Polish Vodka?

I am now, on third listening, beginning to adore 103.

Thank you again,

Jim[/quote]

And again....

Dear Jim,

Haydn was "the" master of the symphony for me. I could happily part with Brahms and Beethoven, even Mozart, in their symphonies, so long as I could keep Haydn's!

Of Haydn's, my favourites are something like 103, 99, 93, 88, 82, 87, but this is fairly pointless! I know and love each one from 82 to 104 well enough to give name, number and movement of each! That is a few "toons" to have stored in my heart.

Haydn often is completely light of heart but joyful in an invigourating way. In some works, such as 103 he not just brushes with trgaedy, but gives a sort of optimistic framework which raises the listener immediately, but without a hint of triteness, onto an altogether happier level of emotion. Haydn understood both sadness and joy, and makes it his mission to console as well as raise his listeners to a higher plane. Some of his works manage the very rare trick of actually containing humour to the extent of laugh out loud funny! Now that takes some managing in the sphere of absolute, and abstract instrumental music. The man was a genius who took himself none too seriosly! He wrote works that are perfectly crafted, but all the more humane in intention and effect for often being quite light of heart in thrust. None the less these are works of genius for being undemanding, in some cases, of the listener's involvement. That comes in time through a deep love of the music, because there is enough intellectual meat to make any amount of acquaintance and study rewarding of itself, if certainly not a pre-requisite.

If there was a ever a description of what is a morallity for music then Haydn makes the blueprint in his music. That is a philosophical point rather than one for useful debate. Compared to most music, Haydn's is a phenomenon that is emotionally generous! Kindly music from a kindly man.

ATB from George

Well I have a sertiously sore backside! I took the old car for [its final?] MOT this afternoon - 14 miles up hill and down dale, and then rode my bike home. Unfortunately the saddle is very hard and the pins of the bones in my backside are in absolute agony. I must slow down - I am getting on in age!

Why don't they fit those nice comfortable Brookes saddles to bikes anymore!

I dare-say tomorrow I shall as stiff as s stone pillar! Normally I ride about 4 or 5 miles each day so adding this rather hilly trip of 14 is unusual.

ATB from George

Looks like the old car live to face another MOT nrxt year. Two tyres, one silencer [cheapo replacement] and two wiper blades. Not bad for a car that will have been registstered for twenty years in March 2009!

That means I have to ride back sometime next week!

ATB from George

Serious Post

Dear Friends,

Firstly I would like to say that I have had a great deal of pleasure from posting on many topics here over the years, and have met some lovely people, and just as importantly made one or two very good friends as a result of my reading and writing on the Forum.

For me Music is a sort of life's blood as any who know me will soon tell you. People mean more to me. Replay is something I have a fascination with, ever since as a youngster making both a crystal radio set, and a microphone that actually worked quite well, from a steel knitting needle, a plastic animal bandage container, the windings out of a little motor [carefully rewound as the microphone coil], some clingfilm, a filter paper and tiniest magnet! It was quite good. I was ten. My non-musical hero was Alan Dower Blumlein.

So my relationship with replay has always been one of delight and enthusiasm at getting the best I could from what I could afford.

I am not looking for recriminations, but I have not found the fun in the Forum that I did in former times, so I shall say goodbye to those who only know me through the Forum now, and in my favourite thread.

May God Bless you all!

George


Thread closed at request of the OP.