Facts about the Taj Mahal

I was recently reading “The Art Reader,” 1905, and was interested in details about The Taj Mahal, the famous white marble mausoleum in India, erected by the Mogul Emperor Shah Jehan, as a tomb for his wife, the Princess Arjamund, who died in 1629. It is the grandest tomb in the world.

It is among the places I would like to have seen, as are Westminster Abbey in London, and the Chartres Cathedral in France.

The Taj Mahal, located about a mile to the east of Agra, took 22 years to build and 20,000 men worked on building it.

Shah Jehan’s reign was stormy, and he caused many wars. But, apart from his military exploits and domestic tyranny, he is noted for three magnificent works. He founded the modern city of Delhi, he built the Peacock Throne and he raised the Taj Mahal.

He had fabulous wealth, as well as nearly limitless labor at his command. The famous throne of the Moguls, made by Shah Jehan, was wrought in solid gold and priceless gems, in the shape of a peacock, and it is valued at $25 million. When his cherished wife died, he decided to erect a monument worthy of her memory and his magnificence, and he succeeded.

Sir Edwin Arnold, spellbound by the beauty of this “tender elegy in marble,” wrote: “the plinth (the slab, block, or stone on which a column, pedestal, or statue rests) of the Taj is over 100 yards each way, and it lifts its golden pinnacle 244 feet into the sky. From a distance this lovely and aerial dome sits therefore above the horizon like a rounded cloud. And having paced about it, and having saturated the mind with its extreme and irresistible loveliness, you enter reverently the burial place of the princes Arjamund, to find the inner walls of the monument as much a marvel of subtle shadow and chastened light, decked with delicate jewelry, as the exterior was noble and simple. Upon the columns, panels, and trellis work of the marble screens surrounding the tomb, are patiently inlaid, with all sorts of graceful and elaborate embellishments, flowers, leaves, berries, scrolls, and sentences – in jasper, coral, bloodstone, lapis-lazuli, nacre, onyx, turquoise, sardonyx, and even precious gems.”

That is a beautiful description of the grandest tomb in the world.

Beethoven and Lawrence Welk

What a treat! On April 1, I enjoyed hearing both Beethoven’s opera, “Fidelio,” and Lawrence Welk’s interesting program full of songs from many countries.

I didn’t hear the announcement about the opera cast, so didn’t realize that Karita Mattila, who was ill, did not sing the part of Leonore, the heroine. She was listed in my Metropolitan Opera booklet. Instead, Erika Sunnegardh, who lived in Sweden until she was 19, sang Leonore. She then came to New York City.

An article in the April 1 New York Times said that her parents were both prominent voice teachers in Sweden. She graduated from the Manhattan School of Music in 1992. She then worked in restaurants, and, to make ends meet and she catered parties too. In 1996, she began singing at Holy Rosary Church in the Bronx. She next went back to school and earned a master’s degree from the Aaron Copeland School of Music at Queen’s College, and then came a breakthrough for her.

In 2004, a family friend listened to a CD of her singing. In March, Mr. Friend, of the Met, heard her recording, was impressed and got in touch with James Levine, the Metropolitan’s music director, who listened to Sunegardh on the Met’s main stage. He was enthusiastic.

Since then, she had sung Puccini’s “Turandot” in Sweden, and “Fidelio” in the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee.

And she was the heroine in the April 1 performance of “Fidelio” at the Met. We will surely hear about Erika Sunnegardh now – no more waiting on tables now!

The 5-6 p.m. Welk show was filled with familiar songs, sung in various languages, by soloists surrounded by a chorus of pretty girls and handsome men.

In “Alouette,” the French song we used to sing in music classes in junior high school, the audience was invited to join in. However, the singers all sang “Jetta plumerai,” and in school (and in the French language) the words we learned were “Je te plumerai.” It was enjoyable, anyhow.

For Ireland, the tenor soloist sang “Galway Bay.” He said it is very popular in Ireland. His singing was excellent.

In “Song to Celia,” with words by the British author and poet, Ben Jonson (1573-1637), the first lines are, “Drink to me only with thine eyes, and I will pledge with mine.”

A lady cello soloist played it beautifully, and the tenor soloist was super.

It was a wonderful hour of music. I hope they repeat that program.

RECIPE

From “Prize Recipes of West Baldwin,” assembled by the West Baldwin Grange, comes this recipe submitted by Olive M. Sanborn.

DELICIOUS RASPBERRY PIE

Baked pie shell

1 pt. raspberries

SAUCE

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 cups water

1 tsp. vanilla

2 drops red food coloring

2 heaping tblsp. cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water

Small piece of butter.

Put raspberries in pie shell

Bring sauce to a boil, thicken, and cool slightly.

Pour over berries in pie shell. Refrigerate until thick, top with Cool Whip.