Waiting for Verdi: Opera and Political Opinion in Nineteenth-Century Italy, 1815-1848

University of California Press

Giuseppe Verdi and his oeuvre stands for more than merely operatic excellence, with the trio of La Traviata, Il trovatore and Rigoletto having become some of the most appreciated and timeless creations of the genre. 

Apart from the mainstream appeal, Verdi’s operas had more often than not a prominent political tinge with the reunification of Italy being a recurring theme, resulting in the dilemma that his artistic output cannot really be separated from his political convictions.

With Waiting for Verdi Mary Ann Smart examines the context an impact of Verdi’s operas and their theatrical incarnations along with the reactions and controversies they spurned, not only when It came to evoking intense feelings but by inspiring Italians to believe in the DNA and strength of Italian traits and how their faith and actions could catapult Italy to the forefront of European countries through political change.

By meticulously analysing how Verdi structured his operas via employing canto forms and a wide range of innovative variations to achieve result oriented performances, Mary Ann Smart leads the attentive listener down a rabbit hole on a journey that assists in both illuminating facets and gaining fresh and stimulating perspectives on Italian opera and music at large.

After reading Waiting for Verdi and following Smart’s cultural and aesthetical analysis, I revisited his catalogue and found a new appreciation for how passionate Verdi was in weaving his devotion to Italy, romanticism and political convictions into each note and felt how as a musical vehicle must have helped shape Italy as a nation in the second half of the nineteenth century.

The Formative Years – Wipers

There are many bands that could be considered as genre coining in the realm of punk and hardcore, with most of them being considered because they were to first create a certain new sound or style. 

Then there are bands that did the aforementioned and had a “je ne sais quoi” pervade their emissions, which made them stand out amidst a sea of epigones.

Wipers is one of those bands. 

Formed by Greg Sage in 1977, they were considered to be one of first punk bands of Portland without classifying themselves as such and even their earliest recordings convey that music was more for them than mere entertainment and a commodity. Equipped with a dedicated DIY ethic at the core of everything they were doing, including Sage building his own recording equipment, they created their own lane and charged onwards.

Wipers’ debut, Is This Real? was released in 1980 and was still rather formulaic as far as the traditional punk rock approach was concerned, while their second album Youth of America sees them deliberately taking the foot off the gas pedal.  It was still punk but different as it actively defied known tropes. Their third one Over the Edge completes a triumvirate of albums that should really be in the collection of anyone remotely interested in underground guitar driven music.

I have always loved the detachment, disdain, dread, solitude and despair that is inherent in each and every Wipers song, which was only enhanced by the band’s refusal to be categorized, which aided in making their songs timeless hymns of dissatisfaction with the status quo. 

Wipers managed to create goosebumps moments through carefully created sublime sounds, the whole of which accumulated to something bigger than the mere sum of its components.

I was listening to them as a teenager it felt as something intangible was coming off the grooves. Something that resonated with terrifying awe.

Water of Life

Scapa Glansa and Morris Whisky

Founded in 1885 and being located only a few hundred metres away from Highland Park, Scapa distillery is one of Scotland’s most northern distilleries. 

My first and so far only exposure to Scapa was through a dram of their rare16 year old expression at a Breitling event not too long ago, which instantaneously coloured me intrigued by the flavour profile.

Needless to say, when I learned about Scapa having a peated expression on its portfolio paired with the fact that its name, i.e. “Glansa”, roughly translates to the equivalent of “shining storm-ridden skies”, it set me on a mission to see how the small manually operated Orcadian Distillery channelled its alchemy in maturing its signature malt in American oak to then further refine it cask that previously harboured peaty whisky.

Clocking in at a relatively tame 40 % ABV, the stylish and visually appealing presentation of the box and labelling sets the scene for what is meant to demonstrate the contrasts of the highlands.

What tickles the nostrils on approach are aromas of grassy freshness and exceptionally lush fruity notes, contrasted by nuances of ashy peat, a distinct vanilla oakiness and cigar smoke.

On the palate, the medium-bodied amber coloured drop unfolds its complexity via zesty citrus, ripe peachy and breakfast cereal notes, which are married with a delicate oaky spiciness and maritime salty notes set against a backdrop of an interesting peaty smoke variant – interesting in that it is mild, subtle and much more subdued than what one is used from Islay whiskies where the smoke is derived from smoked barley. 

A spicy kick constitutes a climax before things are rounded out by returning to a Haribo-esque sweetness.

The nicely calibrated elongated finish is dominated by the peat taking over yet not remotely in an overwhelming manner: It rather serves as a stage on which the sweeter highlights dance with spices, before a markedly charred fruitiness reverberates and leaves one lusting for another dram.

I quite like the complexity and the journey across the mainland of Orkney this little number takes one on, starting in fruity territory, moving things to the seaside and taking the DNA of Scapa’s core expression to the next level by adding a level of depth via the subtle smoke component – just at the right level to not eclipse what the distillery stands for.

Summa summarum, a fantastic and accessible gateway to the wonderland of peated whiskies and testament to what Scapa is capable of when branching out while staying true to its delicate characteristic malt profile. 

I can only imagine the lofty heights Glansa could be catapulted into if it was bottled at cask strength.

One can only hope that Glansa is merely the beginning of new offerings from a great, often overlooked distillery.

Morris Whisky

Claiming that there are a lot of interesting developments within the confines of the Australian distilling landscape, would be an understatement par excellence. The sheer number of new distilleries with their distilled emissions pushing of what is considered possible is staggering.

Needless to say, I was colored intrigued when I learned about award decorated Morris of Rutherglen, an estate traditionally known for its fortified wines, venturing into the realm of single malt whisky with two debut releases, i.e. their Signature and Australian Single Malt Muscat Barrel Whiskies. 

All the more so given that word around the campfire had that former master distillers from such reputable entities like Balvenie, Laphroaig, Springbank and Kilchoman had been consulted to help finetune Morris’ technical approach to their distilling process. 
The fact that price-wise both expressions are situated on the modest end of the scale in the highly taxed and smaller scale environment that is Australia, where normally a 500ml bottle would set you back in excess of $200, also bode well for Morris’ debut to make a bit of a splash on the scene.

With barley being locally sourced, water from the snowy Mountains, a unique American and French oak barrel maturation program to boot and a finish in in-house coopered premium barrels which previously held fortified wines, paired with the fact that the Rutherglen region is known its distinct climate with hot days and cold nights, expectations were high in terms of big and complex flavours.
Aged for a minimum of three years and bottled at a standard 40% ABV, Morris’ deep golden Signature expression tickles the nostrils with grainy, grassy, apple and blueberry fruity highlights that dance with citrussy, marzipan and zesty notes against a backdrop of delicate leather andearthy aromas that are further nuanced with cherry characteristics.

On the top of the mouth, the allure of the fortified wine barrels unveil their magic via a melange of honeyed dark chocolate, plums, burnt toffee and dried cranberries in the relatively light bodied drop with a juicy and refreshing mouthfeel. The elongated finish reverberates with nougat, oak and brown sugary caramel flavours.

A well-rounded beautifully composed, multi-layered, sessionable and competitively priced introduction that is bound to make waves.
Matured in shaved and toasted ex-wine casks before finished in soaked ex-muscat casks, Morris’ Muscat Finish clocks in at 46% and greets one with rich, dark molassy sweet and indulgent aromas carrying distinct fig notes.

On the palate, there is a honey-like sweetness with subtle hints of berries and shades of chocolate cookie dough, contrasted by distinctly tannic mouth-coating notes, which culminate in a crescendo of cocoa and cinnamon spice.

The long, full-bodied finish is dominated by charred oaky notes with hints of dried fruits, coffee and nut chocolate making it a dangerously more-ish drop that makes me hope that Morris will continue their journey by branching out with cask strength and peated expressions.

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images from company websites

The Formative Years - Acid House

It was during a family holiday to the sandy beach of Arcachon, southwest of Bordeaux as a prepubescent that I spent a whole summer in the thrall of acid house. 

Days were spent with a female acquaintance in the Dune du Pilat and swimming in the Atlantic, drinking Kronenbourg at brasseries and eating oysters.

At night I snuck out to visit the local bars and being a juvenile delinquent interested in heavy metal and punk rock, there was not much that resonated.

After indulging in Pastis with the older youth of the region, I joined them late at night to visit an inconspicuous warehouse. The squelching sounds and heavy basslines emanating from the inside could be heard from a long way off and while I was not particularly interested in electronic music at the time, it sounded intriguing .

Not long after entering and an initial period of feeling a tad uncomfortable and out of place in a night club context, I was dragged onto the dancefloor with little left but to start moving and do as the Romans do. 

What ensued was an immensely enjoyable night and my first exposure to what I much later on learned to classify as an underground “rave”.

The DJs of the night seemed to explore sonic textures by constantly modulating, altering and manipulating the frequency of simplistic and primal bass patterns, which were interweaved with harsh screeching sounds. When I inquired what style of music it was, “acid house” was the answer.

While I was not intoxicated by any substances, I felt entranced by the collective experience and got lost in the dreamy atmosphere, the thick fog and the intense music, thoroughly enjoying being immersed in a crowd of dancing bodies and sharing personal space.

The collective experience of sound, ambience and bodies created a new sense of belonging and a mind-altering experience, which triggered a lifelong appreciation for electronic music and its powers.

Water of Life

Teerenpeli 

While I harbour a fondness for Finland and have visited quite a few times, the land of the thousand lakes is arguably more known for vodka rather than being fertile ground for the production of premium quality Single Malt whiskies. 

Needless to say, I was intrigued when I learned about a Finnish family owned distillery that was not only using traditional pot still distilling equipment from Scotland, but is being lauded the world over for the quality of its expressions based on how they channel their alchemy through access to excellent ground water and premium grade local barley.

My first exposure to Teerenpeli Distillery was via their 10 year old bottling, which has been matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks and was originally launched six years ago. 

What tickles the nostrils upon approach is a melange of butterscotch, dark chocolatey toffee and vanilla aromas, accentuated by nectarines, apples and liquorice highlights, which sit comfortably on a backbone of malt.

Things get interesting on the palate with a slightly oily mouthfeel with an initial peppery, spicy kick, which then meanders into fruit candy territory, rounded out by an earthy and savoury oakiness.

The medium-length finish is dominated by an interestingly astringent salty taste, ultimately returning to the aforementioned spicy kick.

Kaski, a reference to preparing a field for a new cycle of farming by burning it, is Teerenpeli’s dedicated sherry cask expression and what initially was only meant to be one off single batch release proved to be so popular that the distillery opted to incorporate it into its portfolio with batches being produced on an on-going basis - a wise move, given the fact that its similarity to cognac resonates very well with the preferences of Finish fine spirits aficionados.

Exclusively matured for six years in sherry casks, Kaski entices the nose with a brown sugary, red fruity and raisiny bouquet, which is counterpointed by earthy, orangey, black peppery nuances.

On the top of the mouth, what the nose promised transitions seamlessly into woody oakiness, interesting bitter notes, a bit of a spicy kick, all of which is sealed with a rich grain-like crescendo.

Nice.

Being a peat aficionado, I was looking forward to sampling Teerenpeli’s Savu expression, the name of which translates poignantly to the equivalent of “smoke”.

Clocking in at 43%, this little number had been napping in Bourbon and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and is based on peat from the United Kingdom that has been refined in Belgium.

On the nose, delicate nuances of soot and cold smoke sit against a fruity backdrop. 

Flavour-wise there is peat resting on a blanket of delicate smokiness but not of the tested and tried Islay kind: The way spicy undertones are weaved in to play the claviature between sweet and savoury adds layers of complexity with the influence of the sherry casks omnipresent, which continues to reverberate through the elongated finish. 

A fantastic and more-ish drop. I’d love to see where smoking their own peat locally would take it flavourwise.

Summa summarum, Teerenpeli is a distillery that has created its own idiosyncratic Nordic DNA, which honours the traditions of Scotland yet imbues each expression with their very own je ne sais quoi.

Bladnoch Vinaya

I have covered the Lowland distillery Bladnoch and their excellent core range previously as part of this series and have shed light on the fact that after having been acquired by Australian entrepreneur David Prior six years ago and a revamp of epic proportions, it has further blossomed and bloomed through a well-calibrated approach that both honours the legacy of the distillery as well as steering it forward with new and limited editions.

With Vinaya, Bladnoch’s newest expression, the former is being executed par excellence as it is essentially a liquid pale-golden bow to the distillery’ founders with the name denoting “respect” and “gratitude” in Sankrit.

Upon approach, light brown-sugary, grassy and honeyed aromas place the nose on the floral and sweeter side of the spectrum, with sultanas, cinnamon, almonds and a dominant oaty note blending in.

What the nose promised, comes to full fruition on the palate: 

The journey starts on the fruity side of things with juicy nuances of apples blending in with the aforementioned grassy, hay notes, flanked by hints of honey, butterscotch and milk chocolate, before it culminates in a warming cinnamon-spicy climax, which are backed by hazelnutty flavours. 

What is interesting is that the range of flavours do not cancel each other out but elevate on another, resulting in a delightfully complex and layered flavour profile, with all components artfully and harmoniously coming together.

The medium-length has the sweeter notes still reverberate yet leaves the limelight on the oaky maltiness and a spicy, powerful clove-sque punch with comes with slightly citrussy flavours in its wake, evoking emotions of purity and indulgence.

Summa summarum, clocking in at 46.7% ABV, Bladnoch’s Vinaya expression is a rich and indulgent addition to the distillery’s ever expanding portfolio with the maturation in first fill Bourbon and first fill Sherry casks giving it a brilliantly complex flavour profile.

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images from company websites