MUSIC SATURDAY - GREEK ELEGY

Μοναχή το δρόμο επήρες,

εξανάλθες μοναχή.

δεν είν’ εύκολες οι θύρες,

εάν η χρεία τες κουρταλεί.

Άλλος σου έκλαψε εις τα στήθια,

Αλλ’ ανάσαση καμιά.

Άλλος σου έταξε βοήθεια

και σε γέλασε φριχτά.

Alone you went on the road,

And you came back alone.

Doors don’t open easily

When need knocks on them.

Someone cried on your breast

But no relief was forthcoming.

Someone else promised to help you

But betrayed you terribly.

                  From “Hymn to Liberty” by Dionysios Solomós

Alexis Tsipras, Greece’s left wing prime minister has called a referendum on the 5th of July for Greek voters to decide whether to accept a bailout deal offered by international creditors. The PM made it clear he was against the “unbearable” bailout plan, which would further demoralise the already wretched populace and worsen the economic crisis faced by the country.

Greek Parliament is debating whether to ratify the vote, and internal bickering divides further the destabilised political scene. Eurozone finance ministers are meeting to discuss the crisis, and to decide whether to give Greece an extension of the bailout until after the vote. The current bailout expires on Tuesday, the same day Greece’s IMF debt is due. It is unclear what would happen if Greece does not get a temporary extension. Without a deal on the bailout, there are fears Greece’s economy could collapse.

Iceland’s debt default and financial crisis of 2008-11 comes to mind. The country faced difficulties after it defaulted its debts, but the world did not end and recovery occurred. Greece can perhaps do the same, if only all Greeks united and presented a strong, single voice of opposition to untenable and harsh economic conditions imposed by the external bodies (both European and International).

Aptly then today for Music Saturday, some music by a Greek Woman composer, Eleni Karaindrou. Eleni Karaindrou (Greek: Ελένη Καραΐνδρου; born 1941) is a Greek composer, born in the village of Teichio in Phocis, Central Greece, on November 25, 1941. She is best known for scoring the films of Greek director Theo Angelopoulos.

When she was eight, Karaindrou moved with her family to Athens, and she subsequently studied piano and theory at the Hellenic Conservatory. She also attended history and archaeology classes at the university. With the advent of the Greek military junta (in power 1967–1974) she moved to Paris in 1967, where she studied Ethnomusicology and Orchestration, and improvised with Jazz musicians. Then she began to compose popular songs.

In 1974 she returned to Athens where she established a laboratory for traditional instruments and collaborated with the department of Ethnomusicology of the National Radio. In 1976 she collaborated with ECM Records, and appreciated the creative freedom offered by the label. This was a period of high productivity for her; she was also introduced to music for the theatre and the cinema.

Karaindrou has stated that her own personal style emerged in working on soundtracks, and that the relationship between images and movements created a new space for her to express emotions. Her first soundtrack album was released in 1979 for the movie “Periplanisi” by Hristoforos Hristofis. In 1982 she won an award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and was noticed by Theo Angelopoulos, who was serving as president of the jury. Karaindrou collaborated with Angelopoulos on his last eight films, over the period 1984 to 2008.

Karaindrou is very prolific. By 2008 she had composed music for 18 full-length movies, 35 theatrical productions and 11 TV series and television movies. Among the screen directors she has worked with are Chris Marker, Jules Dassin and Margarethe von Trotta. In 1992 she received the Premio Fellini award.

FOOD FRIDAY - RASPBERRY CAKE

“Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and other varieties have anthocyanins that can help reverse some loss of balance and memory associated with aging.” - David H.Murdock

Today, a cake perfect for afternoon tea, a luncheon on the lawn, or even for breakfast!

Raspberry Sour Cream Cake

Ingredients

90 g butter

1/2 cup caster sugar (quantity can vary according to sweetness of raspberries)

2 eggs

1 and 3/4 cups sifted plain flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 punnet of raspberries (2 handfuls)

Shaved, blanched almonds

Method
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix. Add flour and bicarbonate and mix. Add sour cream, mix, and then fold in raspberries. Put in greased 20 cm tin, top with shaved almonds and bake in oven at 180˚C. Test with skewer and if cake has come away from the sides of the tin (about 30-40min). Cool cake on a rack and slice to serve.

Add your own favourite recipe below using the Linky tool.

IN SEASON

"A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do." - P.J. O'Rourke

On my way home yesterday I stopped by the market to buy some fruits and vegetables. We are very lucky here in Melbourne as we have a plethora of fresh food markets, farmers’ markets, fresh food shops as well as the typical shopping centres and supermarkets. The seasonal fruit and vegetable variety is truly exceptional and the quality is generally excellent. In addition to the seasonal fruits and vegetables one is also likely to find some exotic out of season produce that has been flown into our country at great expense and trouble.

In amongst the oranges, tangerines, pears and apples I found watermelon, cherries, grapes and apricots. Looking at the watermelon and cherries I really could not feel the least bit of desire to purchase and sample them. They did not appeal and I didn’t hanker after them. Similarly, I bought a lettuce for salad rather than unseasonable tomatoes and cucumbers. Checking the provenance of some these products, I saw that they came from America, Asia, even Europe. Although today’s global marketplace allows us to buy foods grown virtually anywhere in the world all year round, these options are not the most sustainable nor the most desirable.

I purchase local foods that are in season, thus doing my little bit to eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of kilometres around the globe. I am supporting local farmers and helping my local economy. At the same time, we enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables that simply taste better as well!

The other benefit of shopping for produce in season is that it is cheaper and if one buys it in bulk, the opportunity for canning and preserving it is there as well. What better than home-made jams and preserves? Vegetables that have been bottled at home with no preservatives and which can provide easy and quick meal solutions at some future time when the seasonal produce is scarce? The freezer can also be used effectively and help with the storage of bulk buys. Cleaned, blanched vegetables can be rapidly frozen and once again come to the rescue when one is unable to find much in the market or if one is unable to go.

How many times do you find yourself planning a menu and then going out and buying whatever you need from the shops and market? Isn’t it a better idea to go out and be inspired to cook something by using what is freshest and in season out there on the shelves? This is certainly the norm in countries around the Mediterranean, where seasonal cooking is seen at its best.

So what did I buy at the market? Typical Winter fare: Mushrooms, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage and radishes, carrots, spring onions, silverbeet and spinach. As well as oranges, tangerines and nashi pears.  Spinach and silverbeet pies, mushroom soup, broccoli quiche, cabbage salad with olive oil and lemon dressing, radishes on the side are on the menu over the next couple of days.

POETS UNITED - SOLSTICE

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” – Albert Schweitzer

Poets United this week has “Solstice” as its Midweek Motif. It challenges participants to: “Write a poem to share your insights on the events and changes you're experiencing this time of year.” Here is my contribution…

Winter Harvest

Standing on the brink of Winter
Waiting for the signal
That will send me down its yawning depths;

Poised on the fork of Autumn,
Waiting for the pallid dawn of Winter solstice
That will send my heart a-roaming yet again;

Balanced on the cutting edge of crescent moon
Waiting unmoving, for a single word of yours
That will let the sickle slice cleanly through my soul.

A word can heal, a word can kill;
Your word can make my darkest Winter, warm Summer
And what you say can make my Spring, a frigid Fall;
Speak softly, say your word,
And I will harvest a rich bounty – or else dry, poisoned chaff.

ALL ABOUT OLIVES

“Except the vine, there is no plant which bears a fruit of as great importance as the olive.” -
 Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79)

In today’s post I’d like to highlight the olive, seeing how olive trees in Melbourne are full of fruit at the moment. To give it its proper name, Olea europaea. The olive is native to the Mediterranean region, tropical and central Asia and various parts of Africa. It has a history almost as long as that of Western civilisation, its development and cultivation being one of the first accomplishments of civilised people. At a site in Spain, carbon-dating has shown olive seeds found there to be eight thousand years old. Cultivation of the olive may have begun independently in two places, Crete and Syria. Archaeological evidence suggests that olives were being grown in Crete as long as 5,000 years ago. From Crete and Syria olives spread to Greece, Rome and other parts of the Mediterranean area.

Greek myth has the following to say about the origin of the olive: When Athens was first settled and people on the acropolis built the first homes there, they sacrificed to the gods and asked advice about what they should call their city. Poseidon, the god of the sea, vied with Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom, to be patron deity of Athens and give the fledgling city their respective name. Poseidon wanted the city called Poseidonia, while Athena wanted the city to be named Athenae.

Poseidon demonstrated his power and benevolence by striking the Acropolis with his three-pronged spear, which caused a spring of salt water to emerge. Athena, however, planted an olive tree. The people overwhelmingly chose Athena as the winner as her gift was seen as a more useful offering to the city. Athena’s paramount importance to the Athenians is seen in her magnificent temple, the Parthenon (= temple of the virgin goddess), which still crowns the Acropolis (= high city). The people of Athens were careful, all the same, to honour Poseidon as well. A magnificent temple of Poseidon is to be found on Cape Sounion to the SE of Athens.

The olive requires a long, hot growing season to properly ripen the fruit, no late spring frosts to kill the blossoms and sufficient winter chill to insure fruit set. Widespread cultivation occurs around the Mediterranean and Middle East. Olives are also grown commercially in California, Australia and South Africa.

Olives cannot be eaten raw off the tree and require pickling or other preparation in order to be eaten and preserved. Both green and black olives come from the same tree, but one is unripe, the other ripe. They are usually eaten as an accompaniment to meals, as hors d’oeuvres and as garnishes. Several recipes call for olives to be incorporated into them (Salade Niçoise, and Greek Salad are examples) and several new chefs have added olives to new recipes to give them a “Mediterranean” flavour. An illustrated atlas of different olive types can found in the Cook’sThesaurus site.

Perhaps the most useful property of olives is their oil content, which has been exploited from ancient times to produce olive oil. This oil has been used in cooking, in the making of cosmetics, soaps, and as a fuel for oil lamps. It is regarded as a healthy food oil because of its high content of monosaturated fats (especially oleic acid) and polyphenols. It can reduce the risk of arterial disease and heart attacks if it replaces other fats in the diet and if its consumption remains overall moderate (i.e. if it is included in the overall caloric intake).

The use of olive oil is ritual is paramount in many of the world’s religions. Christians, Jews and Moslems all regard the olive as a sacred tree and olive oil use is widespread in their rituals. Both Catholic and Orthodox churches use olive oil for consecration rituals. The Oil of Catehumen is the oil used to anoint the infant in baptism so as to turn away evil, temptation and sin. The Oil of the Sick is used in the ritual anointing, practiced in many Christian Churches, of a sick person to help them get well. The oil used in extreme unction (also called viaticum) is to bless them just before death and prepare them for their journey to the next world. Olive oil mixed with perfuming agents is called chrism (hence the Christ, the one who has been anointed). Chrism is used in a variety of Christian rituals, including ordination of priests and bishops, consecrations and anointing of monarchs. The Orthodox church still burns olive oil in traditional lamps within churches and in many homes in front of the household icons.

In Islam, the Koran recommends: “Consume olive oil and anoint it upon your bodies since it is of the blessed tree.” The Prophet Mohammed states that olive oil can cure seventy diseases. In the Jewish tradition, olive trees and olive oil are also blessed and in the festival of Hanukkah, olive oil was the traditional fuel of nine branched lamp, the menorah.

MOVIE MONDAY - FATMAGÜL

“Rape is the only crime in which the victim becomes the accused.” - Freda Adler

In recent years, Turkey has produced a plethora of TV soap operas, which are not only popular in their country of origin, but also in many countries abroad. Like any soap operas from any part of the world, the quality varies greatly from the mediocre to the very good. We’ve watched three or four Turkish soapies and we have been very pleasantly surprised by two of them. One of them, which we found excellent is “Fatmagül ‘ün Suçu Ne?” (2010–2012), starring Beren Saat, Civan Canova, Engin Akyürek, Firat Çelik and Murat Daltaban.

The title of the series translates as “What is Fatmagül’s Fault?”, Fatmagül being the female lead, played admirably by the excellent actress Beren Saat. The plot concerns Fatmagül Ketenci who is a girl living in Ildırı ,a village on the Aegean coast in Çeşme a seaside resort town of İzmir with her brother who runs a dairy. She is engaged to marry a fisherman called Mustafa Nalçalı in a month’s time and dreams of getting away from her nagging sister-in-law who hates her.

Kerim Ilgaz is a well-mannered blacksmith apprentice who lives with his aunt Meryem Aksoy known affectionately as “Ebe Nine” (Granny Ebe) who is a herbal medicine practitioner. The big event of the season is the engagement of the area’s richest and most influential businessman Reşat Yaşaran’s son Selim to the politician Turaner Alagöz’s daughter Meltem. Kerim meets up with his old friends Vural, Erdoğan and Selim. After the engagement party, all four of them go on a drinking and drug binge to celebrate. Meanwhile, Fatmagül is off to see Mustafa off on another fishing trip and accidentally comes across the four drunk men.

Erdoğan, Selim and Vural gang-rape Fatmagül, with Kerim passed out and no recollection of the event. A traumatised and unconscious Fatmagül is discovered the next morning by Ebe Nine while she is picking herbs. As the town goes into an uproar over the rape incident, Kerim accepts the blame and agrees to marry Fatmagül as he mistakenly believes himself to be guilty and in order to protect his friends. As a result, Fatmagül and Kerim’s families sell their properties and move to İstanbul to start a new life. But things become complicated due to the machinations of the Yaşarans and their unscrupulous lawyer Münir Telci who seek to protect themselves as well as Mustafa who seeks revenge.

The series is based on Vedat Türkali’s novel, “Fatmagül'ün Suçu Ne?”, which was made into a film in 1986. The screenplay of the series was written by Ece Yörenç and Melek Gençoğlu who have also written other successful series. It was directed by Hilal Saral  and the soundtrack is by Toygar Işıklı. The production values of the series (made by the Ay Yapim company) and the acting are excellent. Beren Saat, especially gives an amazing performance as she develops from an innocent young girl into a confident and mature woman, who learns to deal with her immense physical and psychological trauma.

The series was extremely popular in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, and the Arabic countries. It was shown in many other countries, over 30 in total, including France, England, Israel, Spain, Russia, Greece, Indonesia, Chile and Peru. We enjoyed watching this series, sitting through both seasons and remaining engaged and interested throughout. We recommend it as an excellent introduction to Turkish soap operas  if you have not watched any before.

ART SUNDAY - LOUIS VALTAT

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way - things I had no words for.” - Georgia O’Keeffe

Louis Valtat (8 August 1869 – 2 January 1952) was a French painter and printmaker associated with the Fauves (“the wild beasts”, so named for their wild use of colour), who first exhibited with them in 1905 at the Salon d’Automne. He is noted as a key figure in the stylistic transition in painting from Monet to Matisse.

Valtat was born in Dieppe, in the Normandy region of France, into a wealthy family of ship owners. He spent many of his childhood years in Versailles, a suburb of Paris, where he attended secondary school at the Lycée Hoche (near the Palace of Versailles). Encouraged by his father, an amateur landscape painter himself, Valtat became interested in art. At age 17, deciding to pursue an artistic career, he applied to the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris. He was accepted, and in 1887 Valtat moved to Paris to enrol at the École, where he studied with the well-known academic artists Gustave Boulanger (1824–1888), Jules Lefebvre (1836–1911), and later with Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant (1845–1902).

Valtat subsequently studied at the Académie Julian under Jules Dupré (1811–1889), a landscape painter of the Barbizon school. Among his fellow students were Albert André (1869–1954), who became a close friend, as well as Maurice Denis (1870–1943), Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947), and Édouard Vuillard (1868–1940). These last three, calling themselves “Nabis” (after the Hebrew word meaning prophets), were influenced by Paul Gauguin’s (1848–1903) Synthetist method of painting based on the use of simple forms, pure colours, and large patterns. While Valtat remained detached from that movement, he learned from them.

In 1890, upon winning the Jauvin d’Attainville prize, Valtat established his own studio at rue La Glacière in Paris. He made his debut in 1893 at the Salon of Independent Artists, displaying several paintings depicting street scenes of the neighborhood surrounding his art studio. One of those paintings, titled “Sur LeBoulevard” (On The Boulevard, 1893) was noted by the art critic Félix Fénéon. During this early period in his career, Valtat used the spontaneous light touches of Impressionism (although with bordered objects) and the colourful dots found in Pointillism. Two examples representing Valtat’s work during this period include “Péniches” (Barges, 1892) and the “Pommiers” (The Apple Trees, 1894). As noted by Cogniat, Péniches has the impressionistic rendering of the mobile reflections of rippling water while Pommiers is alive with the dazzling brilliance of sunlit reds and yellows intensified by the stippled strokes of green.

Valtat exhibited widely during his career. In 1894, he collaborated with both Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Albert André in creating the décor for the Paris theatre“L’Œuvre” at the request of Lugné Poë. Valtat suffered from tuberculosis, and he spent many autumn/winter seasons along the Mediterranean coast in Banyuls, Antheor and Saint-Tropez. Beginning in 1900, Valtat made several journeys by bicycle to visit Auguste Renoir at the Maison de la Poste in Cagnes. There, Valtat made several portrait drawings of Renoir on which he based a subsequent woodcut, and the two artists collaborated on a sculpture of Cézanne.

Another friend of Valtat was Paul Signac, whom he visited often, travelling in a small Bollée motorcar that he acquired about 1904 from Signac in exchange for his painting “Women at the Seashore”. During his time spent near the Mediterranean, Valtat intensified his use of colour and began to express his Fauvist tendencies, particularly in painting seascapes. Art historian Natalie Henderson Lee identifies Valtat as a “proto-Fauve”, although he remained somewhat apart from the Fauve group, and never adopted their extreme boldness in the treatment of form and colour.

After 1914 he worked in Paris and in areas near Rouen and Versailles. The subjects of his paintings included flowers, landscapes, and scenes of contemporary life, and he produced many prints. Valtat continued to paint until 1948, when the glaucoma from which he had suffered for several years resulted in the loss of his sight. He died on 2 January 1952 in Paris.

The painting above is his “Landscape with Violet Irises” of 1903. The colour is intense and vibrant and the painting is full of the intense Mediterranean light of springtime. The paint is applied in daubs and intense flowing brushstrokes, especially when rendering the flowers. The blues and violets draw the eye, while in counterpoint above them the greenery and trees provide some rest, while leading to the sea, seen in the distance in a cleared section in the centre. Almost abstract, this canvas shows Valtat’s stylistic borrowings and how he has made those his own.

MUSIC SATURDAY - STAMITZ VIOLA CONCERTO

“The difference between a violin and a viola is that a viola burns longer.” - Victor Borge

Viola jokes are a category of jokes directed against violas and viola players. The jokes are thought to have originated from the 18th century when the part of the viola was very uncomplicated and often just a filler part, thus attracting musicians who were not usually very talented either musically or intellectually. Another reason is that viola players were often previously violinists who were not particularly talented and are therefore asked to play the viola, as violin parts are often more demanding. This led to a generally lower standard of violists, which meant that jokes were made about them.

In Italy in the early 1700s, the following story occurred and it is thought that it was the origin of many viola jokes despite being a true story: The violinist Francesco Geminiani arrived in London in 1714, one of the many expatriate musicians who settled in England in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. As a young man Geminiani was appointed head of the orchestra in Naples, where according to English music historian Charles Burney he was “so wild and unsteady a timist, that instead of regulating and conducting the band, he threw it into confusion”, and was demoted to playing the viola.

The jokes come in many different forms. Some of them are only understandable to musicians and people acquainted with musical terms, while others are meant to be understood for everyone, regardless of their musical knowledge. Some jokes make fun of the viola itself while others make fun of violists, while some jokes are in fact directed the opposite direction, effectively jokes to musicians who tell viola jokes.

Jokes aside, the viola is a beautiful instrument. It is generally strung with heavier strings than the violin. This, combined with its larger size and lower pitch range, results in a deeper and mellower tone. However, the thicker strings also mean that the viola speaks more slowly. Practically speaking, if a violist and violinist are playing together, the violist must begin moving the bow a fraction of a second sooner than the violinist. The thicker strings also mean that more weight must be applied with the bow to make them speak. The sound of the viola is a beautiful alto, rich and sweet like caramel.

Music that is written for the viola differs from that of most other instruments, in that it primarily uses the alto clef, which is otherwise rarely used. Viola music employs the treble clef when there are substantial sections of music written in a higher register. The viola occasionally has a major role in orchestral music. In the earlier part of the 20th century, more composers began to write for the viola, encouraged by the emergence of specialised soloists such as Lionel Tertis. Englishmen Arthur Bliss, York Bowen, Benjamin Dale, and Ralph Vaughan Williams all wrote chamber and concert works for Tertis. William Walton, Bohuslav Martinů and Béla Bartók wrote well-known viola concertos. Paul Hindemith wrote a substantial amount of music for viola. In the latter part of the 20th century a substantial repertoire was produced for the viola.

Here is a lovely concerto for viola. It is Carl Stamitz’s “Viola Concerto in D major”, Op.1, with soloist Ulrich Koch, accompanied by the Collegium Aureum. Carl Philipp Stamitz (Czech: Karel Stamic; baptised 8 May 1745 – 9 November 1801), who changed his given name from Karl, was a German composer of partial Czech ancestry. He was the most prominent representative of the second generation of the Mannheim School. He was the eldest son of Johann Stamitz, a violinist and composer of the early classical era. Born in Mannheim, he received lessons from his father and Christian Cannabich, his father’s successor as leader of the Mannheim orchestra.

FOOD FRIDAY - TEMPEH BURGERS

“Black beans and soy beans are the cornerstones of longevity diets around the world.” - Dan Buettner

Tempeh is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form, similar to a very firm vegetarian burger patty. Tempeh is unique among major traditional soy foods in that it is the only one that did not originate from the Sinosphere cuisine. It originated in contemporary Indonesia, and is especially popular on the island of Java, where it is a staple source of protein.

Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but it is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities. Tempeh's fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a higher content of protein, dietary fibre, and vitamins. It has a firm texture and an earthy flavour, which becomes more pronounced as it ages. Because of its nutritional value, tempeh is used worldwide in vegetarian cuisine, where it is used as a meat analogue. Here is a vegetarian recipe using tempeh.

Tempeh Burgers

Ingredients

200 g tempeh

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 Spring onions

1 onion, minced

1/3 cup celery leaves, chopped

1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

Mash the tempeh thoroughly. Add the garlic, finely chopped shallots and onion, celery leaves, pepper and soy sauce. Mix well. Shape into burgers and roll in the breadcrumbs, then in the beaten egg and again in the breadcrumbs. Deep fry for about 5 minutes until crispy brown and serve hot with peanut sauce. A seasonal fresh side salad complements the dish well. For a more gourmet presentation, serve the burger with some béarnaise sauce, steamed asparagus and pumpkin mash.

Add your own favourite recipes below, using the Linky tool.

MARSYAS AND APOLLO

“Great abilities produce great vices as well as virtues.” 
Greek Proverb

Greek mythology is a rich storehouse of literature in which mortals, heroes, gods and goddesses interact with monsters, strange creatures and the forces of nature. Amazing metamorphoses abound, tales of bravery and guile, adventure and pathos all blend together to weave a rich tapestry of brilliant pattern and matchless colour.

Apollo was the ancient Greek god of the sun, light, the arts and more specifically of music. Athena was the virgin goddess of wisdom and of righteous battle. One of the legends that concerns these two gods is that of the hapless Marsyas. One day Athena, having time on her hands, was whittling deer bones and her ingenuity contrived on them the first long flute (or in some versions of the myth an oboe). She was so proud of her invention, that she came with her oboe to the banquet of the gods on Mont Olympus to play for them.

Aphrodite and Hera, the two beautiful goddesses of Olympus, seeing Athena’s cheeks puffed out, mocked her exquisite playing and called her ugly. Athena left in anger and came to a spring in Mount Ida to view herself in the water. She blew her oboe and looked at herself in the water of the spring, understanding why she was mocked: Her face was puffed up and red with the effort of the blowing. Disgusted, she threw away the oboe, vowing that whoever picked it up would be severely punished.

Marsyas was a rustic Phrygian satyr who found Athena’s discarded oboe. He became extremely skilled in its playing and the forests rang out with his beautiful melodies. People and animals were enchanted with his music and he was quite proud of himself, daring to say he played even better than the god of music himself, Apollo, could play his lyre. In his hubris, Marsyas dared to challenge Apollo to a musical contest, the conditions of which were that the victor should do what he pleased with the vanquished.

Apollo incensed with Marsyas bragging and grave insult, agreed to the contest. When King Midas of Phrygia (of golden touch fame!), who had been appointed judge, declared in favour of Marsyas, Apollo punished Midas by changing his ears into ass’s ears. Marsyas then inevitably lost and was flayed alive by the god for his presumption. The rustic gods then transformed him into a stream. Thus was Marsyas’s arrogance and impiety punished. Furthermore, the myth asserts the superiority of Greek music over Phrygian music and Apollonian spirit over Dionysian passion.

POETS UNITED - FATHER

“It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father.” - PopeJohn XXIII

Poets United this week has challenged participating poets to write a poem addressing some aspect of fatherhood. This is in view of the upcoming celebration of Father’s Day in the USA. Here in Australia, we celebrate Father’s Day on the first Sunday of September. Nevertheless, the sentiments are the same never mind what the date of the celebration is! Here is my poem:

Father

A memory:
An album leaf in the book of images of my mind;
A beach, some blue,
The sound of waves breaking.
Bright sun
And the smell of salty water carried by the wind.

Above all else, a firm and loving hand
Holding me tight.

Never again have I felt so safe…

JULIE ANDREWS, EPICURUS & GRATITUDE

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” - Epicurus

Remember Julie Andrews in “Sound of Music” as she burst into full song and listed some of “her favourite things” – things that made her happy? She certainly got the von Trapp children out of their melancholy mood… Isn’t that a wonderful idea, I thought, reflecting on all of those warm and fuzzy things, happy occasions that we experience… We sometimes appreciate them for what they are, but at other times ignore them, or miss them as they pass us by fleetingly, or even worse, we take them for granted. Reflecting on happy experiences makes us appreciate them all the more when they occur, but also they are the stuff of joyous memories, a storehouse of pleasure that we can resort to when we are feeling unhappy.

Epicurus (born 341 BC, Samos, Greece - died 270, Athens) was a Greek philosopher, author of an ethical philosophy of simple pleasure, friendship, and retreat. He founded schools of philosophy that survived directly from the 4th century BC until the 4th century AD. Very often his common sense, humanist views are misunderstood and his name has been perversely associated with the word “epicure” now signifying a person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink – a mere gourmet!

This is a gross simplification and distortion of his philosophy. Epicurus stated that pleasures of the mind, as opposed to the coarse pleasures of the body, are the ones to pursue. He taught that the highest pleasure obtainable is the pleasure of tranquillity, which is to be obtained by the removal of unsatisfied wants. The way to do this is to eliminate all but the simplest wants; these are then easily satisfied even by those who are not wealthy. There is difference between eating a simple meal to satisfy one’s hunger and indulging in the finest food and drink in a sumptuous banquet that will jade one’s palate, if carried to excess. What in fact Epicurus said about eating was that it’s not important what we dine on, what is most important is whom we share our meal with…

I am an epicurean at heart, and by that I mean that I embrace Epicurus’ philosophy: I pursue things that are “good”. How do we know if something is good? Epicurus enjoins us to ask if it increases pleasure or if it reduces pain. If it does this, it is good as a means; if it does not, it is not good at all. Thus, for example, to be just is good but is merely useful as it prevents mutual harm. Would we commit an injustice if we could get away with it? No, Epicurus says, because the constant fear of discovery will cause a painful anxiety – not good! Epicurus also glorified friendship, and the Epicureans were famous for the warmth of their personal relationships; but, again, they proclaimed that friendship is good only because of its tendency to create pleasure.

“Freedom from pain in the body and from trouble in the mind” is the ultimate aim of a happy life, Epicurus states. In addition, the wise man must also provide himself with security. This he achieves in two ways: By reducing his needs to a minimum and withdrawing, far from human competition and from the noise of the world, to “live a hidden life”; and by adding the private compact of friendship to the public compact from which laws arise. Epicurus established his philosophical school in his own garden, and he saw his students and friends there, in his home. Even when old and ill, he was still occupied in writing letters of reprimand, guidance, and comfort - announcing his teachings of peace, and (under the name of pleasure), inviting to love one’s fellow human beings.

Epicureanism was adopted by Lucretius who flourished in the first century BC. His name in full was Titus Lucretius Carus. He was a Latin poet and philosopher known for his single, long poem, De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things). The poem is the fullest extant statement of the physical theory of the Epicurus, but it also alludes to his ethical and logical doctrines. A useful book to read if you want to know more of Epicureanism is: “The Philosophy of Epicurus: Letters, Doctrines, and Parallel Passages from Lucretius”, translated by George K. Strodach (1963).

Now, having set the stage, let me populate it with the players in the form of my ten favourite, things that happened to me last week, things that gave me happiness and pleasure, and for which I am deeply grateful:

1. Seeing my eyes reflected in the eyes of my beloved as we held hands and listened to some quiet music, while rain fell outside.

2. Receiving a letter from my sponsored child in India and seeing his smile in the accompanying picture.

3. Coming back home safely after a long drive at night on congested roads and walking into the warm glow of a peaceful house after braving the cold, wet darkness outside, feeling grateful that all had gone well.

4. Enjoying a simple impromptu meal with friends after they called in unexpectedly. Compatible company, pleasant conversation, soft music in the background while we had a crisp garden salad and some freshly-baked savoury scones.

5. Feeling good - not having a health problem, appreciating my wellness of body, spirit and mind.

6. Appreciating my family, around me. Knowing that they are there for me when I need them and vice-versa.

7. Having a useful occupation. Furthermore, an occupation that I enjoy doing and feeling that I am helping a little bit to make the world a better place through my job.

8. Rejoicing in our garden, watching it through the window and appreciating the growth of flowers, vegetables and greenery in it, knowing that I am in the lucky minority around the world, in having one.

9. Receiving an unexpected card in the mail from an ex-student, saying she remembered me now that she is practicing her profession and thanking me for all she learnt with me as it is helping her much now.

10. Receiving some wonderful messages from my friends here on my blog.

What are your 10 favourite happy things that happened to you last week?

MOVIE MONDAY - JEEVES & WOOSTER

“There’s no life without humour. It can make the wonderful moments of life truly glorious, and it can make tragic moments bearable.” - Rufus Wainwright

When cleaning my study the other day I found my old copy of PG Wodehouse’s “My Man Jeeves”, which is a collection of short stories, first published in the United Kingdom in May 1919. Of the eight stories in the collection, half feature the popular characters Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, while the others concern Reggie Pepper, an early prototype for Wooster. It was quite amusing now to think that the cleaning was forgotten as I sat leafing through the book and becoming absorbed in re-reading a story and chuckling to myself as the antics of Jeeves and Wooster unfolded in my mind once again…

Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE (15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975) was an English author, and one of the most widely-read humorists of the 20th century. He was born in Guildford, the son of a British magistrate based in Hong Kong. Wodehouse had happy teenage years at Dulwich College, to which he remained devoted all his life. After leaving school he was employed by a bank, but disliked the work and turned to writing in his spare time. His early novels were mostly school stories; he switched to writing comic fiction, creating several regular characters who became familiar to the public over the years. They include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeves; the immaculate and loquacious Psmith; Lord Emsworth and the Blandings Castle set; the Oldest Member, with stories about golf; and Mr Mulliner, with tall tales on subjects ranging from bibulous bishops to megalomaniac movie moguls.

Which brings me to the subject of Movie Monday. It is the excellent dramatisation of the Jeeves stories in the 1990-1993 TV series “Jeeves and Wooster”. Starring Hugh Laurie as  Bertie Wooster, Stephen Fry as Jeeves,  Robert Daws as Tuppy, and  Mary Wimbush as Aunt Agatha, with a host of other excellent actors the TV series really brings to life Wodehouse’s characters and recreates wonderfully Edwardian times and mores. Fry and Laurie are perfect for their parts and carry the roles off with aplomb and marvellous humour.

The sets, costumes and locations have been rendered perfectly and one becomes absorbed in the times and customs depicted. The halls and manors that Bertie and Jeeves visit become familiar and as new characters are introduced. There are ever new sources of amusing situations, sticky predicaments and storms in teacups that brew and threaten to embroil Bertie into all sorts of trouble. Enter Jeeves, ever dependable, and all becomes calm once again.

The music is another plus and one hears hits of the 1920s as well as one of the most catchy themes, which while fairly repetitive adds to the charm and period atmosphere. Bertie playing the piano and singing actual songs of the period is fun and rounded off a wonderful soundtrack.

Reading Wodehouse’s books of course is the epitome of wit and humour, but the series does not disappoint and perhaps brings the characters and stories to some people who will never read the books. The episodes in the series are a mix of accurate rendition and loose interpretation of the original Wodehouse stories. Overall, a wonderful viewing experience that will have you chuckling and even belly laughing. Watch it!

ART SUNDAY - CIMABUE

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” - Aristotle

Cimabue (1240-1302) was a master Florentine painter and mosaicist, who was a pioneer in the artistic movement towards naturalism in his time. Cimabue introduced three-dimensional designs using the Romanesque approach, with Byzantine models and medieval techniques to create his own style. Cimabue built on existing styles of painting to create more life-like and proportional figures, making subjects more realistic to the viewer. Cimabue may not have received credit for many of the changes in art style at this time, but he was a great contributor and major force of naturalism in art and the realist movement.

There is very little documentation about Cimabue’s early life and training in art. It is thought that Cimabue was born in Florence and died in Pisa, Italy. There are a number of works attributed to Cimabue, however, only one was dated with certainty and that is the mosaic of St. John the Evangelist, created in 1301-1302 in the Pisa Duomo. His first attributed work, the Crucifixion, in the church of San Dominico in Arezzo, was thought to have been created in 1270. In 1280, it is said that he painted the Maesta, now displayed at the Louvre Museum. Cimabue is said to have been a nickname, meaning “bull-headed”. His real name is thought to have been Cenni di Pepi, but he was also known as Bencivieni di Pepo, or Benvenuto di Giuseppe. Because his works were not dated or signed, and many were destroyed by time or natural disaster, Cimabue may not have received the credit which he so deserved. Many of his artworks are still disputed today because of the lack of documentation.

Cimabue was strongly influenced by the Greek Byzantine style, but he introduced his own more natural treatment of these traditional subjects and formal Byzantine style. He was one of the first artists of his time to leave the traditional, somewhat stiff Byzantine style of art, opting to find more beauty in the reality of nature and life. He used soft and natural outlines, with finer portrayal of muscles and bones. These three-dimensional designs exhibited his dramatic and sentimental approach to art. Cimabue worked with egg tempera on panel to create his paintings, but also worked in fresco and mosaic. His subjects were of the crucifixion, saints and apostles, and scenes from the Apocalypse. He used linear perspective, which was later more refined by his pupil Giotto. It is thought that although the Florentine school was attributed to Giotto, it was Cimabue’s style that inspired this movement. Members of the later formed Florentine School, were masters such as Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci.

Although Cimabue is a somewhat forgotten artist, he set a new direction for art of his time period. Life-like figures, with realistic traits and proportions, were a radical departure from the European artistic tradition of the time. Remaining true to the theme of religious icons, Cimabue introduced realism to his art, anticipating the naturalist movement to come. Cimabue’s Madonna, in the Church of Santa Maria, has been regarded as a marvel of art. Cimabue’s last work, the Large Mosaic of St. John in Pisa Cathedral, was started in 1302, but he died that same year, leaving the altarpiece to be completed by his student Giotto. Cimabue’s style was respected and admired by other artists such as Giotto and Duccio, but was also was a catalyst for the realism movement.

The work above is the fresco “Madonna Enthroned with the Christ Child, St. Francis and Four Angels”, painted about 1280 and found in the Lower Church of St Francis in Assisi. In this large scale (320 × 340 cm) work, one can see Cimabue’s artistry patently. The figures of the Madonna, Christ and saints are beautifully modeled and one appreciates the three-dimensional rendition of the faces and limbs. The poses are more natural and less formal than in the Byzantine icons and even the colours are beginning to assume a more realistic approach so that the eye of the viewer is led into thinking this is a true rendition of a real scene.