Cold Genius Brings Winter To The East

While light snow and black ice visits the Georgia mountains tonight much of the Northeast braces for what may be a record breaking blizzard.  Variances come with all the seasons but for those who prefer warmer climes the thought of sub-freezing temperatures, howling winds and depths of drifting snow measured in feet, It is enough to awaken the chills and shivers. And who would expect to find a 325 year-old song about such an awakening? It comes from a dramatic opera, King Arthur, by Henry Purcell with a libretto by John Dryden. It is to say the least a most unusual four minutes of music. What more could you expect when Cupid rouses Cold Genius, the spirit of Winter?

What power art thou, who from below,

Hast made me rise unwillingly and slow,

From beds of everlasting snow?

See'st thou not how stiff and wondrous old,

Far, far unfit to bear the bitter cold,

I can scarcely move or draw my breath;

Let me, let me freeze again to death.

Inventive pieces of music both stand alone and also lead to imitation. I hope you enjoyed this sound discovery on its own merit and identifying the more familiar chain of music it inspired over the centuries.

May you stay warm while Cold Genius is awake these next few days.

Cold Genius as portrayed by Klaus Nomi, 1982