20.08.2019 - Binissaida
From the rural hotel of Sant Joan de Binissaida, we declare ourselves lovers of music, absolute music enthusiasts, and especially of opera. For this reason, we have named our new rooms after artists as a tribute.
We really love hotels that do things their own way, that exude personality, just like the composers we have chosen as part of this family. Would you like to get to know them a little better?
Stravinsky
Composer and conductor, Stravinsky is considered by Time magazine to be one of the most important and influential musicians of the 20th century. For many, his classic ballets, bold and innovative, practically reinvented the genre. Stravinsky dared to experiment with everything, even jazz!
On a personal level, he had a great friendship with one of the stars of the time, Picasso, and it is rumored that he had an affair with the irresistible Coco Chanel… there are even movies about this clandestine romance, have you seen them?
A perfect plan to enjoy in true Stravinsky style: We recommend going out to the terrace with a good book, playing his work “The Firebird” in the background, having a very cold menorcan ointment on hand, and letting yourself be carried away by the sensations.
Mahler
Now let's talk about one of the most important figures of post-Romanticism, so much so that in 2016, BBC Music Magazine conducted a survey of 151 conductors and placed three of his symphonies among the ten best of all time.
Mahler's talent led him to be the conductor of the Metropolitan Opera House and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, although his Jewish identity labeled his work as degenerate and modern. And who did he seek help from during the toughest times of World War II? None other than Freud, yes, indeed.
By the way, he secretly married Anna Schindler, muse and heartthrob of many intellectuals of the time. They had two daughters, and he forced her to accept the role of housewife and abandon her talent as a composer, which made her extremely unhappy.
A perfect plan to enjoy in true Mahler style: try playing his “Symphony No. 5” in the background, a real delight, and think of some creative exercise you’ve been fantasizing about: writing, painting, reading poetry, or even having a good conversation with someone interesting.
Britten
Now it’s the turn of the first composer in history to receive a noble title: the baron Britten. The big date that launched his career was the creation of his first opera “Peter Grimes,” inspired by the lives of fishermen, which marked the renaissance of English opera. In it, he portrays a man who does not conform to social norms and eventually commits suicide.
We also love “Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra” (much more lively), an educational piece aimed at those who are starting out in the hobby of classical music.
Moreover, Britten was the one who said that “There has never been a single valuable composer who did not have excellent technique. Furthermore: in the work of an artist, technique and inspiration are inseparable.” So, work hard! May inspiration find you working and practicing.
A perfect plan to enjoy in true Britten style: use these relaxing days to do what’s been on your to-do list for a while: start a blog, practice yoga, begin looking for a new job, learn a foreign language… whatever it is! Just make sure you’re on our porch with “Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra” as the official soundtrack.
Are you coming as a couple and looking for intimacy? Your perfect room in Sant Joan de Binissaida is the Stravinsky. Is your plan family or friends and you want a place where everyone can be close? The Mahler and Britten can be connected, so don’t think twice.
All three rooms, brand new from 2018 and fully integrated into the rest of the estate, are located on the ground floor, so they all have direct access to our olive grove. Make one of our proposed plans and then take a walk around the surroundings, you will love it.
Each one has its own aura and energy, and they are all very cozy, perfect for a holiday with a taste of Menorca. Which one do you like the most?