LES NOCES, STRAVINSKY

Here is a bucolic picture from the top of Westcombe hill this morning, a picture of curious in-calf heifers beginning to cross the road to the yard of Westcombe Hill Farm – our youngstock rearing unit. 

As Raymond (the Herd Manager at Manor Farm) and I stood blocking the road while the heifers drifted up the side of the hill, we shouted a game of cow Top Trumps to one another. The Dairy Shorthorns one the game-cum-argument of course. 

All was ruddy faced good cheer until Tom the vet read the runes and then that cruel fog of TB descended upon us gathered on the hill. 

Afterwards, as I stood glum faced in the Milton Farm milking parlour pit, beginning afternoon milking, I found much solace in the music of Stravinsky, in particular his ballet Les Noces. Written in 1917 and premiered in 1923, it is a work that is scored for four pianos, percussion, mixed chorus and four solo singers (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor and bass). Les Noces is a great, writhing tussle of a spirited work which ends, following the closing words of the solo bass voice “Dearest flow’r and treasure of mine, fairest flow’r sweetest wife / Let us live in happiness so that all men may envy us”, with a piano and percussion finale of magnificent calm and poise.

An emotionally cleansing work if ever there was one, notwithstanding the fact that the libretto bears no relation to TB testing heifers in Somerset whatsoever (as it happens, it is all about a rural Russian wedding). As I paused in my milking labours to drink in this musical balm, all was briefly right again and I was reminded once more of the healing power of music.

Alas! I then decided to listen to Tchaikovsky’s 6^th Symphony.

I had made the situation much worse by it being Teodor Currentzis’ recording, which is the most agonisingly heart-wrenching recording of all time. My heart was torn to pieces and I learnt my lesson: in the throes of TB despair, listen to Stravinsky. Never Tchaikovsky.