A Son of the North

[qatsi]

I am a Son of the North, and everything that I am is but a fraction of its population and wilderness.

Konrad Mägi

Yesterday we me up with F and went to Dulwich Picture Gallery's Konrad Mägi exhibition. Exhibitions are always in the same space, but this one felt as though it had more to offer than the previous visit. The style is ultimately his own, but resonates with a few others; in particular I saw links to Paul Nash, Tamara de Lempicka (in some of the portraits) and Kandinsky, as well as the pointillists. The landscapes were my favourites; although of Norway and Estonia, some of them were reminiscent of the English Lake District.

Norwegian Landscape (1908-1910)

Norwegian Landscape with a pine tree (1908-1910)

Portrait of a woman (1923-1924)

On the road from Viljandi to Tartu (1915-1916)

Lake Kasaritsa (1916-1917)

Lake Saadjärv, Äksi church (1923-1924)

Following on from the exhibition, we had a meal at the Real Greek in Dulwich Village, which included the pleasant discovery of Greek Sangria, and proceeded across south London to Battersea. We were unlucky with train connections but made it just in time for the Budapest Cafe Orchestra concert, whom we previously saw at the same venue in February 2020. Re-reading that earlier post, I notice some of the jokes and testimonials remain the same; but the music was varied, and just as good. I was able to identify snippets of a Brahms Hungarian Dance, and Bartok's Romanian Dances; renditions of Rachmaninov's Squeezebox Concerto (aka the second Piano Concerto) and Moscow Nights also featured, as did the debut of "Balkan Reggae". All of which reinforces the point I made six years ago - that great music can be adapted endlessly and retain its greatness.