Song For Sonja

Welcome back Dear Readers.

Last week 

I wanted to do something special 

for my friend 

Sonja

who is moving back to Denmark soon. 

So I decided to have something 

of a 

surprise dinner party for her.

For days I planned, schemed, and  plotted.

Then there were stops, and some repeat stops at many shops. 

When all my ingredients were assembled 

I cooked my tail off!

I think Sonja and all my guests 

enjoyed themselves. 

Here's my

Dinner For Sonja

French 75

 - a flute of Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve with 

a float of Germain Robin Select XO

and a lemon twist.

Small Plates 

of Wild Boar Proscuitto,

Caperberries, Speck, Olives, 

Pickled Garlic Cloves,  Peppers

and Marcona Almonds

First Course

Smoked Sturgeon 

served on a Burgundy Dandelion garnish

with Lemon and Tobiko Caviar

Salad

Mache and Watercress Salad

with French Icicle and Rainbow Radishes 

and Mushrooms 

in a Champagne Vinagrette

2006 Ravenswood Dickerson Zinfandel

Main Course

Broiled Lamb Rib Chops on an Ancho Sauce

with "Everything" Mashed Potatoes,

and Swiss Chard

Dessert

Individual 

Strawberry Rhubarb Blueberry Crisps 

served with Vanilla Ice Cream

Daterra Farm Calabria Espresso Roast Coffee

and

Sri Lankan Ratnapura Tea

with 

Various Parisian Macaroons 

and Chocolates

Strains of Astrud Gilberto and laughter

could be heard throughout the 

candlelit room.

A good time was had by all. 

I hope you'll agree that this was a meal fit for 

My Great Dane 

Sonja!

D.C. is The Place To Be

Welcome back Dear Readers. 

So nice to see you again.

Have you ever felt that 

while it may great to be handsome,

or brilliant, 

or the life of the party,

that sometimes it's

 just nice to be lucky?

That's how I'm feeling this week as 

Global Around Town 

previews some of the most exciting events in

The World of the Arts,

in my own backyard

Washington D.C.

Wednesday night,

 any of you who happen to be in or around D.C.

 should try and get one of the remaining tickets to see 

Pat Metheny and his Orchestrion 

in concert at Strathmore Performing Arts Center. 

The prolific and ever creative Metheny

has created an Orchestrion

and knows how to use it 

to create his inimitable magic.

Here's Wikipedia's definition - 

"An orchestrion is a generic name for a machine that plays music and is designed to sound like an orchestra or band. Orchestrions may be operated by means of a large pinned cylinder or by a music roll and less commonly book music. The sound is usually produced by pipes, though they will be voiced differently to those found in a pipe organ, as well as percussion instruments. Many orchestrions contain a piano as well."

I've been listening to Pat for the past 35 years or so. 

From his days with Gary Burton, to his trio with Jaco & Bobby Moses. 
I've been with him for his solo and various group excursions.
Seeing him take charge of this immense instrument Wednesday night should prove to be 
fascinating and beautiful.

As if this were not enough,

one of the most important contemporary composers around, 

John Adams,

is in town conducting his own and others' works. 

What a special and rare opportunity this is!

Saturday night John Adams will lead 

The National Symphony Orchestra with violinist

 Leila Josefowicz

 in the following concert - 

BRITTEN - Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op.33a

ADAMS - The Dharma at Big Sur

STRAVINSKY - Feu d'Artifice

ADAMS - Doctor Atomic Symphony

I have enjoyed listening to this Pulitzer Prize winning composer for many, many years. 

Some of his music has been described as "minimalist" 

although I think it can be very romantic & sweeping.

You may be familiar with his operas 

Nixon in China, The Death of Klinghoffer

or

Dr. Atomic. 

Adams won the Pulitzer for his piece

On The Transmigration of Souls

which commemorates those who lost their lives in 

the September 11, 2001 attacks on 

the World Trade Center in New York. 

A couple years ago I took friends to hear 

El Nino - A Nativity Oratorio

and it was very special. 

I know the concerts led by Adams this week

will be as well. 

See ya there!

Also opening in D.C Thursday the 20th, 

Yves Klein: With the Void Full Powers

at The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. 

Revel in the works of one of

 "last century's most influential artists."

Klein,

 you may recall,

bathed nude women in blue paint and used them as 

"living brushes" 

on his canvases. 

As you can see 

D.C. 

is a great place to be this week.

I hope you'll be able to take advantage of it.



For more information on Metheny go to http://www.patmetheny.com

John Adams - http://www.earbox.com

Yves Klein at The Hirshhorn - http://hirshhorn.si.edu/exhibitions/view.asp?key=21&subkey=252

The Girl Who Played With Fire - The Movie

Perhaps you've read 

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

or the entire 

Millennium Trilogy. 

Maybe you saw the movie

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Millions & millions did. 

So, 

if you are like me,

how excited will you be,

knowing that the film, 

The Girl Who Played With Fire,

part deux of 

The Millennium Trilogy,

opens July 2

?!?!?!?!?!?!

I cannot wait!!!

Support The Arts

Welcome back Dear Readers.

So nice to see you.

In today's Washington Post

Anne Midgette writes a very nice article on how

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/23/AR2010042300047.html)

The Obama White House 

might better support

American Classical Music.

This article reminded me of how poorly 

The Arts are supported in general.

I thought back to the hundreds of concerts I've been to 

and to how few, if any, 

 Heads of State were ever in attendance.

I have often looked up to The Presidential Box

at The Kennedy Center and seen complete strangers. 

Our papers are peppered with pictures of Obama at basketball games, shooting hoops,

throwing out the first pitch...

wouldn't it have been nice seeing The Obama's at the recent Mitsuko Uchida concert?

Anne suggested a number of interesting concert possibilities which included performances of the music of some of our finest contemporary American Composers:

Steve Reich

Meredith Monk

 & William Bolcom

To that I suggested:

Obama might introduce John Adams when he's in town next month conducting a number of concerts of his own works. 

That Obama might organize a concert

Song of Remembrance

In Honor of President Lech Kaczynski & his wife,

and colleagues who died so tragically in that plane crash a couple weeks ago. 

The concert could be a combination of the upcoming 

Maurizio Pollini concert of the works of Chopin.

The Paderewski Piano Concerto

(Paderewski was the virtuoso Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, 

and Third Prime Minister of The Republic of Poland) 

and jazz

by Polish Jazz Great

Tomasz Stanko.  

As a PS to the article I suggested performances of a couple other

 contemporary American Composers of note:

Lowell Liebermann

and

Peter Lieberson.

Anne's article also made me think of how in general The Arts are neglected. 

I was reminded of the beautiful inscriptions on the walls of 

The Kennedy Center.

All of you Dear Readers, 

throughout the world, need to read this. 

You need to remind those governing you of the importance of The Arts.

That The Arts are crucial to mankind. 

We must put down our guns

and pick up our batons

and paint brushes.

"President Kennedy was a great supporter of the arts; inscribed on the walls of the River Terrace, just outside the Grand Foyer, you will find quotes from speeches in which he spoke of his vision for America's cultural life.

 THERE IS A CONNECTION, HARD TO EXPLAIN LOGICALLY BUT EASY TO FEEL, BETWEEN ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLIC LIFE AND PROGRESS IN THE ARTS. THE AGE OF PERICLES WAS ALSO THE AGE OF PHIDIAS. THE AGE OF LORENZO DE MEDICI WAS ALSO THE AGE OF LEONARDO DA VINCI, THE AGE OF ELIZABETH ALSO THE AGE OF SHAKESPEARE, AND THE NEW FRONTIER FOR WHICH I CAMPAIGN IN PUBLIC LIFE, CAN ALSO BE A NEW FRONTIER FOR AMERICAN ART. Letter to Miss Theodate Johnson, Publisher, Musical America, September 13, 1960

 I AM CERTAIN THAT AFTER THE DUST OF CENTURIES HAS PASSED OVER OUR CITIES, WE, TOO, WILL BE REMEMBERED NOT FOR VICTORIES OR DEFEATS IN BATTLE OR IN POLITICS, BUT FOR OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE HUMAN SPIRIT. On behalf of the National Cultural Center which would come to bear his name November 29, 1962 

TO FURTHER THE APPRECIATION OF CULTURE AMONG ALL THE PEOPLE. TO INCREASE RESPECT FOR THE CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL, TO WIDEN PARTICIPATION BY ALL THE PROCESSES AND FULFILLMENTS OF ART — THIS IS ONE OF THE FASCINATING CHALLENGES OF THESE DAYS." The Arts in America,” Look, December 18, 1962 

THIS COUNTRY CANNOT AFFORD TO BE MATERIALLY RICH AND SPIRITUALLY POOR. State of the Union Message, January 14, 1963

 I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH WILL REWARD ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ARTS AS WE REWARD ACHIEVEMENT IN BUSINESS OR STATECRAFT. I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH WILL STEADILY RAISE THE STANDARDS OF ARTISTIC ACCOMPLISHMENT AND WHICH WILL STEADILY ENLARGE CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH COMMANDS RESPECT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD NOT ONLY FOR ITS STRENGTH BUT FOR ITS CIVILIZATION AS WELL. At Amherst College, October 26, 1963

 I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH WILL NOT BE AFRAID OF GRACE AND BEAUTY. At Amherst College, October 26, 1963"

I am hoping all of you, Dear Readers, can read and understand this.
And I would love to hear from all of you, all over the world, 
to hear your thoughts on this matter.

Global Around Town - Anniversary & Award

Hello again Dear Friends.

I've been very bad.

I've been procrastinating.

You see

it was on

 December 12, 2008

that the first edition of

Global Around Town

hit the stands.

And this is the first chance I've had

to thank you for accompanying me

on the first year

of this journey.

So to you I say

Happy Anniversary!

And I hope that you're up for

our continued travels

and exploration of The Arts.

My intention in all of this has been to preview events in the Arts

so that you too might enjoy & experience them as I do.

Following are a few of "My Favorite Things" from this past year:

For the first edition we traveled to Paris

for the premier of Richard Dubugnon's Violin Concerto

performed by Janine Jansen with Esa Pekka Salonen and Orchestre de Paris.

We traveled to Copenhagen

to celebrate one of the

Fathers of Scandinavian Design: Arne Jacobsen.

In Rome

we went to hear -

"A Secret Rose: Concerto for 100 electric guitars Orchestra Contemporanea,

conducted by Rhys Chatam, a multimedia event. Described as "an imaginary jam session with John Cale, Tony Conrad and the Ramones".

Last Spring we took in the tulips in Amsterdam

with trips to The Cobra Museum for all the brilliant works of Jorn, Appel, and Alechinsky.

We dined on rijsttafel at Sama Sebo and enjoyed fine cigars at Hajenius.

In Milan,  when we took a break from all of the great Art & Design,

we shopped and dined at Carla Sozzani's

10 Corso Como

while reveling in

The Manifesto Of Futurism

1. We want to sing the love of danger, the habit of energy and rashness.

2. The essential elements of our poetry will be courage, audacity and revolt.

3. Literature has up to now magnified pensive immobility, ecstasy and slumber. We want to exalt movements of aggression, feverish sleeplessness, the double march, the perilous leap, the slap and the blow with the fist.

4. We declare that the splendor of the world has been enriched by a new beauty: the beauty of speed. A racing automobile with its bonnet adorned with great tubes like serpents with explosive breath ... a roaring motor car which seems to run on machine-gun fire, is more beautiful than the Victory of Samothrace.

5. We want to sing the man at the wheel, the ideal axis of which crosses the earth, itself hurled along its orbit.

6. The poet must spend himself with warmth, glamour and prodigality to increase the enthusiastic fervor of the primordial elements.

7. Beauty exists only in struggle. There is no masterpiece that has not an aggressive character. Poetry must be a violent assault on the forces of the unknown, to force them to bow before man.

8. We are on the extreme promontory of the centuries! What is the use of looking behind at the moment when we must open the mysterious shutters of the impossible? Time and Space died yesterday. We are already living in the absolute, since we have already created eternal, omnipresent speed.

9. We want to glorify war — the only cure for the world — militarism, patriotism, the destructive gesture of the anarchists, the beautiful ideas which kill, and contempt for woman.

10. We want to demolish museums and libraries, fight morality, feminism and all opportunist and utilitarian cowardice.

11. We will sing of the great crowds agitated by work, pleasure and revolt; the multi-colored and polyphonic surf of revolutions in modern capitals: the nocturnal vibration of the arsenals and the workshops beneath their violent electric moons: the gluttonous railway stations devouring smoking serpents; factories suspended from the clouds by the thread of their smoke; bridges with the leap of gymnasts flung across the diabolic cutlery of sunny rivers: adventurous steamers sniffing the horizon; great-breasted locomotives, puffing on the rails like enormous steel horses with long tubes for bridle, and the gliding flight of aeroplanes whose propeller sounds like the flapping of a flag and the applause of enthusiastic crowds.

In Barcelona we celebrated the birth of Mies van der Rohe

 

with a visit to his

 

Barcelona Pavilion.

 

We continued our celebration with trips to

 

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia,

 

dinner at the magnificent

 

Jean Luc Figuera,

 

and chocolate and more chocolate

 

at

 

"The Christian Dior of Chocolate"

 

Cacao Sampaca.

 

 

 

I've tried to bring great films to your attention, and to point out what a great job

 

Film Movement  does. 

 Lucky to have attended the US premier of

 

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

 

I brought that to you immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've tried do bring great literature your way...

 

 

 

 

 

and great painters 

 

with works by Mary Hambleton & Ken Buhler.

 

You were curious about...

Some of

My Works

 And of course there's been plenty of great Music!

 
 

 

And the FOOD!!!!!!

We've dined at many of the finest restaurants in the world.

Shared menus...

... and a recipe or two.

Who could forget my brother's famous

Pineapple Coconut Matzoh Farfel Kugel?

Contributions by the ever generous and completely indefatigable

Global Around Town Senior Travel Correspondent

Doug Wingate

have been nothing short of immense!

Traveling like a spinning top,

almost non stop,

(I'm wondering where he is now)

he brought us:

 Dining tips from Honk Kong

Theatre in NYC

Trips to India, Nepal, Bolivia & Peru...

Thanks Doug!

Global Around Town Senior Music Correspondent

Don Yaffe

assisted with his ruminations on Django Reinhardt.

Creating and working on this blog has been an amazing experience.

I have learned a ton.

At times it has been terribly frustrating.

Most of the time, sharing this beauty, is very meaningful and fun for me. 

Where else could I hope to share this amazing pick up line that I may one day use?

 In Subiela's great film  

The Dark Side of the Heart

the protagonist Oliverio approaches a woman in a bar

with this:

"I don't care if a women has breasts like magnolias

or like dried out prunes.

 

Or skin like a peach,

or like sandpaper.

 

I could care less if in the morning her breath is like an aphrodisiac,

or if it's like an insecticide.

 

I'd be more than willing to accept a nose

that would win first prize at a carrot show.

 

But there's one thing.

 

I'm very strict about this.

 

I will not permit, under any circumstances,

a woman who can't fly."

Where else but on my very own little blog can I point out little delicacies like that?! 

And it seems that

there have been many of you out there

 and around the world

who have enjoyed and participated in my folie,

 Global Around Town.

I have worked with 

and met many amazing people from all over.

In particular,

Lala, of My Castle in Spain

and

Willow, of Life at Willow Manor

have been great sources of love, support, & inspiration.

Thank You Girls!

Ah yes...

and thanks  for 

The Beautiful Blogger Award! 

It's nice to know that someone out there is sharing this experience 

and appreciates my aesthetic. 

Thank you all for joining me this past year.

I hope you will continue along this path with me as we seek

The Most Exciting Events in the World of the Arts.

All the best,

David