#classicalperiod

[rhaynj]

View this post on Instagram

Some Aguado played on a 19th century replica, of a guitar based on one of Sor's original Panormo guitars. 🤔😉(courtesy of John Mills-thank you sir! ) Lovely little etude that is excellent for scale practice: in a musical setting! #classicalguitar #classicalguitarist #classicalperiod #dionisioaguado #6stringinspiration #rhaynjooste #rwcmd (at Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoJHaeeFJRK/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ijaz5tetzlfi

[historyoftheancientworld]

📷 Greek helmets, Classical period, from Olympia Museum store room. Photo : Historical pictures #greekhelmets #classicalperiod #olympiamuseum #storeroom #ancientgreece #ancienthistory #history #travel #greece

[blugreen]

Did you know a half man half fish is called a Triton? . . . #merman #zoolander #mermaid #fish #greek #classicalperiod (at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

[blog-hannah-williams-blog]

BLOG 2: Wolfgang Mozart

Symphony No. 40 is written in Sonata form. Sonata form contains 3 parts; exposition, development, and Recapitulation. The first subject is in the tonic key (G minor). There are simple rhythms and occasional use of dotted rhythms. Syncopation is also used to create momentum and add interest. A chamber orchestra made up of strings, woodwind, and horns maximize the number of notes within the piece. The music in certain sections may seem ambiguous because it is constantly changing and feels restless. This is due to the exploration of different keys.

[birdobeaverhousen]

Grave marker in the shape of a #lekythos (oil or perfume bottle) : Nikokles and Autokrates standing next to their seated sister Aristonike, #greek #athens #classicalperiod (at Seattle Art Museum)

[madblatter]

Gravestone of Theogenis #latergram #gettyvilla #gravestone #theogenis #greek #athens #classicalperiod (at Getty Villa)

[itauzeteeposts]

(vía https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6PaevjHKDk)

[nakedorchestra]

Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro/The Marriage of Figaro Opera Walkthrough: Act II

Act II picks up with an incredibly sad and beautiful aria which is something Mozart does so well. The Countess appears and gives us a peek into her misery, asking love to return her husband. Here’s Dame Kiri Te Kanawa singing a beautiful version.

Susanna appears and attempts to cheer her up while they talk about what a creep her husband is. The Countess gets a pretty nasty man-zinger in there saying

“This is how modern husbands are: unfaithful on principle, fickle by nature and all jealous out of pride.”

(Come lo sono i moderni mariti: per sistema infedeli, per genio capricciosi, e per orgoglio poi tutti gelosi.) 

Figaro comes in and they begin to scheme up a very complicated scheme to keep the count busy until he and Susanna can have their wedding. He’s already sent an anonymous letter to the count warning him that his wife is cheating on him that evening so he’ll spend all his time trying to figure out who the fellow is. Also they’re going to dress Cherubino up as a girl and try to get the count to hook up with him so they can expose him.

Sure. Sounds simple enough. 

So anyway he sends Cherubino in. You could cut the sexual tension between Cherubino and the Countess with a knife and poor ole’ Susanna is third wheeling/chaperoning along. She encourages Cherubino to sing one of his songs for the Countess. He’s very nervous and you can hear that the aria starts out very simply both harmonically and rhythmically and gains complexity as Cherubino gains confidence. This aria is also diegetic music to the opera, and so Susanna is supposed to be accompanying him on the guitar so you can hear the arpeggiated bass line is meant to imitate a guitar. Here is an amazing version sung by my imaginary girlfriend Kate Lindsey, from a modern setting of the opera (note Susanna teaching him Elvis moves at the beginning). Subs if you speak French or a quick translation here

Then begin the cross-dressing Cherubino shenanigans. Everyone gets very giggly as they undress the hot young guy. Somewhere in the undressing, they notice that Cherubino’s military commission is missing its official seal. Susanna sings an aria (Venite inginocchiatevi)  goes out to grab something leaving the Countess and Cherubino ALONE. SCANDAL.

Except  that the Count has received that letter about his adulterous wife and has come to confront her. Cherubino hides in the closet, and the Countess proves herself to be a terrible liar, trying to say that Susanna is in the closet trying on her wedding dress but...just...CAN’T...come out. As they’re arguing about this, Susanna actually does reenter the room and tries to figure out what the hell is happening. The Count decides to go get tools to open the closet door himself, and to ensure that whoever is hiding can’t escape he’s bringing the countess with him and locking the damn door.

Well damn. Now Susanna and Cherubino are both locked in the room where they are going to freak out in a whirlwind of a duet where Cherubino decides to jump out of the window despite Susanna’s protestations. Here’s Diana Damrau (Susanna) and Monica Bacelli (Cherubino)

Susanna then hides in the closet and the Count and Countess return and just as they’re about to get the closet door open, the Countess spills the beans and confesses Cherubino is the one in the closet. Enraged the Count throws open the door to reveal...Susanna.

Everyone is confused and Susanna is having the time of her life. She sings a little minuet as she exits, showing us that it’s not just Figaro who gets to make the Count dance. This is Mozart’s very long and truly masterful finale. It’s about 25 minutes of continuous ensemble music and continuous scheming and upheaval. I could try to summarize it and it would take a small novel, or you could just watch it from the 2012 Glyndebourne production set in 1960’s Spain (which I LOVE). Settle in cuz...