Staggering news

It was very unfortunate that the first thing I read this morning was an article about the brutal assassination of a teenager in London. One of the 27 teenagers that have recently been killed in London. What is so shocking is the reaction of a gang of his murderes (the youngest aged 14), among them girls laughing and shouting "kill him" while he was begging for life and lying covered in his own blood. Then, there were people passing by who have witnessed it all but did not do anything to help. It all does not make sense. Very upsetting.
And then Burma devastated by a cyclone with hundred thousand people who simply perished.

This is a context for other people making their own little wars every day, creating problems, arguing about unimportant things, injuring each other emotionally. Why do we do that?

I believe that we can only do good things in a microscale (sometimes they may become huge). They have to start in ourselves and around us, maybe with a smile at someone who seems to be upset and is sitting in front of us on the tube. There is no point in making this dangerous world even more unpleasant.

There is beauty, there are friendships, there are a lot of little nice things so to the same extent as the beginning of my day was upseting, its end was calming. I have seen a beautiful new moon on a bright sky, and it all resembled 'The Tales of Narnia", especially the lantern...

And music of Weckmann and Sheidemann reflecting true human passions, the same ones as ours... Scheidemann died in a plague. Probably as unexpected as a cyclone. How fragile is human life. Yet, how powerful! He composed great music, a scource of beauty to which we can refer 350 years later...

Eu não falo Portugese

I did not know that Portugese court stayed in Brazil. It happened in 1808 and I think it is fascinating as there must have been artists attached to the court! My new task is therefore to do some research about that time in Brazil and perhaps to find out what was the music like before then and whether it had a lot of things in common with the European baroque and early classical time... I am excited, but I cannot speak Portugese... That is where the internet comes handy and I have started learning but I think I will have to rely on my friends most of the time; that is even better as I will be able to meet more people form that beautiful part of the world. Too early to plan a trip but dreams sometimes come true!

Not long ago I was having a walk with one of my friends, we went from Bloomsbury, through Holborn to Covent Garden and we had lunch in a Brazilian place with a lot of nice people around. Then, as my birthday gift, she gave me a CD with some Brazilian music (bossa nova, samba...) - absolutely marvellous and I cannot stop listening. And, amusingly, not before long I ended up on stage in Guanabara, a Brazilian club in London, with all the club singing 'happy birthday' to me and my friend celebrating on the same occasion. The music there was excellent!

Something is in the air and I have the feeling that I cannot let it pass by...

Back to work, Parfumes of Kensington & Chelsea

It had to be a very quick recovery. After a few days of staying at home, taking medicines and eating garlic this morning I had to be up and about and performing on a Garlick instrument, how amusing... Great music by Biber, Marini & Veracini, some Italian style and freedom, movement and passion. Then Telemann and Castello, oh how fantastic it is to be able to bring to life works of people who passed away three or four centuries ago.

What makes it the most exciting though is the fact that they works show how similar people of all centuries are. We all share the same sorrows, fears, joys, feelings, love and despair. It is like touching a pillar in a Cathedral from 13th cntury, putting your fingers in the same place where another person put them in the past that is beyond our imagination. Actually, it is better, because it is bringing those people back to life, allowing them to breathe and speak through their music.

In the evening, Kensington & Chelsea, a wonderful area, living its own luxurious life, nice and peaceful, full of beauty, perhaps only on the flawless facade masking true lives. How very Classical. A wig and a lot of white face powder. But people I met are nice, real and true.

Intrata, the beginning

It is almost half past one in the morning and I have just decided to publish my first ever blog. I think it is time to give way to some thoughts, to let them out of my head. It is the opening, ouverture, praeludium, intrata...

I am amazed by those few bars from Biagio Marini (20-23) that I have just played on my clavichord trying to put some missing figures. The passion of Italian baroque is overwhelming, the clashes create tension that touches the soul, wandering bass line opposes the static sureness of the right... only to resolve with a harmonious major chord.... I love this music, I love life that created it. I love life...