Yesterday I gave a talk at the Art Gallery of NSW entitled ‘the Courtship of Music and Art’. It is always great when topics like this come to you..it is harder when you then have to start researching them! But this was a fascinating topic. On the surface there would seem to be little in common between the two besides they are both members of the arts and stimulate our senses; art is for the eyes and music for the ears. The differences are obvious. Music is about the passage of time whereas paintings are eternally present moments, paintings are singularities while music is intangible ephemera, music is an abstract medium and up until about 100 years ago art definitely wasn’t. But it doesn’t take long to discover how these two members of the arts have inspired each other throughout the centuries. If we look at Della Fransesca (1415-1487), he used musical rations as a compositional device in his painting and Poussin (1594-1665) used the different moods associated with musical modes of the day to indicate the colours he would use in his paintings. We also have musicians who were inspired by paintings created hundreds of years earlier like Ottorino Respighi (1879-1932) who was inspired by the Renaissance painter Botticelli’s work Primavera when he wrote Botticelli Triptych. It’s also interesting to see the similarities between style and form and content and meaning. The painter James McNeil Whistler often used musical titles in his paintings to emphasis the tonal quality in his paintings. In the 1860’s he started with Harmonies (Harmony in Pink and Grey: Portrait of Lady Meux) then with nocturnes in the early 70’s (Nocturne – Blue and Gold – Old Battersea Bridge) and then moved to symphonies (Symphony and Flesh Colour and Pink: Portrait of Mrs France). And Georgia O’Keefe (1887-1986) also used musical titles in her early works derived from her belief that visual art, like music could convey powerful emotions independent of representational subject matter. In 1918 she painted ‘Music, Pink and Blue No2’. The relationship between artist and composer is heightened in the radically changing 20 th century. Both Arnold Schoenberg and Wassily Kandinsky highly influenced each other in the early years of the 20th century. Schoenberg’s breaking away from tonality to create the first atonal composition in 1909 inspired Kandinsky the following year, 1910, to then paint the first purely abstract work. These men not only inspired each other but also generations of composers and artists throughout the century. We can also see this with the chance compositions of John Cage and the paintings of Robert Rauschenberg. Rauschenberg was so taken with the advances Cage had made with chance music that he painted the Combines and the White Paintings; Cage was then inspired to create the ultimate chance composition, 4’’33’, a silent piece (1952). This has often been described as his most famous and controversial of creations. The transparency of both of these works opens the audience’s ears and eyes to a different way of hearing and seeing with greater possibilities. Many other artists used different types of music to inspire them. Mondrian arrived in New York in 1940 and heard Boogie Woogie music on his first evening. He said that after hearing this music he put a little Boogie Woogie in all of his compositions. Jackson Pollack was massive jazz lover, often attending concerts of the greats of the day like Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Louis Armstrong and would also listen, full boar, to jazz in his studio while he works. He was adamant how he wanted his work to be viewed. He said “I think it should be enjoyed, just as music is enjoyed”. Marc Chagall also listened to music while he worked, particularly Mozart – saying ‘ the two wonders of the world are the bible and Mozart’s music…the third is love” So in actual fact the courtship between Art and Music has been long and varied. The two forms of the Arts have inspired each other to new ideas, new concepts and new perspectives. So although Art is for the eyes and Music for the ears, they are both for the soul!

In 2020 Beethoven celebrated his 250th birthday. He lived in an incredibly tumultuous time. Born in 1770, he was 19 at the start of the French Revolution, 20 when Joseph II died, and Napoleon became First Consul of the French Republic. Beethoven was a political junkie. Unlike composers before him, political events and the changing social norms affected him both personally and musically. By the time he died in 1827 he had lived through the Napoleonic Wars, the Congress of Vienna and its repercussions. Through all of this Beethoven completely changed the musical landscape of Western music taking it on an exciting new journey. Course Outline Part One ~ Beethoven and his deafness How could Beethoven have written such fulfilling music without hearing it? What was the impact of Beethoven’s deafness on his music? The mental, physical and creative effects of going deaf on a composer of Beethoven’s stature were significant, including suicidal thoughts and difficult interpersonal relationships. Beethoven’s Conversation Books and Heiligenstadt Testament respectively reveal mechanisms for living with deafness and expressing despair. Part Two ~ Beethoven and the aristocracy Beethoven lived in a time when one’s social class indicated one’s place in society. But even with his revolutionary views fuelled by the French Revolution of 1789 and the rise of Napoleon, Beethoven knew that to succeed one needed the support, both financially and socially, of the upper classes. This created an interesting relationship with his ‘superiors’. He said "Prince, what you are, you are through chance and birth; what I am, I am through my own labour. There are many princes and there will continue to be thousands more, but there is only one Beethoven." Part Three ~ Beethoven’s legacy Throughout his life Beethoven often wrote music which he knew people of his time would neither be able to play nor understand, once stating that a composition was not for ‘now’ but for future generations. In the Romantic period Beethoven was the composer others aspired to emulate. Some tried to copy his musical style while others saw his revolutionary thinking as a license to continue in a new musical direction. Liszt said, “New wine requires new bottles”. And in the 20th and 21st centuries he has become a cult hero.

As we start 2020 I thought it would be good to reflect on the year that was and the year that will be. Every year CCC grows with exciting new projects. In 2019 I again gave a series of talks at the NSW Art Gallery on music inspired by the air, land and sea, gave six interviews with Sylvia Rosenblum at Eastside Radio about the lives and times of 7 composers ( series 5), continued lecturing at WEA and of course wrote new series for my home classes – finishing a look at six seminal compositions and series 11 which gives you a ‘how to’ guide at working out which period music belongs to. I gave my biannual talk at the symposium Limmud Oz 2019 on the formation of the IPO ( Israel Philharmonic Orchestra), or originally the Palestine Orchestra. After giving this talk in Sydney and Canberra, the head of writing at NIDA thought the story would make a great movie and is currently spruiking the story in America looking for a producer! I think he is more excited by the prospect than I am!! But keep watching this space… And in July I took my first music tour to Melbourne with Renaissance Tours. 19 people from all around Australia and New Zealand spent 5 days with me exploring cultural sites around Melbourne and in the evenings, we heard the incredible Vladim Gluzman (who I then met!) play Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto and Lang Lang play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 24. But 2020 looks to be even more exciting! Being Beethoven’s 250th birthday, the year is definitely going to have a Beethoven feel about it. I am giving 3 talks at the Gallery in March (Thurs 12th, Thurs 26, Thurs 2 April) about how he dealt with his deafness, the aristocrats of the day and what his legacy is 250 years on. In May I am part of a 3-person lecture group cruising from Amsterdam to Basel again with Renaissance Tours. This should be incredible. Not only will we be seeing some wonderful cities and hearing some incredible music, we also have musicians coming on board to perform. Christopher Lawrence, Thomas Abbott and I will be giving lectures and holding discussion groups throughout the cruise. If you are interested in coming this is the link to the site. https://renaissancetours.com.au/tours/cruises/rhine-art-and-music-cruise/ In June I am taking another ‘short break’ tour to Melb with Renaissance hearing the MSO, the ACO and watching the Australian Ballet perform Anna Karenina. Also keeping up with the times I am starting a podcast series this year with an wonderful lady named Susan Harvey which I am so so excited about. Once this is up and running there will be a link to the podcasts on my website. But most excitingly for me, Coffee Cake and Culture turns 10 in 2020!!! And I promise we will be celebrating! So thank you again for your support, guidance and love. I hope you have all had terrific summer despite the smoke and haze. All my love Andy

We used to have a lemon tree that gave a huge quantity of lemons. Curd was always a family favourite, especially in this cake. We used to have a lemon tree that gave a huge quantity of lemons. Curd was always a family favourite, especially in this cake. The best cake I've made in years. Thank you! – John Doe Ingredients : What you need Include everything your reader needs to make this recipe perfectly, with measurements, optional additions, or alternatives. For example: The Cake 225g unsalted butter diced 225g caster sugar 225g Self-raising flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 4 medium eggs 50 ml Double Cream Finely grated zest Juice of 1 lemon The Cake Finely grated zest juice of 1 lemon 2 Medium eggs 60g Unsalted Butter 90g caster sugar 200g mascarpone (Not Necessary) The Topping Juice of 1 lemon 50g caster sugar Method : How to make it Lemon Curd First make the lemon curd. Place all ingredients except mascarpone (if using) in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Don’t let the bowl sit in the water. Whisk until the butter melt, then continue to whisk until the mixture resembles a thick custard. This will take longer than you think. If you want it very smooth pass it through a sieve into a bowl (I don’t do this), cover with cling wrap and chill until set. The Cake Preheat the oven to 170 degrees and grease a 20cm cake tin with a removable base. Place all cake ingredients in a food processor or hand-held mixer and cream together. Transfer the mixture into the cake tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Finishing Up! Stir the topping together the pour it evenly over the cake and leave to cool. Take the cake out of the tin, slice through the cake with a break knife and add the curd to the bottom half. Then sandwich the two halves together. You can either top the cake with more curd or add it to the side when serving.

Ingredients: 10 We used to have a lemon tree that gave a huge quantity of lemons. Curd was always a family favourite, especially in this cake. The best cookie I've had in years. Thank you! –Jane Williams Ingredients : What you need Cake 220g butter melted 1 ½ caster sugar ½ sour cream or greek style yoghurt ¼ lemon juice 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind 2 cups plain flour sifted 2 teaspoons baking powder sifted Icing 2 cups icing sugar sifted 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons boiling water Method : How to make Preheat oven to 160 degrees C Place butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, lemon juice and rind into a bowl and whisk to combine. Add flour and baking powder and whisk until smooth Spoon into a well-greased Bundt tin and bake for 55-60 minutes test with a skewer Cool for 10 minutes then turn out onto the wire rack until completely cooled. Icing – place icing sugar, juice and water in a bowl and combine, spoon over cake to serve.

This is a beautiful moist cake and I love a Bundt tin! It can also be used as a cupcake recipe Ingredients : What you need Cake 250g butter 1 ¼ cups caster sugar 1 teaspoon Vanilla 4 eggs 2 cups self-raising flour, sifted 1 cup desiccated coconut 1 cup milk Lime Syrup 2 cups water 1 cup Sugar Juice of 3 limes and the skin removed Method : How to make Original Recipe Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a vowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour, coconut and milk and beat until well combined Spoon mixture into a well-greased Bundt tin Bake for 1 hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer Cool for 10 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack. Variation… I make a lime syrup and drown the cake in it while it is still hot. Place water, sugar and lime skin in a saucepan on high and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn down the heat to medium and keep cooking until it has thickened but not changed colour. Take off the heat and add the lime juice..it might spit.. When the cake is out of the tin but still hot pour a few amount of the syrup onto the cake, it will soak it up. Serve with the rest of the syrup and cream.

One of my children loves bikkies. This is the basic recipe I often use Ingredients : What you need Makes about 30 biscuits 225g soften butter 140g caster sugar 1 egg yok lightly beaten 2 tsp vanilla extract 280g plain flour Salt Method : How to make Preheat an oven to 190 degrees and line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Mix butter and sugar well then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla. Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into the mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Scoop tablespoons of the mixture and shape into balls. Put them on the prepared baking sheets and space well apart and flatten slightly. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Leave to cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 before transferring them onto a wire rack. This is the very basic recipe but you can add cocoa, ginger, choc chips, orange juice, peanut butteretc etc etc!

When you make this cake don’t use a spring form pan like I did the first time! You will be cleaning a sugary mess off your bench for ages. Ingredients : What you need I’ve used peaches, plums, nectarines and a combination of them all. To be fancier you can peel the fruit, but I don’t bother. Cake 100g almond meal 90g SR flour 190g caster sugar 3 eggs 190g unsalted butter at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla Fruit & Caramel Topping 80g unsalted butter ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar ¼ tsp salt 3-4 largish just ripe stone fruits Method : How to make Preheat oven to 180 degrees and lightly butter a 24cm round cake tin. Don’t use a spring form…big mistake! For the topping melt the butter in a small heavy based saucepan over low heat. Add the sugar and salt and stir until the mixture is smooth. The mixture will look separated, don’t worry. Pour this into the tin, smoothing the caramel evenly over the bottom of the tin. Cut the fruit into slices and lay the fruit over the caramel overlapping slightly and fill in any gaps so the base is completely covered Whisk the almond meal and flour until well combined in a bowl Beat the sugar and eggs. Add the butter in batches making sure to scrape down the sides. Mix in the vanilla Add the almond mixture and stir until just combined. Put the batter into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly trying not to disturb the fruit. Bake for about 45 minutes (I often have to bake mine for a bit longer), until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool for a few minutes then run a blunt knife around the inside of the tin to loosen the cake. After a few minutes invert the cake onto a serving plate. This cake is really more of a pudding than a cake and is great warm or cold.

I made this cake for my brothers in law’s wedding with limes from our garden. I still make it for them whenever they are in town. Ingredients : What you need Cake 250g soft butter 425g caster sugar 8 eggs at room temp 350 ( 2 ½ cups) SF flour 270g desiccated coconut 100g ground almond 75g desiccated coconut toasted Syrup 399g caster sugar Finely grated rind of 3 limes 200ml lime juice ½ cup cream Method : How to make Lets start by making the cake: Grease round 25cm pan Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy Add eggs one at a time beating well after each Combine flour, coconut and ground almonds then stir into egg mixture Bake at 160C for 65-76 minutes or until cooked which tested with a skewer Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack an place over a baking tray Now we can move on to making the lime syrup: Combine caster sugar, lime and 200ml water in a small saucepan, stir over medium heat until sugar dissolved and boil for 5 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve into a bowl Use the candied lime for decoration Using a wooden skewer prick 12 holes over the cake and gradually brush the warm syrup over the warm cake And finally we can make the cream: Whip cream and then add ¼ cup of syrup leaving a little to drizzle over each piece of cake when served.

This cake is like heaven. The combination of Halva and Tahini is gorgeous. Serve with pomegranates and pistachios to make it even more decadent. Ingredients : What you need 4 eggs 2 cups heavy cream 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 salt 2 cups self-rising flour 1/2 tahini 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup crumbled halva Method : Add Numbered Directions Preheat oven to 170 C. Butter a 2 -24 round cake time. Line base with baking paper In a large bowl, beat the eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla extract and salt for 1-2 minutes until the sugar has melted and the batter has thickened Add the self-rising flour and beat just until a smooth, thin batter forms Pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan. Spoon half of the tahini paste on top, then half the honey and sprinkle half the halva. follow with another layer of cake batter, tahini, honey and halva. Top with remaining batter Using a knife, lightly swirl the batter up and down, moving in spirals, for a marble effect Bake for about 50-60 minutes, until the cake springs back to the touch, is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out almost clean

This is a real ‘no mess’ cake. All made on the stove and then straight in the oven. If you don’t have buttermilk, I find plain yoghurt also works. Ingredients : What you need 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa 75g unsalted butter 1/3 cup light olive oil (I used full strength) 2/3 strong black coffee 90g good quality dark chocolate 250g castor sugar 1 large egg 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1¼ plain flour (I used SF flour) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cups buttermilk Method : How to make Preheat oven to 150 C. Butter a 2 -24 round cake time. Line base with baking paper Put cocoa, butter, oil and coffee into a largish saucepan. Bring them to boil over medium heat, stir frequently until mixture is silky. Take off heat. Add chocolate and sugar and whisk until the choc has melted and mixture is smooth Cool. Add egg, vanilla and whisk thoroughly. Sift flour and baking powder (or SR flour) into mixture and stir until just combined. Whisk in buttermilk. Pour the batter into tin and shake gently to level out mixture. Bake for about 50 min or until skewer comes out of the cake clean when inserted into t he middle of the cake. Cool in tin for 5 minutes then invert cake onto rack and cool completely I made ganache as an icing for this cake – in case it wasn’t chocolaty enough!

This cake looks almost too good to eat. A perfect cake when you have leftover egg whites. Your List of Ingredients Meringues 3 medium egg whites 120g caster sugar Pink or blue food colouring Cake 4 medium eggs – separated 175g caster sugar 225g ground almonds 1 teaspoon baking powder – sifted Filling 200g black cherry jam – stirred until smooth 300ml whipped cream Step 1 : Let’s Get Started Making the Meringues Preheat oven to 120 degrees. Whisk egg whites until they have the consistency of shaving cream. Sprinkle 1 heaped tablespoon of sugar, whisking after each addition until you have a smooth, glossy meringue. Divide mixture into 2 and add a different colour to each. Drop teaspoons of mixture onto baking trays lined with baking paper. Put meringues into the oven and turn it down to 100 degrees. Cook for 1 hour making sure they are crisp on the outside and sound hollow. Remove and leave to cool. Step 2 : Follow On Making the Cake Turn oven to 180 degrees and butter a 23cm spring form tin. Whisk egg yolks and sugar together. The mixture should not be too pale and thick. Stiffly whisk the egg whites and gently fold them into the mixture in 3 goes. Fold in the ground almonds and the baking powder. Pour cake mixture into the tin tapping the tin to bring up any air bubbles. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top feels springy to touch. Place cake on a serving plate and spread the surface with jam. Top with whipped cream and then top with meringues. Thank You I hope you enjoyed this recipe, leave a comment down below if you enjoyed making the cake and if there is anything that you do differently when making it yourself! Andy