Friday Flowers: Brigadoon

Rose: Brigadoon

Well, it hasn't been a hundred years, but these Friday Flower posts have gotten infrequent.

I can't let another week pass by without offering you all a pretty. ;-)

And a bit of music. . .

It's Summer Time!!!

Detail of The Seasons: Summer (1900) by Alphonse Mucha

If there is an image from Mucha on the page, then we must be celebrating the changing of the season. ;-)

Indeed, we're celebrating the start of Summer, my favorite season. The bright flowers, the birdsongs, the lovely ladies in their summer clothes, these are some of my favorite things. Yeah, it might get hot, but it's worth some sweat and discomfort, if the beauty of the season can still be experienced.

During the gloomy months, I haunt the museums and galleries, but now it's time to stroll the gardens. The artworks of nature are drawn from a transcendent palette.

Detail from Ceres: Summer (1712) by Antoine Watteau

Here's hoping that the upcoming season is vibrant and filled with joy!!!

Gone Mad Today

On this date in 1891, Cole Porter was born. I'm really not a fan of American Musical Theater, but I make an exception for Cole Porter. Maybe it's that so many of his compositions have been interpreted into jazz classics, that I can appreciate them in a "backwards compatible" manner.

Whatever the case, I love the energy and mood to his music. The sexual innuendos that pepper the lyrics are playful and clever. The overall compositional style is distinctive and mature, but it never seems to take itself too seriously. I think that's why I appreciate Porter's work so much more than other "standard" writers. Underlying each piece is an honest sense of play, an amusement with sound and performance.

Whether it's a large ensemble piece or an intimate solo, the music invites the listener to share in the fun.

Let's listen to some music.