Wow...... what an amazing performance.... Carmen was the very...

Wow...... what an amazing performance.... Carmen was the very first music I remember reacting to in my infancy. Bizet would, I imagine, deeply admire Kogan's performance. Simply astounding.

No I'd never heard his name, but I've never been a major follower of classical performers unless its guitar.

Zola? As much as both he and Dickens were great students of humanity and humans, while Dickens created his characters, Zola took them from life. He was very much an impressionist artist and one of the few writers that were reportedly allowed in the circle. His scenes are certainly more experiential than coloured. each book is a separate experiment in expressing the lives and trials of relationships and follies yet his greatest goal was to describe a genealogy over three generations. I don't recall the number of volumes. A fascinating writer. great sympathy for the yin/yang of his characters.

Europe.... I do wish I'd travelled. My brother and sister did and still do travel extensively and my nieces and nephews. My kids and I love our little bit of Aus too much I think. I take it you've lived quite long periods in Europe.... fluent in languages and cultural mores? What a mind-broadening experience that would be. Perhaps that might have something to do with my reading.... while you've lived the places around the globe, I've read them (a bit).

Neither do I know much about Aus art, though I've been a number a number of exhibitions they are too few by far. I'm unlearned in art but I've certainly seen some great Aus impressionist and surrealist painters works.... and I did a couple of years learning to draw, or failing to, at Dobell House and been to a few other painters homes. But I dearly love Tom Roberts and McCubbin's works. Thats something that you can't do with writers very easily - visit their homes.

Ah but its late and I still have a bit of catching up to do.... I had a great 58% rise on one of my co.s today - Auscann AC8.... very exciting. So I'm afraid I'll have to leave the music for tomorrow.

Goodnight friend Pierogi. ...... namaste