Classical Coventrian

Literature, art, music, philosophy. This is mostly a YA fiction free zone.

[artist-rubens]

The Fall of Phaeton, 1605, Peter Paul Rubens

Medium: oil,canvas

[classicalcoventrian]

30 Day Book Challenge

Day 16: Favourite female character.

As terribly common as it is, my favourite female character is Elizabeth Bennet. Clever, witty, and strong willed, she’s my ultimate fictional role model.

[classicalcoventrian]

30 Day Book Challenge

Day 14: Book turned into movie and completely desecrated.

(Or, more accurately, book turned into tv series and main character completely desecrated. Said tv series may or may not star Benedict Cumberbatch.)

[smithsonianlibrariesarchives]

Illustration of a cheerful-looking Basilisk from Note overo memorie del museo del conte Lodovico Moscardo (Moscardo, 1803).

Full text available here.

[classicalcoventrian]

I had the privilege this evening to see the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra performing Beethoven’s 9th with Simon Rattle conducting. It was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. The orchestra were on top form, as were the CBSO Chorus, and I will never cease to be amazed by the ease with which Rattle holds everything together. He played with tempo and dynamics throughout the piece, and not once did it feel rushed or disjointed. He knows what that orchestra are capable of and he held nothing back. It was extraordinary.

If anyone ever has the chance to see the CBSO in concert, take it. They are one of the great orchestras. And if you have the chance to see them at Symphony Hall in Birmingham, they will blow your mind. The acoustics in that hall are truly second to none.

[classicalcoventrian]

30 Day Book Challenge

Day 13: Favourite writer.

[classicalcoventrian]

30 Day Book Challenge

Day 12: Book you love but hate at the same time.

More accurately, I find it tedious to constantly defend liking this book. It’s good. The writing is extraordinary. The dark humour is brilliant. Paedophilia is not good or extraordinary. Fucking obviously.

[classicalcoventrian]

30 Day Book Challenge

Day 11: Book you hated.

This perhaps requires more explanation than previous entries. I don’t truly hate any book; this, however, comes close. I had to translate Book 1 of the Epistulae Ex Ponto for my degree, and Ovid’s constant whining quickly began to grate. The Latin itself is easy enough, but this book almost brought me to detest Ovid.

[classicalcoventrian]

30 Day Book Challenge

Day 10: Book that reminds you of home.

[classicalcoventrian]

30 Day Book Challenge

Day 9: Book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving.

[artist-botticelli]

The Abyss of Hell, 1480, Sandro Botticelli

Medium: coloredpencils,parchment

[195195119511951-deactivated2021]

Ezra Pound reaching out from beyond the grave to call out Rupi Kaur

[artist-tintoretto]

The Brazen Serpent, 1576, Tintoretto

Medium: oil,canvas

[classicalcoventrian]

30 Day Book Challenge

Day 8: Most overrated book.

(Note: I don’t own the book that I consider to be the most overrated. That would be ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ by John Green, which I thought was a travesty of sentimental tripe.)

[classicalcoventrian]

Do any classical music fans have a favourite recording of Rachmaninov’s 2nd piano concerto? Mine is, so far, Vladimir Ashkenazy with the LSO conducted by André Previn, but I’d love to hear everyone else’s favourites.

[classicalcoventrian]

odi et amo. quare id faciam, fortasse requiris. nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.

I hate and I love. Perhaps you ask why I do this. I do not know, but I feel it happen and I am tortured.

[classicalcoventrian]

30 Day Book Challenge

Day 7: Book that makes you laugh.