A moment of true excitement in the Spanish class!
Not a general outcry of spontaneous delight at the rules governing the pronunciation of the letters ‘c’, ‘z’ and ‘q’ in their relation to selected vowels, no. Rather it was the altercation between two of the Russian students (adult ladies) who took ferociously different attitudes towards the general state of their country. In a strange way it was quite touching listening to the stuttering incomprehensibility of one who searched for Spanish words as if she was grasping for tree trunks while going over a particularly dangerous waterfall, while the other lady hissed her imprecations in rather more fluent and deadly Spanish. Such larks!
The confrontation was perhaps an inevitable consequence of indulging in a sharing of phrases which used negative connotations of different nationalities to gain expressive point. I contributed ‘French leave’ as a contribution from English to the general hilarity of the two French ladies sitting behind me.
I then tried to capitalise on my little colloquial triumph and promptly got into almost terminal linguistic problems when I tried to extend this xenophobia to the area of venereal diseases. My attempted explanation of the Shakespearean use of ‘French pox’ much used to denigrate our near neighbours was not what I could call a success. Things went fairly swiftly downhill during my clearly incoherent exposition in hysterical Spanish and I was only saved by the rather more fluent contribution of the Italian lady!
Altogether an exhausting and emotional experience.
And when I got back to the flat another little yellow form waiting in the post box informing me that the post person had made no attempt to deliver another package.
But, as this non attempt to deliver had been made yesterday (when no note was left) I would be able to go and get my package today because a day had been left since they had not tried to deliver it. If you follow the logic you can now see that this approach is actually quite considerate because it cuts out the frustration of actually waiting a day. By the time you find out that they didn’t deliver a day has already passed and you can collect the item from the post office!
This package contained the CD’s of The Complete Operas of Puccini an amazing offer from Sony with great casts even if the recordings are not of the most recent. So as I went to visit Margaret of the Broken Arm I wept gently as I drove as Puccini’s insidious music pushed all the emotional buttons. The first one I chose to listen to was ‘Turandot’
as this opera is part of my season in the Liceu this year. The other operas in the set include ‘Edgar’ and ‘La Rondine’ and ‘Le Villi’ as far as I know my playing of them will be the first time I have ever heard them. Indeed heard of them, might be nearer the truth!
The recording of ‘La Boheme’ has Caballé, Domingo, Milnes, Blegen, Sardinero and Raimondi with the LPO under Solti. Listening to that is going to be self indulgence of a high order!
Coffee and lunch with Margaret and Ian was stimulating and enjoyable with the addition of a past member of a London ballet company on the table next to us!
My return to the flat revealed that the post person had been back and left my copy of the BBC Music Magazine with the information that the concert of the month was to be found in Cardiff at the Opening Festival of the Hoddinott Hall
next to the Wales Millennium Centre with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales & Chorus on the 22nd and 23rd of January. The Hoddinott Hall will now become the base for BBC NOW and presumably St David’s Hall will now become even more marginal in its financing as the regular support of BBC NOW is redirected to The Bay. Though looking aqt picutres of the Hall it doesnt seem to have the same seating numbers as St Davids Hall. More investigation is called for. I wonder if parking has been improved!
Whatever.
My best wishes go to an orchestra which I have supported since I was in school and have seen progress from an orchestra that struggled to play Beethoven with confidence in a series of less than perfect venues in Cardiff to a world class group of players with a world class concern hall who provided me with a performance of The Turangalila Symphony which I will never forget!
Meanwhile ‘Turandot’ washes over me and I must give in!
Not a general outcry of spontaneous delight at the rules governing the pronunciation of the letters ‘c’, ‘z’ and ‘q’ in their relation to selected vowels, no. Rather it was the altercation between two of the Russian students (adult ladies) who took ferociously different attitudes towards the general state of their country. In a strange way it was quite touching listening to the stuttering incomprehensibility of one who searched for Spanish words as if she was grasping for tree trunks while going over a particularly dangerous waterfall, while the other lady hissed her imprecations in rather more fluent and deadly Spanish. Such larks!
The confrontation was perhaps an inevitable consequence of indulging in a sharing of phrases which used negative connotations of different nationalities to gain expressive point. I contributed ‘French leave’ as a contribution from English to the general hilarity of the two French ladies sitting behind me.
I then tried to capitalise on my little colloquial triumph and promptly got into almost terminal linguistic problems when I tried to extend this xenophobia to the area of venereal diseases. My attempted explanation of the Shakespearean use of ‘French pox’ much used to denigrate our near neighbours was not what I could call a success. Things went fairly swiftly downhill during my clearly incoherent exposition in hysterical Spanish and I was only saved by the rather more fluent contribution of the Italian lady!
Altogether an exhausting and emotional experience.
And when I got back to the flat another little yellow form waiting in the post box informing me that the post person had made no attempt to deliver another package.
But, as this non attempt to deliver had been made yesterday (when no note was left) I would be able to go and get my package today because a day had been left since they had not tried to deliver it. If you follow the logic you can now see that this approach is actually quite considerate because it cuts out the frustration of actually waiting a day. By the time you find out that they didn’t deliver a day has already passed and you can collect the item from the post office!
This package contained the CD’s of The Complete Operas of Puccini an amazing offer from Sony with great casts even if the recordings are not of the most recent. So as I went to visit Margaret of the Broken Arm I wept gently as I drove as Puccini’s insidious music pushed all the emotional buttons. The first one I chose to listen to was ‘Turandot’
as this opera is part of my season in the Liceu this year. The other operas in the set include ‘Edgar’ and ‘La Rondine’ and ‘Le Villi’ as far as I know my playing of them will be the first time I have ever heard them. Indeed heard of them, might be nearer the truth!The recording of ‘La Boheme’ has Caballé, Domingo, Milnes, Blegen, Sardinero and Raimondi with the LPO under Solti. Listening to that is going to be self indulgence of a high order!
Coffee and lunch with Margaret and Ian was stimulating and enjoyable with the addition of a past member of a London ballet company on the table next to us!
My return to the flat revealed that the post person had been back and left my copy of the BBC Music Magazine with the information that the concert of the month was to be found in Cardiff at the Opening Festival of the Hoddinott Hall
next to the Wales Millennium Centre with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales & Chorus on the 22nd and 23rd of January. The Hoddinott Hall will now become the base for BBC NOW and presumably St David’s Hall will now become even more marginal in its financing as the regular support of BBC NOW is redirected to The Bay. Though looking aqt picutres of the Hall it doesnt seem to have the same seating numbers as St Davids Hall. More investigation is called for. I wonder if parking has been improved!Whatever.
My best wishes go to an orchestra which I have supported since I was in school and have seen progress from an orchestra that struggled to play Beethoven with confidence in a series of less than perfect venues in Cardiff to a world class group of players with a world class concern hall who provided me with a performance of The Turangalila Symphony which I will never forget!
Meanwhile ‘Turandot’ washes over me and I must give in!
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