Andante, Andante
“[…] Technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our hearts sing.” Steve Jobs
Dear all,
Just starting my new focus on David’s Dearest by embarking on a three-day laptop-less vacation. I found another stunning spot at Pretty Hôtels (as usual) and will report back on its probable amazingness next week.
🎶 As the ABBA fans among you may have guessed, today’s title is a nod to one of their hits and also to a fireside chat I witnessed at SXSW London last month. Björn Ulvaeus, currently writing a new musical with the help of AI, was asked what it’s like compared to composing with Benny Andersson. His reply? “It’s quicker. And it doesn’t talk back!” 😂 I’m very curious to see how that turns out.
🚴🏼♂️ While Andante, Andante sounds like a genuinely wise life motto, the next month(s) will probably be an accelerando all along - and I‘m not only referring to the final season of Tour de France: Unchained which is dropping on Netflix tomorrow, just ahead of the Grand Départ on Saturday. (Please only call me in the mornings throughout July, afternoon‘s are for watching descents like this).
🎭 The tempo and intensity is also picking up with a bunch of exciting first conversations and early drafts around new creative topics & partnerships. If even a handful of them come to life, things are going to get very entertaining.
🎻 I may be taking a summer break from the classical festival circuit, but this season is full of gems you won’t want to miss:
Barbara Hannigan opens the Verbier Festival program with another exceptional program
Incontri in Terra di Siena awaits with beautiful chamber music and postcard-worthy scenery
My podcast co-host Steven Walter has created a distinctly diverse edition at the Beethovenfest Bonn.
Enjoy & until next week -
David