This evening, still raining. One of my favourite directors, Claus Peter Flor, directing one of my favourite pieces, Beethoven's Concerto for violin in Re maggiore op.61.This is a mind -blowing classical music experience, one of those which made me decide classical music was my scene. Certain parts of it cause me the Stendhal syndrome, I… Continue reading Funny day: continued.
Category: Music
Funny Day
Now you're probably asking: funny/ strange or funny /haha .Well maybe a bit of both. I decided to have a totally me- day after a very hard week's work. So hairdresser in the morning, rain, and the yearly Christmas visit to Agribrianza for their mega seasonal spectacular! I don't know how those poor people stand… Continue reading Funny Day
From the Darkness to the Light
mde An interesting title, an interesting concert. Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain", who doesn't remember the Witches Sabbath in Walt Disney's Fantasia? Probably based on Slavic folk legends concerning the summer solstice on St John's Eve...or was it? Some believe that it relates to the composer's stay in Italy. Mussorgsky was inspired by the folk… Continue reading From the Darkness to the Light
Giulio Cesare in Egitto ( Julius Caesar in Eygypt)
Monday evening at La Scala they put on a performance of Haendel's "Julius Caesar in Egypt", rare in Italy but popular in the rest of Europe,and unsurprisingly so , being such a perfect fusion of dramatic action and musical inventivity. Companies tend no longer to meddle with casting, the days they substituted the counter tenors… Continue reading Giulio Cesare in Egitto ( Julius Caesar in Eygypt)
I Masnadieri
On Monday evening I went to La Scala, to see what is the last opera for me before the summer break. It was Verdi's Masnadieri. The music was instantly attractive although I don't really like these strings of beautiful arias threaded together. What is worse, it encourages the audience to applaud after every one thus… Continue reading I Masnadieri
Die Tote Stadt
This is the latest opera I saw at La Scala. Although the music was not difficult to understand on a very superficial level, I had a good deal of trouble tying to unravel the meaning of the story. Based on a short novel written in 1892, Korngold has transformed it into a foray into symbolist… Continue reading Die Tote Stadt
Back to Brahms
On Friday, the Auditorium as usual. It was a terrible rush because there was a strike and I had to get to the Underground stop before 6 pm. Only just made it. The programme was entirely dedicated to Brahms, the third and the fourth and it drew a large audience. Judging by the applause everyone… Continue reading Back to Brahms
Music and cold weather
On Sunday I went to Brugherio to listen to the last concert of this year's Antiquamodecia season. Baroque music in church; nice I thought the acoustics were good too. Although a longer concert would have been nice because the music was just so beautiful and familiar, the church was very cold so the short programe… Continue reading Music and cold weather
Music, music, music!
Oh what a great week music- wise! Friday evening to La Scala to see Attila.It was spectacular, a real Scala-style production, pulling out all the stops! They even had horses on stage and Attila sang seated fearlessly on the back of his charger. I enjoyed everything about it, direction, choir, singing. I've made a vow… Continue reading Music, music, music!
Music and traffic
This Friday the traffic was so bad I didn't even manage to get to the auditorium in time. I only just arrived in time for the second half, after the interval. I believe there had been an accident on one of the roads leading into Milan. The problem is, that once you are on the… Continue reading Music and traffic
English that grows 