Baetulo

Roman Festival, Badalona 2016

The city of Baetulo was founded by the Romans during the first decades of the 1st century BCE and lasted until the late 6th century CE. Set on a hill, it was one of the first settlements of the Hispania Tarraconensis.

Badalona Museum: Roman Baths & Decumanus.

Underneath the museum there are 3,400m2 of Roman ruins, an exceptional display not only for its size, but also for te spectacular character of some of the pieces and their innovative presentation. It includes the original Roman baths and main streets near the Forum during its halcyon days, when the empire was under the rule of Augustus (27BCE - 14CE).

 House of the Dolphins: This is a Domus, or well-to-do household of the late 1st century CE set in the high part of Baetulo. It is a clear example of domestic architecture in Roman times, and the only house with these characteristics that has been made into a museum in Catalonia. Most noteworthy are the mosaics, of the highest quality and the remains of the original murals.

Quint Licini's Garden: Theseare the remains of a pond or pool in the garden of a house in Baetulo built towards the end of the first century CE which in all likelihood belonged to the patrician Quint Licini. It showcases unique pieces, such as the marble oscillum.

 Roman Museum, Premia del Mar

Mare nostrum: Beach shot from Premia del Mar with Montjuic (Jupiter's Mountain) and Barcelona visible in the distance.

The Kithara of Classical Antiquity By Michael Levy

Michael Levy's most authentic 

"musical adventure in time travel" yet!

Review

"The Kithara of Classical Antiquity" seems to have a different kind of vibe to Michael Levy's other records. The most immediately recognisable difference is that this is the first record which he sings on, using minimalist vocals and strummed intros which work well to highlight the melody of each track. The vocals don't take over, leaving the lyre itself always centre piece. These vocal intros give the record a feeling of being one long performance, instead of individual tracks, a feeling which becomes more apparent and mesmerising upon repeated listens and indeed when played in random order.

One of the true delights is that there are some very nice double hand picking sections throughout, and having been playing the lyre myself for a while now I can further appreciate the skill needed to play these pieces. The fact that Michael is using an expertly handcrafted Kithara makes this perhaps his most authentically "Greek" record yet, with some class whammy guitar effects spread throughout.

Stand out tracks include "The Death of Agamemnon" which evokes an appropriately mournful feeling and opener "Odysseus and the Sirens" which combined with its oceanic backing and variety of techniques is a piece one simply never tires of listening to.

In short, this would serve as the best introduction yet to one of today's most distinct musical artists.

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