• A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear [read by Julie Teal]
  Well, the author has resolved her, along with Maisie's personal, issues from the previous book, and Maisie has been traveling - through America and India. Thus in 1937, after the happiest period of her life, she finds herself in Gibraltar, basically, experiencing a nervous breakdown. The Rock is indeed "a dangerous place" at this time. It's a key British stronghold and a centre of clandestine activity, full of intelligence operatives, double agents, and refugees fleeing the Spanish Civil War. Maisie is drawn into the intrigues, looking into a murder, and also crossing the border with other nurses to help in a hospital in Spain. Through all this, ("good works"), she gradually begins a sort of recovery.
  Again, fans have mixed reviews, but a lot of them seem to think Maisie should be a rags-to-riches story where love conquers, with nothing but happy endings - more like Barbara Taylor Bradford (no disrespect to this best-selling author). Any review of the actual mystery stories should make it plain that these are sad and poignant tales, told alongside, and balanced against, Maisie's rise through the ranks. Having said that - others complain that life works out "too perfect" for her. Either way an author needs some substance about which to write any story* - and here I found it very refreshing with a move of the action to Europe describing a wholly different backdrop, and just the seedlings of WW2.
  [* I have always had this issue with soap operas - not one set of problems solved and another begins - if it were left to me everyone would settle down nicely in couples and live happy satisfying lives.
  No-one has yet approached me for a script...]
  


• The Headhunters by Peter Lovesey [read by Maggie Ollerenshaw ]
  I really liked this novel - just a fantasy conversation between a few friends, but a blueprint for an action plan for the psychopath among them. Discovering which one leads to a tense and thrilling ending.
  This book is the second to feature Hen Mallin as the detective - the first being The Circle, although she played minor parts in the The House Sitter and The Secret Hangman, all of which I have read.
  Not so easy to find an audio version for this book in the UK - I found it in the eBook offerings from the local library.
  

Posted by Christina at 7:53 pm | Category: Art and Culture, Books of the Month | Permalink

Another trip to Sadlers Wells with my sister - an interesting interpretation of one of my favourites.

"Inspired by Hammerstein's Carmen Jones, Christopher Renshaw directs this sizzling new musical, with new orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire; mixing opera with salsa, mambo, rumba and cha-cha-cha and including musical favourites such as Habanera, set against the simmering turmoil of Revolution in Cuba, 1958."

Fantastic.

Posted by Christina at 7:55 pm | Category: Art and Culture, Days Out | Permalink

Proms 29 and 30 were two concerts in one day, presenting Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos performed by Thomas Dausgaard and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. Alongside Bach's work were six newly commissioned companion works, to create a brand-new musical cycle, (heard here in the UK for the first time). This was a spectacularly good choice for me; I have loved these very famous (though not to ignorant me at the time) works after having heard No 6 chosen by Mary Wesley as one of her Desert Island Discs in 1990. I am rather dull and resistant to change - especially in music - so presenting new works in this way was an excellent way to get me to try new things.

The absolute star of the show was Pekka Kuusisto, a fantastic performer (see him on YouTube) who is known for his improvisations, and showed off at his best playing off against the other musicians in the orchestra. The recordings were available at the time from Radio 3 on BBC Sounds, but at the moment not available to stream.

The only other comment I would make is that it was a very tiring day - not intuitive as we were sitting down the whole time. However, we were distinctly flagging when we had dinner (burgers) in between the two concerts in the 1871 Bar. (Located in the basement - this wasn't our first choice to eat but they were the only ones who could fit us in - and it was great...).

Prom 29: Brandenburg Concertos Project - 1

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No 1 in F major [Antje Weithaas]
• Mark-Anthony Turnage: Maya [Maya Beiser]
• Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No 3 in G major [Pekka Kuusisto]
• Anders Hillborg: Bach Materia [Pekka Kuusisto]
• Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No 5 in D major [Mahan Esfahani]
• Uri Caine: Hamsa [Uri Caine]

Prom 30: Brandenburg Concertos Project - 2

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No 4 in G major
• Olga Neuwirth: Aello - Ballet Mecanomorphe [Claire Chase]
• Brett Dean: Approach - Prelude to a Canon [Tabea Zimmermann, Brett Dean]
• Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No 6 in B flat major
• Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No 2 in F major
• Steven Mackey: Triceros [ Fiona Kelly, Marten Larsson, Håkan Hardenberger]

Posted by Christina at 11:55 pm | Category: Art and Culture | Permalink

I think this must have been one of Rob's highlights of the year - encompassing everything - or maybe 'everything in this genre' - that interests him musically. (Plus the Unthanks!).
We had an emotional time - and then were able to watch it all again on TV as it was one of the televised performances... as well as listening to it all again.
I was narcissistically glued to the audience shots on the TV, and sure enough we were quite obvious for a few seconds - unfortunately it was just after Mount the Air so I was trying not to sob, and Rob was elegantly mopping tears from his face with a hanky...

Prom 27: Folk Music around Britain and Ireland

The BBC Concert Orchestra with some of the folk world's leading musicians in a concert that celebrates history and evolution of the folk music scene. Performers included: Julie Fowlis, Jarlath Henderson, Sam Lee, Welsh folk group Alaw, English folk group The Unthanks, and the BBC Concert Orchestra with conductor Stephen Bell.

Posted by Christina at 11:40 pm | Category: Art and Culture, Days Out | Permalink