Margarita Pasos Cursos

Literature, puns, and alcohol collide in this clever follow-up to Tequila Mockingbird, the world's bestselling cocktail recipes book.

“Views from Ararat” - Masterpieces by great composers from Armenia and Turkey. Ararat is a famous mountain. Noah's ark is said to have been stranded on it after the flood. Christian Armenians see the mountain as a national symbol, even though it is not located in Armenian territory, but on Turkish soil near the Armenian border. The border crossing is closed, however, as relations between the two countries have long been strained because of the Armenian Genocide. This mass murder of Armenians in 1915 is denied by the Turkish government.

The songs of Dmitry Shostakovich reflect the process of allusion and concealment that permeated his larger-scale music, and this selection traces his musical career from lighthearted early experiments to his late work. Settings of the composers most loved poets are included, from Marina Tsvetayeva and Mikhail Lermontov to Shakespeare, as well as settings of Jewish folk poetry. The songs are richly varied and include cabaret-like moments, romantic balladry, the avant-garde and satirical subversion.