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Frederick Delius - A Song of Summer.

The music of Delius is pictorial as apposed to narrative: it seems like it's never going anywhere, simply describing a scene.

A composer from the end of the XIXth - beginning of the XXth Century. Unlike many of his contemporaries, you can always tell how he delighted in painting pure and simple beauty.

#delius #frederick delius #a song of summer delius #british composers

jothelibrarian

Pretty medieval manuscript of the day depicts the demise of a unicorn, sometimes thought to be an allegory for the passion of Christ. Here, the unicorn lies passive in the arms of a virgin whilst the brutal knight spears it.

The book is a collection of theological texts compiled during the thirteenth century. It is now in the collections of the British Library in London.

Image source: British Library MS Harley 3244. Image declared as public domain on the British Library website.

dahliafyodorovna

Elizabeth of Bosnia and her daughter Mary mourning at the tomb of Louis I of Hungary,by Sándor Liezen-Mayer, 186.

Mary became queen regnant of Hungary as a ten-year-old child after her father’s death in 1382. Queen Elizabeth, now queen dowager, acted as the regent from 1382 onwards on behalf of her daughter Mary, until her death in 1387. The Hungarian holdings were de facto ruled by Elizabeth of Bosnia.

#elizabeth of bosnia #louis i hungary

Las Rubias del Norte are a fantastic New York band that sing Latin and Spanish music. I discovered them while looking for different versions of 'El Relicario', an old Spanish pasodoble about the love story between an arrogant bullfighter who gets gored by a bull and the narrator of the song. The harmonies here are amazing.

From their album Panamericana.

#las rubias del norte #spanish music #el relicario #bullfighting #pasodoble #panamericana

Now, when the first foul torrent of the brooks, Swelled with the vernal rains, is ebbed away, And whitening down their mossy-tinctured stream Descends the billowy foam; now is the time, While yet the dark-brown water aids the guile, To tempt the trout. The well-dissembled fly, The rod fine-tapering with elastic spring, Snatched from the hoary steed the floating line, And all thy slender watery stores prepare.

James Thomson, The Seasons (Spring).

#james thomson #xviiith century poetry #scottish poets #british poetry #the seasons poem

Hence, in old dusky time, a deluge came: When the deep-cleft disparting orb, that arched The central waters round, impetuous rushed With universal burst into the gulf, And o'er the high-piled hills of fractured earth Wide-dashed the waves in undulation vast, Till, from the centre to the streaming clouds, A shoreless ocean tumbled round the globe.

James Thomson, The Seasons.

Another quote from the Spring section. I think I'll also keep to the Spring tomorrow. Maybe I'll change to the Autumn section with the change of season...

#james thomson #the seasons poem #xviiith century poetry #scottish poets #british poetry

The North-east spends his rage, and, now shut up Within his iron caves, the effusive South Warms the wide air, and o'er the void of heaven Breathes the big clouds with vernal showers distent. At first a dusky wreath they seem to rise, Scarce staining ether; but by fast degrees, In heaps on heaps the doubling vapour sails Along the loaded sky, and mingling deep Sits on the horizon round a settled gloom; Not such as wintry storms on mortals shed, Oppressing life; but lovely, gentle, kind, And full of every hope and every joy, The wish of Nature. Gradual sinks the breeze Into a perfect calm; that not a breath Is heard to quiver through the closing woods, Or rustling turn the many-twinkling leaves Of aspen tall. The uncurling floods, diffused In glassy breadth, seem through delusive lapse Forgetful of their course. 'Tis silence all, And pleasing expectation. Herds and flocks Drop the dry sprig, and mute-imploring eye The falling verdure. Hushed in short suspense, The plumy people streak their wings with oil To throw the lucid moisture trickling off, And wait the approaching sign to strike at once Into the general choir. Even mountains, vales, And forests seem, impatient, to demand The promised sweetness. Man superior walks Amid the glad creation, musing praise And looking lively gratitude. At last The clouds consign their treasures to the fields, And, softly shaking on the dimpled pool Prelusive drops, let all their moisture flow In large effusion o'er the freshened world. The stealing shower is scarce to patter heard By such as wander through the forest-walks, Beneath the umbrageous multitude of leaves: But who can hold the shade while Heaven descends In universal bounty, shedding herbs And fruits and flowers on Nature's ample lap? Swift fancy fired anticipates their growth; And, while the milky nutriment distils, Beholds the kindling country colour round.

James Thomson, The Seasons.

The third quote from The Seasons this week is also from the Spring section...

#james thomson #the seasons poem #xviiith century poetry #scottish poets #british poetry

one his part. Ye fostering breezes, blow; Ye softening dews, ye tender showers, descend; And temper all, thou world-reviving sun, Into the perfect year. Nor, ye who live In luxury and ease, in pomp and pride, Think these lost themes unworthy of your ear: Such themes as these the rural Maro sung To wide-imperial Rome, in the full height Of elegance and taste, by Greece refined. In ancient times the sacred plough employed The kings and awful fathers of mankind; And some, with whom compared your insect-tribes Are but the beings of a summer's day, Have held the scale of empire, ruled the storm Of mighty war; then, with victorious hand, Disdaining little delicacies, seized The plough, and greatly independent scorned All the vile stores corruption can bestow.

James Thomson, The Seasons.

#james thomson #the seasons poem #xviiith century poetry #scottish poets #british poetry

COME, gentle Spring, ethereal mildness, come; And from the bosom of yon dropping cloud, While music wakes around, veiled in a shower Of shadowing roses, on our plains descend. O Hartford, fitted or to shine in courts With unaffected grace, or walk the plain With innocence and meditation joined In soft assemblage, listen to my song, Which thy own season paints--when nature all Is blooming and benevolent, like thee.

The Seasons, James Thomson.

I'd like to spend the week posting quotes from 'The Seasons'. Despite not being as well known as some of his contemporaries such as Pope or Dryden, this poem is probably my favorite from the XVIIIth century.

#james thomson #the seasons poem #alexander pope #john dryden #xviiith century poetry #scottish poets #british poetry

Shutter Island.

The best films of the XXIst Century.

I know, everybody hated this film. I think it's because people thought it was just a movie about a crazy guy with a predictable twist. But I see it like this: it's a movie about how the world changed after concentration camps. How every corner of the world became a concentration camp after World War II. DiCaprio's sanity is irrelevant.

And it's so well filmed. And Gustav Mahler's Piano Quartet in A Minor, of course.

#The best films of the XXIst Century #gustav mahler #shutter island #mahler piano quartet a minor #leonardo dicaprio #martin scorsese #concentration camps

"Soy un hombre a quien la suerte

hirió con zarpa de fiera;

soy un novio de la muerte

que va a unirse en lazo fuerte

con tal leal compañera."

#good thursday #spanish legion #spanish easter processions #easter #novio de la muerte

Apocalypto.

The best films of the XXIst Century.

#The best films of the XXIst Century #apocalypto #mel gibson

There will be blood.

The best films of the XXIst century.

#there will be blood #daniel day lewis #The best films of the XXIst century #sinclair lewis #paul thomas anderson

John Tavener - Song for Athene.

Thanks to Sheila for pointing out that this great piece seems to have the equivalent of a Byzantine ison.

The Ärvo Parts and John Taveners prove that the XXth Century was not completely lost to music!

#john tavener #song for athene #byzantine chant #byzantine ison #xxth century music #arvo part

museonazionaletradizionipopolar

Buona Domenica delle Palme a tutti! (Mosaico della Capella Palatina, Palermo, circa 1150: Cristo entra a Gerusalemme)

Johann Sebastian Bach, Cantata BWV 3, 5th Movement (Duet).

A song of hope ("Jesus helps me bear my cross / for which I will proclaim with Faith: / All will be well"). One of my favorite movements of a Bach cantata, which is saying a lot!

Happy birthday, Bach!

#johann sebastian bach #bach cantata #cantata bwv 3 #bach duet

And that which was made when He spoke was certainly made by means of the Word. And by the words, God saw that it was good, it is sufficiently intimated that God made what was made not from any necessity, nor for the sake of supplying any want, but solely from His own goodness.

City of God, Augustine of Hippo (Chapter 24, Book XI).

I think there's a lot to say of things that are beautiful and unnecessary. Creation, according to Augustine, is like a poem or a painting.

#saint augustine #augustine of hippo #city of god #creation #beauty

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