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| Somewhat surprisingly, I found myself at a harpsichord concert on Sunday afternoon, having been invited by my blog-friend Tiff. I am SO glad I took her up on the offer!! Just look at that fabulous instrument! It was absolutely beautiful ~ hand painted by North Carolina artist Lisa Creed, built by Richard Kingston and played so proficiently by Elaine Funaro Love. |
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| This Baroque-style harpsichord was also onstage and played wonderfully by Beverly Biggs, of Chapel Hill, who specializes in period music of the late Baroque, Classical and Early Romantic eras. |
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Seen here are Lisa Creed, the artist and Andrea Love, an animator, who made an eight minute video animation about the genesis, design, building and painting of Opus #333, called "Birth of a Harpsichord." Andrea is the daughter of Elaine Funaro Love. She is standing beside her set for the video animation, which was informative and funny. Baroque music has never been a favorite of mine; I call it "constipated" music, since it seems as if they are so very reserved and proper and you know all they really wanted to do is cut loose and boogie (as I imagine Marie Antoinette did...lol) Elaine Funaro Love is Artistic Director of a group called Alienor, which provides commissions, competitions and concerts concerning harpsichords. They sponsor composer competitions every four years for new harpsichord music. In this concert, they alternated Baroque music with some of the newer compositions and I was so impressed! They were beautiful, exciting, quite rhythmic and I loved all of them! The tone of the new instrument is so rich, particularly in the lower range. It reminded me of the response I have to alto saxophone and oboe; for me, the sound is very sexy! Do follow this link - Alienor - and read about the instrument and the people who made it. And if you ever have the opportunity to see and hear this remarkable harpsichord, you will be lucky! ~~~ A funny thing happened, proving that it is (as we all know) a small world. I met a woman whose distinctive name I have only heard one other time in my life. I asked her if she was related to the someone I once knew with that name - and she is his third cousin. She was born in my home town, too. Her cousin is rather well known; having been the governor of West Virginia a while back. I went to middle school with him, and I have not spoken to him since I was a senior in high school, although I saw him at Tamarack a few years ago. |
15 comments:
Okay, Bogger, how do I fix this???
The black harpsichord photo does not show up in draft - so I can't even delete it and put it in the proper order.
I may have to go back to my original template - or a new one - since this one obviously has issues. Grrrrr.
I'm the last person to ask. I'm apoplectic at having half of the comments I've made today disappear.
Lovely instrument and doubly great if a lovely sound emanates from it.
I love, love, love that harpsichord painted by Lisa Creed. Thanks for that link- I clicked over and looked at her website and, although I don't usually like abstract works that much, hers are fantastic. The sky series is pretty amazing, too.
I find that baroque music is not usually my cup of tea- it's either, as you say, constipated, or alternately, makes me nervous with it's fussiness. So, good for you stretching yourself and having this cool new experience!
Sorry, I am no help with Blogger. I notice several others using this platform are also experiencing difficulties.
That sounded like an interesting day out.
Have never heard one but they are really striking in appearance. Something to add to my bucket list.
I love that top photo!
I use Safari and I'm having issues with blogger at the moment. It's very frustrating isn't it? I thought it may my new template too, so I opened my blog in Firefox instead and everything looked fine. Weird.
'twas a fun afternoon - plus free snacks!! :)
I never really listened to harpsichord music until I went to Austria and heard it on one that Mozart used. It is quite amazing what you can do with one of these instruments.
I have photo troubles all of the time...I won't touch my template...it will stay the way it is forever because as soon as I mess with it blogger will find out and make me miserable. I think the harpsichord is an instrument kinda like the bagpipes.....you either love them or not.
I was stunned when I saw the photo of the harpsichord; I thought it was a painting until I read your post. It certainly livens up staid music.
I love your word for Baroque music (TA). I think that says it all. After a while it all sounds alike.
Love that painted harpsichord what a gift Lisa Creed has. Kind of relieved to find out the blog problems are not mine alone, but what a pain. My comments have been disappearing too.
I LOVE the Harpsicord....Many years ago, I wrote a "score" for a play being done here in Los Angeles by Tennessee Williams, and used the Harpsicord ----it had just the right 'feeling' for this lesser known play of Williams. Those inastruments in your pictures are just gorgeous....Hearing them playde had to be a Wonderful Treat!
What a treat to read about the harpsichord concert, wish I could have been there. I have been to several, loved each one. It is one of my favorite type of music.
As for blogger, I can't load pictures with Internet Explorer, I have to use the Google browser Chrome. I don't like it at all.
The harpsichord is amazing. I love the way it's painted.
Very nice indeed I’ll probably download it. Thanks.
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