Since Mandela's demise, I've been wondering about what a noble name Nelson is. So in memory of President Mandela, and all the other great Nelsons, I thought I'd list as many great nelsons as I could...
Nelson Mandela. or Mr. Madiber, as he was called ironically in the Guardian today
(Horatio) Nelson. Not even he expects anything of England next year...
Nelson Rockerfeller
Nelson Eddy
Nelson Munz
Willie Nelson
Nelson Kadogo, a character mentioned in a Not The Nine O'Clock News skit
Nelson the Elephant. Post op. Deed Poll. Nuff said.
In descending order of greatness. Bar the last one. That takes guts. And a big trunk...
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Sunday, December 01, 2013
Advent 1: Conducting Christmas
It's Advent. Ad - bloody - vent. Some will be trying to filter the music and sparkly bits with a futile telepathic ad (-vent)blocker, but not me. I love it. This is my time. The reasons are simple, but they all boils down to the soundtrack.
For the next month we get mugged by Mud, nagged by Noddy and Slade (I know it's Christmas, you nerk...) as we wait for the coming of a saviour. For me, musically, anyway, that's Händel. His Messiah may have been premiered in April, it may be ubiquitous without us really understanding it, but Christmas (in Dublin, anyway) would not be Christmas without it. And Advent is a time to wait for goodness.
Which leads me neatly onto this. Looking for a decent version of the not-quite-as-well-known-but-actually-better-part of the Messiah, 'Worthy is the Lamb', I stumbled across a familiar name: Otto Klemperer. He conducted that version, and struck a chord with me, ahem. He did some of his best recordings in old age, conducting Wagner's Flying Dutchman in Abbey Road at the same time the Beatles were figuring out how to fit a sitar into a pop tune, and whether or not decorating Ringo's kit would give him hay fever. He was old and tweedy, but he had rock n roll sensibilities. His version of Wagner's maritime epic is so choppy, you need to clear the seaweed out of your ears after each listen.
It's a truth we don't tend to acknowledge in classical music - mainly because most people don't concern themselves with it, but the personality of a conductor is essential to the personality of the music.Go onto Youtube and find out. Music may soothe the savage beast, but rather then soothing it should rattle.
You may not make it to any of the places they'll play Händel, you may not have the reddies or the inclination, but do go onto YouTube, google the 'Messiah', and while you're at it, add 'Klemperer'. And turn your speakers up to 11.
For the next month we get mugged by Mud, nagged by Noddy and Slade (I know it's Christmas, you nerk...) as we wait for the coming of a saviour. For me, musically, anyway, that's Händel. His Messiah may have been premiered in April, it may be ubiquitous without us really understanding it, but Christmas (in Dublin, anyway) would not be Christmas without it. And Advent is a time to wait for goodness.
Which leads me neatly onto this. Looking for a decent version of the not-quite-as-well-known-but-actually-better-part of the Messiah, 'Worthy is the Lamb', I stumbled across a familiar name: Otto Klemperer. He conducted that version, and struck a chord with me, ahem. He did some of his best recordings in old age, conducting Wagner's Flying Dutchman in Abbey Road at the same time the Beatles were figuring out how to fit a sitar into a pop tune, and whether or not decorating Ringo's kit would give him hay fever. He was old and tweedy, but he had rock n roll sensibilities. His version of Wagner's maritime epic is so choppy, you need to clear the seaweed out of your ears after each listen.
It's a truth we don't tend to acknowledge in classical music - mainly because most people don't concern themselves with it, but the personality of a conductor is essential to the personality of the music.Go onto Youtube and find out. Music may soothe the savage beast, but rather then soothing it should rattle.
You may not make it to any of the places they'll play Händel, you may not have the reddies or the inclination, but do go onto YouTube, google the 'Messiah', and while you're at it, add 'Klemperer'. And turn your speakers up to 11.
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