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Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Simon Russell Beale on John HIggs and classical music

 


Simon Russell Beale (Creative Commons photo)

British actor Simon Russell Beale, asked by the Guardian about his recent "cultural highlights," plugs William Blake Vs. the World by John Higgs: 

"Blake is a complete mystery to me. I’d recognise an artwork, but as for his writing, I was limited to “Tyger Tyger, burning bright” and the words of Jerusalem. So I’m loving this book, which charts Blake’s extraordinary imaginative life – this mythological reading of reality that he invented, or discovered. You start to think: 'Oh my God, that artist has been somewhere in my consciousness for the whole of my life, but I know absolutely nothing about them.' There’s a whole world just on my doorstep that I didn’t realise existed."

If you follow the link, Beale also recommends a classical music podcast by Joshua Weilerstein that covers Beethoven's symphonies and Stravinsky, two composers Robert Anton Wilson was interested in. 

1 comment:

Rarebit Fiend said...

I really like Simon Russell Beale. He made a great Falstaff and was excellent in Iannucci's "Death of Stalin." For some reason, my preorder of "William Blake vs. The World" was cancelled. I need to reorder it. I'm sure it will be a tour de force. One of my favorite writers writing about one of my favorite writers. It's almost onanistic.