Wednesday, February 29, 2012

29th February

The google doodle today celebrates Gioachino Antonio Rossini's 220th birthday, or in leapers years his 53rd. Back in the late 1980's, early 1990's when I used to get up at 4 a.m in the summer and go and played golf before going to work I would begin the day listening to the overture from The Barber of Seville. The overture lasts less than eight minutes but I used to try and time the drive to the course so that I would arrive in the car park for the final two minutes.

Of course Rossini features in one of the oft quoted sayings regarding the definition of an intellectual, it being somebody who can hear the William Tell Overture and not think of the Lone Ranger.  It could equally be applied to anybody hearing the Barber of Seville ad not thinking of Bugs Bunny.

2 comments:

Span Ows said...

Very good, great definition. I'm now listening (after reading your post) to "Gioachino Rossini : The Barber Of Seville - Overture" as I write his.

Not sure how it's connected but only this week I was thinking of music that makes me smile no matter what is going on around me: the two immediate and obvious answers were Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax" and "Soul Bossa Nova", or - to the unaware - the Benny Hill and Austin Powers "themes".

Paul said...

Thank you. I played it again afer reading your reply.