Menoizikul; Midweek Musicalisms

The Birthday Composers theme I started back in August 2025 has proven very popular... so blog management has decided to continue, and complete a full year on that basis for our midweek interludes! Remember, it is not about liking everything we hear, but it is an exploration of the vast array of sounds and, perhaps, to discover something we can add to our personal lists. 

This year, we begin with an offering from Joni in Canada. Joni loves reading blogs, but does not blog herself and has made herself a traditional penfriend to one or two of us. She has a particular interest in music and has kindly provided me with several links to work with throughout the year. Mostly, I will use her links to fill the fifth Wednesdays in those months that have them, but this month, the composer...

Marjan Mozetich, born in Italy on the 7th of January, 1948, is a naturalised Canadian. The link to his biography is also from Joni. There were limited performances of his works on the tubular, but this composer's channel did have the Viola Concerto. It is not the best in sound quality, but quite sufficient to enjoy these ten minutes. There is a sweet, lyrical musical motif that, when it appears, sets one in mind of Strauss... do you hear it?

Me? No, No Views

Hari Om

Each January, I let one or other day of posts fallow for the month (or sometimes into February) to afford a small respite from posting. This year, I am going to let that be this Tuesday Views post page. Mainly because - while for many of you my archives remain mysterious - I am tired of trawling all too familiar images, and will not have many new ones to add for a little while. 

So Empty Tuesdays it will be for now, but Less Speak More Peek will return!

Menonday Art Vibe; The Portraits Series

The next few weeks will now finish off the reserve images in my art folder (ready to be filled with whatever I get to see this year!), and they are all from the visit to The National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh that I made with my pal Aitch last summer. 

Portraiture is not necessarily something one would have on one's walls unless the person was a connection. That said, to see the skill in some of these paintings goes far beyond the simple interest of the subjects... these are the "selfies", the photographs, when a camera just wasn't even thought of - or didn't suit the circumstances. The exquisite detail of the lacework and the heavily embroidered material in these two images was something to behold. As ever, a photograph does very little to properly convey the sheer beauty of the brushwork, but I do hope you will understand something of the enchantment held here. (I am presenting these together as they are by the same artist and are similar in appearance.)

I admire that the artist didn't spare the teenage princess... the undereyes and the languid gaze betray a young life already lived hard and/or sad.