Inspired by Le Cercle des Patineurs du Bois de Boulogne in Paris, this beautiful waltz composed in 1882 by Emile Waldteufel is perfect for a bright sunny cold Winter day watching the skaters on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. The other piece of music is an arrangement of Meyerbeer's music by Constant Lambert for the choreographer Frederick Ashton, Les Patineurs, this version from a Japanese NHK TV production. This second piece I did not know of and it was brought to my attention by our friend D.N. in London.
This is what I saw today in front of our house. Lots of people skating along the 7.8 Km. The Canal is to Ottawa what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. Something everyone in the Capital enjoys summer or winter.
I did not go to the other end of the skateway which ends at Dow's Lake, on a sunny winter day
its very nice.
Wandteufel, Les Patineurs
This is what I saw today in front of our house. Lots of people skating along the 7.8 Km. The Canal is to Ottawa what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. Something everyone in the Capital enjoys summer or winter.
its very nice.
Wandteufel, Les Patineurs
When I was a kid a gazillion years ago in my little one-horse prairie town, "The Skaters' Waltz" was a standard tune on the pre-recorded music they always played at the hockey rink when it was time for public skating.
ReplyDeleteMy Rare One and I were just saying the other day that we wished we were in Ottawa so we could go down to the frozen Rideau Canal and . . . buy some Beaver Tails to eat! We love 'em!
Yes the Beaver Tails treat is a must on the Rideau Canal and at the skating rink of City Hall. Hundreds of people daily eat them, even President Obama when he came to Ottawa a few years ago had one.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful scenes. Don't forget Meyerbeer's music arranged by Constant Lambert for the Ashton Les Patineurs: a corrective to the dross served up in Robert le Diable, which Will of course tolerated far better than I did.
ReplyDeleteIt all seems unreal as I sit here with the windows open, listening to the rain pouring down - a rare treat here in the Southwest.
ReplyDeleteIf my fancy to retire to Canada ever has a ghost of a chance I better get back my Midwest thicker skin and antifreeze blood.
Or a good fur coat.
Deletewhat becomes a legend most?
DeleteBlackglamour
Deleteisn't this ice skating done yet?
ReplyDeleteThe Winter Carnival in Ottawa starts this weekend, but right now it's 50 F. a bit warm. Tonight it is returning to -9C. Strange winter hot and cold weather.
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