When Life Gets in the Way

Sandy Beach at Sunset, Oahu, HI

I began today with the express purpose of getting this blog post done, but somehow life got in my way as it has all week.  Needless to say, I have not any planned words of wisdom to share with you, but I did manage to come up with both Music and Men before life became a major distraction in the middle of my day.  Hopefully, next week my time will not be at a platinum premium price and I can continue the  saga of My Life whence we meet again.  Until then, please enjoy the aural and visual pleasures prepared for you as you scroll down the page.

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For your listening pleasure today we delve into Italian Baroque for a visit with Tomaso Albinoni.  String instruments and especially the violin demanded a key position in Baroque music particularly in Italy.  Like many of his contemporaries Tomaso Albinoni composed a large number of pieces for string ensemble and many concertos for the violin.

With his concertos for one and two oboes Albinoni more or less introduced a new genre.  He is the first Italian known to employ the oboe as a solo instrument in concerti (c. 1715, in his 12 concerti a cinque, op. 7) and publish such works, although earlier concerti featuring solo oboe were probably written by German composers such as Telemann or Händel.  He did not copy Vivaldi’s violin concerto form but for both form and style drew on his vast experience as an opera composer.

Today's recording is a most entertaining Baroque music concert elegantly performed by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra under Nicol Matt, with Stefan Schilli, oboe, and Tanja Becker-Bender, violin.  The complete play list may be found under the video. 

00:00:00 Concerto a cinque, Op. 9/2: D Minor for Solo Oboe and Strings: Allegro non presto
00:03:43 Concerto a cinque, Op. 9/2: D Minor for Solo Oboe and Strings: Adagio
00:07:57 Concerto a cinque, Op. 9/2: D Minor for Solo Oboe and Strings: Allegro
00:10:48 Concerto, Op. 7/2: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:12:49 Concerto, Op. 7/2: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
00:13:49 Concerto, Op. 7/2: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:15:40 Concerto, Op. 7/6: D Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allego
00:18:21 Concerto, Op. 7/6: D Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Adagio
00:20:01 Concerto, Op. 7/6: D Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
00:22:15 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/9: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:26:15 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/9: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
00:28:45 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/9: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:32:14 Concerto, Op. 7/8: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: (no tempo)
00:34:32 Concerto, Op. 7/8: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: Largo
00:36:30 Concerto, Op. 7/8: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:38:16 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/5: C Major for Oboe and Strings: Allegro
00:41:36 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/5: C Major for Oboe and Strings: Adagio
00:43:33 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/5: C Major for Oboe and Strings: Allegro
00:46:42 Concerto, Op. 7/3: B-Flat Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
00:49:29 Concerto, Op. 7/3: B-Flat Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Adagio
00:51:32 Concerto, Op. 7/3: B-Flat Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
00:53:45 Concerto, Op. 9/3: F Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:58:15 Concerto, Op. 9/3: F Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
01:00:29 Concerto, Op. 9/3: F Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:04:25 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/11: B-Flat Major for Oboe and Strings: Allegro
01:08:28 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/11: B-Flat Major for Oboe and Strings: Adagio
01:11:08 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/11: B-Flat Major for Oboe and Strings: Allegro
01:14:28 Concerto, Op. 7/11: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:17:15 Concerto, Op. 7/11: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
01:19:06 Concerto, Op. 7/11: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:21:42 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/8: G Minor for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
01:25:43 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/8: G Minor for Oboe Solo and Strings: Adagio
01:27:49 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/8: G Minor for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
01:31:27 Concerto, Op. 7/5: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:33:19 Concerto, Op. 7/5: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
01:34:48 Concerto, Op. 7/5: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:36:09 Concerto, Op. 7/9: F Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
01:38:39 Concerto, Op. 7/9: F Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Adagio
01:39:36 Concerto, Op. 7/9: F Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
01:41:59 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/6: G Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:45:36 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/6: G Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
01:47:59 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/6: G Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:51:00 Concerto, Op. 7/12: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:53:56 Concerto, Op. 7/12: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
01:55:55 Concerto, Op. 7/12: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:58:07 Concerto, Op. 9/12: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
02:01:16 Concerto, Op. 9/12: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
02:03:26 Concerto, Op. 9/12: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
02:04:56 Concerto for Violin and Strings, Op. 9/1: B-Flat Major: Allegro
02:08:09 Concerto for Violin and Strings, Op. 9/1: B-Flat Major: Adagio
02:09:55 Concerto for Violin and Strings, Op. 9/1: B-Flat Major: Allegro
02:12:23 Concerto, Op. 9/10 in F Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro
02:15:52 Concerto, Op. 9/10 in F Major for Violin and Strings: Adagio
02:19:15 Concerto, Op. 9/10 in F Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro
02:22:44 Concerto, Op. 9/7: D Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro
02:26:14 Concerto, Op. 9/7: D Major for Violin and Strings: Andante e sempre piano
02:33:51 Concerto, Op. 9/7: D Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro
02:36:32 Concerto, Op. 9/4: A Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro
02:39:58 Concerto, Op. 9/4: A Major for Violin and Strings: Adagio
02:42:16 Concerto, Op. 9/4: A Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro

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Finally for today I have but one extraordinary model to display in a series of photographs by Mark Leighton.  This series of photographic portraits perfectly illustrates the timeless incandescent beauty of youth.  For those of you so inclined scroll on down and peruse them at  your leisure.  And all of you, thank you for the visit, come again and often and as always, Enjoy!

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In the Beginning

Sunrise Over 7th Street, looking East from my store.

Before I begin, I would like to extend my condolences to one of my oldest friends, Steve R. in Virginia who lost his Mom this week.  She was a gentile Southern Lady who was charming, funny, gracious and compassionate.  She will be missed I know, but the circle of life will continue and memories of her will warm the hearts of all who knew her.

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 When I first came to the offices of Stay The Course at the behest of the VA, I did so with not a little trepidation but a lot.  Was I ready to reveal all my deep dark secrets?  I did not know, but I did know that I had to change the course of my life and thoughts or I was going to end up in that rubber room with a straight jacket.  I had been seeing my psychiatrist, Dr Moradi, at the VA on a quarterly basis and she recommended I engage a therapist and pointed me in the direction of Stay the Course.  I placed a desperate phone call and of course got voice mail.  I left a message and Tempa called me back and set an appointment for our first session.  It was early in the establishment of her practice with just she and one other therapist.  I have watched her practice grow to several therapists and staff members.  Many of the staff there are either Veterans themselves or spouses of Veterans, all of whom have the best interests of the Veterans and First Responders who come to them for assistance foremost in their minds.  Tempa herself is married to a Veteran and knows first hand how difficult life is when transitioning from military to civilian life.  Our common experiences as Veterans or First Responders results in a shared bond which one cannot really understand without having been there, done that for yourself.

Tempa is a tall willowy red head with a heart as big as Texas with whom I found it easy to talk.  In our first session, she asked me what my goal was for my course of therapy.  I forget now what turn of phrase I used at the time but basically I wanted Clarity,  Stability and Sanity.  I am a classic bi-polar person.  It was either depression so deep as to be inconsolable or giddy happiness that knew no bounds.  I wanted to be somewhere in the middle with the ability to handle the daily stress that comes with life.  If there is anything I have learned in my lifetime, it is the fact that I can only handle so much stress (very little in fact) before having an adverse reaction to it.  Medication certainly helps, but the ability to handle stress for me is that core feeling of inner peace, and I had no such feeling when I began my sessions with Tempa.

I am prone to erratic behavior, irrational thought, extremely OCD and easily angered.  I am also the caring, compassionate, witty 'Uncle' to everyone.  I often try to provide the means to achieve that inner peace for others that I so desperately seek for myself.  Unfortunately for me, that inner peace has never been possible.  I am closer now than ever I have been.  Tempa has guided me in my journey to get as far as I have.  I have revealed to her things I have never told anyone, often not even myself.  She helped to pry open the cellar door in my mind, sweep out the corners and is helping me to discover what I need to keep and what I need to throw away.  She has helped me to see that staying in the here and now moving forward is the more preferable state of being.  The Past is full of pain, pitfalls and traps which lures me in and then destroy my mental state which has painful physical ramifications.  However, by taking past events in my life, examining them one at a time, then deciding whether it is a treasure to be kept or just plain trash which needs to be disposed of properly has not been an easy task.  I have had to remember things sometimes best forgotten and un-remember things that did not promote a healthy mental state.  I am by no means done with my journey, but before I can tell you where I am going, I must first tell you where I have been. I have hopes my story will help someone else avoid some of the pains and pitfalls life throws at one when one least expects it.

It will take a while for the whole story to come out and deciding to share my tightly bound and hidden secrets was not an easy choice.  However, I have learned to loose their bonds, deal with them face to face one at a time and move on.  Learning how to deal with my issues has helped me face life with a few more tools in the box to deal with whatever comes my way and the way of others in my life.  I have held some of these things so tightly and buried so deep for so long, I had no recollection of them.  In order to discover what has been hidden in the corners of my mind, I must first sort through the pile of crap covering them before I can see what is truly in those dark corners.  Next week I will begin the uncovering with events of my youth, which of course is long past at his point and not always on ready recall.  The past is never as really clear as what we think it is and only by a careful examination of these things can one retain as valuable or reject as unnecessary what it is one finds there.  I hope this will not be as painful for you as it has proven to be for me.

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For your listening pleasure today, I have another of my favorites among the Italian Baroque composers, Luigi Boccherini, with this recording of 5 of his 6 Flute Quintets featuring Jean-Pierre Rampal, Flute; Régis Pasquier, Violin; Roland Pidoux, Violoncello; Mathilde Sternat, Violoncello and Bruno Pasquier, Viola.  You will find the play list after the video.  Also after the playlist is this week's visual treats.  This week we are sticking with the Art side of Male Art with 7 more paintings of young men.  Thank you for the visit, please do come again and as always, Enjoy!

Quintet No. 3 in C Major, G. 439 : I. Allegro vivace (Instrumental) 00:00 

Quintet No. 3 in C Major, G. 439 : II. Cantabile (Instrumental)  

Quintet No. 3 in C Major, G. 439 : III. Andante con variazioni (Instrumental) 

Quintet No. 2 in G Major, G. 438 : I. Allegro (Instrumental)15:00 

Quintet No. 2 in G Major, G. 438 : II. Adagio non tanto (Instrumental) 

Quintet No. 2 in G Major, G. 438 : III. Andante con variazioni (Instrumental) 

Quintet No. 1 in F Major, G. 437 : I. Allegro (Instrumental) 28:51 

Quintet No. 1 in F Major, G. 437 : II. Largo (Instrumental) 

Quintet No. 1 in F Major, G. 437 : III. Grazioso (Instrumental) 

Quintet No. 5 in G Major, G. 441 : I. Moderato (Instrumental 41:00 

Quintet No. 5 in G Major, G. 441 : II. Adagio (Instrumental) 

Quintet No. 5 in G Major, G. 441 : III. Grazioso (Instrumental) 

Quintet No. 6 in B-flat Major, G. 442 : I. Allegro (Instrumental) 53:45 

Quintet No. 6 in B-flat Major, G. 442 : II. Adagio (Instrumental) 

Quintet No. 6 in B-flat Major, G. 442 : III. Rondeau. Grazioso (Instrumental

Sunday Morning Concert

Hello and welcome to the first Sunday Morning Concert in November!  Things yesterday did not always go according to plan, but I did manage get a lot accomplished.  Sadly, I am still woefully behind on my backlog of TV episodes.  However all in good time, so they say.  Before we get into the concert proper, I thought I would share the latest video from the Piano Guys.  The Piano Guys, Peter Hollens, David Archuleta, and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir get together to sing "Angels We Have Heard On High"as the anthem for the #share the gift hash tag campaign.  I know it is still a little early for Christmas songs, but this is a really beautiful rendition which immediately took me back in time.  I remembered the first time I ever sang this song in public.  I was in the Junior Choir at the church and we sang this  as the processional hymn as we entered the sanctuary.  The only lighting visible during the processional were the candles we were all holding as we came down the aisle and lit the candelabras at the front.  Take a moment to enjoy this marvelous recording.  

Now as to today's fabulous live performance, I am in a fairly mellow mood, so I thought a little Beautiful Baroque would be in order.  And who better to carry the Baroque Banner than Johann Sebastian Bach as the featured composer.  The video posted below is of the Piano Recital by Vyacheslav Gryaznov performing 10 Fugues from Art of Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bachas well as  24 Etudes by Frederic Chopin as a bonus. Included in this play list are Contrapuncti 1, 3, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14. with the last unfinished fugue completed by Vyacheslav Gryaznov. His encores are : Bach-Prelude 1 from WTC(book 1); Chopin-"Minute Waltz", op. 64, 1 and Chopin-Prelude 7 op. 28. Recorded live in the Malyi Hall of Moscow's Tchaikovsky Conservatory, March 18, 2012.  Over on my tumblr, I have the 2010 live London recording of Bach's Partita No. 3 in E Major for Solo Violin, BWV 1006 by Soloist Julia Fischer.  

To add a little visual enhancement to your aural experience, I went back quite a ways into my 118 folders of male art, stopping at folder number 69.  From there, with lasciviousness in mind, I made today's selections.  I think you will be well pleased with the results of my search for sexiness au natural in this edition of Naked or Nearly So! posted down below.  Meanwhile, over on my tumblr, Your Hottie of the Day!, 'Vice Mike, the Enchanter' will charm you out of your clothes with his eyes alone before you even get to his magnificent, sculpted body.  Thanks for sharing part of your Sunday with ame, tune in again tomorrow as we begin another week of Music, Men & More!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

An Emphatic TGIF!

Oh yes, I am definitely ready for Friday!.  I rested so very well on my new bed last night, I feel ready for the day!.  It will be a busy one, being Friday, truck night and all that.  I have lots to do during the day today also as I haven't as yet done the weekly shopping.  So I do have my work cut out for me.  However, I still am making time for you guys first so we can get the Weekend off on the right note.  

Speaking of, as I promised yesterday, I have two more performances from the 2015 Queen Elisabeth  International Violin Competition in Brussels.  The National Orchestra of Belgium under the baton of Marin Alsop accompanies both soloists as they did yesterday.  Down below, I have 21 year old American violinist Kenneth Renshaw performing Brahms’ ‘Concerto in D Major, Op. 77’ in the Finals of the Competition.  Over on my tumblr, 24 year old German VC ‘Young Artist’ violinist, Tobias Feldmann performs Bela Bartok’s ‘Violin Concerto No. 2’ also in the Final round.  

Now to make sure you are in the proper frame of mind to kick off the Weekend, today's collection of exquisite examples of art in the male form may be found posted down below in this edition of Fantasy Fuel for your visual appreciation.  Over on my tumblr, Your Hottie of the Day!, Judah Gavra, can't wait to get 'down and dirty' with you.  Thanks for the visit and your unflagging loyalty to one busy old man who just happens to have great taste in both Music and Men!  We will see you next for the Sunday Morning Concert, tune in to see what I come up with!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Thuirsday Special Edition: Catching Up with Myself!

You have probably noticed by now that I have not been around these pages much this week.  There are a couple of good reasons for that, but suffice it to say the struggle to fit things in this week was real but ultimately successful.  The real high light of the week came this morning at 8:30 when two nice young men arrived with my new bed and proceeded to professionally assemble and place the bed where I wanted it.  They  also left me the necessary tools to disassemble it should the occasion to move occur.  Down below is what I now proudly have in my front room and it has been sleep tested and approved by me already!

As you can see I was pretty spot on with my bedding selections as it is gorgeous and matches up with the framing wood and iron perfectly.  I dressed the bed then snuggled in for a nap and for the first time in I don't know how long, I dropped right off with no 'outside help' and slept soundly and peacefully.  Uncle is a very happy camper today!

I have made another significant improvement in my life this week with the purchase and delivery of my new mouse.  I was having horrific tracking issues with my old mouse, and improving the mouse pad with gaming one from Corsair did not greatly improve matters.  So Will ran the configurator over on the Razer site and came up with what should be the perfect mouse for me, The Death Adder Classic, which comes with its own custom mouse pad.  As you can see below it is a dynamihe presentation and it tracks like a dream!

So my online experience is bound to be enhanced by a mouse that actually does what it is designed to do every time.  It came with a bonus virtual surround sound program for my headset which makes all my classical music sound that much better which is a definite win for me!  Seaking of great classical music, I have some good stuff lined up for you today.

Like I told you on Monday, I have performances from the 2015  Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competetion in Brussels to share with you .  I have 3 performances today and 2 for tomorrow so we will be rocking out to some of the world's great violin concerti.  Down below, I have two performances from the Final Round of the Competition, recorded live with the National Orchestra of Belgium under conductor Marin Alsop.  First is 26 year old Ukranian violinist Oleksii Semenenko performing Jean Sibelius’ ‘Violin Concerto in D Minor Op. 42’ followed by 23 year old German violinist Thomas Reif performing Tchaikovsky’s ‘Concerto in D Major, Op. 35’.  Over on my tumblr, I have 20 year old Taiwanese violinist William Ching-Yi Wei performing Shostakovich’s ‘Concerto No. 1 in A Minor Op. 77’, also from the Final Round with the National Orchestra of Belgium and Marin Alsop.  

Then to add special-ness to this special edition, I have managed to put together 3 collections with the intention of posting each day, but you see where that got me, lol.  Anyway, down below is a Triple Treat Thursday post with all the eye candy I have gathered for your visual appreciation this week.  Over on my tumblr there is also a trip treat of Hotties of the Day! for your drooling pleasure.  Thanks for still being here when I showed up at last.  I promise I will see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Lady Luck is a Fickle Bitch!

Really, she is.  After smiling all evening on Eli Manning and the New York Giants, she gave one last smile before turning her back on them completely.  On a night when Tony Romo and the Cowboys did everything in their power to loose the game, 3 turnovers added to stupid penalties and dropped passes, Lady Luck for the 24th time smiled down on Tony Romo and blessed the Cowboys with a most improbable victory before 93,579 fans and a nationwide television audience on Sunday Night Football.  Trailing by 13 points at 26-13 with 8 minutes to play Romo and the Cowboys scored 14 points in the final 5 minutes to pull out an amazing victory, 27-26.

The final score shown in the photo above was a classic Romo to Witten 11 yard slant to the goal line where Jason Witten refused to be denied, waltzing into the End Zone for the winning TD.  This sent a heretofore rather despondent crowd into a delirious frenzy of celebration which could be heard for miles around the stadium in Arlington.  Even with the roof closed!  What a way to start the defense of the NFC Crown returned to the Cowboys last year after so many years without.  I hope all the games are not this much of a nail biter, but as they say "...on any given Sunday..." anything can happen.

The Cowboys schedule is OK except for a killer December, 3 road games to cold weather cities with outdoor stadiums,  Green Bay, Washington and of all places, fucking Buffalo two days after Christmas.  This is in addition to hosting the Jets and closing the season at home against the Redskins.  Could this be the Cowboys year? Only the passage of time will tell, but hopes springs eternal.  Especially when that fickle bitch, Lady Luck, decides to smile in your direction.

Your Monday with Mozart once again features the beautiful and talented Anne-Sophie Mutter and her frequent collaborator, Lambert Orkis, as we join them for disc 3 of their recording of all of Mozart's Sonatas for Piano and Violin.  Today's play list includes the Sonata for Piano and Violin in C, K.296; the Sonata for Piano and Violin in E flat, K.380; the Sonata for Piano and Violin in F, "für Anfänger", K.547 and the Sonata for Piano and Violin in D, K.306.  To complete your Monday with Mozart, join Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim over on my tumblr for their performance of Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianosin D Major, K448 recorded live at the Philharmonie in Berlin just last year.

Finally for Monday, we have our weekly indulgence in our mutual underwear fetish with this delicious collection of yummy dudes decked out in their sexiest skivvies found in this edition of Monday's Undies posted down below.  Then over on my tumblr, Your Hottie of the Day! is 'Scruffy and Sculpted'.  That too is a delicious combination, makes my tongue hard just thinking about it... but I digress, lol.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

New Adventures In Good Music

When I first began listening to Classical Music, the local station, WRR101.1 FM, played a syndicated program every evening entitled Adventures in Good Music with host Karl Haas.  Karl would play the second movement to Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata as his theme song live every evening.  He was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Classical Music and his Sonorous voice.  Karl Haas single handed popularized Classical Music in America with his combination of knowledge, personality and humor.  He made Classical Music fun for millions of people here in the US and wherever 'Adventures' was syndicated.  

Haas began his radio program Adventures in Good Music on WJR in Detroit, Michigan in 1959.  Syndicated broadcasts of the show across the United States began in 1970, syndicated to commercial and public radio stations around the world.  'Adventures' became the world's most widely listened-to Classical Music radio program.  As a tribute to the man and the program from whom I learned to appreciate Good Music, I though I would start a new feature to give hump day a little different flair.  Wednesday now will be known not only as Wet Wednesday but also as the day for New Adventures in Good Music.  Each week we will explore a musical artist/performer/composer, instrument, orchestra or musical insider in a little more depth than my usual blurb by way of introduction for a video.

For the premier edition of New Adventures in Good Music, we start with music for the starting block of any orchestra, the Violin and its cousin the Viola.  When one thinks of the Violin, certain names come to mind.  In the performance department Itzhak Perlman, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Joshua Bell, and of course Nicolo Paganini to name but a few.  While several composers come to mind, Vivaldi, Paganini again this time as a composer,  Bach, Branms, Beethoven and Sibelius.  Today's featured Musical Artist/Composer predates even Paganini himself.  Alessandro Rolla (22 April 1757 – 15 September 1841) was an Italian Viola and Violin Virtuoso, Composer, Conductor and Teacher. 

His fame now rests mainly as "teacher of the great Paganini", yet his role was very important in the development of Violin and Viola technique. Some of the technical innovations that Paganini later used largely, such as left-hand pizzicato, chromatic ascending and descending scales, the use of very high positions on Violin and Viola, octave passages, were first introduced by Rolla.  In 1772, he made his first public appearance as a soloist and composer performing "the first Viola concerto ever heard", as reported by a contemporary writer.  In 1782, he was appointed principal Viola and the leader of the Ducale Orchestra in Parma, playing violin and viola until 1802.  In 1795 he received a visit by the father of the young Paganini, wishing him to teach his son.  After the death of the Duke of Parma, Rolla was offered a position as leader and orchestra director of the La Scala Orchestra in Milan in 1802.  Here the new governors, the French and later the Austrians, wanted to create the most important orchestra of Italy and therefore hired the best virtuosos of the time.

Rolla remained at La Scala until 1833 as the "Primo Violino, Capo d'Orchestra" while prolifically composing solo instrumental music , chamber and orchestral works.  He was instrumental in bringing the music of the 'Viennese Composers' like Haydn, Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven to La Scala and other venues and made it popular in Italy.  He wrote about 500 works, from didactic compositions to sonatas, quartets, symphonies, concertos for violin, and at least 13 concertos and other works for viola and orchestra. Significant was his contribution to the dissemination of Beethoven's works in Italy and his familiarity with Beethoven and other Viennese composers is shown in his compositions. He continued to compose and play chamber music until few months before his death at 84.

To illustrate the Music of Maestro Rolla, I have chosen a set of Violin Sonatas from the 4 disc set of Rolla's Chamber Works by Symphonia recorded by Ruggero Marchesi, Violin and Roberto Guglielmo, Piano.  The recording is of Disc 4 of this set which runs about an hour.  Over on my tumblr, I have the inspiration for the choosing of Rolla for our Premier Adventure, which I heard on Venice Classic Radio the other day while I was at work.   It is the Duo Concertant for Violin and Viola in C Major with a performance by Augustin Dumay, Violin and Gerard Caussé on Viola. 

That should do it for our Premier New Adventures In Good Music post except to link you to the additional beauty to be found splashing about the page in this week's edition of Wet Wednesday down below and the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Processus Interruptus

In days of yore, before technology ruled the world, group presentations and proposals were often done using visual aids.  One of the most popular was the utilization of an easel to hold essentially a giant sketch pad.   The presenter would create their presentation on the pages of the pad, then during the presentation, the presenter would flip the pages of the pad to illustrate the various points in the presentation or proposal.  That is the general premise behind one of the apps that is native to my new smart phone.  Flip Board is a customizable news feed where you pick the topics that interest you, and the app creates story boards with articles related to the topic at hand.  Instead of scrolling down the page, you flip the boards to read the stories, like turning the pages in a book only the flips are vertical not horizontal.  

Flip Board is where I ran across this story from the folks at Buzz Feed...... 

(***  It was at this point in my day that my FF decided to eat itself and basically lock up my computer.  The whole ordeal that transpired this afternoon drove me to tears.  After finally uninstalling FF, deleting all files and folders associated with FF and then reinstalling the latest version, I think I am back to where I was about 7 hours ago.)

.... relating the stories of LGBT service members all the way back to the Korean War and WWII.  Here is the headline blurb from the Article:

This Veteran’s Job Was Discharging Gay Sailors In The Navy — But He Had A Secret

From a closeted gay sailor who typed the dishonorable discharges for Korean War servicemen accused of homosexuality, to a lesbian correctively raped by Marines while serving in Desert Storm, these are the stories of LGBT veterans and their decades-long fight for equality in the armed forces. 

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It is a fairly lengthy yet fascinating look at the lives and history of our heroic LGBT Service Members who have always been there alongside our hetero compatriots.  It ran 38 boards on Flip Board, but it really did not take that long to read.  At the end of the article is an 8 minute documentary on the closeted gay sailor from the Korean War, Otto Bremerman.  Also discussed in the article is proposed legislation to make it the review process easier for those dischaged before the repeal of DADT to have their discharges upgraded.  My own appeal is ongoing at the moment.  

The article also mentions the fund raising efforts of National LGBT Veterans Memorial Project for a LGBT Veteran's Memorial to be erected near the grave of Leonard Matlovich, the first Out Gay Service Member in the early 70's in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC.   You may recall Leonard's epitaph written on his headstone: “They gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.”  Been there, done that, got the fucking  T shirt.  Still fighting the battle and so....... life goes on.

For your musical entertainment today, I have four Concerti by Johann Sebastian Bach.  Included in the play list are the Violin Concerto in A Minor, BWV 1041; the Concerto for 2 Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043; the Violin Concerto in E Major, BWV 1042 and the Concerto for 3 Violins (reconstructed form the Concerto for Harpsihord, BWV 1064 by Simon Standage).  Today's performance is by Simon Standage and Collegium Musicum 90 featuring Soloists other than Standage in Micaela Comberti and Miles Golding.  Over on my tumblr you may join the Cologne Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Helmut Muller-Brühl featuring Christian Hommel as the Soloistfor 4 Concerti by Bach for Oboe/OboeD'Amore. 

As for some eye candy, your splashing good times are to be found in this edition of Wet Wednesday down below  as well as the 'Tropical Treat' who is your Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  One final note on a long and stressful day and then I will let you be on your merry way.  Today is my birthday, and absolutely no one remembered.  Not even Will.  Makes me wonder if I am even relevant any more.  Any way , you guys have a great day and we will see you on the flip flop.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Friday

Well we made it to Friday once again, and mostly in one piece.  Just one more truck night and then the Weekend is mine.  I am getting used to having 'normal' weekends off after years and years of working on Saturday and Sunday.  I may bar the door this weekend though, and hermitize myself for some much needed R & R.  Maybe not, we shall see what the weekend shall bring.  

For today, we continue Ensemble Week with a couple of wonderful performances by the Khachaturian Trio ( Armine Grigoryan, Piano; Karen Shahgaldyan, Vion and Karen Kocharyan, Cello) and their Friends, Sona Barsegyan on Piano and Hayk Ter-Hovannisyan on Viola.  Recorded live at the Special Events Auditorium of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, Yerevan, Armenia this two part concert entitled 'Fantasy' features works from Bazzini, Sarasate, Schubert and Brahms.  In the first part of hte concert Armine and Sona perform 3 Fantasies:  Bazzini's Fantasy on themes from Verdi's La Traviata, Sarasatae's Fantasy on the theme from Mozart's Magic Flute and Schubert's Fantasy for Piano Four Hands.  In part two, Hayk joins the Trio for Brahms Piano Quartet in G Minor.  Over on my tumblr, the Khachaturian Trio puts on an intimate Chamber Concert featuring Felix Mendelssohn's Piano Trio Number 1 in D Minor, Opus 49.  

Since this is Friday, and we all need us some fantasy... I tried to select the most sizzlin' studs among the many in the file I had pulled up for this week's edition of Fantasy Fuel which you will find posted down below.  Each portrait evokes its own spark to set fire to your desire.  To add spice to the mixture, be sure to check out the 'Lascivious Latino', Your Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Thanks for the visit, stop in tomorrow for Ensemble Week's Saturday Evening Concert.  Until next time as always, enjoy!

Saturday Evening Concert

Welcome to the Weekend and you Saturday Evening Concert.  We have been featuring the Great Concerti and Sonatas for the Violin all week and we conclude our exploration in Grand Style with tonight's Fabulous Live Performances.  Getting right into it, you may have guessed already that the Music I  am featuring tonight is composed by perhaps the world's acknowledged 'greatest Violinist of all time', Nicolo Paganini.  After all, what exploration of the Violin and its music would be complete without the inclusion of this Violin Virtuoso.  All week I have been pairing Concerti with Concerti or Sonatas.  Paganini composed 6 of the most difficult Violin Concerti ever written to showcase the ease with which he could play them.  They have been a challenge to all Violinists ever since.  Paganini also wrote 24 Capriccios for Solo Violin which are among his most famous works, especially number 24.  Therefore tonight's performances feature Paganini's Concerti and his Capriccios.  

On February 20, 2014, the 6 Concerti of Niccolo Paganini were performed in one historic concert by Violinist Nikolay Madoyan.  Madoyan was accompanied by the National Academic Theater Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Karen Durgaryan.  This is first time all of Paganini concerti were played live in a one concert.  A feat not even accomplished by Paganini himself.  Usually violinists play only one concerto in a concert due to the extreme difficulty of the concerti.  The cadenza of E. Sauret, which is the most difficult cadenza in the world for Violinists to play, was included and performed with the first concerto.  You will will find this 4 hour Passionate Paganini Performance posted down below.  Likewise in another historic concert, Nikolay Madoyan for the first time by any Violinist including Paganini performed all 24 Capriccios in the order they were written.  This intimate performance by Madoyan can be enjoyed over on my tumblr. 

Then to set your heats a pumping along with the Music for a very different reason, cruise on down the page to peruse this week's prime candidates for 'my next future ex husband', all of whom are Naked or Nearly So (Choose Wisely, Grasshopper).  Additionally, Your Hottie of the Day!, J R over on my tumblr will definitely add fuel to any fantasy fire you wish to conjure in your lascivious minds.  Thanks for sharing part of your Weekend with me.  Tune in again on Monday for another exciting week of Music, Men & More!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Busy, Busy, Beethoven & Boys

Well, hasn't this week just flown by.  The older I get the faster the time seems to fly.  Either that or I am just incredibly busy.  I did manage to catch some rest last night after  a rather long day of chores, errands, hunting, gathering, sharing and caring.  My busy schedule continues this morning.  Next up is the dreaded laundry chore.  It only takes a couple of hours, but I have to go out to do it, so I find it hard to multi task when this chore comes up.  It has to be done though, that or I go to work tonight bare ass naked.  That might not necessarily be a bad thing, but a Friday truck night is not the venue to have my dangly bits dangling about unprotected, if you catch my drift.  At any rate, busy or not, there is still time for the Music and the Men.

We continue our ersatz Violin Week and our exploration of the great Concerti and Sonatas written for this most versatile and expressive instrument.  Today we feature the Music of Ludwig von Beethoven, who like Sibelius, Dvorak and Tchaikovsky, wrote only one Violin Concerto (in D Major, Opus 61).  However, Beethoven also wrote 10 Violin Sonatas as well.  As for his Violin Concerto, it is posted down below featuring a classic 1977 recording of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under a young Daniel Barenboim's baton with Pinchas Zukerman as the Violin Soloist.  Over on my tumblr, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Lambert Orkis beautifully perform Beethoven's Violin Sonata Number 9, Opus 47 "Kreutzer" recorded live at the Theatre des Champs-Elysee in Paris. 

Before I head off to begin yet again another busy day, I had better fulfill my passionate 'obligation' to share some Man Art with you.  As this is Friday, it is time for some Fantasy Fuel to kick start the Weekend which you will find posted just below this post.  Then today's Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr, besides being a really cute Ginger Snap, begs you to ask the question, "A Penny for your Thoughts...".  Now I gotta go get things done, be sure to tune in tomorrow for another Fabulous Liver Performance on the Saturday Evening Concert.  Thanks for stopping in, until next time as always, Enjoy!

Hump Day

Happy Hump Day everyone!  While it may be Hump Day for you guys, I did all my serious 'Humping' last night for Truck Night.  Now I am all 'Humped' out and ready for a long nap.  But first I have some great Music to share with you today.  Your featured selections for today comprise the complete Die Lautenwerke (Works for Lute) of Johann Sebastian Bach.  Your performance today is from the 1990 2 CD set recorded by Konrad Junghänel.  Junghänel (born 27 February 1953) is a German lutenist and conductor in the field of historically informed performance, the founder and director of the vocal ensemble Cantus Cölln.  You may hear more Bach over on my tumblr with Itzhak Perlman's live BBC Radio Broadcast recording of the Partita Number 2 for Solo Violin.  While you're over on my tumblr be sure to check out 'Adonis Rising From the Sea', Your Hottie of the Day!.  Speaking of Hotties, let's not forget to check out the lithesome lads in the Wet Wednesday post below this one.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Now I am off to Nap-Land for good long snooze.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

As you can tell from the time stamp on this post, I am running slightly behind today.  It is Pay Day with an especially long list of chores and errands that had to be accomplished.  I came home from work this morning, napped for a couple of hours then got up to get things rolling.  The day took off like a lit fuse and exploded into activity that kept me occupied and on the run to almost 6 this evening.  I am just glad that with the new schedule, I now am off on Pay Day.  I used to have to do all this stuff and make it to work on time at 5.  All without being a stressed out SOB.  Now that I am finally home, I can chill, catch up on all my shows and try to catch up on some rest.  I have a 10 hour work day tomorrow, so I will need to get at least a little rest.  Anywho, let's get to the Music so I can proceed to chillax.  

Your featured selection today is Piano Trio No.7 in B-flat major, Op.97 "Archduke" by Ludwig von Beethoven.  Today's performance is from a Classic 1956 recording of a trio of Russian All-Stars in Emil Gilels on Piano, Leonid Kogan on Violin and Mstislave Rostropovich on Cello.  You may also hear a live performance of Beethoven's 'Gassenhauer' Clarinet Trio by Paul Meyer, Julian Steckel and Éric Le Sage over on my tumblr.  Then be sure to check out 'Nature Boy', Your Hottie of the Day! while you are there.  Thanks for stopping in, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

One Year Later...

It was one year ago that a young football player from the Pacific Northwest came out to the world in the pages of Outsports, one day after coming out to his team.  That young man was Conner Mertens, who became the first active NCAA football player to be openly Gay.  It has been an incredible year for Conner who has gone on to befriend and mentor other LGBT athletes, had an outstanding year as the place kicker for Williamette University in Oregon, participated in the LGBT Sports Summit sponsored by Nike in Portland, his boyfriend (another LGBT athlete at another school) came out publicly and his year culminated with his being named Outsports' Male Hero of the Year Award for 2014.  To celebrate his anniversary, Conner got together with Cyd over at Outsports to relate his Two Favorite Moments in the Year Since Coming Out.  I will let you read Conner's words for yourselves, no spoilers here, lol.  Congratulations on a fabulous year, may you have many more Conner!

Your Musical Moment for today features the Musical talents of David Garrett whom I introduced you to on the Evening Concert Saturday.  I presented his crossover concert then, but today David is demonstrating his mastery of the classics.  Today, David is in Concert at the Philharmonie in Berlin with the Festival Strings Lucerne under the direction of Adrian Prabava.  His performance is of the Violin Concerto in D Major by Johannes Brahams.  As an Encore he plays La Campanella, Opus 7 by Nicolo Paganini.  You may join David over on my tumblr for his performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto at the Verbier Festival in 2011.  Don't forget to check out the Hottie of the Day! while you are cruising around over there.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Saturday Evening Concert

Welcome to the Weekend nd Your Saturday Evening Concert.  I promised you a Fabulous Live Performance for this evening, and the concert video I have for you takes Fabulous to a whole 'nother level!  This evening's concert features the inspirational musical talents of German/American Violin Soloist David Garrett.  I do not yet remember having had the pleasure of featuring David in these pages before, but I am going to remedy that in Spades tonight.  David, classically trained and superbly skilled, is many things, but your typical Symphony Soloist he is not.  

David looks like a Rock Star with his long blond hair tied in a pony tail and laid back attire.  However David plays the Violin like Paganini reincarnated.  Like Paganini and many other exceptional Musical Artists, David too has an exceptional Musical Instrument.  In fact, David has one of the the Grand Daddies of exceptional Musical Instruments, the “A. Busch” Stradivarius (1716).  Into the recipe for tonight's concert we have mixed in Rock Star Good Looks, Virtuoso Musical Skills, a fucking Stradivarius and one last ingredient, the unique David Garrett inspirational intellect.  Once stirred and baked, David Garret turns a night at the Symphony into a beautifully dazzling stadium concert experience one will not soon forget. 

This excerpt from the biography found under the 'about' tab on his website will tell you a little more about this Amazing Musical Artist:

“You have to be a world-class violinist in order to record a good crossover CD.” (David Garrett)

“Only those artists can afford to do crossover who have already made a name for themselves in the classical music scene.” David Garrett sets high quality standards. And he knows what he is talking about. In Fall 2007 the recording artist made his appearance in Germany with the release of his crossover album Virtuoso and he has been redefining standards in the classic and crossover scene step by step ever since. The native of Aachen, son of a German jurist and an American prima ballerina, can allow himself to sound out the limits. After all, at age 32, he already looks back on a matchless career.

He gets his first violin at age four and makes his first appearance with the Hamburg Philharmonics at the early age of ten. At age thirteen he is the youngest artist to be awarded an exclusive contract with the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. In 1999, at the height of his career, the shooting star redirects his energy, deciding to leave his predetermined path as a classical violinist and move to New York – not to take a time-out but rather to place his musical proficiency on a theoretical foundation and perfect his technique. He enrolls at the prestigious Julliard School, studying musicology and composition.

Instruction with Itzhak Perlmann lends his performance completely new facets. David Garrett’s particular enthusiasm for studying composition earns him a distinction in 2003 when he wins the renowned Composition Competition of Julliard School with a fugue composed in the style of Johann Sebastian Bach. In doing so, he lays the foundation for what have become legendary arrangements. His highly esteemed American composition teacher Eric Ewazen has said of him “As a violinist, his spectacular, heartfelt and expressive playing already dazzled – even when he was a student – those of us who had the great pleasure of teaching him, and we recognized his extraordinary gifts and his amazing talent.”

Since completing his studies, the visionary violinist has committed himself to a clearly defined goal – introducing young people to the classics and kindling enthusiasm for reputedly serious music. Combining classical elements with those of pop and rock as well as rhythm and blues is a means to this end. “Regarding the crossover pieces I arrange, I strive to attain a level of performance at least equal to that expected of classical works. When another violinist looks at one of my scores he must say “The violin part is damned good. It is so difficult I’d have to practice it for hours before being able to play it.” Concerning his ambitions, David Garrett puts it succinctly. “You have to be a world-class violinist in order to record a good crossover CD. This poses an even greater challenge than classical music does because you want to present things to your listeners in a completely new light while putting on a superb violinist’s performance. The great virtuosos from Paganini to Heifetz did just that. Anything else would be merely mindless commercialism.”

Whereas many conservative contemporaries wonder whether uncompromising excellence and popularity, art and commerce can or may even be reconciled, David Garrett long ago proved that it is possible, enthralling listeners of all ages. The same new, incredibly electrifying spirit pervades lofty philharmonic halls holding sold-out classical concerts and open-air arenas staging crossover programs. The people sense that they are being taken seriously, that a person is performing who approaches the task with utmost discipline while creating an awareness for various musical genres and styles. Garrett’s desire to diminish the awe of classical music felt by young audiences in particular, to spark a whirlwind in the music scene while striving to sweep as many people off their feet as he possibly can is fulfilled to an overwhelming degree.     *** © Dr. Burkhard und Sibylle Schäfer ***

I think you will find yourselves as mesmerized by David Garrett in this 2012 Concert somewhere in Germany as I was when previewing the video for posting.  Plug in the head phones, put the video on full screen, sit back and get ready for a night at the Symphony unlike any you have ever experienced.   After this performance, if you are up for another Live Classical  Concert, you may join Edward Gardner and the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam for their performance of Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, Opus 45 over on my tumblr.  Oh and while you are there, be sure to check out the Hottie of the Day!  Thanks for the visit, see you again on Monday for another week of Music, Men & More!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Just Music & Men Today!

Your Musical Moment for today features the Violin Concerto #3, Opus 61 by Ludwig von Beethoven.   Today's performance is one of the concerts of the 2011 Verbier Festival with the Verbier Festival Orchestra, Gabor Takacs-Nagy - Conductor and Violin Soloist David Garrett.  You may also hear Misuko Uchida and her performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto Number 3 accompanied by The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra with Mariss Jansons conducting over on my tumblr.

For your visual appreciation this week's edition of Tuesday's Temptation are on display below the video, ready, willing and able to lead you down the Garden Path.  Then for those who like a little ginger in the man art, Ginger Snap 27 is Your Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Thanks for the visit, see you tomorrow.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!