Sunny Sunday Afternoon
I'm typing while listening to a Tchaikovsky piece on the radio from Balanchine's Jewels ("String Serenade" Serenade for strings [or piano, 4 hands] in C major, Op. 48). The late afternoon summer sun is streaming into the west-facing window. After a three-hour-long nap, this typing with a slight delay in appearance on the computer screen is fine---a slow, sleepy end-of-day.
Chatting with Christoph about his research is enlightening and makes me realize how common across the sciences and health sciences research issues are.
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Dinner follows, and a sit in front of Mom & Dad's television set...a movie with Debra Messing and the beginning of Titanic...a check of my email, with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra playing "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky as orchestrated by Ravel, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.
Labels: blogs, Choir, dance, friends, music, phone, PSO, Ravel, research, Tchaikovsky, TV, writing
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra--Barber, Corigliano, Mussorgsky (as orch. by Ravel); Joshua Bell
Tonight after the FAAP board meeting I took a nap. Nancy, Anjali, and I took Nancy's "limo" (replete with Handel's "Water Music") to Christos for dinner, where we had the lamb in phyllo with salad, rice pilaf, and grilled winter veggies. We all had the Jackie O dessert with tea and coffee for the postlude.
After dining, we went to Heinz Hall for the Josh Bell PSO concert. The whole evening consisted of highly dramatic pieces:
Samuel Barber's Second Essay for Orchestra, Op. 17
John Corigliano's "Red Violin" Concert (Concerto for Violin and Orchestra) w/ Josh Bell
An intermission, during which Mr. Bell and Mr. Corigliano autographed CDs and programs
Mussorgsky's (Orch. by Ravel, Ed. by Slatkin) Pictures at an Exhibition
The "Red Violin" Concert really needs to be heard to be fully appreciated. John Corigliano spoke about the history of the piece before its performance. The music is amazing, the performance of it tonight was nothing short of magnificent. Josh made one realize that the violin has a voice--it truly came to life during the performance of the music. During the first movement, Josh played so vigorously that, at breaks in the soloist parts, he was pulling frayed catgut from his bow and strings several times.
At intermission Nancy, Anjali, and I waited patiently in line to speak with and have Josh and John sign our CDs. I took photos of our short visits with them.
Pictures at an Exhibition as orchestrated by Ravel has been a favorite of mine since my senior year in high school. What a treat to return from intermission to hear the themes played by the PSO.
The conducting by Mr. Slatkin during the evening was tight, and showcased the three pieces marvelously.
We all had been thrilled by the prospect of this evening, and now our brains were humming along as we parted ways less than twelve hours from when we would see each other next.
Labels: Bell, Corigliano, Pilipino culture, PNR, PSO, Ravel, sleep
