Mercoledi Musicale

I was involved in a discussion earlier this week about a performance of that old warhorse (pardon the slight, very slight, pun) by Tchaikovsky: the 1812 Overture.  Composed to commemorate the 1812 defeat of Napoleon.  It has been used to celebrate everything under the sun including, as I recall from our time there, the 4th of July ever festivities in Chicago’s Grant Park.  Though Tchaikovsky did not number it among his favourite compositions he conducted the piece at the dedication of New York’s Carnegie Hall on May 5, 1891.

The Wikipedia entry for the piece is lengthy and addresses the structure, musical anachronisms, and versions however I found this section on the original commission interesting:

In 1880, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, commissioned in 1812 by Tsar Alexander I to commemorate the Russian victory, was nearing completion in Moscow; the 25th anniversary of the coronation of Alexander II would be at hand in 1881; and the 1882 All-Russia Arts and Industry Exhibition at Moscow was in the planning stage. Tchaikovsky’s friend and mentor Nikolai Rubinstein suggested that he write a grand commemorative piece for use in related festivities. Tchaikovsky began work on the project on October 12, 1880, finishing it six weeks later.

Organizers planned to have the overture performed in the square before the cathedral, with a brass band to reinforce the orchestra, the bells of the cathedral, and all the others in downtown Moscow playing “zvons” (pealing bells) on cue—and cannons, fired from an electric switch panel to achieve the precision the musical score required. However, this performance did not take place, possibly due in part to the over-ambitious plan. Regardless, the assassination of Alexander II that March deflated much of the impetus for the project. In 1882, during the All-Russia Arts and Industry Exhibition, the Overture was performed in a tent next to the unfinished cathedral. The cathedral was completed on May 26, 1883.

Meanwhile, Tchaikovsky complained to his patron Nadezhda von Meck that he was “… not a conductor of festival pieces,” and that the Overture would be “… very loud and noisy, but [without] artistic merit, because I wrote it without warmth and without love.” He put it together in six weeks. It is this work that would make the Tchaikovsky estate exceptionally wealthy, as it is one of the most performed and recorded works from his catalog

Wikipedia – 1812 Overture

And since that debut performance in 1882 it has indeed been oft performed and in many iterations though this piano reduction by the controversial Ukrainian-American pianist Valentina Lisitsa is surely amongst the more unusual. Though her forces may be small there is still room for effects and celebration.

And thank you my FB friend Richard who put me on to this fun, and I might add extremely virtuosic, performance.

On this day in 1242: During the Battle on the Ice of Lake Peipus, Russian forces, led by Alexander Nevsky, rebuff an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights.

Lunedi Lunacy

And what is a better way to start the first Monday in April with a bunny and a bit of magic.

I’m not the biggest fan of digital animation – the old hand painted cels had a certain character that I find it lacks.  However this little bunny is a rather endearing creature and a welcome diversion on a Monday morning.

On this day in 1933: First flight over Mount Everest, a British expedition, led by the Marquis of Clydesdale, and funded by Lucy, Lady Houston.

Eastern Treasures

The South Asia collections at the Victoria and Albert hold some 60,000 objects including textiles, paintings, sculptures, and ceramics; it ranges from items as small as plugs for pierced ears to full size statues of Buddhist deities.  We spent so much time in the Jameel (Islamic) and Nehru (South Asia – Sub-Continent) Rooms that there was no opportunity to see the Himalayan galleries next door.  However as we walked down the corridor we did catch glimpses of some remarkable works of South East Asian art from Nepal and Sri Lanka.

A painted Nepalese manuscript cover dated 1532 depicts a crowned Vajracarya engaged in a ritual. The ritual crown depicted has a close resemblance to the V&A artifact.

This crown has individually cast medallions depicting Bodhisattvas positioned around the dome, with Vairocana in the centre; each is framed within an elaborate foliate medallion.

The Vairocana Buddah embodies the Buddhist concept of emptiness.

The stones are glass and painted imitations of semi-precious stones.

The floral work on the side medallions surround Bodhisattvas.

The side pendants are ear-like.

The crowned is surmounted by a five-point half vajra.

This copper ritual crown set with imitation stones was crafted by an unknown artist in Nepal and the inscription dates it to Nepal Samvat 797 or 1677 CE.  It would have been worn by a hereditary Vajracharya priest of the Kathmandu Valley.   Originally an order of celibate Buddhists that vow was forsaken by Nepalese adherents to the tenets of Vajrayana in the 13th century.
The priests command the highest caste in the Newar Buddhist communities of the Kathmandu Valley.  They are highly revered as teachers and upholders of  Vajrayana, one of the three major branches of Buddhism.  The sect takes its name from the ritual Vajra (above right) which traces its origins to Indra, the Hindu deity of rain and thunder.  For Buddhists the Vajra symbolizes the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force), and figures as a ritual tool in many ceremonies.

This ceremonial ladle dates from the 1700s and was created by an unknown artist in Kandy, the last capital of the ancient kings of Sri Lanka.  From 1592 until 1815 the Kingdom survived attempts by first the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally the British to conquer and colonize the area. In 1815 the nobility overthrew their King and recognized George III as their ruler and came under British “protection”.

The ladle was for sacrificial use. The silver bowl is in the shape of a coconut with chased ornamentation.  The carved ivory handle bears the figure of a deity (?) or priest (?) and is partially encrusted with jewels and gold inlay.

There was a long tradition, dating back to the 7th century, of Newar craftsmen from the Kathmandu Valley working for wealthy Tibetan patrons and this Avalokitesvara from the 14th century is a stunning example of that work – again by an unknown artist.

This 14th century Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara in gilt-copper set with precious and semi-precious stones was created by an unknown artist in Nepal.

The sculpture was acquired by Brigadier-General C.G.Rawlings while in the Xigaze (Shigatse) District of central Tibel in 1904.

Cast in copper, gilded and bejewelled it represents the Bodhisattvas in his popular manifestation as Padmapani or Lotus Bearer.  Padmapani is one of the enlightened beings who voluntarily postponed passing into nirvana in order to help others gain salvation.  His right hand is in the lowered gesture of granting wishes and his left is cast to hold the stem of a lotus or padma – perhaps a living flower or a missing gilded representation.

The stillness and serenity of the figure speaks to the state of harmony which the Boddhisattva aspires to achieve.  The sensuous contrapposto of his sleek, androgynous body indicates his ties to the human world.

Displayed opposite Avalokitesvara the goddess Sitatara (the White Tara) was widely worshipped in Nepal and Tibet.  She can be seen as the female manifestation of the Padmapani.

The goddess Tara was widely worshipped in Nepal and Tibet. The cult was stimulated by Atisa, the Indian teacher who played a major role in stimulating Buddhism in Tibet in the 11th century.

Sitatara, the white Tara has the lotus (padma) attribute and makes the gesture of preaching (vyakhyanamudra) with her raised hand.

Her other hand is held in the gesture of the granting of wishes (varadamudra).

Rolled prayers written in Tibetan found within this image indicates that it was venerated by Tibetans.

Painted and gilded copper, and set with semi-precious stones, turquoise, imitation rubies and lapis lazuli the figure dates to the 14th century.  Once again it is the work of an unknown Nepalese artist, created for Tibetan worshippers.

Looking back over these photos and doing a bit of research on the V&A site I once again became aware of the vast amount of art there is to see in that one gallery alone. It may necessitate another trip to London in an effort to see more of the treasures. Sigh – what we do for art!

On this day in 1930:  After the mysterious death of Empress Zewditu, Haile Selassie is proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia.

Go Ahead Ask

The bells of Charlottetown’s beautiful St Dustan’s Basilica have been silent for the past 40 years but that is about to change come July 1st of this year.  A committee spearheaded by historian Catherine Hennessey and co-chaired by Kevin Murphy have worked tirelessly to have the structural problems that caused them to be silenced righted and to raise the $400,000.00 needed to refinish and retune the 17 bells, install the infrastructure and electronic system.

St. Dunstan’s Cathedral Basilica is a stone French Gothic church and was built in 1913 from the remains of the previous cathedral that had been damaged by fire that year. The fourth church on the site it is one of the most visible landmarks in Charlottetown. The only Roman Catholic cathedral and basilica in the province, it is one of the most elaborate churches in the Maritimes.

The bells were cast by Paccard Fondrie Des Cloches in Annecy, France and installed in the north tower of the church in 1928.  They are sister chimes to the bells at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and L’Oratoire St-Joseph-du-Mont-Royal in Montreal.  The restoration work is being done by the Christoph Paccard Bellfoundries in South Carolina.

The good people at Vintage Charlottetown posted this video from Cocktail-VP showing how the bells would have been cast back in 1927-28.  The foundry in this case is the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London but the process was the same – and with few modernizations as it has been for centuries.

This video ends before the tuning processes is shown.  When the bells of St Dunstan’s were cast they would have been tuned using tuning forks and lathes.  As Nigel Taylor, the head tuner at Whitechapel, explains techniques have evolved considerably even over the past ten years.

I’m looking forward to hearing that first peal of bells on July 1st as we celebrate the 150th Birthday of my country.  I can think of no more joyful sound.

On this day in 1855: “Border Ruffians” from Missouri invade Kansas and force election of a pro-slavery legislature.

Mercoledi Musicale

A first edition cover of E. E. Cummings’ The Enormous Room published in 1922.

In late August 1917 William Slater Brown, an American volunteer with the  Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps, was arrested and jailed by French authorities as the result of anti-war sentiments that he had expressed in several letters.  When questioned his friend and fellow ambulance driver E. E. Cummings defended him and was also arrested.  On September 21 both men found themselves charged with espionage and incarcerated in Le Dépôt de Triage at La Ferté-Macé.  In a twist of fate the examining commissioners had just completed their sessions at La Ferté and were not expected back until November.  Their case was finally heard in early December and both men were given unconditional release and returned to the United States.

Cummings was to use his experience of that four months spent in La Ferté as the inspiration for his semi-autobiographical novel The Enormous Room.  The title refers to the large common barracks which Cummings and Brown shared as sleeping quarters with at least 30 others.  Cummings was to encounter many “characters” and unusual events while in the prison and used his equally unusual writing style to recount the absurd situation he found himself in.  Thought the title may refer to the physical setting of much of his book it also serves as an allegory for the expansive memory of the people he encountered in  Cummings’ mind.

American composer David Diamond was to take inspiration from Cummings’ book and write his orchestral fantasy The Enormous Room (1948).  Diamond was one of the major American composers of the 1940-50s however with the advent of atonal music he joined a generation of composers who are largely forgotten today.  I heard this recording by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra* under Gerard Schwarz a few days ago and was immediately taken by it.

And of course it has led me to start into Cummings’ novel.  Should you wish to read the book that inspired Diamond’s music it is available at:

The Enormous Room at Project Gutenberg or at WikiSource.

*Diamond was the honorary composer-in-residence at the Seattle Symphony for many years.

On this day in 1817:  King Louis XVIII of France plays boules against the British Prince Regent to celebrate the new alliance between the two nations following the Napoleonic Wars.