Notes In Slow Promenades

Naxos compilations strive to drive the
listener mad, first a wild Spring Vivaldi
which makes criss-cross patterns in my
mind while I’m going cross-eyed, angular
lines affecting mental frequency

Next a calm rowing boat faltering down a
sluggish stream, lulling me to sleep, leading
to an explosion of little soldier notes jumping
up and down like pistons in a car which
might take off any time

On to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata,
fingers caressing notes in slow promenades
down a path of pain and death, moonlight fades
until night becomes raw and cavernous
and devours my soul

Suddenly Vivaldi’s metred Baroque Spring
wipes the floating lines from my mind to whirl
in little circles, round and round to a mindless
rhythm without feeling or meaning, a sad
tribute to Louis Fifteenth

Followed by a violin’s cry in high-strung pain
while a harp picks out little steps of ghostly
spirits underneath; on to a clear flute an-
nouncing formal visits, footmen serving
little pastries to French courtiers

Then a cold shiver quietly depicts a moonlit
scene, a swan floating down a castle moat
while the wind sighs in the leaves of trees
standing at ease - a tempo change that
indicates black storm clouds above

After this rolling piano notes in ringing rounds
drive a coach into a ditch and bass notes
throw up dirt and mud as horses pull it
down a rustic country road, the next
song stops the coach: a sad face

With mournful eyes seeking his departed love
in an old country house, my heart contracts in
pain, but then a chase is announced, bugle
calls to hunters in jodhpurs and red coats to
converge on hunting grounds

Followed by a Spanish dance, castanets and
high-heeled shoes tapping out a melodrama
of proud, but mindless lives lost in animal-
rights contested fights – and to top it all,
threatening organ tones:

Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in B minor rings
out - Dracula appears and takes the seat
to play until his victims flee in fear…


Louis XV


EXPLANATION:
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue

BEST OF NAXOS 1


1. Naxos compilations strive to drive the
listener mad, first a wild Spring Vivaldi
which makes criss-cross patterns in my
mind while I’m going cross-eyed, angular
lines affecting mental frequency

1st stanza
Violin Concerto, in F minor Op. 8/4, RV 297 by
Vivaldi, Antonio 2. Allegro non molto


2. Next a calm rowing boat faltering down a
sluggish stream, lulling me to sleep, leading
to

2nd stanza first 2 lines
Largo in F major, instrumental arrangement
("Ombra mai fu" from the opera Serse) by Handel,
George Frederick

Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216 by
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus - Adagio

an explosion of little soldier notes jumping
up and down like pistons in a car which
might take off any time

2nd stanza Lines 3, 4 & 5
Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067 by
Bach, Johann Sebastian Badinerie


3 On to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata,
fingers caressing notes in slow promenades
down a path of pain and death, moonlight fades
until night becomes cavernous and raw
and eats my soul


3rd stanza
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ("Moonlight"),
Op. 27/2 by Beethoven, Ludwig van Adagio sostenuto


4 Suddenly Vivaldi’s metred Baroque Spring
wipes the floating lines from my mind to whirl
in little circles, round and round to a mindless
rhythm without feeling or meaning, a sad
tribute to Louis Fifteenth


4th stanza
Concerto alla rustica, for strings & continuo in
G major, RV 151 by Vivaldi, Antonio 6. Presto

Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050
by Bach, Johann Sebastian 8. Allegro


5 Followed by a violin’s cry in high-strung pain
while a harp picks out little steps of ghostly
spirits underneath; on to a clear flute an-
nouncing formal visits, footmen serving
little pastries to French courtiers

5th stanza
Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in
F minor ("L'inverno," The Four Seasons; "Il cimento"
No. 4), Op. 8/4, RV 297 by Vivaldi, Antonio 9. Largo

Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major, K. 314 (K. 285d)
by Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus 10. Allegro


6 Then a cold shiver quietly depicts a moonlit
scene, a swan floating down a castle moat
while the wind sighs in the leaves of trees
standing at ease - a tempo change that
indicates black storm clouds above


6th stanza
The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20 by Tchaikovsky,
Pyotr Il'yich 11. Scene

7 After this rolling piano notes in ringing rounds
drive a coach into a ditch and bass notes
throw up dirt and mud as horses pulls it
down a rustic country road, the next
song stops the coach: a sad face

7th stanza
Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ("Tempest"),
Op. 31/2 by Beethoven, Ludwig van 12. Allegretto


8 With mournful eyes seeking his departed love
in an old country house, my heart contracts in
pain, but then a chase is announced, bugle
calls to hunters in jodhpurs and red coats to
converge on hunting grounds

8th stanza
Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 by Mozart,
Wolfgang Amadeus 13. Adagio

Water Music Suites Nos 1-3 for orchestra, HWV
348-350 by Handel, George Frederick 14. Presto

9 Followed by a Spanish dance, castanets and
high-heeled shoes tapping out a melodrama
of proud, but mindless lives lost in animal-
rights contested fights – and to top it all,
threatening organ tones:


9th stanza
Carmen Suites for orchestra Nos. 1 & 2 (assembled
by Ernest Guirard) by Bizet, Georges 15. Selections


10 Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in B minor rings
out - Dracula appears and takes the seat
to play until his victims flee in fear…

10th stanza
Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in B minor