Friday, December 17, 2010

Getting a Handel on Winter

Certain kinds of music are linked to certain seasons for me. To the point where I really don't listen to music in the "wrong" season.

Winter is a time when I really can get a craving for classical. Maybe it's something about indoors and candles and chamber music and old city streets and balls and "high society." I just can't imagine the sound of a harpsichord in sweltering heat with a round of umbrella drinks in hand.

Even though I'm not religious, I'm especially drawn to Handel's Messiah this time of year. (Being a purist, I stick to the Christmassy, rather than Easterish parts.)

Here's an amazing soloist, if you're interested. Her name is Sara Macliver, a celebrated singer in Australia. Her tone and control really are incredible. Not to mention an outright pretty voice.

You rock, Sara!!! (In a hardcore classical sorta way.)

6 comments:

SzélsőFa said...

the same applies to me - i tend to listen to more baroque music in wintertime.
as for classicals like Mozart - they can come anytime :)

our choir performed a 'Requiem for love' by a young hungarian composer on 12 and 13 of December. it was a complete mass, with all the fixed elements and text of a requiem, with the addition of some folk motives.

Deb Smythe said...

I love the Messiah. We performed it every year in HS and some of those Hallelujah Chorus flash mobs making the rounds give me goosebumps every time. The soprano solo here rocks, as well. It's super hard. And those runs will really work the abs.

Anonymous said...

Szelsofa, Mozart is another great winter companion. :) The mass sounds great!

Deb, I think we just had one of those Hallelujah flash mobs in Philadelphia! Sounds like you know very well how hard these pieces are to perform.

Karen said...

Thanks, Jason. Beautiful.

SarahA said...

Winter does that, doesn't he? Brings dorment feelings out. I always seem to 'think' more deeply in Winter and I am understanding this way you have with music.Perhaps because we (well myself anyway)are less active physically and exercise our brain more; hey?

Anonymous said...

Karen, welcome. :)

SarahA, yes, we are definitely closed in during winter. In much darkness. Our minds wander different roads.