Alessandro has certain routines he follows before concerts that help him prepare emotionally and spiritually for his musical performances. For example, he always eats chicken curry, which he enjoys for its aroma and taste. He finds the curry soothing and sees it as a connection to his origins in Southern Italy. He then takes a taxi to the concert venue rather than using his limousine, as it allows him to relax and mentally review the music. While he was late to the stage on this occasion, he is usually able to calm himself in the taxi. He also keeps his bow tie undone until one minute before the concert starts, though this habit has never been noticed until today.

1. Q1 bullet point 1 wagoll
TV Interview (immediately after incident)
B1: eccentric = behaviour
is odd at times. Right?
1.Chicken curry – routine
2.Taxi (humble origins S. Italy – olives) – even though
chauffeur + limousine
3.Close eyes in moments of stress – calm
4.Throws door open/late – loud
5.Bow ties stays undone until one min before concert starts
Learns music by heart (add to 3)
Interviewer: Some people say you are an eccentric man…
Alessandro: I am not sure that I am eccentric – perhaps it is just my manner or my devotion to the
music that gives that impression. It is true that I have my routines that normally bring me good luck
and prepare me emotionally and spiritually for the musical journey. For example, I always eat a curry
and it is always a chicken one. Without fail. I then travel to the concert in a taxi. This isn’t because it is
the most convenient method of transport but because it reminds me of where I am from. As I journey
to the concert, I remember growing up in Southern Italy under the shady olive groves and I feel at
peace. I don’t find the same thing happens when I use my chauffeur and limousine. Even if I am late, as
I was today, then I can always relax in a taxi and go through the music in my head – I never use the
music you see. The entrance to the stage today was a little louder than I intended but, at the same
time, the conductor is the most important person in the room so people should be waiting and
watching anyway! Having said that, until today my little bow tie trick has never been noticed as I don’t
like to do it up until exactly one before we start.
Q2a - wagoll
The general effect of the language used to describe Alessandro’s enjoyment of the curry makes it
sound heavenly and delicious. The writer says that the curry has an ‘aroma that tickles his nostrils’.
The verb ‘tickles’ means to almost tease and lightly touch and the use of this with the use of
personification implies that the smell of the curry is almost tempting him and seducing him before he
eats it. This is also reflected when he writer describes the curry as ‘tempt[ing] his taste buds’. The
verb ‘tempt’ means to encourage someone to do something that they might not want to do and in this
way the curry is so good that he might not want to eat it but he cannot resist it because it is ‘heavenly’
and ‘perfection’. All of the senses seem to be described and the writer says that the ‘chillies excite all
the senses’. The verb ‘excite’ means, in this case, to bring joy or happiness and almost to bring alive. It
is as if this food, and the use of the personification, bring Alessandro alive. The heat of the chilli is not
unpleasant but make all of his senses even more responsive. So delicious is the food that the writer
concludes by stating that it is ‘fit for the gods’ and that ‘it is Heaven’ and this hyperbolic (exaggerated)
metaphor suggests that the food is like tasting paradise and it is almost spiritually enlightening and
divine moment.