ROBERT SCHUMANN – Ouverture, Scherzo und Finale, Op.52

musicmusikmusique

Published on Nov 27, 2013

GILBERTO SEREMBE, conductor
O.R.T. – Orchestra Regionale Toscana
Firenze, Teatro della Compagnia, 9 June 1995
http://www.italianconductingacademy.com

Saint of the Day for Friday, February 13th, 2015 : St. Catherine de Ricci

Saint of the Day for Friday, February 13th, 2015

St. Catherine de Ricci

St. Catherine was born in Florence in 1522. Her baptismal name was Alexandrina, but she took the name of Catherine upon entering religion. From her earliest infancy she manifested a great love of … continue reading

More Saints of the Day

St. Catherine de Ricci St. Agabus Bl. Archangela Girlani St. Benignus St. Dyfnog St. Ermengild Bl. Eustochium St. Gosbert

St. Huno Bl. John Lantrua of Triora St. Julian of Lyons St. Lezin St. Martinian St. Modomnoc St. Polyeuctus

Google Art Project originally shared: Enjoy the tour! #museweb #art #museum #Uffizi

Google Art Project originally shared:

 

250 years ago, in 1765, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence was officially opened to the public. Have you ever been to this art museum, one of the oldest and most famous in the world?

If you haven’t, you definitely should! And in the meantime, you can take a virtual peak at the splendid galleries with #StreetView at:  http://goo.gl/d9p0Iq
Enjoy the tour! #museweb #art #museum #Uffizi

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today’s birthday: Emilio Pucci (1914)

Emilio Pucci (1914)

Born into an aristocratic Italian family, Pucci earned his doctorate in political science before a chance meeting on a Swiss ski slope changed the course of his career. In 1947, while on a ski holiday, he crossed paths with a Harper’s Bazaar photographer who was impressed with the skiwear Pucci had designed and got him a spread in the magazine. Within years, Pucci had become an internationally renowned fashion designer. How did his doctorate later come into play in his career? More… Discuss

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Saint of the Day for Saturday, October 25th, 2014: St. Daria

Epitaph in der katholischen Pfarrkirche (Stiftskirche) St. Chrysanthus und Daria in Bad Münstereifel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Saint of the Day for Saturday, October 25th, 2014

St. Daria

There is very little known about them. Chrysanthus was an Egyptian, son of a Patrician, Polemius. He was brought to Rome from Alexandria during the reign of Numerian, and despite the objections of … continue reading

More Saints of the Day

St. Daria St. Ambrose Edward Barlow St. Boniface I St. Chrysanthus Sts. Crispin & Crispinian St. Cyrinus St. Dulcardus St. Fronto St. Fronto and George St. Fronto and George St. Fructus

St. Goeznoveus St. Guesnoveus St. Hilary St. Hildemarca St. John Houghton St. John Roberts St. Lupus of Bayeux St. Marnock St. Minias of Florence St. Tabitha

quotation: The wise man does at once what the fool does finally. Niccolo Machiavelli

The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) Discuss

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Saint of the Day for Saturday, August 23rd, 2014: St. Philip Benizi

St. Philip Benizi

Servite cardinal and preacher. Born in Florence, Italy, to a noble family, he was educated in Paris and Padua where he earned a doctorate in medicine and philosophy. He practiced medicine for some … continue reading

More Saints of the Day

St. Philip Benizi St. Apollinaris St. Ascelina St. Astericus and Companions St. Eugene St. Flavian of Autun St. Lupicinus St. Lupus

St. Minervius St. Quiriacus of Ostia St. Restitutus St. Rose of Lima St. Theonas St. Tydfil St. Victor of Vita St. Zacchaeus of Jerusalem

Giotto

Giotto di Bondone (1266/7 – January 8, 1337), known as Giotto (Italian: [ˈdʒɔtto]), was an Italian painter and

Statue representing Giotto, outside the Uffizi
Born	Giotto di Bondone 1266/7 near Florence, Republic of Florence, in present-day Italian Republic
Died	January 8, 1337 (aged about 70) Florence, Republic of Florence, in present-day Italian Republic
Nationality	Italian
Known for	Painting, Fresco, Architecture
Notable work(s)	Scrovegni Chapel frescoes, Campanile
Movement	Late Gothic Proto-Renaissance

architect from Florence in the late Middle Ages. He is generally considered the first in a line of great artists who contributed to the Italian Renaissance.Considered the father of European art, he turned from the formulaic, impersonal Byzantine style to a more natural representation of human expression and movement. Compared with the gracefulness of Byzantine forms, Giotto’s figures are monumental, even bulky, but imbued with a new compassion for the human being. His innovative style likely influenced Renaissance artists. His main works are cycles of frescoes inside churches in what Italian cities? More… Discuss

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Saint of the Day for Saturday, July 12th, 2014: St. John Gaulbert, Abbot

Saint of the Day for Saturday, July 12th, 2014

St. John Gaulbert, Abbot

Saint John Gaulbert, Abbot – Feast day is July 12th The city of Florence gave to the world Saint John Gaulbert. Although he enjoyed the benefits of an early Christian education, his youthful heart … continue reading

More Saints of the Day

St. John Gaulbert, Abbot St. Agnes De Bl. Andrew Oexner of Riun St. Ansbald Bl. David Gonson St Epiphania St. Jason St. John Jones Bl. John Naisen Bl. John Tanaka St. John the Iberian St. John Wall St. Leo of Lucca

Bl. Louis Naisen St. Marciana Bl. Matthias Araki St. Menulphus Bl. Monica Naisen St. Nabor and Felix St. Paternian St. Paulinus of Antioch Bl. Peter Araki Kobjoje St. Peter Khanh St. Veronica St. Viventiolus

today’s holiday: Gioco del Ponte

Gioco del Ponte

The Gioco del Ponte, or “Battle for the Bridge,” in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy, goes back to the 13th century. Following a medieval procession, two teams in full medieval costume take part in a traditional competition which involves a reversal of the usual tug-of-war: about 20 or 30 men from each team line up behind a mechanism on rails and push. The first team to make a “goal” on the opposing side wins; the winner is determined by the best of six matches, or a draw match if both teams win three. More… Discuss

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Richard Strauss – Metamorphosen, für 23 Streicher, Staatskapelle Dresden, Rudolf Kempe (1973): In Memoriam!

[youtube.com/watch?v=6OkgIkDYV64]

Richard Strauss – Metamorphosen, für 23 Streicher, Staatskapelle Dresden, Rudolf Kempe (1973)

Dresden WWII bombing pre- and after pictures (English) 

View of the city, aka Florence of the north.	After the bombing.
Sophie-Church, as it looked before.	It’s never been rebuild.
Church of our Lady.	Collapsed later due to heavy destruction.
Narrenhäusl	…
e1	e2
Meissen chime at the Zwinger	f2
pix/g1.jpg	pix/g2.jpg
Stallhof	pix/h2.jpg
pix/i1.jpg	pix/i2.jpg
pix/j1.jpg	pix/j2.jpg
Altmarkt	pix/k2.jpg
pix/l1.jpg	pix/l2.jpg
pix/m2.jpg	pix/n2.jpg
pix/o2.jpg	pix/p2.jpg

 

 

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The Mona Lisa

One of the most famous paintings in history, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa can be seen at the Louvre museum in Paris, where it is on permanent display. The work’s name was not chosen by the artist; rather, it was derived from a posthumously published biography of da Vinci, which identifies the subject as Lisa, wife of a wealthy Florentine businessman. Still, her identity remains the subject of debate, and theories regarding the owner of the enigmatic smile abound. What are some of them? More… Discuss

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Michelangelo’s David Has an Achilles Heel

Well, technically, it is more like Achilles ankles. Experts say the Renaissance masterpiece is at risk of collapsing under its own weight because of the stress placed on the sculpture’s weak ankles. Micro-fractures and cracks are appearing in both of David‘s legs as well as the carved tree stump behind the figure’s right leg. Though it might escape the layman’s eye, the statue is carved of poor quality marble. This, compounded by the centuries-old statue’s great weight—upward of 6 tons—and off-center pose, means that an earthquake or even nearby roadwork could cause the figure to topple. More… Discuss

MACHIAVELLI: THE PRINCE – FULL Audio Book | Greatest Audio Books

[youtube.com/watch?v=iJW4Z7gyT9Q]
MACHIAVELLI: THE PRINCE – FULL Audio Book | Greatest Audio Books | Niccolo Machiavelli | Business | Wealth | Strategy | Politics – – ll Principe (The Prince) is a political treatise by the Florentine writer Niccolò Machiavelli, originally called “De Principatibus” (About Principalities). It was written around 1513, but not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli’s death. The treatise is not actually representative of his published work during his lifetime, but it is certainly the best remembered one. (summary from Wikipedia.org)
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Chapter listing and length:

00 – The Prince – Front matter — 00:33:54

01 – The Prince – Ch. 01-03 — 00:22:25

02 – The Prince – Ch. 04-06 — 00:17:33

03 – The Prince – Ch. 07-08 — 00:30:33

04 – The Prince – Ch. 09-11 — 00:19:59

05 – The Prince – Ch. 12-13 — 00:25:19

06 – The Prince – Ch. 14-16 — 00:15:37

07 – The Prince – Ch. 17-18 — 00:17:31

08 – The Prince – Ch. 19 — 00:24:37

09 – The Prince – Ch. 20-22 — 00:25:04

10 – The Prince – Ch. 23-26 — 00:27:29

11 – The Prince – Appendix 1 — 00:16:46

12 – The Life of Castruccio Castracani of Lucca – Part 1 — 00:32:12

13 – The Life of Castruccio Castracani of Lucca – Part 2 — 00:39:19

More about the Italian author, Niccolò Machiavelli –

The Project Gutenberg EBook of “The Prince”, by Nicolo Machiavelli

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Prince, by Nicolo Machiavelli

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Prince
Author: Nicolo Machiavelli
Translator: W. K. Marriott
Release Date: February 11, 2006 [EBook #1232]
Last Updated: November 5, 2012
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PRINCE ***
Produced by John Bickers, David Widger and Others

Continue reading by clicking on the link bellow:

THE PRINCE

by Nicolo Machiavelli

NOTE: VISIT PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FROM EUZICASA WIDGET

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Quotation: Niccolo Machiavelli “If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.”

Quotation of the Day
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) Discuss

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Make Music Part of Your life Series: Chausson Poème – Olivier Charlier

[youtube.com/watch?v=J233eiENGcA]
Ernest Chausson – Poème opus 25
Olivier Charlier violon, Orchestre National de Lorraine dir. Jacques Mercier
Metz 2004

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Poème, Op. 25, is a work for violin and orchestra written by Ernest Chausson in 1896. It is a staple of the violinist’s repertoire, has very often been recorded and performed, and is generally considered Chausson’s best-known and most-loved composition.

Background

Poème was written in response to a request from Eugène Ysaÿe for a violin concerto. Chausson felt unequal to the task of a concerto, writing to Ysaÿe: I hardly know where to begin with a concerto, which is a huge undertaking, the devil’s own task. But I can cope with a shorter work. It will be in very free form with several passages in which the violin plays alone.^[1]

It was commenced in April 1896 and finished on 29 June,^[2][3] and was written while Chausson was holidaying in Florence, Italy.^[4]

He wrote three different versions of Poème: with orchestra; with piano accompaniment (later rewritten by other hands); and a recently discovered version for violin, string quartet and piano, a companion to his Concert in D for piano, violin and string quartet, Op. 21 (1892). The solo violin parts of these versions are identical except for one minor detail.^[1]

The work is notionally in the key of E-flat, and lasts about 16 minutes. It was dedicated to Ysaÿe, who gave its early performances.

Genesis of the title

Chausson initially called it Le Chant de l’amour triomphant, then changed it to Poème symphonique, and finally to simply Poème. The first two rejected titles are crossed out on the extant manuscripts.^[1]

The original title came from the 1881 romantic novella The Song of Love Triumphant (Le Chant de l’amour triomphant; Песнь торжествующей любви) by the Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, who lived on the estate of the famed mezzo-soprano Pauline Viardot and her husband near Paris; all three were acquaintances of Chausson’s. The Viardots’ daughter Marianne was engaged for some time to Gabriel Fauré, but broke it off and instead married Alphonse Duvernoy. Turgenev’s novella seems to mirror this set of relationships, and it may be that Chausson initially attempted to portray it in music.^[1] However, it is clear his final intention was to create a work without extra-musical associations.

Early performances

In the autumn of 1896, Eugène Ysaÿe, Ernest Chausson and their wives were holidaying at Sitges on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.^[2] At a party hosted by the Catalan painter Santiago Rusiñol,^[5][2] Ysaÿe and Chausson’s wife on piano gave an impromptu sight-read performance of Poème; local townspeople who overheard it demanded it be encored three times.^[6] Present at the party were Enrique Granados and possibly Isaac Albéniz.

Poème’s formal premiere was at the Nancy Conservatoire on 27 December 1896,^[3][4] conducted by Guy Ropartz, with Ysaÿe as soloist.^[2] But it was not really noticed until Ysaÿe gave the Paris premiere, at a Colonne Concert on 4 April 1897.^[7] Chausson was overcome by the sustained applause, something he had not experienced in his career to that point.

Ysaÿe also gave the first London performance of Poème, a week after Chausson’s untimely death in 1899.^[8]

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TODAY’S BIRTHDAY: NICCOLÒ MACHIAVELLI (1469)

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469)

Machiavelli was a prominent Florentine author and statesman. He entered political service in 1498 and became acquainted with power politics through diplomatic missions, but he eventually fell out of favor and died embittered. His best-known work, The Prince, describes the means by which a leader may gain and maintain power. The adjective “Machiavellian” has since come to describe amoral cunning and justification by power. Did Machiavelli write the work as serious advice or as satire? More… Discuss

Make Music PArt of Your Life: Pyotr Tchaikovsky – Souvenir de Florence

The String Sextet in D minor “Souvenir de Florence“, Op. 70, is a string sextet scored for 2 violins, 2 violas, and 2 cellos composed in the European summer of 1890 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky dedicated the work to the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society in response to his becoming an Honorary Member. The work, in the traditional four-movement form, was titled “Souvenir de Florence” because the composer sketched one of the work’s principal themes while visiting Florence, Italy, where he composed The Queen of Spades. The work was revised between December 1891 and January 1892, before being premiered in 1892.

1. Allegro con spirito (00:00)
2. Adagio cantabile e con moto (10:16)
3. Allegretto moderato (19:56)
4. Allegro con brio e vivace (26:11)

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ARTICLE: THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

In 1173, construction began on the final building of the cathedral complex in Pisa, Italy. The bell tower was designed to stand 185 feet (56 m) tall, but uneven settling of its foundation caused its 5.5-degree lean. Work was suspended several times, but the structure was still leaning upon completion in the 14th century. The tower’s tilt only worsened over time, prompting a recent strengthening project to prevent collapse. How did the tower narrowly escape destruction during World War II? More… Discuss

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QUOTATION: Niccolo Machiavelli

There are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, and the third is useless.

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) Discuss

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Saint of the Day for Monday, February 17th, 2014: ST. ALEXIS FALCONIERI

Saint of the Day for Monday, February 17th, 2014

 

St. Alexis Falconieri

Feastday: February 17
Patron of the city of Orvieto (Italy)
1200 – 1310
Founder and mystic, one of the first Servants of Mary or Servites. The son of a wealthy merchant in Florence, Italy, Alexis and six companions joined the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin in … continue reading

 

SAINT FOR February 13: ST. CATHERINE DE RICCI (FEASTDAY)

St. Catherine de Ricci

Feastday: February 13
1522 – 1589

St. Catherine was born in Florence in 1522. Her baptismal name was Alexandrina, but she took the name of Catherine upon entering religion. From her earliest infancy she manifested a great love of prayer, and in her sixth year, her father placed her in theconvent of Monticelli in Florence, where her aunt, Louisa de Ricci, was a nun. After a brief return home, she entered the convent of the Dominican nuns at Prat in Tuscany, in her fourteenth year. While very young, she was chosen Mistress of Novices, then subprioress, and at twenty-five years of age she became perpetual prioress. The reputation of her sanctity drew to her side many illustrious personages, among whom three later sat in the chair of Peter, namely Cerveni, Alexander de Medicis, and Aldo Brandini, and afterward Marcellus II, Clement VIII, and Leo XI respectively. She corresponded with St. Philip Neri and, while still living, she appeared to him in Rome in a miraculous manner.She is famous for the “Ecstacy of the Passion” which she experienced every Thursday from noon until Friday at 4:00 p.m. for twelve years. After a long illness she passed away in 1589.
Her feast day is February 13.

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Hannibal (2001) – Opera Scene ‘Vide Cor Meum’

[youtube.com/watch?v=Lv_167Znr6M]

Published on Mar 27, 2013

“Vide Cor Meum” is a song composed by Patrick Cassidy based on Dante’s “La Vita Nuova“, specifically on the sonnet “A ciascun’alma presa”, in chapter 3 of the “Vita Nuova”. The song first appeared in the movie Hannibal (2001), while Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Inspector Pazzi see an outdoor opera in Florence, Italy.

QUOTATION: Niccolo Machiavelli: He who blinded by ambition, raises himself to a position whence he cannot mount higher, must thereafter fall with the greatest loss.

He who blinded by ambition, raises himself to a position whence he cannot mount higher, must thereafter fall with the greatest loss.

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) Discuss

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Quotation: Oscar Wilde about history, gossip and morality

Gossip is charming! History is merely gossip. But scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Discuss

 

Pyotr Tchaikovsky – Souvenir de Florence

Pyotr Tchaikovsky – Souvenir de Florence

The String Sextet in D minor “Souvenir de Florence”, Op. 70, is a string sextet scored for 2 violins, 2 violas, and 2 cellos composed in the European summer of 1890 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky dedicated the work to the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society in response to his becoming an Honorary Member. The work, in the traditional four-movement form, was titled “Souvenir de Florence” because the composer sketched one of the work’s principal themes while visiting Florence, Italy, where he composed The Queen of Spades. The work was revised between December 1891 and January 1892, before being premiered in 1892.

1. Allegro con spirito (00:00)
2. Adagio cantabile e con moto (10:16)
3. Allegretto moderato (19:56)
4. Allegro con brio e vivace (26:11)

 

Today’s Article (June 20): Simonetta Vespucci

Simonetta Vespucci
Simonetta as Cleopatra by Piero di Cosimo, c. 1480
Born	c.1453 Genoa or Portovenere, Italy
Died	26 April 1476 Florence, Italy
Occupation	Model
Parents	Gaspare Cattaneo Della Voltaand Cattocchia Spinola de Candia

Simonetta was the Genoese wife of the Italian nobleman Marco Vespucci of Florence. Renowned as the greatest beauty of her age, she was the subject of countless portraits, including many by the Italian master Sandro Botticelli. Some claim that the goddess depicted in Botticelli’s masterpiece, Birth of Venus, was modeled after Simonetta, even though she died at the age of 22—several years before it was completed. What fact about Botticelli’s burial place lends credence to the theory? More… Discuss

The_Birth_of_Venus-Sandro_Botticelli

Today In History:Girolamo Savonarola Executed for Heresy (1498)

Girolamo Savonarola Executed for Heresy (1498)

Savonarola was an Italian preacher and religious reformer. After the overthrow of the Medici family, he became the ruler of Florence, setting up a democratic but severely puritanical government. He was opposed by the allies of the Medici and by Pope Alexander VI, who attempted to restrain Savonarola’s unusual interpretations of scripture and his claim of prophecy. He was tried, convicted of heresy, and hanged. His government was known for its “bonfire of the vanities,” which was what? More… Discuss