Category: CULTURA

Some English Composers and the Music of Benjamin Britten

15/1/2017

Dear friends,

Here I am, back to my favourite subject, music. Today I will talk about music in Great Britain. As we all know, the UK is the world’s greatest market for music consumers, buying more albums per head than anywhere else. From Glyndebourne to Glastonbury, the UK hosts the world’s greatest music festivals. For instance, at the 2012 London Olympics, the opening and closing ceremonies celebrated major aspects of music as a powerful aspect of British national identity.

Going back to history, the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries English musicians had a great reputation in Europe, both for their talent and for their originality. Today there is a revival of interest in these neglected composers. It was their experiments in keyboard music which helped to form the base from which grew most of the great harpsichord and piano music of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

William Byrd was the most distinguished English composer of the 16th century, and his name is still widely known. Byrd’s musical stature can hardly be overrated. He wrote extensively for every medium then available except, it seems, the lute. His virginal and organ music brought the English keyboard style to new heights and pointed the way to the achievements of other English composers, such as John Bull, Giles Farnaby, Orlando Gibbons, and Thomas Tomkins.

Photo credit: sinfonica.com.co

In the centuries which followed, England produced no composers of world rank except for Purcell in the 17th and 18th centuries, and Elgar in the 20th century. In the latter, many people believe there has been a reflowering of English music, and the compositions of some contemporary composers will live on after their deaths. The music of Michael Tippett, William Waltonis and, last but not least, Benjamin Britten performed all over the world.

Britten was an outstanding pianist and conductor, the most important British composer of the 20th century. "Composing is like driving down a foggy road toward a house. Slowly you see more details of the house - the colour of the slates and bricks, the shape of the windows. The notes are the bricks and the mortar of the house", he used to say.

Britten’s prodigious musical talent was recognised early on. He left school at thirteen and went to study composition with John Ireland at the Royal College of Music. He also studied piano with Arthur Benjamin and would go on to become one of the finest accompanists of his generation.

He wrote over 100 major works including operas, songs, string quartets and other chamber works, a violin concerto, choral works, incidental music, symphonies and other orchestral works. Of these, he is best known for the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 (1934)—a sixteen minute work designed to introduce listeners to the various instruments and families of the modern orchestra.

Photo credit: 50years.library.nd.edu

His operas were considered the finest English operas since those of Henry Purcell in the 17th century. Some of his operas, such as Noyes Fludde (Noah’s Flood) are performed in churches every year, and people from the surrounding area sing and act in them.

Britten’s approach was always to write for a person or occasion; he could not write in a vacuum, isolated from the rest of humanity, in an ivory tower and detached from the treatment and reception of his works by musicians and the general public.

He has been called a “people’s composer” because he composed music, particularly operas and choral works, that can be sung by ordinary people and by children. As performers, he liked children’s simplicity and intensity; as audiences he found them highly receptive, very choosy perhaps.

What’s more, the festival he started in his little home town, Aldeburgh, on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, has become one of the most important musical festivals in Britain. It retains a unique character, largely due to its location in rural Suffolk. It also continues to emphasise the presentation of new music, new interpretations and the rediscovery of forgotten music.

I hope this post will motivate you to discover his music! Enjoy!

Teacher Barbara

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I canti natalizi italiani: la storia di “Tu scendi dalle stelle”

26/12/2014

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Cari amici,

oggi continuiamo a parlare di Natale e lo facciamo in musica. Per chi è credente e per chi è scettico, il Santo Natale, il più antico e avvincente racconto della nascita di un bambino, è legato da secoli al canto, alla novena in chiesa o alla corale in casa attorno al presepe e ancora di più nelle tante manifestazioni pubbliche scandite da brani classici, ormai imparati a memoria da milioni di persone.

Vorrei quindi dedicare questo blog al canto natalizio per antonomasia della mia bella Italia: Tu scendi dalle stelle. Questo brano fa pensare al Natale, quelli trascorsi all'asilo o, al massimo, ai primi anni delle elementari, qualcosa che ci riporta ai sapori della nostra infanzia quando, trepidanti, aspettavamo l’arrivo della notte Santa.

Tutti noi italiani abbiamo canticchiato almeno una volta questo motivo. Persino Giuseppe Verdi, dopo averlo ascoltato nella cappella di palazzo Doria a Genova, la notte di Natale del 1890, asseriva che il Natale non sarebbe più Natale senza i versi e la melodia di questo famosa pastorale.

Ma come nasce questa canzone cantata da secoli in ogni parte del mondo?

La melodia è tratta da un famosissimo canto settecentesco napoletano attribuito dalla tradizione popolare a Sant'Alfonso Maria de' Liguori (“Quanno nascette Ninno”) e il testo è adattato in lingua italiana. Si tratta di una felicissima invenzione linguistica che dà forma ad una gioia spontanea: in una parola, è davvero “poesia”.

Fonte: laparoladelgiorno-idl.blogspot.com.es

L’autore, Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori, era un uomo di ampia cultura, missionario, fondatore, vescovo, scrittore fecondo, pittore, poeta, musicista e senza dubbio un grande protagonista della storia della Chiesa e della storia tout court. Ha un posto di tutto rispetto nella cultura del ‘700, il secolo dell'Arcadia. Il movimento arcadico, infatti, si presentava ricco di fervore creativo, ispirato al mondo semplice, bucolico, dei pastori, e spesso al mistero del Natale.

Sant’Alfonso scrisse di getto su un pezzo di carta le note del canto quando si trovava nella città di Nola, mentre era in predicazione e le eseguì poi al clavicordo, uno strumento musicale a corde dotato di tastiera, e destando la meraviglia di un altro sacerdote che gli chiese di poter copiare a sua volta la canzone. Il successo fu immediato. Il canto si diffuse nei paesi vicini, poi via via gli zampognari lo portarono dappertutto, specialmente a Roma.

Franz Listz, nelle sue visite a Roma, ascoltava questa dolce nenia con tale piacere da riproporla uguale nella prima parte del suo Oratorio "Christus", strumentandola da genio musicale qual era e senza sapere che l'aveva scritta un santo.

Ecco qui il testo di Tu scendi dalle stelle. Il brano è in realtà molto più lungo delle due strofe che normalmente si conoscono: è infatti composto da sette strofe.

Tu scendi dalle stelle,
o Re del cielo,
e vieni in una grotta al freddo, al gelo.
Oh Bambino mio divino,
io ti vedo qui a tremar
o Dio beato;
ah quanto ti costò l’avermi amato!
A Te che sei del mondo
il Creatore, mancan panni e fuoco,
o mio Signore
Caro eletto pargoletto
quanto questa povertà
più m’innamora,
giacché ti fece amor
povero ancora!

Ora ascoltiamolo qui in musica cantato dal grande tenore Luciano Pavarotti:

Tu scendi dalle stelle diventò un modello che dette vita a un genere nuovo di musica popolare.

Grazie ai missionari redentoristi, ispirati a Sant’Alfonso, analoghe espressioni musicali nacquero anche al Nord, nei dialetti locali. Tra le quali le più note sono quelle bergamasche e quelle veneziane, che vanno ad affiancarsi a quelle napoletane, siciliane e sarde.

Qualunque sia l’origine dei canti natalizi, in quasi tutte le melodie tradizionali nulla è banale, niente è casuale. La semplicità dei versi, si coniuga con l’orecchiabilità della musica, che da sempre esprime e manifesta gioia.

Quindi, cari amici, non mi resta che augurarvi uno splendido Natale, colmo di pace e d'amore, due simboli che caratterizzano le feste. Ma non dimenticate che ogni giorno dev’essere Natale, gli stessi simboli devono rappresentare il cammino ed essere presenti anche nel resto dell'anno.

Auguri e buone feste!

Teacher Barbara

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Le marché de Noël de Strasbourg : le plus ancien de France

15/12/2014

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Chers amis,

Aujourd’hui nous retournons en France et nous allons encore une fois à Strasbourg, dans la belle Alsace, une région où la période de Noël prend tout son sens : des marchés typiques, des décors de cartes postales, des animations pour toute la famille...

Aussi féériques qu’authentiques, les marchés de Noël alsaciens émerveillent depuis 500 ans.

Des plus grandes villes aux plus petits villages, chaque commune se pare de ses plus beaux atours pour déployer son marché de Noël. Ils sont près de 150, éparpillés du nord au sud de la région, à accueillir petits et grands.

Source: commons.wikimedia.org

En particulier, né en 1570, le marché de Noël de Strasbourg est le plus réputé par son ampleur. Avec ses quelque 300 chalets répartis sur 11 sites au cœur de la ville, il est un des plus grands d'Europe. Vous y trouverez de l'artisanat, des produits alimentaires et des décorations typiques du Noël alsacien, chaque année du 28 novembre au 31 décembre.

La ville entière est illuminée pendant toute la saison festive. Le marché est très beau surtout en fin d’après-midi, alors que la ville tourne sur les lumières et les vitrines brillent, des décorations ornent les murs, les odeurs d’épices et de cannelle emplissent l’air et les églises résonnent des chants de Noël.

Source: magcuisine.fr

Trois siècles plus tard, en 1870, ce marché, où l'on vend des sapins, des décorations de Noël, des crèches, des santons, des objets d'artisanat local, des confiseries et du vin chaud, s'installe place Broglie, lieu où il se tient encore aujourd'hui. Petits et grands flânent de chalet en chalet, savourant avec grand plaisir du pain d'épices, des bretzels, des confiseries, des pâtisseries et du vin chaud.

Source: castinghotels.over-blog.com

Depuis 1570 Strasbourg fête ainsi Noël. A cette époque, le "Klausenmärik" ou "marché de la Saint-Nicolas" était une animation consistant à distribuer des cadeaux aux enfants à l'occasion de la célébration de la Saint Nicolas. Le 22 décembre 1570, le conseil des 21 (Conseil municipal de l'époque) décide de maintenir cette foire mais en la dédiant au "Christkindel", l'Enfant Jésus. Voilà comment est né le "Christkindelmärik", le marché de Noël.

Outre les stands traditionnels au cours de la période de Noël il y a de nombreuses manifestations : spectacles, promenades en bateau à travers la ville pour les enfants et concerts. Que serait Noël en Alsace sans ces notes de musique mélodieuses diffusées sur les places des marchés de Noël et lors des veillées? Ces chants traditionnels louent à la fois la naissance du Christ, l’altruisme et la magnificence du paysage hivernal.

Et bien sûr, il n'y a pas de Noël sans sapin, surtout en Alsace où cette tradition remonte elle aussi au Moyen Âge, celui du marché de Noël de Strasbourg s'élève à 30 mètres de haut (c'est le plus grand sapin de Noël naturel d'Europe) et voit des rennes gambader à son pied.

Certes, il faut s’habiller chaudement pour ne pas souffrir du froid, mais le jeu en vaut la chandelle !

L’Alsace vous attend donc avec sa magie de Noël. Je vous laisse avec cette jolie vidéo :

Joyeuses fêtes les amis.

À la prochaine,

Teacher Barbara

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Christmas traditions in the UK: pantomimes, carols and the Queen’s message.

8/12/2014

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Dear friends,

Christmas is coming! Only two weeks are left. It‘s undoubtedly my favourite holiday and time of the year.

The Christmas and New Year holiday seasons bring with them many traditions all over the world. Even people who consider themselves to be anti-religious quite happily wish each other a “Happy Christmas” or a “Merry Christmas”.

Hence, I will devote my future blogs of December to Christmas and the New Year traditions in the UK, France and Italy. And today I will start with England and with a popular theatrical tradition called pantomime (often shortened to “panto”), staged in hundreds of theatres in the UK at Christmas and specifically designed to appeal to children. It usually involves the acting out of a well-known folk tale (for example: Cinderella, Aladdin, Snow White, etc.) with plenty of opportunity for audience participation. It is a peculiarly British tradition of winter musical comedy theatre.

Source: gla.ac.uk

British pantomime has very deep roots, drawing on the 15th and 16th century traditions of Italian Commedia del Arte for an assortment of stock characters and other conventions. For example, the cast includes a “principal boy” (the young hero), who is always played by a woman, and a “dame” (an older female character), who is always played by a man.

Over the centuries it has developed into a festive entertainment that is still beloved by modern audiences. The continuing popularity of pantomime is assisted by the fact that these leading roles are today frequently taken by well-known personalities from the worlds of television or sport.

Together with pantomimes, a very common tradition in England is carol singing. Every year at Christmas time, carols are sung outside in the street, at home, in the supermarket, you can hear them everywhere. Just for curiosity, the word carol comes from the Greek word choros meaning a "band of singers and dancers".

For many centuries carols had little or no religious content and were simply ancient songs that were sung in midwinter. Early carols were celebratory and fun. So, before the invention of the printing press, carols were a way to communicate the Christmas story and pass it from one generation to another.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

One of the most popular traditional carols in England is called Twelve Days of Christmas. During the holiday season, it is heard everywhere from shopping malls to television commercials to church functions.

If you don’t know the song, it tells the story of a series of increasingly impressive gifts given, I think, by a man to the woman he loves, one on each day, for 12 days! You can listen to it here:

Everywhere you go, you can hear about Two Turtle Doves, Seven Swans-a-Swimming and Eleven Pipers Piping. But what does any of this mean? What does a song about doves, hens and geese have to do with Christmas?

Well, many people have asked that question, and there are many answers.

The lyrics of the song were first published in England in 1780 and its music was first included in a book of nursery rhyme tunes called Mirth about Mischief in 1842 but it is thought that the carol was sung for a long time before that.

The 12 gifts have been associated with the 12 months of the year, each gift relating to the English climate of that month. There is also an idea that the song was a way for young Catholics to remember religious doctrine at a time when Catholicism in England was discouraged. As a matter of fact, from the 16th to the 19th century, being a Catholic was a crime in Protestant England, children would sing this song to profess their forbidden faith. The partridge and the pear tree was Jesus Christ, the four calling birds were the four gospels, the pipers piping were the eleven faithful apostles, and so on. But there is no proof of that.

Finally, one Christmas ritual not drawn from an ancient tradition is the British monarch's broadcast on Christmas day. The tradition began in 1932 when King George V read a special speech written by Rudyard Kipling. The broadcast was an enormous success. It began, "I speak now from my home and from my heart, to you all...".

Queen Elizabeth II continues the tradition to this day. Every year she broadcasts her message on Christmas Day, and it is heard by millions of people all over the world. In England most people watch or listen to it whilst digesting their Christmas Dinner!

However, if for many people Christmas is a period of fun and happiness, for many others, it is a time of sorrow. They don't have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends. “Turkey dinners” may be only a wish and not a reality.

My thoughts go to these people and I really hope the power and happiness of Christmas will reach any house of the world.

Merry Christmas to everybody.

Teacher Barbara

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La « choucroute garnie » et la « tarte flambée » : un concentré d’histoire et des inspirations lointaines

17/11/2014

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Chers amis,

Comme beaucoup d’entre vous le savent, j’ai vécu 2 ans en Alsace lorsque j’étais étudiante à l’Université de Sciences Humaines de Strasbourg et c’est précisément là où je me suis régalée mois après mois de plats magnifiques dont j’aimerais vous parler aujourd’hui.

La France est connue pour sa cuisine délicieuse et variée. L'Alsace n'est finalement qu'une région fidèle à cette tradition.

La gastronomie alsacienne est riche en spécificités locales, la fameuse choucroute – la plus réputée étant celle de Strasbourg cuisinée au vin d’Alsace et la flammekueche, qui était traditionnellement la spécialité de restaurants spécialisés proches de Strasbourg et qui est aujourd’hui proposée, sous le nom de tarte flambée, dans toute la région.

Source: behind-the-french-menu.blogspot.com.es

Je vais commencer en parlant de la choucroute. Même si c’est difficile à croire, le chou aigre est né en Chine. Les constructeurs de la Muraille s’en servaient comme nourriture de base pour se donner du cœur à l’ouvrage (et surtout pour ne pas mourir de faim) !

La légende raconte que la découverte du chou fermenté s’est faite par pur hasard. Au courant d’un hiver particulièrement rude, les ouvriers avaient abandonné le chantier et les vivres sur place pour aller se réfugier en plaine. C’est à leur retour qu’ils ont découvert le « chou aigre » qui avait fermenté sous la neige !

Il a ensuite été apporté en Europe au 5ème siècle par les Huns. Plus précisément, c’est en 451 que la choucroute alsacienne aurait fait surface. A l'origine, elle était composée de poissons.

Elle est aujourd’hui composée de diverses viandes salées, de saucisses, pommes de terre et charcuteries. On peut cependant réaliser sa choucroute alsacienne selon les goûts de chacun, mais les ingrédients traditionnels sont toujours respectés.

À Strasbourg, la meilleure choucroute je l’ai mangée « Chez Yvonne », un restaurant de grande réputation, dans une atmosphère conviviale et chaleureuse qui me faisait voyager parmi les légendes d'Alsace. C’est une winstub typique.

Mais qu’est-ce que c’est une winstub ? La winstub, littéralement « pièce à vin », est ce qui à Strasbourg représente le mieux l’art de vivre particulier de la ville. À l’origine, il s’agit d’une salle ouverte au public permettant aux propriétaires, les producteurs, d’écouler le surplus de leur production viticole. Le vin est servi en pichet toute la journée, accompagné de petits plats simples.

Source: Panoramio. User: Det Lindinger

Si nous allons en arrière dans l’histoire, suite à la guerre de 1870, l’Alsace est annexée par l’Allemagne. Les Allemands se retrouvent dans les Bierstubs et boivent de la bière. Par opposition les Alsaciens se retrouvent dans des Winstubs et boivent du vin. La winstub est un lieu où l’on prend encore le temps de vivre. Souvent exigüe, l’ambiance y est chaleureuse et sans protocole, on y mange au coude à coude sur des tables en bois recouvertes de nappes à carreaux rouges.

Je vais passer maintenant à vous parler de la Tarte Flambée, ou ‘Flammekueche’.

Son berceau originel serait Truchtersheim, village du Kochersberg, cette région agricole fertile surnommée parfois le "grenier à blé de Strasbourg".

L'habitude des paysans de recycler la pâte du pain pour partager ce plat a gagné dans les années 1960 toute la région. Et on peut aujourd'hui l'agrémenter de tout, même de sucre...

Source: behind-the-french-menu.blogspot.com.es

Composée d’une mince pâte à pain recouverte d’un mélange de fromage blanc et de crème épaisse, assaisonnée de sel, poivre, huile de colza, garnie de lardons ou de graillons et d’oignons et cuite à même la pierre dans un four à bois utilisé à cette époque pour faire le pain, la spécificité de ce plat était d’être confectionné à partir de produits fermiers dont la plupart des paysans disposaient.

Pour un puriste, une Flamma ne se conçoit réellement que cuite au feu de bois avec un four approprié et idéalement nourri au sarment de vigne (peu importe le cépage pourvu qu’il soit alsacien).

Pour conclure, deux mots définissent le mieux la gastronomie alsacienne : généreuse et conviviale!

Généreuse car les plats sont assez copieux. Historiquement il fallait beaucoup d'énergie pour le travail manuel dans une région d'Alsace soumise au rude climat continental et conviviale car il n'est pas meilleur cadre que celui, intime et chaleureux, d'une winstub pour découvrir la gastronomie alsacienne.

Bon appétit les amis…

À bientôt.

Teacher Barbara

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Welcome to Teacher Barbara's blog

Some English Composers and the Music of Benjamin Britten

I canti natalizi italiani: la storia di “Tu scendi dalle stelle”

Le marché de Noël de Strasbourg : le plus ancien de France

Christmas traditions in the UK: pantomimes, carols and the Queen’s message.

La « choucroute garnie » et la « tarte flambée » : un concentré d’histoire et des inspirations lointaines

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