A short summary of the year ahead by the Observer.
It would be nice to follow Antony Newley’s ‘Stop the World I want to get off’
But that’s not in our gift.
We all have to do what we can to work towards a more democratic and tolerant world.
December 28, 2019
The Observer View
December 1, 2019
The Power of Music: Good or Ill
Suzy Klein
Unforgettable television even if it leaves me totally unnerved.
But then there is
Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60, titled Leningrad
November 6, 2019
September 8, 2019
Where is the Life that once I led
Where is the life that once I led
With apologies to Cole Porter
https://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/cole+porter/where+is+the+life+that+late+i+led_20339895.html
June 7, 2019
The Magic Flute – an Opera for Our Time?
If Beethoven is the greatest all round composer; Mozart is THE greatest composer of Opera. Of course, Puccini has his moments, particularly in Tosca and La Bohème but Mozart is at times funny with it even in Don Giovani.
On Thursday we went to see Scottish Opera’s performance of the Magic Flute directed by Thomas Allen. Mozart’s music is enchanting and here was under conductor Tobias Ringborg. Sitting on the front row of the stalls with Ringborg just a metre away I got all his facial expressions singing pointedly to the orchestra and urging them on not only with his baton but more so with his body language. It’s great sitting on the front as I can watch all the music being played. I have learned a lot on the sounds each instrument makes and how the nominally the same instrument varies from one to another – the double base is a good example, and the horn is continually evolving.
OK, the singing was excellent as was the theatricals, singers have long since sung on the spot and are taught to act their parts. And I have no idea how the complicated set is readily ported to six theatre across the UK, 4 being in Scotland. Allen has incorporated his background of the Glasgow shipyards where he was brought up into the set.
The singing is in English, but we still have the sub-titles which I like as they help my deafness.
The libretto is nominally around the Masonic Ritual, but it is in tune with the problems of UK politics emphasising the need to work together and opposes the attempted dominance of the Queen of the Night – the Brexiteers such as Johnson.
For those who wish to get a feel of this performance go to
May 24, 2019
Fit the Best – Fit Everest – Beetles fans queuing in Edinburg
A busy day on Everest
A Busy Day on Everest
I used to stand in queues like this to watch The Big A Movie.
Is it real or just a cinematic invention?
If true then it is NOT sustainable
Compare with the Fans queuing for Beetles Film in Edinburgh 1966
Queuing for Beetles Film Edinburgh
May 3, 2019
Beethoven’s 5th
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony: The most triumphal music ever written.
Music for the EU. Luckily it will be still available should we leave the EU: But why should we?
A spectacular performance this evening by the RSNO (Royal Scottish National Orchestra) in the Usher Hall Edinburgh.
Conducted by Sharon Roffman, Lead Violin. The orchestra all stood to play (except Cellos and Double Basses) just like the Scottish Ensemble.
A rapturous reception. Just read what the Scotsman hade to say not only about the 5th Symphony but the whole concert including Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto with Katherine Bryant on flute and Pippa Tunnell of harp; both regular players in the RSNO.
A nice touch, she led her team off the stage and back again (as a play).
.
April 25, 2019
Hardenberger playing Haydn – A relief from Brexit and Climate Change
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra gave an excellent concert this evening in the Queen’s Hall Edinburgh.
The main soloist was Hakan Hardenberger, one of the world’s greatest trumpet players, and his playing of Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E-flat put Brexit and Climate Chamber right out of my mind for half an hour. Hardenberger and Conductor, John Storgards achieved an amazing balance between trumpet and orchestra and the audience just loved it.
April 10, 2019
The Stupidity of Brexit – Music civilises the World
Another view of the stupidity of Brexit
Susan Tomes in Weimar
“As Brexit approaches, and with it the prospect of these schemes closing a) to British students wanting to study in the EU and b) to European students wishing to study in the UK, I must say I spent a lot of the week contemplating the young chamber groups with a sense of poignancy, almost a feeling of sorrow for something about to be lost, or at any rate made harder.
Some of the best music-making was by groups with diverse nationalities. That cannot be a coincidence. Offering young musicians a taste of life in other countries and of other cultures’ attitudes to music has been hugely beneficial. They make friends and forge working relationships across Europe. It seems to me that without exception they become more open-minded.”
http://www.susantomes.com/musicians-studying-eu-countries-brexit/
April 9, 2019
Linlithgow Arts Guild – Final show for this season
Two delightful ladies playing at the last event in the Linlithgow Arts Guild in this year’s season.
- Lana Trotovsek – violin from Slovenia
- Maria Canyigueral – piano from Spain
Their CVs are impeccable, and their playing lived up their CVs.
They played music by Bach, Beethoven, Clara Schumann and Prokofiev
The Bach probably should have been for harpsicord therefore somewhat miscast for piano; the Beethoven was great as Beethoven always is, for me; the Schumann sweet and the Prokofiev Sonata No 1 for violin and piano was breath-taking.
Two delightful days of music and talk.
Lana was off at crack of dawn on Sunday to Shanghai while Maria to London to tutor her 4 students, then home to Spain.
World travellers both. But this is the life of the groups who play for the Linlithgow Arts Guild.
Most are a class act.
Maria has now acquired a Steinway. Excellent news!
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