Skip to main content

An absolute MUST!

Before I go any further with this post I will apologise for the over-the-topness of it, but it's a long time since I was so excited by a piece of music and I just can't help myself.  Sorry.

 I love Nigel Kennedy's original performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.  I have listened to it many times over the years.  It brings back memories of a sunny Sunday morning in our old house in Alton, Hampshire, laying the table for a late breakfast.  My beloved godmother was staying with us and I suppose the music reminds me of her as much as the day, so that makes it special in itself.  

 However, my socks were completely blown off by Nigel Kennedy's new presentation of Vivaldi's wonderful concertos at the Proms on 8 August and the purpose of this post is to encourage/insist/remind you to watch the televised concert this Friday evening on BBC 4.  If you have other plans, cancel them.  Or set the Sky box to record the programme.  You will not be disappointed.  However, if you need more convincing, read the reviews in the Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/aug/11/nigel-kennedy-mitsuko-uchida-proms-review) or the Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/proms/10233718/Proms-2013-Vivaldi-The-Four-Seasons-review.html.  

 Nigel Kennedy and his fellow players from the Palestine Strings (part of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music) and Orchestra of Life have produced an extraordinary new interpretation of the Four Seasons.  It is an incredible testament to the composer, that his score can be re-presented 290 years after its conception in such an innovative and exciting way without being compromised or losing any of its integrity.  This new offering was a wonderful musical tapestry, weaving in Arabic notes and American big band swing, amongst other extras, all seamlessly moving between the seasons.  It was absolutely bewitching.  It was brilliant.  Nigel Kennedy is brilliant!
I don't have any images of the concert to show you so I thought I would throw in a few waves instead.  They are just as mesmerising, in a different way.  They never cease to lure me to the water's edge and although I don't want to be on the water, or in it, I have to commune with the running wave on a regular basis.  These pictures are for those of you who are not as fortunate as me and do not have a lovely beach just down the road.  
Don't forget, BBC 4 at 7.30 pm on Friday, 23 August.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In a vase on Monday - colour

The intense colours in my vase this week come from nasturtiums, sweetpeas and a single glorious zinnia! Their beauty and love of life speak for themselves and need no further words from me! Enjoy!
8 comments
Read more

Coastal walk from Gullane to North Berwick

By the time I have walked about four miles, my toes are screaming at me - it's the arthritis, you see.  One of the joys of being that little bit older than I was.  However, for a long time, I have been keen to walk along the beaches, and follow the coastal path, between Gullane and North Berwick. So, having worked out the tide times, I decided today was the day, and off we went. Below is our starting point, the bay at Gullane.  It's a lovely beach, very popular with dog walkers. This is looking east, the direction Tilly and I were going to take. Looking back, up the Forth, the unmistakable bulk of Arthur's Seat, and Edinburgh's skyline, just clear enough to see. For most of the walk, there is the choice between wandering along a series of beaches, or following a path along the top of each. There's no denying it, at heart I am a shell-seeker.  I have loads of shells at home.  We lived on one of the out islands in the Bahamas for a just over a year, ...
7 comments
Read more

Possibly the last post and a sizzlingly hot vase on Monday

The border in our tiny garden is in an in-between phase at the moment and not very colourful, but elsewhere there are pops of high summer colour and I have brought them together in my vase today. The running wave uses Blogger as it's vehicle and they are changing the way a post is created but unfortunately I cannot make the new format work. I can't progress beyond the title! I cannot navigate to the main body of the post to create text. The new template has no prompts for adding photos, weblinks, to format the text, change font etc. It may be my old MacBook that's as fault but I can't do anything about that!! Are any other IAVOM bloggers who use Blogger having the same problems? I have tried, three times, to contact Blogger through their 'Help' prompt and received no feedback or contact whatsoever. This post is using the old 'Legacy' format, which no longer permits any kind of formatting of text, and so after four attempts I have finally manage...
15 comments
Read more