Giants of the Guitar - The Composers V

I am so glad it is Friday, I am really ready for the Weekend.  But first I have to get through truck night in the rain, lovely.  However, we have much more pleasant things to talk about, say our continuing series on the Giants of the Guitar.  This week we have focused on The Composers while not necessarily highlighting The Performers although all of our featured works have been marvelous all on their own.  Today is no different, I have a couple of gems found among the jewels of the Baroque era to share with you today.  We had Music from Boccherini yesterday which led me to the rediscovery of our featured works today.  Boccherini was born in Lucca, in the Tuscany region of Italy.  Some 56 years prior to the birth of Boccherini, Lucca produced its first jewel in the Baroque crown in Francesco Geminiani.   

From our friend Wikipedia:

Born at Lucca, he received lessons in music from Alessandro Scarlatti, and studied the violin under Carlo Ambrogio Lonati in Milan and afterwards under Arcangelo Corelli. From 1707 he took the place of his father in the Cappella Palatina of Lucca. From 1711, he led the opera orchestra at Naples, as Leader of the Opera Orchestra and concertmaster, which gave him many opportunities for contact with Alessandro Scarlatti. After a brief return to Lucca, in 1714, he set off for London, where he arrived with the reputation of a virtuoso violinist, and soon attracted attention and patrons, including William Capel, 3rd Earl of Essex, who remained a consistent patron. In 1715 Geminiani played his violin concerti for the court of George I, with Handel at the keyboard.

After visiting Paris and residing there for some time, he returned to England in 1755. In 1761, on one of his sojourns in Dublin, a servant robbed him of a musical manuscript on which he had bestowed much time and labor. His vexation at this loss is said to have hastened his death.

He appears to have been a first-rate violinist. His Italian pupils reportedly called him Il Furibondo, the Madman, because of his expressive rhythms.  In an unusual trio grouping of ic Guitar, Cello and Harpsichord, Geminiani provides us with 6 Sonatas that are delightfully mellow and joyously listenable.  Today's performers are Laszlo Szendry Karper on Guitar, Ede Banda on Cello and Janos Sebestyen on Harpsichord.

 Some 20 years after Boccherini was born, Classical Music was in the midst of a Golden Age with brilliant Musicians and Composers being born or coming to the fore almost like little bunnies doing their thing.  In the small village of Mattsee near Salzburg, Anton Diabelli was born.  Diabelli was an Austrian music publisher, editor and composer. Best known in his time as a publisher, he is most familiar today as the composer of the waltz on which Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his set of thirty-three Diabelli Variations.^[1]  He was instrumental in publishing and promoting the works of Franz Schubert, being the first to do so in 1821.  Diabelli composed the marvelous "Grande Sonate Brillante" for Guitar and Piano, Op. 102 which is the work I have chosen as our companion piece over on my tumblr in an effort to feature as many composers as possible in the time allowed.   The piece is performed on period instruments by Erik Stenstadvold, on a 19th Century Guitar & Brenda Blewett on Piano.  

Then Friday would not be complete with our a little Fantasy Fuel which you will find in abundance posted down below this post.  Also be sure to check out Addison Graham who is worth a whole 'nother Fantasy all by himself as the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.   Thanks for the visit, tune in tomorrow for another Fabulous Live Performance on the Saturday 'Evening Concert.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Writer's Block or Depression?

It has been a difficult writing week for me.  Not a whole lot in the news has incited rant, rave or comment from me (excepting yesterday's Porno Pete adventures).  Sometimes it is just like that, a writer looks at a blank page and instead of his (or her) mind filling up the page with words, the page fills their mind with blankness.  I would hazard a guess that this is some form of writer's block, but then again, maybe it is an early warning sign of a bought of depression.  I can't really tell you anything for sure.  All I really know is that I have struggled all week to fill in the blanks on a daily basis.  Luckily, there has been the Music and the Men to save the day.  I have now gathered close to 150,000 images which are stored on my HDD and access to more Music to which I can listen at any one time.  Perhaps the joy of sharing the beauty found both in Classical Music and the Art of the Male Form makes up for the lack of any pithy commentary I can come up with.  At least I certainly hope so. 

All that being said, I reached back in my play list archive for this beautiful set of 8 Sonatas for Viola d'Amore and Harpsichord by Domenico Scarlatti.  Included are Sonatas K77-80, K88, K89, K90 and K91.  The performance is by Valerio Losito on a 1775 Guadagnini Viola d'Amore and Andre Coen on a replica of a 1620 Italian Harpsichord.  You may also hear 6 Sonatas for Guitar, Cello and Harpsichord by Francesco Geminiani over on my tumblr.

The collection of photographic Art in the Male Form today contains photographs that do not necessarily fit into one or another of my regularly used themes.  However each photograph is striking, sensual or sexy (or any combination thereof) in their own way.  Thus we have this assortment of Random Hotness on display below the play list.  There is also the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr for more inspiration and admiration.  Thanks for the visit, see you again tomorrow.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Best of the Web This Week

Welcome to the weekend and this week's review of the Best of the Web This Week.  Before we get to the reiview, I have run across another example of the wing-nuttery and homophobia that seems to run rampant in the powers that be here in the state of Texas.  The following is a quotation from the Barbara Weicksel column posted on LGBTNation:

"Page Price and Carolyn Compton are a lesbian couple who have been together for almost three years.

Carolyn Compton was granted a divorce in 2011, but the case was reopened last month to dispute custody of their two children after Carolyn’s ex-husband hired a private investigator to gather information on his ex-wife because she is gay. He wanted to bring the case before a judge “in the interest and welfare of the children.”

Court records show that Carolyn’s ex-husband, Joshua Compton, was charged with third-degree felony stalking in 2011, but he pleaded to a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespassing.  It was after this that he hired the private investigator to legally stalk his ex-wife.
 

So, last week a Republican Judge — John Roach, Jr. — added the “morality clause” with no end date into the Compton’s divorce papers and under this clause, someone who has a “dating or intimate relationship” with the person or is not related “by blood or marriage” is not allowed after 9 p.m. when the children are present.

Since the great state of Texas doesn’t allow same-sex marriage, Page Price is being forced to move out of her own home — a home where the children are happy, safe and loved and are, by all accounts, well adjusted.

It’s been alleged that Judge Roach stated that he didn’t like Carolyn’s “lifestyle” and if he could throw her in jail for being gay, he would.

A senior staff attorney for Lambda Legal’s Dallas office said that gay couples are unfairly targeted and that “it’s a problem that continues with homophobia.”

This is an ex-husband who had his manhood questioned because his wife was gay. He stalked her, and when that didn’t work, he hired a private investigator to follow her and document all the proof he needed to reopen his divorce, and use the fact that she was gay against her.

This is a father who, in the words of Page Price, “lives just a few miles away yet has taken his children a total of 12 times in 3 years and not attended ONE school or athletic event.”

And yet, this request for enforcement was filed “in the interest and welfare of the children.”  If he is so worried about their welfare, where is he every 1st, 3rd and 5th weekend.

And what about Judge Roach? This is a Judge who cares nothing for the children in this family.  This is a Judge who is blatantly homophobic and does little to hide his feelings. This is a Judge who has no business being on the bench in family court — or any court — but this is a Judge in Texas who was just re-elected in March."

This is the kind of thing that frustrates me to no end about living here in Texas where LGBTQ persons are definitely demeaned, demoralized and discriminated against simply for being themselves.  It is also the reason I will continue to fight for our Civil Rights, even though the odds are against us.  Eventually, justice will prevail, I just hope I live long enough to see it.  

Now for this week's review, I sorted and sifted through over 2200 photographs to end up with the 80 examples of the fine art which can be found in the male form on display below.  To accompany your examination and appreciation of these works of art, today's Musical Moment features the music of Francesco Geminiani with his 12 Concerti Grossi for 2 Violins, Strings & Continuo [after Op. 5 Sonatas of Corelli].  Today's performance is by the Academy of Ancient Music under the baton of Andrew Manze.  The complete play list can be found here.  Thanks for spending part of your weekend here at Nichevo.  We will gather once again for Music, Men and More! on Monday.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!