The chore of his mission, man’s elegance, is to understand his client’s personality fulfill his wishes and translate them into his aspirational lifestyle.

When I met him at his magnificent 1930′building overlooking private courtyard in the high end neighborhood of Ixelles ,Pierre Degand confided me that his service and advice have no limitations and like the expert team that assist James Bond (who only wears Brioni) before a mission, creativity professionalism and passion constantly reign supreme in this universe of elegance up to the tiniest details.

As I walked around attentively escorted by Mr Degand most trusted right hand  I am introduced to the Maison several brands offered to its prestigious clientele :

Degand Tailleur ‘ The real craftsmanship is the rigeur”

The strength and the difference of  this brand lies of a choice taken to the extreme that only  a few International houses can offer as you can tell by my  pictures in this post. Most of it is genuinely exclusive and especially ordered for his European  clients who step in requesting for unrivaled tailoring. For the last 30 years an in-house  Mater  Taylor  will still create  with devoted enthusiasm old style suits Su misura.

Hafl measure will also be offered in case of specific cuts, morphology of fabric and brands like Brioni and Kiton in 4 to 5 weeks and an replenished inventory of 250 jackets and 600  ready -to -wear  suits some of them in the softed cashmere , 15.000 us dollars vicuna and , finest woven fabrics and the rarest silks and cottons.

Interesting to visit a whole  reserved smoking room and gifts, a jewelry department, sleepwear  and  elegant raincoats and the workshop where 40 hours can be spent by craftsman just for a custom tailored jacket..

 Sport and Business

The vision os for the contemporary man who are active and always attentive to their image. The sport section include relaxation, diversity originality  and elegance as key words.sports, casual wear,trousers, swimear, pullovers, ties, polo shirts, cologne, belts, Jacob Cohen jeans, Fedeli, Orian, Aqua de Parma,Vilebrequein, Brunello Cuccinelli,reflecting youg executives, and elegant fathers at reasonable price.

 Degand Shoes

Timeless Edward Green, John Loeb, Alden Santoni, Converse, Hogan and Ortigni.Experts will be assisting you in the choice of the shoes that will be used for the next 15 years.

if you are in London, Paris or Berlin, just stop by in Brussels to shop here,  it’s  truly a worth experience.

Joelle’s Tips:

La Maison Degand 

Mahatma Gandhi

The birthday chart is called a solar return chart and happens when the Sun is in exactly the same place zodiacally as at the time of birth. This chart is seen to be the seed for events and consciousness growth for the next 6 months, perhaps the whole year.

In an elegant neighborhood of Brussels, precisely at rue du Châtelain the French couple Myriam and Amaury de Solages, have founded a non-profit organization that supports an interesting artistic project .  This unique initiative is nestled in an elegant Belgian townhouse that they have called  Maison Pariticuliere. 

In this private residence now open to the public since April 2011, temporary art exhibits are organized together with art collectors under different  themes proposed by Amaury and Myriam and shared for a period of three months.

As I am walking in the sunny afternoon I notice at my right an tall stunning African wood sculpture behind a large entrance glass door and a white curtain wall. Intrigued by a view of a green internal backyard  I sneak in and ask an elegant lady  if it’s possible to explore the space , I carry in my hand a press card.  I am asked kindly by an assistant to wait a few minutes in the impressive entrance hall.

Eclectic in style, the building was built around 1880 by architect Jean Léon Janlet and entirely renovated into the current art center. Natural light bathes the interior. Graced by the a small curving garden in layers of green and white designed by Jean Philippe Miest, the house is truly a gem of a showcase for art collections.

A young and charming lady with no make up on and  dressed  in a sober but very stylish skirt and sweater comes my way , it’s Myriam.  After checking my website out for a long while , Myriam offers to enjoy at my ease the distinctive floor plan featured by three stories with a series of interconnected sitting areas on each level , a library and a dining room.  She then invites me for a coffee in the cozy library once I will be done with my tour.

I walk into the luxurious elevator and arrive on the last floor. Passing by ”  The perfect woman is a lie  ” I immediately sense the intensity of the exhibition and atmosphere whose theme  ’ Femininity’ catches directly my psyche.  In a small flier I read  ” to combine the bipolarity of man and woman, of zero and one, is to bring together elements, not in contradiction, but rather inseparable ”

The art works is sensually provocative and  like magnets attract my attention traveling throughout  the pristine walled rooms of the residence. . The modernist furniture, exquisitely selected for this theme  by  Pierre Hoet and Didier Bindels of Instore  partners in the project,  is trendy and bright.

I am now ready for that coffee . In the cozy library whose fireplace is surrounded by collector’s pieces, impeccably white sofas , armchairs in cow skin and galuchat 1930 furniture, Myriam introduces me to her husband  the French financier Amaury de Solage. As it’s common in Europe not to share details about one’s personal life socially , Amaury  instead will discourse with passion about his devotion in sponsoring a space where the art dialogue and emotional experience derived are romanticized, lived and often enlightened among enthusiasts.

When asked at my last sip of delicious coffee what will be next ,  Amaury  pauses, crosses his legs on the comfortable couch, smiles at his wife Myriam  and answers me  ” what I am supposed to know by now know”  that when a man meets a woman for the first time they don’t kiss immediately…It’s a process of feelings,  learning , staring before he decides where the connection will take him .

Relatively  satisfied with his reply , I packing my camera into my handbag and  before leaving or say goodbye, I turn back for a last look in the direction of the beautiful untouched  old piano and I try quickly to recall where exactly my parents have kept that Giacometti  they had bough many, many  years ago.

The House: Maison Particuliere

Myriam de Solage Blog  ( Lovely!)  Saveurs en Balade

Grande Place

In the 10th century, the Duke of Lower Lotharingia constructed a fort on Saint-Géry Island, the point at which the Senne river became navigable.

This was the seed of what would become Brussels. By the end of the 11th century, an open-air marketplace was set up on a dried-out marsh near the fort that was surrounded by sandbanks. The market was called the Nedermerckt, or Lower Market.

The market likely developed around the same time as the commercial development of Brussels. A document from 1174 mentions a lower market (forum inferius) not far from the port on the Senne river. The market was well situated along the Steenweg (Causeway), an important commercial road which connected the prosperous regions of the Rhineland and the County of Flanders.

At the beginning of the 13th century, three indoor markets were built on the northern edge of the Grand Place; a meat market, a bread market and a cloth market. These buildings, which belonged to the Duke of Brabant, allowed the wares to be showcased even in bad weather, but also allowed the Dukes to keep track of the storage and sale of goods, in order to collect taxes. Other buildings, made of wood or stone, enclosed the Grand Place.

Improvements to the Grand Place from the 14th century onwards would mark the rise in importance of local merchants and tradesmen relative to the nobility. Short on money, the Duke transferred control of mills and commerce to the local authorities. The city of Brussels, as with the neighboring cities of Mechelen and Leuven constructed a large indoor cloth market to the south of the square.

At this point, the square was still haphazardly laid out, and the buildings along the edges had a motley tangle of gardens and irregular additions. The city expropriated and demolished a number of buildings that clogged the Grand Place, and formally defined the edges of the square.

The Brussels Town Hall stands 96 meters tall and is capped by a 3 meter statue of Saint Michael slaying a demon. The Brussels City Hall was built on the south side of the square in stages between 1401 and 1455, and made the Grand Place the seat of municipal power.

To counter this symbol of municipal power, from 1504 to 1536 the Duke of Brabant constructed a large building across from the city hall as symbol of ducal power. It was built on the site of the first cloth and bread markets, which were no longer in use, and it became known as the King’s House , although no king has ever lived there.

It is currently known as the Maison du roi (King’s House) in French, though in Dutch it continues to be called the Broodhuis (Breadhouse), after the market whose place it took. Wealthy merchants and the increasingly powerful guilds of Brussels built houses around the edge of the square.

On August 13, 1695, a 70,000-strong French army under Marshal François de Neufville, Duke of Villeroy began a bombardment of Brussels in an effort to draw the League of Augsburg‘s forces away from their siege on French-held Namur in what is now southern Belgium.

The French launched a massive bombardment of the mostly defenseless city center with cannons and mortars, setting it on fire and flattening the majority of the Grand Place and the surrounding city. Only the stone shell of the town hall and a few fragments of other buildings remained standing. That the town hall survived at all is ironic, as it was the principal target of the artillery fire.

The square was rebuilt in the following four years by the city’s guilds. Their efforts were regulated by the city counselors and the Governor of Brussels, who required that their plans be submitted to the authorities for their approval. This helped to deliver a remarkably harmonious layout for the rebuilt Grand Place, despite the ostensibly clashing combination of Gothic, Baroque and Louis XIV styles.

In the late 18th century, revolutionaries sacked the Grand Place, destroying statues of nobility and symbols of Christianity .The guildhalls were seized by the state and sold.

The buildings were neglected and left in poor condition, with their façades painted, stuccoed and damaged by pollution. In the late 19th century, mayor Charles Buls had the Grand Place returned to its former splendor, with buildings being reconstructed or restored.

The Grand Place continued to serve as a market until November 19, 1959, and it is still called the Grote Markt or Great Market in Dutch. Neighboring streets still reflect the area’s origins, named after the sellers of butter, cheese, herring, coal and so on. The Grand Place was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1998. One of the houses was owned by the brewers’ guild, and is now the home of a brewers’ museum.

N. Toebac Real Belgian Lace

Brussels lace has always been a a synonym of quality and exclusivity. Nicole Toebac shop at the Grand Place is  a family business who grew in three generation to become the most important distributor of real handmade Belgian lace.

They specialize in Renaissance and Princess lace. They pride themselves in employing the best lace-makers in the country and using the finest materials. Their lace is made in the traditional way as it was one hundred years ago. The shop is a must!

Museum of Costume & Lace

Four opulent-looking houses and an old warehouse built in the late 17th-early 18th century were rehabilitated so that the delicate materials preserved in this museum could be nestled in a delightful setting.

Many fashion accessories, embroideries and original documents, as well as an impressive variety of middle-class outfits designed between the 17th century and today are a major part of the museum’s treasures, and high-quality temporary exhibitions do a brilliant job of highlighting them.

Additionally, the museum also pays tribute to lace, the production of which forms an integral part of Brussels’ heritage. From its development in the 17th century to the late 19th century, this precious fabric experienced a long golden age. The use of lace fell into disfavor during modern times and is now considered a work of art.

Biscuiterie Dandoy

Set in the heart of Brussels just between the Grand Place and the bourse ,the family-owned business has perpetuated a unique craftsmanship in the production of many traditional Belgian and Brussels specialties for almost two centuries.

Based on original recipes, Dandoy biscuits are prepared by hand with natural ingredients in the firm’s own workshop. Dandoy’s most famous specialties include the Pain a la Greque, the speculaas, the almond bread, and several kinds of Macaroons. Go for it!

La Maison du Cygne restaurant

A true gastronomic and cultural gem, and quoted by Zagat as among the top Europe Restaurants, this 17th century house offers its guests a unique atmosphere in the very heart of Brussels and one of the most beautiful squares in the world.

In the great French tradition, the Maison du Cygne boasts some of the best cuisine in Brussels, acclaimed by critics and connoisseurs alike.

Under the watchful eye of Michel Verdoodt, Restaurant Manager, and his team, you can enjoy innovative yet authentic cuisine brilliantly masterminded by Donald Loriaux, 4th at the Bocuse d’Or. To accompany your meal, the Maison du Cygne has an impressive cellar of over 20,000 bottles including some of the finest wines available.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels met here twice a week in 1848, but the clientèle now is mostly expense account, which may or may not support their manifesto.  The main dining room, on the first floor, is paneled in old wood.  The tables are well spaced and it is quiet.  The ground floor is a tavern and light lunch place and can be a private salon at night.

Le Roy d’Espagne cafe

Built in 1697, was originally the House of the Baker’s guild. The name is due to the bust of Charles II which decorates the façade on the  second floor.

In 1697 Charles II was the King of Spain and the sovereign of the Southern Netherlands, which included present day Belgium. On the ground floor, above the entrance, watches Saint-Aubertus, the Patron Saint of bakers.

The house, which suffered much damage during the French Revolution, was renovated to its original state in 1902 under the impulse of the Mayor of Brussels, Charles Buls. After having been a café and a hardware store of which the first balcony remains, the house regained its vocation as a café in 1952.

Marche des erbes

In 1836, the young architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer, born in the Netherlands in 1811, had the idea to construct a covered gallery of more than 200 meters that would directly link the “Marché aux Herbes” (herb market) to the “Montagne aux Herbes Potagères” (vegetable market), by demolishing a number of sordid alleys in which the bourgeoisie did not dare to come.

It took nine years before the administrative and financial formalities required to proceed with the numerous expropriations were completed. The construction of the building itself lasted one and a half years. These expropriations provoked a lot of complaints and even a few tragedies.

An old lady of rich descent that lived in the “Maison des Orfèvres” (goldsmith house), at the present entrance in the Rue du Marché aux Herbes, died of panic and anger when the bailiff came to inform her that her house was to be demolished shortly.

What remains of this house is the ancient motto: “Omnibus Omnia” (all for all). Mister Paneel, a barber by trade, obstinately refused to leave and preferred cutting his throat with a razor blade rather than watch his houses be destroyed.

When the construction was already in an advanced phase, the first stone was laid with a golden trowel by King Leopold the First, accompanied by his two sons.

At the meeting of the board of the company on the 4th of December 1846, the names of the three parts of the new gallery, to pay homage to the royal family, were agreed upon :

The Galerie du Roi (the King’s gallery) to the east of the Rue des Bouchers, (Butcher’s Street) the Galerie de la Reine (the Queen’s gallery) to the west, and the Galerie du Prince (the prince’s gallery),  a 54 meter long gallery that links the Galerie du Roi to the Rue des Dominicains. In October 1965, the building, originally called “Passage Saint-Hubert“, received its present name “Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert”.

The narrow street connecting the two alleys already existed in the 13th century, but it was called “Bogart” or “Bomgaard” (orchard street). The name of Saint-Hubert appears in 1685 , because of a cabaret dedicated to this Saint. The cabaret was very often visited by the “échoppiers” (stall keepers) of the nearby Marché aux Herbes. During the French regime, it was called “Rue du Chasseur” (hunter street).

In the middle of the 19th century, the Saint-Hubert Galleries were the longest, highest (8 meters), best decorated and best lit galleries in the world, thanks to the enormous glass roof which is 200 meters long. From the day of their inauguration, these galleries have been highly successful and entertaining. Later on, the luxurious specialized shops added their part to this success. The “exterior” terraces of the cafés, cake shops and ice cream sellers attracted a smart public that came there to forget the humid Belgian climate for a few hours.

Taverne du Passage

During the years, the Passage Saint-Hubert became a literary centre, where one could meet famous French writers such as Baudelaire, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, Apollinaire or Verlaine in the “Café de la Renaissance” (the present “Taverne du Passage“), which was the meeting place of the Artistic and Literary Circle. Nowadays, the galleries still are an important commercial center for luxury goods in an old-fashioned environment that was recently restored with a lot of care.

Nehaus

Among the remarkable shops, there is Number 23 Galerie de la Reine, where the Swiss Jean Neuhaus installed a confectioner’s shop in 1857. Neuhaus specialized in making cough bonbons, marshmallows and licorice for stomach pain.

His son Frédéric made delicacies such as chocolates filled with vanilla. In 1912, Jean Neuhaus introduced a number of novelties, such as chocolates filled with fruits, crushed nuts paste, various sorts of creams and even liquors.

He called them “pralines“, because their form looked like the grilled nuts covered with sugar of the Marquis of Praslin. One fine day, his wife came up with the idea of putting the pralines carefully in a little cardboard box, because she was tired of serving them in a paper wrapper. They called this cardboard box a “ballotin“.

Theatre of Saint-Hubert

Cultural life was present in the galleries as well. In the Galerie du Roi Number 32, one can still find the Theatre of Saint-Hubert Galleries, that was conceived by Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer himself and inaugurated on the 7th of June, 1847. Originally it was used for comedy, drama and vaudeville. In fact, the City Council of Brussels had forbidden singing or music, in order to prevent it from competing with the “Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie“. The Vaudeville was recently restored and is now used again as a theater and reception room.

Delvaux

Since the beginning of the previous century, Number 31 has housed the renowned Belgian leather shop Delvaux, creator and manufacturer of the most refined traveling-bags, trunks, handkerchiefs, purses, and various leather objects.

Petite Rue des Bouchers

Already in 1366, this street was mentioned as “Cleyn Vleeshouversstraete“. However, in the 17th century it was named “Crantje Straetje” (tap street). In the 17th century it was sometimes called “Rue du Cornet” as well.

At the beginning of the 19th century, a lot of tripe butchers came to this street, after a prefecture’s order of the Year X(revolutionary calendar) had expelled them out of the “Marché aux Tripes” (the tripe market, which became an extension of the herbs market).

The street still has today about twelve houses dating from the 17th and 18th century. During the “Belle Époque” (Edwardian era), the street sheltered more small music-halls than restaurants. On the first floor of Number 30, there was the jazz-club “La Rose Noire”, where Jacques Brel, the famous Belgian singer, had his first successes in 1953. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, this successful cabaret had to close its doors in 1961. The building was bought by the restaurant “Les Armes de Bruxelles” in 1963 and was used as the restaurant’s kitchen the next year.

Les Armes de Bruxelles Restaurant

A Brussels institution since it opened in 1921, this family-owned establishment offers gracious, rather formal service, combined with a casual, relaxed ambiance.

It’s an excellent place for your introduction to Belgian cooking, since it combines traditional cuisine with great quality, and offers just about every regional specialty you can think of (including mussels in every conceivable style). You can sample anything from an excellent beef stewed in beer to a delicious waterzooï to a steak with pepper-and-cream sauce, all at reasonable prices.

Scheltema Restaurant ( my favorite!)

Located in the historic center of Brussels just a few steps away from the Grand Place, the Scheltema has been an institution in the Ilot Sacré area since 1972.

The establishment is known for its seafood specialties and its turn of the century pub ambiance, which combine to make the Scheltema one of the most prestigious restaurants in Brussels. Et Voila Creme Brule!

Joelle’s Tips:

The restaurants:

La Maison du Cygne Rue Charles Buls 2Brussels, Belgium 1000 / Phone: +322-511-8244
Fax: +32 2 514-3148

Aux Armes de Bruxelles: Traditional Belgian  Rue des Bouchers 13 Bruxelles / +322 511-55-98

Scheltema: Sea food Specialties  Rue des Dominicains 7 1000 Brussel / Phone : +32 2 512.20.84

Chez Leon: Belgian Cuisine  Rue des Bouchers 18 /Bruxelles 1000 /+32 2 511.14.15

The Cafes: 

Le Roy d’Espagne Grand’Place 1 B-1000 Brussels / Phone : +32 2 513 08 07 fax : +32 2 513 11 27  info@roydespagne.be

La Taverne du Passage : Cuisine Belgian  Galerie de la Reine 30  100 Bruxelles / Phone + 32 2 512-37-32

The Shops:

N. Toebac: Belgian Lace 10, Rue Charles Buls  1000 Bruxelles / Phone : + 3202 5120941 Fax : +32 2 5020481  E-mail : info@nicoletoebac

Delicacies:

Biscuiterie Dandoy: Rue au Beurre 31 1000 Bruxelles

Neuhaus: Galerie de la Reine 25  1000 Bruxelles

Delvaux: Galerie de la Reine 31 Phone +32 02512-71-98

The Museum:

Musee du costume et de la Dentelle Rue de la Violette 6 Phone +32 2  213 44 50

The source: Commune libre de l’Ilot Sacre / Fodors Guide of Brussels

Photo credits: Courtesy of Charles le Brusseler / Renato Serra for Commune libre de l’Ilot Sacre /

Used with the permission of www.hotels-belgium,  www.trabel.com & www.arakea.com. All rights reserved

During his time at Forte, Sir Rocco had responsibility for more than 800 hotels, 1,000 restaurants and almost 100,000 employees in 50 countries around the world. As Chairman, Sir Rocco transformed Forte from a UK operation to an international hotel player based on the Meridien chain and a collection of luxury hotels including the George V in Paris, the Sandy Lane in Barbados, the Ritz in Madrid and the Plaza Athénée in New York. Forte Plc was sold in 1996 following a hostile take-over bid and has since been broken up.

His latest venue is creating a collection of hotels; each with its own personality, reflecting location and nationality and as members of the The Rocco Forte Collection brand, they share a high priority for stylish design and attention to detail, exemplary levels of service delivery as well as the latest technology. All have exercise facilities and several of them have sizable spas and health clubs. The restaurants within the hotels have their own identities and serve food of the highest standards to both guests and local residents.

The Rocco Forte Collection includes the Hotel de Russie in Rome, The Balmoral in Edinburgh, Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg, Hotel Amigo in Brussels, Hotel Savoy in Florence, The Lowry Hotel in Manchester, Le Richemond in Geneva, Brown’s Hotel in London, Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt, Hotel De Rome in Berlin, The Charles Hotel in Munich, The Augustine in Prague and Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily.

Among those, the one I would like to feature today is the Hotel Amigo, located next to The Grand Place in Brussels,  one of the Europe’s most beautiful squares, close to the famous Sablon antique district and a myriad restaurants and bars. The original building predates 1522 when it was bought by the city council from a wealthy merchant family and turned into a prison.

The Spanish rulers at the time mistook the Flemish for prison to mean “friend” and translated this into their own language as “Amigo“. The irony of this misunderstanding seems to have pleased the people of Brussels and the name has been retained.  The building was re-built as a hotel by the Blaton family in 1957 for the Universal Exhibition in 1958.

On January 11th 2000, the hotel was acquired by Sir Rocco Forte as part of his exclusive chain of luxury hotels in various parts of Europe. Following the purchase, the hotel has undergone a complete refurbishment restoring it to its former glory. It features fresh modern interiors whilst retaining its character and charm, making it the best luxury hotel in the city.  The redesign was overseen by the stylish eye of the renowned Olga Polizzi, Rocco Forte’s sister and the Collection’s Director of Design.

Historic artifacts displayed on the premises include canvases from famous artists such as Courtens, Dansaert and Wagemans together with paintings by the Dutch and Italian schools. Flemish wall tapestries from the 18th century and the authentic paving stones in the lobby, which were originally used in the surrounding streets, help create the special charm and character of this place.

“As with all properties in my Collection,” Rocco says, “you will find the services at the Hotel Amigo courteous, warm, friendly and efficient, with our staff ready to respond to your every need.” Having said that I decide to meet some friends who came to visit me in the city at the Amigo’s Italian restaurant Bocconi to check it out personally.

The traffic is intense, it’s the holiday season and there is no place to park. After dinner we intend to have a walk at the illuminated Grand Place. I leave my car with the superbly elegant hotel doorman.

The hallway is charming.  There is an old flair atmosphere reflected by the old tapestries, the oak furniture at the reception desk  and the aligned red velvet armchairs all resting on polished dark grey ardoise floor. I feel welcomed back into an indulgent atmosphere of a few centuries in history. The restaurant is at our left.  I am waiting for my friends who are also staying at the hotel.

The contemporary atmosphere of the main room is lively, the walls are a bright yellow, and enhanced with several black and white Fornasetti plates. Dedicated to the delights of Italian cuisine, Ristorante Bocconi has received a number of awards and rates as one of the best places to eat in Brussels.

As per suggestion of the chef Vincenzo Regina, we choose a special treat.  The new menu has been compiled in association with  Fulvio Pierangelini, the best known chef in Italy, who preaches “simplicity is the most important thing in the kitchen.”

Like so many of today’s leading chefs, Fulvio is happy to pass on his knowledge and expertise to others and acts as an art culinary advisor to the hotels of the Rocco Forte Collection. Today’s menu combines the best products from Italy and Belgium to please all lovers of fine cuisine.

After dinner I ask my friends to join me by the bar for a digestive tea and some Belgian Speculose .

A selection of tarts, waffles and miniardises (savouries) are displayed on a tray. The waiters suggests a range of fine teas from the legendary french tea house “Mariage Frères”, we ask for mulled wine, a digestif and a glass of champagne.

I can’t avoid noticing the elegant tones of greys of the pillows and their marvelous embroidery, scrupulously matched with silk upholstered sofas, the lighting fixtures, the furniture ensuring an overall  “modern-traditional”  accent.

The 194o’s look of the low chairs in black wood and cherry leather seats, the drink menu on impeccable, thick cream handmade Verge paper, cozy round  mirrored low tables, the authentic 1950′s bar built of superbly polished steel pass firmly Rocco’s family great tradition of stylish five-star comfort and excellence in the “hotel industry”.

I ask the waiter if he could introduce me the general manager of the hotel as I was interested in checking out the new 90 meter apartment for some friends. In less that 10 minutes, a young and charismatic lady comes my way with a folder in her hand and a courteous smile. Her name is Delphine de Kinder. I explain that I would like to visit the rooms and she offers personally to take my friends and me for a tour of the hotel  including the spectacular Magritte suite. The ones not presently available I could visit during the daytime tomorrow.

Delphine tells me that the Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo has been offering one of the most beautiful suite in Brussels, The Blaton Suite since its “rebirth” in 2002.  Following the success received during these years, the Hotel Amigo has desired to offer to its clients a new Suite, the sister of the Blaton Suite — more intimate, personalized with a soul. The atmosphere is truly authentic as a tiny private apartment.

The Suite pays homage to the leader of surrealism but also to one of the major artists of the XX century, René Magritte. Also focusing on an important collection of local artworks and rooms named after Belgian celebrities such as Hergé or Brel, the Hotel Amigo wants to stay close to the identity of the country.

In the meantime, my camera is wild taking close macro views on so many delicate and thoughtful details. Heart-shaped cherry flavored chocolates from  Marcolini, celebre Belgian maison of luxury goods in leather Delvaux, Belgian artists’ drawings and lithographs, beautiful artistically embroidery details on curtains, pillows, carpets and upholstered comfortable armchairs.

Delphine confides to me proudly that famous antique district Le Sablon has inspired family designer Olga Polizzi to make her selection from among the best warm colored cottons and Brussels linens

The 90 square meter Magritte Suite is situated on the third floor, offering a beautiful view over the typical Brussels’ streets and the Grand-Place.

Its large windows also ensure the suite natural light all designed and decorated with elegance. After a refurbishment, which has taken 3 months and cost 150,000 Euros, the Magritte Suite is ready to invite guests in love with refinement and coziness.

Special attention has been given to small details that make “The” difference: a selection of Magritte’s paintings, books from major writers and a bathroom with Tintin characters. The Magritte Suite’s guests can also enjoy high-speed Internet access, large flat-screen LCD televisions and DVD players in both the living room and the bedroom.

The architecture and welcoming atmosphere of the Amigo, together with its privileged position right in the heart of Brussels, the red brick façade of the hotel built in Spanish Renaissance style, fits perfectly into the architectural past and present of its surroundings.

With Christmas just around the corner, it is the moment to start planning a cozy family get together or a wonderful New Year’s Eve Dinner. I thank the sweet Delhine for her kindness and head to  Riccardo Fusari, the Head Concierge at the hotel who assures to me with elegant posture that he and his team will be able to assist — personally and with pleasure — any of my friends or guests should they make Brussels their choice for this year’s holiday season.

I am told by his attentive assistant that on 24 December, guests of the Bocconi restaurant will enjoy a sumptuous five-course dinner created by new Executive Chef, Vincenzo Regine.  For Christmas Day, leave the hard work of the festive period at home and enjoy a delicious lunch and dinner Christmas menu. (see photos in the gallery)

The New Year’s Eve will also be exclusive this year with a stunning musical programme. In the Bocconi restaurant and the prestigious “Salon Ambassadeur” guests will try the ultimate culinary experience prepared by passionate Executive Chef Vincenzo Regine while listening to Aldo Granato and his friends.

From the 21st of December to the 6th of January, Rocco Forte’s Hotel Amigo proposes to enjoy the luxury and contemporary stylish rooms at special prices, from 185 euros per room.  Or discover Brussels with its “White Chocolate Christmas Magic”, a great weekend full of surprises at only 236 euros per room, per night, all subject to availability of course. White chocolate surprises for the new year, Magritte, Delvaux shopping and relaxing views from a spacious terrace over a magnificent Market Square, protected by the world patrimony of UNESCO.

How friendly that is?  Make your plans!

Joelle’s Tips:

The hotel: Hotel Amigo Rue de l’Amigo 1 – 3, Brussels 1000, Belgium / Tel
Tel: +32 2 547 4747
Fax: +32 2 513 5277
E-mail: reservations.amigo@roccofortecollection.com

The Hospitality Group: The Rocco Forte Collection

Some photos courtesy of : The Rocco Forte Collection and Philippe Derouet

Toll Free Numbers for Reservations : France 00 800 7666 6667  Germany 00 800 7666 6667   Italy 00 800 7666 6667 Russia* +7 812 494 5759   Switzerland 00 800 7666 6667  UK 00800 7666 6667
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Rene Magritte

On June 2 2009, the Magritte Museum opened its doors to the public on the Place Royale in Brussels. The first museum of this scope devoted to one of  the best known artists of the 20th century, presents for the first time the largest collection of Magritte works in the world. This new cultural and touristic attraction in Belgium has been completed thanks to an original partnership between the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

the Magritte Foundation, the Belgian Régie des Bâtiments, the Belgian Federal Science Policy Administration, and the  GDF SUEZ Group, which completed the museum’s installation thanks to  a skill-based sponsorship unique in Belgium.

A prestigious setting for Magritte  Site work was carried out in less than one year  by GDF SUEZ teams working  alongside Belgium’s Régie des Bâtiments.

Their contribution was symbolized  by an immense canvas tarpaulin inspired by L’Empire des Lumières (Empire of  Light) that covered the building during its restoration. The Hôtel Altenloh, a neo-classical edifice located on Place Royale, was thus transformed into a contemporary museum reference.

With their modern, pedagogical treatment of the museum experience,the  Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and the Magritte Foundation   unveiled  to the public, with over 26,000 sq. ft. and five exhibition levels, the world’s largest collection of René Magritte works of art.

Two hundred and  fifty artworks and archive pieces are presented together for the first time.  They are organized and presented in a manner linking them together by different levels of chronological and thematic interpretation.

With its attachment to the prestigious ensemble of the Royal Fine Arts Museums of Belgium, the Magritte Museum has the advantage of an exceptional location in the heart of Brussels, the painter’s birthplace and the capital of Europe

The largest collection of works by René Magritte in the world  The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, with the support of the Magritte  Foundation, has the most remarkable collection of the artist’s work in the world.  Representative of René Magritte’s creative evolution, it is un-equalled in its richness.

There are numerous masterpieces, including Empire of Light (1954), The Return (1940), and Shéhérazade (1948), as well as a highly diverse range of techniques and  media (paintings, drawings, gouaches, photographs, sculptures, sundry objects, cine- ma films, posters, advertisements, etc.), with the various periods of the artist’s life fully covered.

Painter, illustrator, engraver, sculptor, photographer, film-maker, René Magritte  (1898-1967) was one of the most eminent artists of the Surrealist movement. He is considered as the most important Belgian painter of the 20thcentury.

Celebrated for his style subversive analysis of language and its conceptualization of image, René Magritte is “the man who transformed poetic images into plastic poems,” according to  Michel Draguet, Director of the Royal Fine Arts Museums of Belgium.

In the heart of Brussels, the new Magritte Museum is Belgium’s tribute to a world famous artist who spent the greater part of his life in the Belgian capital.

Magritte was not just a great painter. His multi-faceted work opens up perspectives that  the Magritte Museum will catalogue in a fascinating display .

A poet in images, Magritte continually cultivated paradox. In his work, his writings, his interviews, his photo- graphs and his correspondence, he created a world in which what is perceived is in fact an illusion, since it portrays not reality, but the conventions through which we construct “reality.”

And this intellectual painter, whose highly subversive ideas undermine  the very principle of language as a vehicle for representing reality, has himself the appearance of a very ordinary man.

Subversive, Magritte’s work advances in disguise, subtly diffusing its pathways into the unconscious, just as the man himself projects the insignificant appearance of a typical middle class stereotype.

From obviousness to mystery  Magritte constantly covered his tracks so that the image retained its capacity for surprise, transforming obviousness into mystery, revealing forcefully the impossibility that now constitutes the fate of a conscience that has reached the end of its illusions. Beginning with the illusion of modernity which Magritte, as a Dadaist, soon liquidated.

His images are effective also because it seems that all they amount to is what they lead you to see. But hidden behind the effect, a deep desire lurks to go deeply into the language, far down to its core.

It is the place where Magritte feels the vibration of nothingness where, in a same movement, any possibility of reality would cancel out and the expression, devoid of any intent to communicate, would come back to its only truth: the subject.

This is the starting point from which Magritte outlined his conception of poetry where the painted image was only a development based on other means. In a first stage, the image – inspired by the enigmatic work of Giorgio de Chirico – takes root in the depths of a psyche where the painter systematically explores its revealing objects.

Magritte would gradually release them from their expressive dimension. He erased its share of shade to make the object a fundamental idea, at first sight irrefutable.

Magritte broadly anticipated the evolution of contemporary art: the place that he assigns to the object – and which in the thirties surrealism would take over as its own – could not just be broken down into a series of facts

From the end of the twenties, Magritte was to undertake a work of deconstruction that anticipated the revolutions of post-modern thought by almost half a century. The use that someone like Foucault was to make of it resounds like a tribute.

Joelle’s Tips:

The Museum: Musee Magritte For individual visitors with tickets and groups with reservation :
1 Place Royale – 1000 Brussels
For individual visitors without tickets and groups without reservation :
3 Rue de la Régence – 1000 Brussels
Information – Contact Musee Magritte Museum / Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Rue de la Régence 3, 1000 Brussels/ Tel. : +32 2 508 32 11 / Fax : +32 2 508 32 32

Photos credits: Photo credit: Lothar Wolleh copyright   GNU Free Documentation License Wikipedia Commons / Courtesy Musee Magritte @ Herscovici / and of  UK  Guardian John Thys/AFP/Getty Image

The house I visited this week and its contents were bequeathed to a private foundation in 1970, and subsequently made available to the general public as a museum. While we walk around I will give you an overview of the story behind this remarkable couple.

David Van Buuren was born in Gouda, Holland, in 1886. He settled down in Brussels in 1909 and entered the banking sector. During his financial career, there were great political and economic events of the 20th century. He married the Belgian Alice Piette (1890-1973) and began a period of 30 happy years with the cultural vocation of their Art Deco house.

The house, bought in 1928, has a outdoor architecture typical of the Amsterdam School, while the indoor decoration characterizes an “Art Deco” whole by Belgian, French and Dutch designers. The Van Buurens made their villa a “living academy”, with rare furniture, carpets, stained-glass windows, sculptures and international masterpieces. This “private memory house” became a museum in 1975 according to the will of Alice Van Buuren.

From 1928 to 1970 the house became a “Salon” as in the 18th century. People such as Dufy, Prévert, Lalique, Diaghilev, Satie,Magritte, Chanel, Ben Gourion, and many other VIP’s of that time were regular visitors.

The famous “Salon” consisted of three enchanting  living rooms opening one onto other, with Art Deco furniture made of exotic woods (sycamore, Macassar’s ebony), as in the central part, the music lounge. Van Buuren sponsored several charities and cultural activities which Alice continued until their Private Foundation in 1970, to which she bequeathed her house, works of art and gardens.

The “modern idea” of the owners, which summarizes the “avant-gardisme” of the Twenties, is a triumph of harmony between furniture and “objets d’art”. The cozy-corner, 1918 armchairs by Dominique, cushions by Sonia Delaunay, carpets of cubist style by J. Gidding.  A wealth of rich and unusual materials perfect in their detail:

Horsehair from the Cavalry school of Saumur, Cordovan leather, parchment, metal, mother of pearl, ivory, enamels. The light floods through the huge windows in their picture-like frames, bringing to life the colors of objects, paintings and carpets.

On the floor of this cozy corner, one can admire the stunning a carpet “Futurist painting” by Jaap Gidding, dating around 1915. This designer of the Amsterdam School uses different creative skills, and made stained-glass windows as well as several carpets of the house, finding his inspiration in the undulating shape and the vivid colors of the young lady painted by Van Dongen, following the idea of Matisse and the Fauvist.

On their return, Alice became the first curator of her collection, and took in hand the gardens with René Pechère, a landscape designer. She continued the sponsoring activities of her husband, helping artists, ceramists, sculptors, dancers, opera singers and scientific researchers. She also became closer to the Royal family, especially Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, and together they met in her house with young winners of the famous musical competition. The house seemed to live in the spirit of the Twenties, round Eric Satie’s piano.

David and Alice traveled a lot after World War II. Van Buuren took overseas the most famous Belgian paintings of his collection (and this explains the present success of James Ensor or G. Minne in the U.S.). Alice became vice-president of the YWCA and gave her financial help to the Queen Elisabeth Archeological Institute of Jerusalem, where she financed the building of Collegium Fabiolanum. Golda Meir, Ben Gourion, Shimon Peres, Moshe Dayan and Itzaak Rabin often visited the villa which interested political and military events of the Middle East between 1960 and 1970.

We are now going to the first floor. The mezzanine has beautiful 1928 paneling in ornamental Japanese style lacquer with Dutch geometrical design. These are by the artist Dominique, 1928. A 1898  bronze sculpture “Kneeling Man” by  Georges Minne, looks at the crowd from the first stairway steps, Art Deco stained glass windows and Chinese cloisonné vases decorate the hallway.

We arrive in a very elegant room. It’s here where David Van Buuren used to work, the desk in a combination of rosewood and walnut, made in 1928 by Dominique from a Van Buuren sketch. It brings together in the center of a walnut top a writing pad covered in shagreen, a precious material of the Art Deco period made of white shark’s skin.

The design of the carpets by J. Gidding follows the theme found in the furniture. Partner-Manager at the Cassel Bank & Co, he taught financial deontology at the Free University of Brussels. On left the wall “The Torrent”, by H. Seghers, 17th century.

The modern collection of paintings has a variety of portraits that Van Buuren particularly appreciated. As a pastime he attended The Art Academy of Antwerp and knew personally painters such as Kees Van Dongen, or C. Permeke, from whom he bought paintings.

“Woman Thinking” by K.Van Dongen is the portrait of the painter’s wife, and it sensual qualities make it comparable to the “Red Ballerina” (1907-1908), an oil painting at the Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg.

In 1924 the gardens covered only 26 ares (100 m²), and now cover 1,5 ha. There is great harmony of style and time between the J Buyssens’s garden and the Art Deco house. 45 years later, Alice considered René Pechère’s gardens as a complement of her villa.

The actual garden is made of the “Picturesque Garden”, “The Labyrinth”, and “The Garden of the Heart”. “Picturesque Garden” was designed by Jules Buyssens, a landscape architect, in the twenties, and represents the geometrical ideas of Art Deco. This jewel of greenery in the center of Brussels can be visited all year round. René Pechère transformed the Art Deco gardens into a landscape garden (1968-1970).

Specialist in the protection of historical patrimony, he created 900 public and private gardens. His “Labyrinth” or “Dedalus” – the name of Icarus’ father – has an itinerary with 1300 yew trees on 500 m, where “The Song of Songs” is illustrated by 7 sculptures in bronze made by the Belgian André Willequet. There are only 2 mazes in Belgium.

The maze of René Pechère was made in 5 months (1968) and evokes the shelter of the Minotaur, from where Icarus and Dedalus escaped thanks to Ariadne’s help. Open air exhibitions of contemporary sculptures are organized in the orchard. Since 1991, there have been 3 Triennial Prize Exhibitions of sculpture. This year 2000 there will be an exhibition of Sculptures by Olivier Strebelle in the park. From 2002 the Sculpture Exhibition will take place every two years as in the past.

The “Garden of the Heart” was conceived in 1970 on a small area of 2.5 and is made of yew trees and boxwood, representing 12 little hearts with a heart-shaped hedge around.This ” secret garden “, according to René Pechère, gives the romantic touch to the enclosure, intended for private meditation and dream.

Joelle’s Tips:

The Museum: Van Buuren 41 Léo Errera Avenue 1180-Brussels /Tel : + 32 2 343 48 51 Fax: + 32 2 347 66 89

Originally attached to the Brussels Royal Music Conservatory with the didactic purpose of showing early instruments to students, the MIM collection was created in 1877 with a collection of a hundred Indian instruments given to King Leopold II of Belgium by Rajah Sourindro Mohun Tagore in 1876 and the collection of the celebrated Belgian musicologist François-Joseph Fétis, purchased by the Belgian government in 1872 and put on deposit in the Conservatory, where Fétis was the first director.

Its first curator, Victor-Charles Mahillon, greatly expanded the already impressive collection so that, by the time of his death in 1924, the MIM consisted of some 3,666 articles, among which 3,177 were original musical instruments. He was noted of his astute judgments in obtaining these large augmentations by calling on philanthropists, mixing with erudite amateurs who sometimes became generous donors, and through friendly relations with Belgian diplomats in foreign posts, who sometimes brought back instruments from beyond Europe.

The museum’s current location, as of 2000, is in the former Old England department store, built in 1899 by Paul Saintenoy out of girded steel and glass in the Art Nouveau style as well as an eighteenth century neo-classic building designed by Barnabé Guimard. The former Old England was bought in 1978 , to be completely redeveloped to house the exhibition rooms, the reserve and the administration of the MIM. It is today without exceptions one of the most beautiful buildings in the city of Brussels.

I arrive running , escaping form a harsh and cold rain into the beautiful mosaic floored entrance. I tale my coat off, show my invitation letter from mr. Damien Filippi director of the press and public relations of the museum and a lady with white hair hands in my hands a headset asking me what language I speak. I ask myself why since it’s all music and no talking….Maybe because they say the language of music  is universal and knows no frontiers…Anyways,

With a large and a little ironic smile she tells me that it would be sad to see the instruments without hearing them ” The different themes of the exhibitions are illustrated by listening to works related to the instruments ob display. By means of these  infra-red head-phones, mademoiselle, you will be able to listen to about two hundred musical extracts, from Ancient Greece to the music of Varese of the middle of the 2o th Century. ” I wander why the lady asked the language questions if the headphones are only about music.

Without waiting for the answer I am set and very exited, I am ready to head to enter the magnificent Art Nouveau style elevator. The exhibition area has been arranged into an attractive path divided into ninety-odd themes over the four floors of the building reserved to visitors. Each floor is centered on a particular section: the ground floor shows popular instruments,from Belgium and Europe as well as extra-European instruments.

The first floor gives an historical tour, from antiquity to the 20th century: the second floor is presented more systematically showing the development of keyboard instruments. The basement shows the mechanical instruments,  20th century instruments and bells. In all about 1500 instruments are shown and more that 700 documents add to the information given on information boards available for visitors near each floor entrance.

I am listening with attention to the old lady’s  the last instructions: If I desire to listen to the music of a specific instrument  I will be required  to step on a small icon representing the headphones on the floor just in front of the exhibited  instrument. I have no words to describe that I feel just like a kid in front of wonderland of magical dreams.

And having said that I would like to offer you a seat  into of this musical voyage where I am sharing the  history and description of  instruments  from close and distant lands, that most touch my psyche.

The beauty of their craftsmanship of which I have always been sensitive to, and the harmony and purity of their sounds, evoke withing my spirit an unexplained  memory of a past aristocratic or a maybe a roundabout  gypsy life, translated today in vivid and colorful emotions into my present existence . I truly hope you’ll  enjoy the ride and suggest if you are in Brussels to do the same.

European Folk Instruments

There are some 270 instruments on display in this section all of them were part of the musical part of the common people. During the 1960, different regions in Europe started to become interested in their own musical traditions. It was above all in the Anglo-Saxon countries, as well as countries with Celtic heritage, that this tendency found an echo.  But formulating such a category ( Folk)  is somehow artificial as it is very difficult to draw a distinct line in music between Asia and Europe or the Caucaus, which are generally included in Asia, are real unifying forces between the musical cultures of the East and West.

This is the reason why they are all in the same floor. It would be though be true to say that the Folk often tend to keep instruments, or tend to enjoy types of music long after they have gone out of fashion in more elite circles. In other words bagpipes, -gurdies, lutes ( my favorites) and fiddles were once also heard in houses of the aristocracy.

Lutes and Fiddles, the journey form Asia to Europe

Much of the European richness of Folk instruments, giving honor where honor is due, is owed to the East.

Prior to the 8th century Europe would have probably  known small flutes, horns,trumpets and  without a neck such as harps and lyres.  Plucked stringed instruments on which the strings were held down and which had a neck extending from the sound box, ex the lute family,in the largest sense,were first seen more than 4.00 years ago with the Semites in Syria. These instruments reached the Mediterranean.

However they only really became established in Europe by the 8th century, thanks to contact with the Byzantine and Moorish cultures. The Lute family is divided in two main groups: The short necked lute and the long-necked one. The short necked derived form the Arab ud, played an important part in popular music during the Middle Ages, particularly in Western Europe.

Bu the Renaissance, however it had become a symbol of the bourgeoisie.The Romanian and Moldavian cobza is the only short-necked lute to have maintained a place in popular European music.

Different types of stringed Instruments

The Pluked Dulcimer: Probably coming from Scandinavia, in certain regions of Europe, it was  the only folk instrument played by women and young girls. This was associated mainly with the family and the home. It can be found in a large range of sizes and shapes.

Being quite a primitive instrument, the body is a rough is roughly fashioned from a single block of wood with two series of strings stretched to the length of the body. The Hungarian citera has often a second range of strings. Usually played on the knees or on a table with the fingers.

Similar stringed instruments are the tar a medieval fiddle survived mainly in the Balkans and the Greek islands since the 16 century and replaced by the violin, which is still one of the favorite instruments of the village musicians.The Russian psaltery, the gusli, the crwth, a type of welsh lyre.

The gardon which is often in the shape of a cello,is only played in Hungarian  Szekely community

The accordion:  a new comer

At the end of the 18th century musicians and physicians were fascinated by far Eastern mouth -organs. Like the Chinese cheng or the Japanese sho. From these curiosities a whole new family of free reed instruments was crated in the first decade of the 19th century. The free reed consists of a metal tongue in a frame which allows it to vibrate when blown. Their air source can be from a human mouth ( The harmonica) or a bellows ( the harmonium).

In 1829 the accordion was patented by a Viennese builder named Zynl Demian: It was the first accordion that had both melodic keys and keys that played chords. Between 1830 and 1860 Paris was the center of accordion making. In this period they were made by hand from sophisticated materials. They were exclusively for the wealthy classes.

At the end of the 19 century especially in Italy and Germany mass production was undertaken, The resulting drop in price took place as well as the possibility to play melodies harmonies bass lines and rhythms on an instrument requiring virtually no tuning or maintenance contributed to the instrument’s popularity, and it came to be used by the folk musicians throughout Europe, except in the Ottoman Empire.

The Hurdy-Gurdy : an instrument played by beggars and the blind.

Already in the 13th century, the Flemish author Jacob van Maerlant mentioned the hurdy-gundy in his Trojaenshe Oolog.

The first representation sof this instrument also dates form this period, but it was principally between the 16th and the 18th century that the hurdy-gundy took its place in folk music.

It consists of a sound box on which is fixed a rectangular key-box. It contains one of two sets of keys that slide fro back to front. Placed at right angle to their end are tangents that shorten the melodic string.

After having been touched and released, the key automatically returns to its initial position due to the instrument’s oblique playing position and helped by the string’s vibration. The instrument was often used by blind beggars. Hurdy-gurdy were rarely equipped with trompette, because of this many players were accompanied by a small boy playing a triangle to mark the rhythm.

Two Bass Viols

The  two exceptional  bass viols in the hall are first and foremost instruments sumptuously decorated.  The instruments attributed to Capar Tieffenbruker have a historical importance. The viol was apparently assembled for a collector at the beginning of the 19 century, from pieces of old instruments.The marvelous decoration represents a map of Paris in marquetry on the back of the instrument.

The second ( photo above) is not only a collectors’s object, but is also playable. Tielke ( 1641-1719) is considered to be the most famous viol maker of his time. His instruments,ofter magnificently decorated, are renowned for the quality of their sound.

Northern Italy Violins

From the end of the Middle Ages, the ring of the cities around the Alps played a dominant role in the development of instrumental music. Initially the main activity was that of the musicians of Southern Germany, whereas in the 16 th century, the itinerant and town musicians of Italy, especially in the regions from Milan and Venice, had more influence. Venice itself, thanks to its great period of political and economic stability and prosperity attracted musicians and instrument builders from far and wide, becoming the most important musical center of all times

Many musicians, mainly violinist, came from Lombardy and the westermost cities of the Venetian Republic. Some of them like Cicilianos, and the Linarollos, were string instrment makers.At the end of the 16 th century. when the lute builders started to make violins,the Italian violin began to acquire its legendary stature. It was above Cremona, a little town in the Po valley, that became renowned with makers such as the Amati family, the Stradivarius family and the Guarneri del Gesu.

Even before the 16th century it was played in churches, often with the organ. From Italy comes the Baroque repertoire of concertos sonatas, which was developed by composers like Corelli and Vivaldi.

Horns and Trumpets: Instruments  for calling and for magic

Blowing into an animal horn, or into a shell belongs to the very earliest of human mystical experiences.The horns and the trumpets are also often made from a slender trunk. From the Bronze age onwards metal was also used to make horns and trumpets.

Horns and trumpets were used as calling instruments.They were a major means of communication by shepherds, particularly in mountainous regions. The spectacular is the most well-known example, but it s by no means the only one. Horns and trumpets had a similar function in the Carpathian mountains-the Romanian tribita and bucium are good examples too.

Their raucous , strident sounds were intended both to galvanize the soldiers into action and to scare off the enemy. In addition they were supposed to chase away evil spirits. Blowing  horns and trumpets was also a way of breathing new life into nature. The midwinterhoorn, which can still be heard at advent in Twente in the Netherlands, undoubtedly has a similar magical origin. The Shofar is a horn, traditionally that of a ram and since  biblical times, the Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur worldwide.

The Bagpipe: Instrument of shepherds and dancers

Beginning of the 13 century, written sources such as Cleomades, of Adenet le roi spoke of the bagpipe in the Southern Low Countries. We see it first in pastoral scenes,but in the 15 century onwards it was shown being used in secular festivities such as wedding celebrations. One of the most intriguing instruments of history,  it is made of the following parts: goatskin bag, or made of an animal’s bladder, renewed, blowpipe, chanter,two drones and three stocks connected to the reservoir.

The pipes are turned from different kinds of wood, the horn is reinforced by a ring of animal horn and brass. They can be found in Germany, British Isles and Spain. I had fun taking pictures of the two most original ones..have a look above!

Different types of drums and tambours

There are four principal types of European drum, categorized by their different forms: Goblet-shaped, or built on a frame. The most common type is cylindrical, as in the side drum. the snare drum or the bass drum. Goblet-shaped drums are usually made in pottery.

These are bowl shaped kettle drums are mainly used in the Caucasus, in Turkey and i the Balkan regions. But frame drums are found throughout Europe, and are possibly of prehistorical origins. Thy are usually round and are often fitted with jingles or small bells. The tambourine is the most common example.

Instruments form Outside Europe: Stringed Instruments in the Indian Sub-Continent

The rich history of this ancient part of the world can be seen reflected in the incredible variety of stringed instruments still in use there.

Both in the music of the people and in the highly sophisticate music of the upper classes. For a Westener, the most striking phenomenon is that many instruments have sympathetic strings. These vibrate freely, in resonance with the strings which are plucked or bowed by the player.

In India there is a clear distinction between Hindustani music in the North and Carnatic music in the South.

The Hindustani tradition comes principally from the Muslim culture. brought by successive invaders from the West. The sitar and the tabla are the principal instruments of the North. The sitar is probably the invention of the 17th century Amir Khusrau of Delhi,  but confusion with the name of a famous poet led players to claim that the instrument had its origin in the 12th century.

The sitar is usually played with the tabla and a drone instrument, the tambura; they are also used to accompany dances. The surbahar is a larger sitar, sounding at a lower pitch. In North Ind, instruments had an important part to play in the classical vocal tradition.

The khyal is one of the vocal styles, performed in princely courts since the 19 century.The singer is accompanied by two sarangi a tabla, and one tambura.

The most widespread instrument on the sub-continent is the ektara. It is a single-stringed spike lute with a gourd resonator and is used above all wandering mendicant monks.

Ritual music in Tibetan monasteries

There is something fascinating in the music of Tibetan monks. This may be because of the geographical situation of Tibet and its political isolation.

The roof of the world is about 4,000 meters above sea level. Since 1957 the spiritual head of the country, the Dalai Lama, has lived in exile in India.The Tibetan monks use the dung chen ( long trumpets) only for open-air ceremonies,where they dialogue with the rgya gling ( oboe).

The dung chen essentially come in two sizes 170 to 180cm or 310 cm. A few examples are even longer than four meters. The monks play long sounds linked by a sort of glissando.

The oboe players also use as is frequently the case in Eastern countries, circular breathing. Other instruments, such as the gandi ( woodblock), the’ kharrnga and the dung dkar ( conches) are used to summon the members of religious communities.

To mark the time in a piece of music, the monks use a rnga ( frame drum) and three sorts of cymbal: sbub-chal, sil nyan and ting shang. Many drums are often used to meet with thirty or forty at the same time.Their role is giving musical pulsation 9 metronome0 is usually given to young monks.

Finally there is a whole series of purely ritual objecs like the dril bu and the gsang ( hand bells), the damaru ( drum in the form of hourgalss) and the rkang gling ( short trumpet made of human bone or metal).

They are often represented as attribute of spiritual masters, divinities or even certain Buddhas.

Ritual music in Chinese Temples

The groups of stone sticks ( lithophones) and bronze bells are part of a long tradition. Qing ( separate resonant stones)and zhong ( bronze bells ) already existed under the Shang dynasty (1766-1122 B.C).

The examples found in the museums date from the end of the 19th century.

The biangzhong has sixteen bells and it is placed on the east side of every Confucian temple. The bianquing is placed on the west side so that the two instruments can dialogue.

The ritual temple music also calls for several types of flutes.

Serpent Chandelier

This exquisite and peculiar chandelier is made of serpent and it comes from the brass band of the belgian town of Puurs, where it was indeed used as a chandelier before the MIM purchased it.

The serpents date from the end of the 18th century and the beginning og the 19th century. Before their new life as a chandelier, they were used as a bass instrument in bands or to accompany church music. The sun and the crescent formed part of the Turkish crescent around which the chandelier is made.( Photo below close to harps)

Lyre Piano

The lyre piano derives its name from its case in the form of a giant lyre. It is in fact, a grand piano placed vertically on a stand. This quite peculiar model of vertical piano, which seems specific to Berlin,

was apparently invented by a builder named Syling, active in Berlin during the first years of the 19th century, it was built on a limited number rivalling other instruments like the giraffe and the pyramid piano

Strings and Keyboards :Harps

In Western Europe the harp developed from the small instrument of the troubadours to become the large orchestral instrument,while keeping its role as an accompanying instrument.

In the 16th century the musical potential of the portable instrument, on which each string could only produce a single note, began to seem insufficient in the light of the increasing importance of instrumental music.

The delicate tuning necessary on certain strings to enable the instrument to play in a variety of keys was made easier by the addition of hooks on the neck. The harp enjoyed a huge success in the second half of the 18th century particularly in France where it became the darling of the aristocracy.

Harpsichords

The clavichord appeared in the early 15th century. This small an expressive instrument is usually built in a rectangular shape.The stings are struck by small metal blades called tangents. the action allows the player to give much dynamic expression and also use a sort of vibrato which the German call Bebung.

John Sebastian Bach wrote many pieces for this instrument.  for example wrote 550 sonatas for this instrument. A symbol of aristocracy and rich bourgeoisie, the harpsichord was a luxurious piece of furniture often seen depicted in sumptuous decorations by famous painters or precious ornaments

The harpsichord was one of the favorite instruments in the Renaissance and Baroque period. It was used as a solo instrument, as well as in the orchestra , the opera and in chamber music. it repertoire is very large, from suites to toccatas, sonatas to concertos.

Most composers, including Girolano Frescobaldi, Francois Couperin, Henry Purcell,or  wrote many pieces for this instrument.

The Italian School

The Italian have gracious forms.The lid and exterior of the outer case were painted. Often ivory buttons were placed on the side of the case or on the name board.

The Flemisch School

From he 17 century the role of Antwerp became predominant because of the resown of the prestigious Ruckers dynasty. It can be differentiated from the Italian by its heavier form and more robust construction.

The decorations were also different, the outside case is often painted in imitation marble while the inside surfaces were ornamented with printed paper with patterns taken from  Renaissance books. The interior lid were covered with paper imitating wood, enhanced with Latin sentences, either of a religious nature,or relating to bourgeois morality.The soundboard is painted with flowers, leaves,fruits and birds.

Other European Schools

Although the Flemish school was considerable in Europe, other European schools have their  specific characteristics. For several centuries they kept their simplicity.

Different Types of Piano

From the early 1720s some piano makers began to place the piano action in a rectangular case, similar to that of the clavichord. The manufacture of upright pianos, in the present sense of the word, did not begin until 1810 although the idea of the vertical piano goes back to the beginning of the 18th century.

Manufacturers came with all sorts of original,  and totally fanciful ideas, which showed real inventiveness- the cabinet pianos, the pyramid piano, the giraffe piano. the lyre piano, the dog Kennel piano ot the console piano.in 1850 onwards the industrialization of certain manufacturers led to an increased standardization of models.

Only the upright piano and the grand piano have surived to our days.

Electronic sound generation

Each new electronic instrument represents a phase in the development of sounds generators towards the mastering of the acustic spectrum.Before the First World War the differential sound between a fixed and moveable frequency was often used. This is the technique used by the Ondes Martenot (e 1928) and by the theremin( 1929) .Electronic studios hardly appeared after Second World War.

The commercially produced synthesizers of the 1960s and 1970s made the techniques of electronic music easily available to a large public.

“The instruments which engineers must bring to perfection in collaboration with musicians will make all sounds available for use…We may say that such a rich diversity of timbers has heretofore been non-existent. The intensities are hardly variable. Thanks to the mechanical system we may indulge in endless dreams of both timbre and intensity..” ( Edgar Varese, 1930)

Joelle’s Tips:

Th Museum : MIM mim / Musical Instruments Museum / Av Montagne de la Cour 2 B-1000 Brussels

Museum opening hours Tuesday – Friday: 9.30 a.m. – 4.45 p.m. / Saturday & Sunday: 10.00 a.m. – 4.45 p.m.

Photos of Old England building credits:  Photoguide Farm Static

Dancers:  Dvorana Travel Swiss horn player : Eye Fetch Man Playing Badgepipe / Man Playing Badgepipe / Shofar : Tam Tam for Peace

In circular room containing an enormous red dome , perhaps the most dramatic space in the Kanaal “At the edge of the world” a permanent installation by Anish Kapoor. It is a space for contemplation and peace of mind. This extraordinary installation  is tucked away in a purpose-built outhouse at a warehouse complex owned by Belgian ‘s most successful antiques dealer,  Axel Vervoordt. is this old circular brew house.

The influential tastemaker’s latest project is Axel Vervoordt Kanaal a circa-1860 former granary and brewery that sells the castle’s over- flow — Italian Renaissance bronzes, 18th-century English furniture, modern paintings — and doubles as a performance space for artists and musicians.

The ever-expanding activities, the increasing inventory, with more than 13.000 items in stock, and a lack of space at the castle for showing many over-sized objects, led Axel Vervoordt to look for an additional site. The old malting complex at Wijnegem was the ideal place to realize his ideas.

There he could use his expertise to recycle the past and re-evaluate the architectural significance of an old industrial site, while creating a stepping-stone to the 21st century. Kanaal houses showrooms, exhibition spaces, a museum and facilities for a range of other artistic activities.

Vervoordt’s story is as remarkable as his collection. He has been rapaciously amassing art and artifacts since his schooldays, when, visiting England with his father during the holidays, he would hunt for collectibles and bring them back to the city of Antwerp.

Mere mortals, meanwhile, can get a glimpse of Vervoordt’s collection year-round. It’s an artfully designed, theatrical space – more gallery than showroom – where you can walk away with a vintage vase-cum-lamp for us $ 400. Amid the warren of corridors and halls, you’ll spy a 13th-century Chinese statue of a priest meditating, a ritual axe from Ecuador or an abstract painting by one of Belgium’s best 20th-century artists. Covered sofas and coffee tables, many designed by May, are everywhere.

As a connection between the warehouse and the workshop, there is an impressive corridor featuring bare brick walls and concrete floors. It used to contain all kind of machinery and continues straight to the waterline of the canal. Hidden in the heart of Kanaal two large storage rooms contain over a 1000 pieces ranging from mantelpieces to wooden paneling, an inexhaustible source of treasures awaiting their rightful destination. A was newly built in order to join the office building to the monumental “Karnak“.

Column Hall or Karnak ( Office Building )

This vast hall of columns was named after the Karnak temple because of it’s remarkable resemblance and spiritual atmosphere. It houses a permanent exposition of the private collection, such as Thai sculptures and Buddha-torsos.  In the midst a forest of pillars in the building’s cement grain dryer  he installed his collection of Mon Dvaravati statues made between the 6th and 8th centuries by Indian monks who brought Zen Buddhism to Thailand. “It’s a challenging new context in which to reconsider these spare exercises in form from an earlier age and a different culture,” he notes

Corridor

When entering the ‘Kanaal’ this corridor immediately sets the industrial atmosphere of bare walls and high ceilings. The reception, logistics department, conference room , Boris’ office and Karnak are directly accessible via the corridor.

Boris Verdvo0rdt Office

With its old brick walls, barrelled ceilings, concrete floor and arched windows; the office has an authentic industrial feel. Situated on the axis between the end of the entrance alley and the high silos towering over the Kanaal complex.

Main Building – Gound Floor Central

The few pieces presented here are highlighted by a rather dramatic lighting. The white walls and high ceilings create the perfect environment for exhibiting antique garden statuary, massive stone tables, or even a collection of French stone masterproofs…

Main Building and Photostudio

Apart from antique furniture and objects, they also have a wide selection of antique building materials, such as mantelpieces, wooden paneling, parquets etc. This room is often used to display antique panelings.

Newly purchased items are immediately sent to the photo studio. Each of the 250 pieces that arrive here monthly have at least 3 pictures taken from different angles, they are also weighed, measured and labeled.

Main Building- 1st Floor Central

The first floor central is a perfect example for our eclectic style, mixing very different pieces in perfect harmony. The extreme simplicity of the rough concrete floor and dark grey walls create a spacious “loft” environment.

Light is everywhere and the architect home collection of daybeds, slipcovers, chairs and upholstered sofas all in white is superb and very comfortable.

Main Building kitchen

Tripped bare brick walls, old and withered, some of the paint remains might even date from the construction of the building in 1860.

The furniture exhibited in the kitchen is mostly rather simple and quite rustic.

Main Building Brown Room

After passing the meditation room, containing mostly English mahogany furniture, we continuously try to recreate the atmosphere of a gentleman’s office in this exhibition room.

Main building Casebere

Together with the grey room,  and near the kitchen, this room is named after the New-York based photographer James Casebere, this room features one of the artist’s works entitled “Two Tunnels”.This sober room presents mainly architectural Italian walnut furniture.

Loft (Main building Second Floor)

With its original arched windows, concrete floors and iron columns, the room presents pieces from our home collection, which have been designed by Axel Vervoordt himself.

Studio (Main Building Second Floor )

The impressive iron roof construction is the first thing that meets the eye when you enter this enormous space. The original arched windows offer the most beautiful view on the Albert Canal.

Central (Main Building – Second Floor)

Set between the red room and the studio, this L-shaped room is usually used to present charming “mountain” furniture.

Main Building – Third Floor- Upholstery Studio

Our upholstering studio, offers a wide range of natural fabrics used for the upholstering of antique chairs or sofas as well as for models from our Home collection.

Main Building -Third Floor- Modern Selection –

Situated on the top floor, this spacious, sun-drenched room overlooks the canal.
Here, surrounded by our most beautiful creations in home furnishings, our people give life to the home-collection every day. Many of which, brightly colored and Deco-styled, seem to come out from a Magritte painting.

The story begins with Vervoordt’s family history, and how he started buying and selling antiques when he was a student. As a young adult, he bought and restored a 16th-century house in the center of Antwerp. When numerous admiring clients asked him to do the same, he fell into decorating. Now, with a staff of 100, he personally supervises between 12 and 20 interior design commissions a year for a variety of royalty, pop stars, museums, bankers, collectors and musicians.

Though the Vervoordt castle and Kanaal are two entirely different buildings, some of the spaces and the way they are arranged with furniture, art or objects look very similar at the hands of Vervoordt. When Vervoordt decided to buy the Kanaal, a complex of warehouses, grain silos and a large round building, he wanted a truly minimalist environment where he could exercise his vision of “limitless spatial purity.” By stripping the buildings down to the bare wooden board or cement floors and exposed brick or whitewashed-cement block walls, Vervoordt hopes to show “how we might wish to live in the 21st century.”

Not only is the variety of the antiques and art that he offers awe-inspiring but so too is his philosophy. “I consider myself a very eclectic collector and dealer. I treasure the timeless and disdain the trendy,” states Vervoordt. “My taste spans centuries, continents and economic strata. I love the tension between different object and different cultures.” Two elaborate silver candelabra “taken away from some princely 18th-century dining table become not table decoration, not emblems of wealth and power, but strange and beautiful abstract objects,” he  writes in one of his  publications.

It embodies Vervoordt’s raison d’etre: “My task .. has been to rediscover works of art, to save them for the future, to reveal them for what they are, to show them at their best, to give them a better place in the world—and, perhaps, by doing this, to create harmony and find new ways of expressing the inner life.”

Joelle’s Tips:

The antique dealer ans architect: Axel Vervoordt

The Complex:  Kanaal, Stokerijstraat 19, Wijnegem / Tel  00 32 3 355 3300, Thursday, Friday 2-6pm, Saturday 11am-6pm.

Sources: Antwerp: Great away days  By Julia Davis / the Indipendent

Photo credit of Antwerp house:  Hotel Belgium Photoguide Used with the permission of www.hotels-belgium , www.trabel.com & www.arakea.com’. Alle rights reserved