to Bela Bartok. Thanks for this, among other works. And happy birthday, too, to Toscanini. My high school band director adored you. Maybe because of your fiery reputation. But also, I’m sure, because you conducted so much of what he loved. (We played a ton of opera transcriptions.) Here’s La Forza del Destino for your [...]
Archive of entries posted on 25th March 2008
Why Blog?
Robert Hugill was criticized harshly for blogging. Wow. If I’d received that I would have been rather shaken, since I’m so darn wimpy and take harsh words badly. But he simply posted the hostile email for us and then responded. But what I want to know is why the heck is that angry person bothering [...]
Ah, the Wealthy
… and their very expensive toys. What can one say? I’m glad oboes aren’t that costly and don’t get hidden away. (It’s weird not to really read any quote by Zuckerman about the violin. The owner quotes him but, to me anyway, that doesn’t quite count.)
Pondering
Must music have a point? And what does it mean to have a point, anyway? I’m really just not sure … I’m not trying to be annoying (even though I am usually annoying). Vaughan Williams’ composition [The Lark Ascending] is Classic FM listeners’ favourite piece of classical music. Like the station, it’s blameless but pointless [...]
Last Night
We had our first rehearsal for the Symphony Silicon Valley Brahms/Beethoven set. I arrived slightly after the orchestra began rehearsing Schicksalslied. What wonderful music! Then we worked on the fourth movement of the Beethoven. Sometimes it’s just an honor to be a musician. Playing the Beethoven certainly made me feel that way. What a great [...]
MQOD
Everything will pass, and the world will perish but the Ninth Symphony will remain. -Michael Bakunin, quoted in Edmund Wilson, To the Finland Station (1940)