I had another post ready for this week, but there was a last minute change due to an unforeseen musical event. Soprano Katharina Konradi should have sung today at L'Auditori, within the Schubert Lied series; it was a concert postponed since November due to the singer's illness but, unfortunately, she will be not able to sing either. It's a shame, because she's a great singer, but I hope we'll have more chances to listen to her. We're listening instead another young singer, mezzo soprano Klaudia Tandl, who is proposing a different programme.

What superpower would you like to have? The ability to be invisible, to read minds or to fly? I wish I had the gift of tongues. To understand any language as if it were my native one. I would even be happy with a minor superpower: the ability to reach C1 level in any given language within a bunch of months.

For centuries in Europe, killing unfaithful wives and their lovers was morally and legally accepted; a man's duty was to protect one of his most valuable properties (his children, not his wife). The most famous case in the music world is that of Carlo Gesualdo, an Italian prince who wrote wonderful music. For us, his crime was murdering two people; for his contemporaries, his fault was not killing them, as he was absolutely entitled to, but humiliating wife and lover noble families by leaving their naked and mutilated bodies on public display.

On the afternoon of January 22nd, 1918, Amics de la Música association presented a concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona with this program: the String Quartet No. 5 in E flat Major, by Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf; L'infantament meravellós de Schahrazada, by Robert Gerhard (premiere) and the String Quartet in F major, Op. 96 by Antonín Dvořák (first audition). The Quartet Renaixement was performing with Eduard Toldrà as the first violin; soprano Conxita Badia and pianist Frederic Longàs.

My dearest, the brand-new year just arrived. Happy 2020! I wish you a year filled with peace and music.

Those who read the post the morning it's published are probably among waltzes and polkas and not totally awake; There's a time for everything, so enjoy with the Strauss family; I'm sure you'll find some minutes to enjoy with the beautiful song that is closing the Christmas posts this year.