “. . . skirt(s) the edges of the avant without losing sight of the importance of melody . . .”
• Yungchen Lhamo, “One Drop of Kindness” (2023) (39’)
• Eric Bibb & Needed Time, “Spirit and the Blues” (1994) (61’) is “a bubbling pot of authentic bottleneck spirituals and memorable hum-alongs . . .”
• Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita, “Echo” (2022) (44’) and “Clychau Dibon” (2014) (52’): harp and kora play together, tenderly.

Music: songs and other short pieces

• What begins in kindness sometimes ends in far more: The Dixie Chicks, “Travelin’ Soldier” (lyrics)
• Paul Simon, “Tenderness” (lyrics)
• Nawang Khechog, “Universal Dance of Kindness”; “Peace Through Kindness;”; “Healing Through Kindness”; “The Human Heart Is for Kindness”; “Kindness As the Key”
• Yungchen Lhamo, “Loving Kindness”
• Yungchen Lhamo, “Your Kindness”

Visual Arts

Film and Stage

• Zelary: in World-War-II Czechoslovakia, circumstances force a sophisticated young woman to marry a rough-hewn woodcutter. At first she is despondent but his kindness wins her loyalty and her heart.
• Deeds Goes to Town, about a manwho inherits a fortune and uses it to help others
• National Velvet: the young-girl protagonist shows kindnesstoward the horse and toward the injured and embittered jockey whose place she takes upon the horse