Old Music Sunday

It's Sunday, which in HannahLand is Mommy Daughter Culture Day, which originated about a month ago when I figured out how to pump and drive.  It's actually really easy - hands free bra with a car adapter if you don't have an electrical outlet in your car (the Cmax does).  Nursing cover if you don't want to put on a show.  Up until I figured that out, it was pretty hard to take long day trips with Hannahbear because how would I pump?  What would I do with her while I did pump, even if I did it in the car?  What would she do with herself for the 20 minutes I was pumping?  If we drove somewhere an hour and a half away, I'd need to pump soon after arriving, and what then?  Do it in the bathroom while she just sits in her car seat staring at me?

Yeah, pumping while driving has been a lifesaver for our mobility.

Now, most every Sunday we go out to museums and look at art, or other interesting stuff.  Hannah's become a fan of Picasso.  She likes the bright colors and strong lines.

Today we went to the California Science Center, and I've discovered that Hannah digs science. I wasn't sure how much she'd enjoy it, given that she couldn't play with the exhibits yet, but she officially loved it.  I had to carry her around the entire time, while pushing the stroller, because any time I put her down and she couldn't see, she screamed at me.  She enjoyed all the bright lights, and I think she liked watching the big kids play with things like building arches, or making vibrations.  I can't wait to go back with her when she's a little older and can interact with things.  So my kid might be a scientist.  Who knew?

Along the drive we listened to the new album by The Hilliard Ensemble, Il Cor Tristo.  The Hilliard Ensemble was started in the mid-70's, and their work is generally really scholarly and keeping to the original as much as possible.  They don't go in for a lot of hokey crowd-pleasers like some early music groups/a capella ensembles (who shall remain nameless) (yeah, I'm looking at you King's Singers)  (but I still love you.  It makes you accessible)  (like, to dimwitted teenagers like I was) (plus, you're all so cute).

Anyway, this album features Jacques Arcadelt (a prolific madrigal composer) and Bernardo Pisano (who, outside of being a composer, is notable because he was very unlucky politically - he was accused of being a spy for the papacy and tortured), both setting the poetry of Petrarch to music. Something that kind of blows my mind is that when this music was being composed, Petrarch was already close to 150 years old.  I tend to lump things together as "the past" and just think, "oh, it was all medieval" yada yada.  But Petrarch was already historical when these composers were setting his poetry to music.  That kind of blows my mind.

The album also features some Dante set by a contemporary composer, Roger Marsh.  The juxtaposition of the ancient music with contemporary works well.

Here's a clip of The Hilliards singing some Lassus, which is along the lines of what the new album sounds like.