Bloc3

Details: Published: 16 December 2015

Song of the week: El mirar de la maja (E. Granados) - P. Vázquez, E. Rapado

You might recognize the title of the post as a verse from a song by Enric Granados. Or perhaps you recognize it as a CD title and might suppose what I'll talk about... and you're right (in both cases) You know that I don't usually talk about recordings but, as you also know, I like breaking my own rules from time to time; This week, I would to talk about the first recording of the mezzosoprano Pilar Vázquez and the pianist Elisa Rapado, No hay cantar sin amor (There is no song without love).

One of the first people I followed on Twitter was Elisa, because I knew her from her blog In meinem Leben, in meinem Lied (one of the blogs you can find linked on the right column, below). That was more than three [...]

Details: Published: 09 December 2015

Songs of the week: Marienwrümchen (R. Schumann) - A. Murray, G. Johnson / Marienwürmchen (J. Brahms) - A. Bourvé, T. Hartlieb

Still life with a convolvulus and a ladybird - James Holland

This week, the post is dedicated to those of you who, either prefer short posts or don't like winter. To the former, because you've earned it with your patience during the last three weeks, when I expanded my posts a bit too much. Today, I'll be brief to compensate. To those who don't like winter, because in full December, we’ll make up our own spring.

It's springtime, don't you feel the sun’s warmth on your skin? And the light so bright? Can you see that child with a ladybug on his hands? The ladybug, the cutest bug. So rounded, with its bright red and its seven black spots. Mother Nature treats some better than others and the ladybug, besides being cute, is prized by everybody [...]

Details: Published: 02 December 2015

Song of the week: Der Vater mit dem Kind (F. Schubert) - A. Rolfe-Johnson, G. Johnson

Schubert at the Piano with the Singer Michael Vogl - Moritz von Schwind, 1825.

Last week I started a post dedicated to Franz Schubert's friends; as it grew and grew I decided to split it into two parts, and this is the second one. We talked at the first part about Joseph von Spaun, Johann Mayrhofer, Franz von Schober and Johann Michael Vogl; today I'm introducing a few more members of Schubert's circle.

Not all the friendships were long-lasting. The life in Vienna was hard in those years; at first because of the war, while Schubert was at Konvikt, then because of the repression of Klemens von Metternich's government. One victim of that situation was Johann Senn, a fellow student of Franz, who in 1813 lost his scholarship (that's to say, the possibility of study at the board school) because he was part of an intellectual circle and that wasn't [...]

Details: Published: 25 November 2015

Song of the week: Lied eines Schiffers an die Dioskuren (F. Schubert) - F. Wunderlich, H. Giesen

Gesellschaftsspiel der Schubertianer in Atzenbrugg - Leopold Kupelwieser

I’d say that Franz Schubert was a good person. Not because of his music, it’s perfectly possible to be a wonderful artist and also a dreadful person, but because of his friends. That shy man of few words was much loved while alive and tenderly recalled after his death by a big number of friends; I think that someone who establishes such strong and lasting relationships is necessarily a good man. Call me naive.

Schubert made friends other than his family acquaintances, when he enrolled in the Stadtkonvikt, the boarding school where he studied, in October 1808. This group eventually spread and formed what is now known as his circle. The circle, of course, was not closed (and this makes me think that circle is not the best way to call it) [...]

Details: Published: 18 November 2015

Song of the week: Muss es eine Trennung geben (J. Brahms) - B. Fassbaender, E. Leonskaja

I'll tell you a story; Bear with me and at the end, a beautiful song by Brahms will be waiting for you. Once upon a time young Peter, the handsome son of the Count of Provence, left home to see the world; he wasn't German but he suffered from fernweh. When he arrived at Naples, he heard about the beautiful Princess Magelone and he did what a knight does when he wants to get to know a Lady, jousting and winning. Peter and Magelone fell in love and he gave her three rings that his mother had given him in case he found the woman of his dreams during his journey. However, Magelone's father had already engaged her to another Gentleman so she asked Peter to take her to Provence and get married. So one night, they fled. Next day, while she was sleeping in the woods and he watched her over, a raven stole a little bag with the three rings and Peter run after it to recover them. [...]