Remember music appreciation days in elementary school? I remember sitting in a vast auditorium filled with students. In front of us, on the back wall of the stage, was a mural of George Washington.
Two pieces of music keep coming back to me. “The Swan,” from Camille Saint-Saens work The Carnival of the Animals. Saint-Saens would not allow full performances of the work after its premier. Just one movement, the Swan, was published while he lived. He thought the music too silly and inconsequential and, if produced, would hurt his reputation as a serious composer. I also think of the rhymes we made up to go with “The Swan.” “Over the water the swan…” was one we silently mouthed.
The second piece was “Amaryllis: Air of Louis XIII.” Written by Henry Ghys, a musician born in Cote d’Azur, France in 1839. The piece was published in New York by J.L. Peters in 1872. “Amaryllis by Ghys is a very lovely piece,” were the words—someone—was it a student penned?
As I listened I made up my own stories to go with the music. My swans glided over the water to explore distant lands and my Amaryllis grew in the most unexpected places. Today, the first thing I do after waking is listen to our classical radio station WQXR; music is a source that brings me comfort, fun, relaxation and inspiration.
How does music affect you?
Bests,
Elise
A short story titled,
A Mouthful of Murder, featuring amateur detective Augusta Weidenmaier will be published by
Flame Tree Publishing in January in their anthology
Cosy Crime Stories.
My cozy mystery,
Scene Stealer, is available wherever eBooks are sold including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
