The milk of Concierto de Aranjuez
I don’t particularly like Hemingway. I spit in the milk of his literature. I’ve read a few of his books. They just don’t resonate with me. Maybe I was too young when I read them. Maybe it’s because I prefer Dickens. I like long sentences, after all. I like details.
Today’s piece is rich in history. I learned a lot writing this. And I’ve only just scratched the surface.
Joaquín Rodrigo wrote Concierto de Aranjuez. Supposedly it celebrated the end of the Spanish Civil War. Supposedly it celebrated the victory of Francisco Franco. More likely, Rodrigo spit in the milk of Franco’s dictatorship. The Concierto was written for guitar and orchestra. Rodrigo didn’t play the guitar. He scorned the milk of the guitar. The guitar made it sound Spanish, though. Even though he wrote it in Paris. Hemingway reported on the Spanish Civil War. He also lived in Paris.
Miles Davis arranged the second movement for jazz orchestra. It takes up most of the album Sketches of Spain. Some people complained that it wasn’t jazz. They sneered at the milk of Davis’ music. Davis said that he liked the music, though. He sneered back at the milk of their sneering.
Thanks to Al Pearson for the recommendation. Maybe it’s time to read Hemingway again.
Cool info on Spanish Civil War background. I was not aware of it. And I thought the original concerto was Baroque! Meanwhile a work of fiction comes to mind: All Souls, and its 3 volume sequel Your Face Tomorrow by Javier Marias. The author’s father was a philosophy prof, who did his grad work during the Spanish Civil War. He wrote a dissertation disparaging Franco after the latter had come out on top in the conflict. A colleague ratted on him and he spent 2 years in jail. The spitting motif is effective, the perfect buildup to Rodrigo’s passion.
I spit in the milk of your Hemingwayesque sentences!
I’m glad somebody got the joke!