July and the first 4 days of August 2024

July and the first 4 days of August 2024

The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence was a sheer delight. Our first evening at the Grand Theatre de Provence was a most incredible & rawly sexual Pelléas et Mélisande with the Swiss Chiara Skerath and British Huw Montague Rendall and an also excellent Laurent Naouri as Golaud. Susanna Mälkki conducted the Orchestre de l’Opera de Lyon. The following day it was the Bonnard & Japan exhibition at the Hotel Caumont. Eventually we found Steve and Annie and enjoyed lunch with them at the museum’s café. That evening at the Théâtre de l’Archevêché it was Madam Butterfly with Albanian Ermonela Jaho as Cio-Cio-San, British Adam Smith as the caddish Pinkerton but with a powerful voice, and Belgian Lionel Lhote as Sharpless. Daniele Rustioni conducted the Lyon Opera Orchestra. In all it was a stunning performance and one that emphasized Butterfly’s resolute strength rather than her victimhood.The next day was one with no bookings. Instead, we lounged at the hotel’s pool (the temperature was 36C), visited the Musée Granet to enjoyed the Jean Daret exhibition as well as the museum’s extraordinary collection, see the Delacroix in the church next door after and then have cappuccini and ice cream on the Cours Mirabeau. Dinner was at the Roi René. The next evening at the Jeu de Palme it was Peter Maxwell Davies’ Eight Songs for a Mad King

(Johannes Martin Kränzle) followed by György Kurtág’s Kafka-Fragmente (Anna Prohaska, soprano, & Patricia Kopatchinskaja, violin) and Pierre Bleuse conducting the Ensemble Intercontemporain. The pieces were work, but I enjoyed the experience more than did Richard. Our final evening in Aix was Klaus Mäkelä & the Orchestra de Paris for a stunning performance at the Grand Theatre: Charlotte Bray A Sky Too Small (creation Mondiale), Mozart’s Symphony 31 (‘Paris’) and Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique. We had enjoyed Mäkelä the previous year for the Stravinsky concert, and he was just as delightful this year if not even more.

Back home, we had about a half-hour after reaching the farm to get to Penny’s for the Wimbledon luncheon. It was pleasant with Machia & Phil, Jessica, Wendy & Leo, Carol, Samantha and Michael (of Michael & Warren), plus a few more – including Tom & partner. But the Djokovic – Alcaraz match was fascinating and nerve-wracking with the latter finally winning. I could not interrupt for the Soteria. The following evening on the place, it was a relaxing jazz performance with a bass, percussion, pianist, sax & a black singer. I did not get their name, but Peter, Jason & Becky with Oliver found us there. Gin and Tania arrived the next day.

For the day that followed Jessica prepared a splendid dinner with Zac waiting and assisting. We were we four (Gin, Tan, Richard & me) along with Becky, Peter, Jason, Oliver, and Pierre & Catherine. Peter or Jason would bring 5-year old Oliver frequently to our bassin in the days that followed. And for Thursday’s Marché Nocturnale, we listened to the Brass Band 2023 on the square.

The 19th is the anniversary of my brother’s post-Vietnam suicide. With Gin and Tan, we did the ‘lake tour’ that day and then enjoyed a delightful end-of-day meal at La Table. The following evening was dinner at Soleia, a new and excellent restaurant in town. The day that President Biden pulled out of the race was one of truly horrendous rain. Gin and Tan departed, and later Steve & Annie brought Barbara to us.

One evening the three of us enjoyed drinks at the Calalou with Joanne. The next day we collected things from Carol and Samantha with the sale of her house. That evening at Penny’s it was the unbelievable but all-too plausible Civil War. The next evening was the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics in Paris. We watched it with others on a large screen at Pierre & Catherine’s. And for the Saturday evening that followed, Jessica drove the three of us along

with Penny and Stephen to Susie’s party. Lovely crowd of people; stunningly beautiful place. On the succeeding Wednesday, Natacha & Jonathan came for dinner. It was Barbara’s tomato & mozzarella salad, Richard’s risotto and my peach pie. All was delicious, but Jonathan had too much to drink, and he & Natacha stayed then for the night. And this week’s cinema night was the excellent 2015 biographical drama Spotlight directed by Tom McCarthy. Two days later in the église, we enjoyed the Quintet Isolde. The programme included Heinrich Baermann’s 1821 Quintette no. 3, Sebastian Tozzola’s 2019 Folkolours and Samuel Coleridge- Taylor’s 1895 Quintette avec clarinette (Op. 10). With Natacha & Jonathan afterward, we all enjoyed a swim – as we do virtually every day with the temperature averaging around 36C.

For the rest, I’ve had phone conversations with both Gin and Marie-Laure. Have been having incessant problems with internet connection and non-functioning email accounts. I finished the article for Cometan and finished reading David Parry’s rather convoluted but enjoyable 2019 Mount Athos Inside Me: Essays on Religion, Swedenborg and Arts. I have also finished finally with the revisions to BBFE5 and am now beginning with those for Chapter 6.

It is still paradisical and heavenly despite the bodily aches and restrictions. The contrast between the present bliss and the ongoing and seemingly endless Gaza nightmare could not be more unfathomable. One can only accept and appreciate the gifts from the gods and yet wonder why it could not be a ‘basic bliss for everyone’ instead of the relentless divide that it is.