Scratch

Here you will find older scratches, musings and other detritus that once were located on the front pages, but have now faded.

Filed away here to collect dust and cobwwwebs in perpetuity, links may break, facts may change and data may corrupt.

On occasion I may come down here to tidy, but for the most, I prefer to leave the past where it lies.

 

Handel House Museum

On Sunday we visited the Handel House Museum at 25 Brook Street. Handel lived at the house for 36 years from 1723 until his death in 1759, during which he composed some of the most recognised work of the time, if not all time. The house has been well restored to an approximation of how it would have been, and throughout are various objects from the Byrne Collection including a letter from Handel to Charles Jennens regarding Belshazzar and Messiah, an autograph leaf from Esther, Mozart's arrangement of a Handel fugue, John Mainwaring's Memoirs of the life of the late George Frederic Handel annotated by Jennens, early editions of operas and oratorios, and prints, portraits and sculpture. Also included are a portrait of Faustina Bordoni by Bartolomeo Nazari and a portrait of Jennens by Thomas Hudson. Whilst wandering, we were entertained by live renditions of some of Handel's works, which added to the ambience.

In perhaps one of the stranger juxtapositions, as an added bonus, the exhibit rooms are currently running an exhibit of unseen Jimi Hendrix photos from early in his career. Between 1968 and 1969, the upper floors of the adjacent 23 Brook Street were home to said rock legend and some of the photos form quite an intimate view of his life with Kathy Etchingham.

All in all, well worth a visit.

28 Mar 2004 19:49 | (0) comments | Art/Theatre | London

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