Mozart earns pope's imprimatur

Yesterday I was gratified to learn that Pope Benedict XVI shares my taste in music. Benedict said in remarks this weekend that he admires the specific Mozart piece I have admired on this Web log, the "Coronation Mass."

I read it on the Una Voce Buffalo Facebook page, about Benedict's remarks. It is good to hear from Benedict again, you know? I always liked how preoccupied he was with music.

Allow me to quote:

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Benedict XVI, emeritus pope and theologian, reflected on Saturday on classical music as an "encounter with the divine," saying listening to Mozart helps him experience "very deeply the Lord's presence."

Benedict's reflections came at a ceremony where he received honorary doctorates from the Pontifical John Paul II University of Krakow and the Krakow Academy of Music for his promotion of respect for the traditions of sacred music in the Church.

Since retiring from the papacy in 2013, Benedict has dedicated his time at the Vatican to prayer, meditation and classical music. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who served as the Vatican's guardian of doctrinal orthodoxy, he used to relax at home by playing his piano, with Mozart pieces a frequent choice.

"It remains indelibly impressed in my memory how, for example, as soon as the first notes resounded from Mozart's 'Coronation Mass,' the heavens practically opened and you experienced, very deeply, the Lord's presence," Benedict, 88, said during his speech at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, a hill town near Rome where he had first stayed after resigning, citing age and frailty.

I love how the story says that since retiring, Benedict has dedicated his time to prayer, meditation and classical music. I hope that every once in a while he takes a taste of wine, too! And not just at mass I mean.

I also love another detail in the story: "Bestowing the honors was Krakow Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, who served as St. Pope John Paul II's longtime aide and who was made cardinal by Benedict." I reviewed the book "The Pope's Maestro," by Gilbert Levine. Dziwisz figured big in that book. I feel I know him.

Most of all I love how Pope Benedict singled out for praise the same Mass that I did. Above is a picture of His Holiness at the Castel Gandolfo, reflecting on the greatness of Mozart's "Coronation Mass."

Great minds think alike!

A trip to Alt Nurnberg

Today is the Feast of St. John the Baptist and I always think of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger," which takes place on this day -- Johannestag, in Germany. Being close to the longest day of the year it is a magical day and it is celebrated with bonfires and general craziness. And "Die Meistersinger" takes place all in the course of this one long single day.

Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro," which Nickel City Opera is performing this weekend, also takes place in one long day. It is not specified to be the Feast of St. John the Baptist but it could very well be!

"Die Meistersinger" begins with a chorale in honor of St. John the Baptist which I was unsuccessful in locating on YouTube. So I settled for the wonderful overture. The video below is a heated performance conducted by Rafael Kubelik. It has a beautiful slideshow of Nuremberg.

Buffalo's Pan-American Exposition of 1901 featured a German beer garden exhibit called Alt Nurnberg, or Old Nuremberg. That is Alt Nurnberg pictured above. My husband Howard's garage sits today where Alt Nurnberg was.

Here is a picture of lunch hour at Alt Nurnberg. It was a popular spot! It cost 25 cents just to get in and then your meal was extra.

Oh, man! I am watching the video of "Die Meistersinger" and it goes into the chorale!! I can't believe it!

Here I was just enjoying the music and the pictures and all of a sudden you see the picture of the church and there it is. The chorale that begins Act 1. The chorale in honor of St. John the Baptist. And in the background you hear hints of the "Prize Song" heard later in the opera. Try to take 15 minutes out of your day and watch this. It is like a mini-vacation.

Wait till you see the shot of the fireworks. They come right at the perfect instant.

Beer and the Monks of Norcia

Today arrived Benedicta, an uncompromising disc from the Monks of Norcia. That is it pictured above!

It is a kind of cool picture. And the music is, too. The Monks of Norcia sing track after track of Gregorian chant. It puts you into a kind of coma. I mean that in the best sense. More like trance. It puts you into a trance. Not the best thing for a Wednesday afternoon in the office but beautiful all the same.

I love when a previously obscure monastery comes out of nowhere and releases a CD.

Here are the very cool Monks of Norcia explaining what they do.



Those are some tremendous beards, folks.

And some tremendous chant.

And as if things were not perfect enough, they also make beer. Fifteen thousand bottles a month!



"Many people might not go to Mass, but by buying beer, they have a connection with us, which is safe for them, in a setting, over a product they feel comfortable with us, so there's a spiritual gain for them, even though they're not looking for it."

And:

"I said, we make beer, immediately the person was interested and wanted to talk, and before we knew it we were talking about Christ and truth..."

And:

"As many people have negative experiences with the Church, if they can have a very simple but positive exchange with a monk over something like beer, it does wonders to open them up. It's not like automatically they're becoming monks and nuns and priests, but it starts them on a path which we hope will lead them back to the Church..."

Marvelous monks of Norcia.

We drink to them!

The music of Lady Day

It is the Feast of the Annunciation, once known as Lady Day.

One chant traditional on this day is the beautiful "Rorate Caeli." It always makes me think of Advent because that is when I have heard it. In the comments section on YouTube you can see people wishing each other a Merry Christmas.



It is kind of thrilling for me to hear it now. Sort of the way it was fun a few weeks ago to go and have lunch in East Aurora where they put their Christmas decorations back up because a movie is being shot there. I have not been hearing these chants my whole life, but I have been for the last few years, and it is funny but after a while they become part of your life and you forget you did not grow up with them.

If I had my way the whole year would be Advent and Christmas. It is my favorite time of year even though I do love summer because I like running around in summer clothes.

The music of Lady Day.

Beautiful!

Ode to joy

After hearing Beethoven's Ninth the other day I have been thinking about the "Ode to Joy."

I read how scholars think he was inspired by Mozart's K. 222, his "Misericordias Domini." Listen for it, you will hear it! And what is weird to me is, it sounds like Beethoven's orchestration. I have not sat down or studied the scores or anything. It just does.



 And you know what, I wonder if in turn Mozart were inspired by the ancient "Asperges" chant. The first notes are the same as the "Ode to Joy" which is how I was able to learn the melody.



Whatever the situation, as our Italian priest at St. Anthony's used to say, there is nothing new under the sun.

But there are great themes, handed down one master to another.

Joy!

Pope Francis' favorite German conductor

From Vatican Insider: 

When the moment came to exchange gifts after their conversation in the Vatican Library, German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented Francis with three books of poems by German poet Friedrich Hölderlin, all of them original editions from 1905. Francis had recently quoted the poet – who is one of his favourites - in one of his speeches. “You know him,” Mrs. Merkel said to the Pope in German, as she handed him the gift, o which the Pope answered “yes”.

 Mrs. Merkel also gave the Pope a box set of 107 CDs with classical pieces conducted by Wilhelm Furtwangler. “I don’t know if you will find the time to listen to these,” the German Chancellor said to the Pope. On the flight to Italy, she told journalists that Bergoglio is very fond of Furtwangler, whom he once described as: “Germany’s most brilliant conductor and the greatest Wagner and Beethoven expert.”

His Holiness has good taste. I am a Furtwangler fan, too. And may I add that we have had several popes now who are music connoisseurs.

One of these days we will have to find out which conductors Pope Benedict loves. Well, I imagine he esteems Furtwangler too.

Here is an excellent video, in color, of the back of the maestro's head.

I Bought Me A Cat

What with our new cat Jeoffry, pictured above, I keep thinking of that great Aaron Copland treatment of the old American song "I Bought Me A Cat." Today it is time to listen to it!

I love the creativity on YouTube and someone put together this sweet video of the song performed by the great baritone William Warfield. That opening picture of the cat is priceless.

When I was a kid, William Warfield was a soloist in my Mozart Requiem recording and of course he was wonderful. Here he gets to kick back.

Take it, Mr. Warfield.