When it rains, especially in this month, I hear the old saying, “April showers bring May flowers” in my head. Frankly, what I’d rather hear in my head are Vivaldi’s lively compositions. Such as this morning’s listening fare – Complete Cello Concertos III. So that’s what I’m doing, if for no other reason than to … [Read more…]
Today is an overcast, rainy, and somewhat blah day. The temperature is in the mid 40s. So, this morning’s Vivaldi selection is apropos; it’s the perfect pick-me-up for feeling downcast. That, and my Panera Light Roast coffee dosed with cinnamon. I certainly hope cinnamon is good for a person – or, at the very least, … [Read more…]
It’s another bright, sunny day here in West Michigan. I realize those who live in different states or even countries will counter with, “So what? It’s April 10th. Shouldn’t it be a bright, sunny day?” You’d think so, wouldn’t you? I’ve heard meteorologists say that West Michigan’s weather is cloudier than that of Seattle. That’s … [Read more…]
There’s a scene in the brilliant (and Oscar-winning) Woody Allen movie Midnight in Paris in which Adriana (Marion Cotillard), girlfriend of Pablo Picasso and others, says to Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) – after hearing a few sentences of a novel written by Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) that was read aloud by Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates) … [Read more…]
Finally! Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is one of the most famous song cycles ever composed. It’s a piece of music that I’ve enjoyed for decades. And I’m finally hearing it in my Vivaldi exploration! What a perfect time for it, too. As Spring struggles to emerge here in Michigan (it’s only April 5, after all; … [Read more…]
On this chilly, rainy, overcast day, the music of Vivaldi is serving to uplift me. Another thing uplifting me is my perch this morning – the second floor of a local library. It overlooks a field that’s currently occupied by wild turkeys. I always enjoy sitting on the second floor looking out at that field. … [Read more…]
Back at Panera in my usual spot by the windows (I like to think of it as my table), sipping a Light Roast coffee with cinnamon. (That is to say, the cinnamon is in my coffee; I’m not sipping Light Roast coffee with a person named Cinnamon.) I’m watching the sun rise, feeling its warmth … [Read more…]
We’re back to chilly again. As I type these words, it’s 31 degrees under cloudy skies. I supposed that’s not bad for March 27 in Michigan. Still, a few weeks ago the temperatures were in the mid- to upper-60s. Granted, that’s unseasonable. But I’ll take unseasonable over typical every time. In the winter, that is. … [Read more…]
Today’s Vivaldi listening experience is a little different. For one thing, I’m listening to CD 3 in the evening, rather than in the morning. For another Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1 Episode 1 is on TV – although I can’t hear it because I have on my Bose noise-canceling headphones. I can see it, though. … [Read more…]
The second CD of the Brilliant Classics Vivaldi Edition seems fitting for today’s weather, which is gray and cold (38 degrees). We’re back to typical March weather. Thankfully, although CD 2 – which continues Vivaldi’s Trio Sonatas (Op. 1 II) – starts out in a dreary, kind of down-tempo fashion, it quickly picks up to … [Read more…]