Sunday, May 07, 2006


Try to find someone you know who is willing to sit down with you in the living room on a Saturday, for a four-hour stretch, to listen to a live Metropolitan Opera broadcast of Handel's Rodelinda. I would define such person a friend in much the same way only a friend will help you move. In my case it was easy. I invited Scottish designer, Graham Walker. Besides being a expert on sineage and typography (with a side interest in shoes and etching), Graham loves unusual and obscure music. His love is in the baroque period and both of us have discovered the wonders of the 17 Century early baroque, sometimes called the fantastic style period. We had never heard a whole rendition of Rodelinda so the prospect of hearing this one with soprano Renée Fleming and countertenor Andreas Scholl was too good to miss. Somehow both Rebecca and Lauren (3½)walked in and out of the living room so they got a bit of Handel. Plata, my female cat was partial to Handel, too as she sat on my lap. We ate what was left of lunch, deviled eggs and cucumber sandwiches which we washed down with a pot of strong Earl Grey. Graham brought some sweets.

Fantastic Style