Intoxicating Orchids

Notes

In the summer of 2003 I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a month composing at the La Mortella gardens on the Italian island of Ischia. This is where William Walton lived, and whilst he composed, his wife, Lady Susana, created a wonderful tropical garden, built into a volcanic cliff face. Whilst there I became addicted to the scent of the Acineta Superba orchid, which I was compelled to visit several times a day. The scent of one particular orchid had me utterly intrigued: how could a smell be so complex, so difficult to fathom, so intoxicating? And this got me thinking about parallels with music…

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