Mysterious Barricades
Prague - The Orloj. Photo - Irina Moga
Where does summer come from?
It turns out that summer, as a season, comes from the Earth's axial tilt and its orbit around the Sun. The Earth is tilted at an angle of about 23.5 degrees, and as the planet moves along its orbit, different parts of the Earth receive varying amounts of sunlight at different times of the year.
Then, there is the summer mindset —the carefree, devil-may-care, YOLO lenses through which we view the world. Ready to walk barefoot on beaches that are made of something else than sand — rocks, broken twigs and remnants of stumps. Free to stay up late, to read and to laugh. No doubt, this is why we love summer.
The question now becomes - where does summer go? And why?
The title of today’s post is inspired by François Couperin’s Mysterious Barricades.
Couperin (1688-1733) was called the “poet musician par excellence.”
The “barricades” here likely refer to the repeated patterns in the music.
The title evokes a sort of puzzle-like quality, as if there is something concealed within the music itself. It’s more of a metaphor for the sensation of being both drawn in and slightly distanced, when you listen to this piece.
I loved the lively and stimulating discussion I recently had with writer Gail Marlene Schwartz.
You can watch it here.
Finally— a question: What are some of your own mysterious barricades?
Listening to the guitar piece, my mind immediately brought me onto a tall swing, swinging up up up on a bright cool summer day. Delightful piece, Irina, thank you.