Postcard from Alcobaca

[imomus]

Small town in north Portugal, no internet. Well, very little. Alcobaca sounds like minor licensed vice, and it's true the monastery looks like it should be on a sherry bottle label or an exotic packet of ciggies. This postcard view is literally what we see from the hotel window. Gird your loins for a one hour radio broadcast "dancing about architecture" in Lisbon and Porto.

Comments

[astro-astro.livejournal.com]

ooh!

Consider my loins girded!

writing about music

[mafism.livejournal.com]

where does that phrase come from?..ie " dancing about architecture"..it sounds like Morley, Paul rather than Robert ..but anyway Nick lovely to see you in Portugal..I'm in Palm Springs right now ,its 111 degrees and Brian Setzers doing a show at the golf course.

Re: writing about music

[(Anonymous)]

It certainly sounds familiar. Didn't someone once say something along the lines of 'writing about music (?) is like dancing about architecture'? Can't remember who though...

Sam

Re: writing about music

[lord-whimsy.livejournal.com]

It's been attributed to the likes of Elvis Costello, Laurie Anderson, Frank Zappa and the 19C pianist/composer Clara Schumann, but the Greeks thought of architecture as frozen music, so perhaps it goes back even further.

Re: writing about music

[thetemplekeeper.livejournal.com]

I think it was Hegel who wrote that architecture was frozen music.

(As Flanders & Swann added, "...and we like to think of our music as 'defrosted architecture'")

Re: writing about music

[lord-whimsy.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I'm wrong--seems to be a bit modern in context; but I cannot help but wonder what thawed architecture might be. Surely music, once frozen and then thawed, might be unfit for consumption. Clothing, perhaps?

Re: writing about music

[thetemplekeeper.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm quite a fan of thawed architecture, especially when it's whimsical (more a musical La Sagrada Familia (http://www.solarnet.org/Travel/ESP/jour081.htm) than St Paul's): click here (http://www.johnbarber.com/flanders.html) to hear what I mean...

(http://www.antiquemapsandprints.com/p-13215.jpg)

Re: writing about music

[lord-whimsy.livejournal.com]

Flanders & Swann seem to be a thawed version of one of my favorite architectural follies:



Delightful!

W

Re: writing about music

[thetemplekeeper.livejournal.com]

Wow! What a charming image! Where is this happy elephant (with its slightly scary Iron Giant (http://www.theweaponshop.com/irongiant.JPG) eyes...)?

Re: writing about music

[lord-whimsy.livejournal.com]

Lucy the Elephant (http://www.livejournal.com/users/lord_whimsy/22041.html#cutid1) has resided for over a century in the seaside town of Margate, NJ.

W

[(Anonymous)]

alcobaça, of all places!

r.

[mondoweird.livejournal.com]

Nice gig you played in Porto. I feel sorry for the coldness of the audience, but what can we expect in front of a guy playing a shamisen-ukulele-banjo-very-very-expensive guitar?

Even if i enjoyed better the gig you played one year ago il Liabon at Lux, it was great to ear your what-da-hell-i-wrote-version of "I WANT YOU...". Thanks.

[mondoweird.livejournal.com]

AH!... now for something completely different... would you let me do the harry partch album cover?... i would kill for that...

[imomus.livejournal.com]

Ah, I'd already forgotten that I promised to make a Harry Partch album with the Harry Partch instruments. Promises, promises...

[mondoweird.livejournal.com]

well, i'll take any new album... even a tribute to richard clayderman if you're considering to do one...

[(Anonymous)]

Alcobaça, North?????
No Internet?????
http://doportugalprofundo.blogspot.com, one of the 10 most read blogs in Portugal is from Alcobaça.

Better be informed next time