Saturday 12 February 2011

Jean Sibelius - the songs


The Finnnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) is best known for his symphonies and other orchestral works. However, Sibelius also composed a number of solos songs for voice and piano - altogether 92 - many of which bear witness to his highly personal style.(Some of the songs have been orchestrated for a large orchestra). Sibelius´s mother-tongue was Swedish. Thus it was natural for him to write most of the songs to texts by Finnish-Swedish or Swedish poets.

The Swedish texts have made Sibelius´s songs ideal to perform for Scandinavian singers; Kirsten Flagstad, Jussi Björling and Birgit Nilsson e.g. very often included Sibelius songs in their recitals. It is nice to know that most wellknown Scandinavian singers active today continue this tradition.

Listen here to Kirsten Flagstad sing "Svarta Rosor" ("Black Roses") by Ernst Josephson.

Tell me, why are you so sad today,
You, who are always so happy and joyful?
I am no more sorrowful today
Than when I found you happy and joyful.
For sorrow has night-black roses.

A rose tree ís growing in my heart
which will never leave me in peace.
Thorn upon thorn gros on its stems
Causing me perpetual pain and rancour;
For sorrow has night-black roses.

But it has a whole host of roses,
Some as white as death, some as red as blood.
It grows and grows. I believe I shall faint away,
There ís wrenching and throbbing in the roots;
For sorrow has night-black roses.

Jussi Björling here sings "Säv, säv, susa" ("Sigh, rushes, sigh") by Gustaf Fröding

Sigh, rushes, sigh; beat, waves, beat;
Are you telling me what befell young Ingalill?
She cried like a wounded duck
When she sunk into the lake,
Last year when spring was green.

The were jealous of her at Östanålid,
She took that very badly.
They were jealous of her belongings, her gold
And of her young love.

They stuck a thorn into a jewel,
Theu threw dirt into a lily´s dew.
So sing, sing your sorrowful song
You melancholy little waves,
Sigh, rushes, sigh; beat, waves, beat!

Listen here to Birgit Nilsson sing "Flickan kom från sitt älsklings möte" ("The Tryst") by
J.L. Runberg

The girl came from her lover´s tryst
She came with red hands. Her mother said:
Why are your hands red, o daughter?
The girl said; I have been picking roses,
And I pricked my hands on the thorns.

Again she returned from her lover´s tryst,
She came with red lips. Her mother said:
Why are your lips red, o daughter?
The girl said: I haven eating raspberries,
And coloured my lips with their juice.

Again she returned from her lover´s tryst,
she came with pale cheeks. Her mother said:
Why are your cheeks pale, o daughter?
The girl said: Prepare a grave, o Mother.
Hide me there, and place a cross above it,
And, on the cross, carve what I tell you:

Once she came home with red hands,
For they had reddened between her lover´s hands:
Once she came home with red lips,
For they had reddened from her lover´s lips.
Finally she came home with pale cheeks:
For they had paled through her lover´s infidelity.

PS
Flagstad´s  Sibelius songs are available at amazon.
Birgit Nilsson´s recordings can be obtained here.

Friday 11 February 2011

Simple pleasures nr 13: fresh bred and pastry

                                                       (image by bigfoto.com)

Eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart
The Bible

In this age of ever growning supermarkets and giant food producers, it is a real blessing that you can still find fresh, locally baked bread and pastry in almost every small village in France. The French understand that bread must be fresh from the oven in order to taste really good. Fortunately, the village boulangerie-pâtisseries still seem to be able to compete against the big players. More and more people realise that it is woth paying a little bit more for a higher quaility, handmade product. Altogether there are about 34000 baker and pastry shops in France employing over 140000 persons. They bake more than 10 billion baguettes every year.

A good source of information about the french boulangerie-pâtisseries is this site (unfortunately only in French)

Denmark is another country that can take pride in its bread culture. There you can find a great number of small bakeries which sell newly baked bread - and often also pastry - even on Sunday mornings. My own favourite is Reinh Van Hauen in Copenhagen.



There are probably some other countries that still maintain a good bread tradition, but France and Denmark are the ones I know best from a baking point of view.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Belgian chocolate pralines

Life without chocolate is like a beach without water
Anonymous 

Switzerland or Belgium? Which of the two countries is the number one "chocolate super-power" in the world? Chocolate of outstanding quality is produced in both countries, but when it comes to choosing the most delicious cholocate pralines, my vote goes to Belgium.

It is true, that the Belgian chocolatiers in the nineteenth century borrowed techniques from their Swiss colleagues, but when they had learnt to master the techical problems, they went on to create some of the finest chocolate innovations, many of which have become known all over the world.



My own favourite among Belgian chocolatiers is Neuhaus, which was founded by the Swiss citizen Jean Neuhaus, who set up his store in Brussels in 1857. In 1912 his grandson, Jean Neuhaus Jr, invented the bite-sized filled chocolate , which he then named "praline". And the rest is chocolate history ....

Watch a nice video from 2007, the year Neuhaus celebrated its 150th anniversary (its in French, but you don´t have to speak French in order to enjoy it!):



Neuhaus, like its competitor Godiva, has stores in a great number of countries, but thanks to the internet you can also easily shop online.



If you plan to visit Brussels,  do not forget to include a visit to the Museum of Cocoa & Chocolate.

 

 

Monday 7 February 2011

Plácido Domingo



I missed Plácido Domingo´s 70th birthday a couple of weeks ago. But better late than never. Domingo is certainly the greatest living tenor in the world, and a very good conductor, too. And he does not let his age stop him from making wonderful music. "If I rest I rust" is his well chosen slogan. Long may he live!

Listen to a younger Domingo sing the popular tune Jurame. (I have heard Villazon do the same song, but Domingo´s version is better.)



The lyrics in English:

PROMISE ME


Promise me,
that although much time may pass
you'll never forget the moment
when I first met you.

Look at me,
'cause there's nothing more profound
nor bigger in this world
than the love I gave to you.
Kiss me,
with a kiss so full of love

like no one has ever kissed me
since the day that I was born.

Love me,
love me until you feel the madness
and understand the bitter pain
that I am suffering for you.

They all say it's a lie that I love you
'cause they've never seen me so
in love
I swear to you that I don't know why
the look in your eyes has kept me
captive.

When you are near me
and I am happy
I wish that you'd remember no one else
I am jealous even of my thoughts
that may remind you
of another person you once loved.

Promise me
that although much time may pass
you will not forget the moment
when I first met you.

Look at me,
'cause there's nothing more profound
nor bigger in this world
than the love I gave to you.

Kiss me,
with a kiss so full of love
like no one has ever kissed me
since the day that I was born.

Love me,
love me until you feel the madness
and understand the bitter pain
that I am suffering for you...

and understand the bitter pain
that I am suffering for you


(CD "The Very Best of Plácido Domingo)

Sunday 6 February 2011

Chinese dragon ornaments

Dragon ornaments are common in antique Chinese porcelain pieces and other artwares. I have always found them fascinating. In ancient Chinese legends the Dragon is a mythical holy animal which is said to be capable of controlling wind and rain.

Here are three of my personal favourites:



If you are interested in learning more about dragon patterns, there is an excellent book
available.