revisiting

A piece of music that was on the program of my first concert with the concert band was Dukas's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice."  It was an actual orchestral version and very difficult for me, causing anxiety, frustration and shame at my inability to play it properly.  People kept saying it didn't matter, but it did to me. Just the thought of it gave me the horrors for quite a while.
Last night we saw the Seattle Symphony perform the same piece, at the end of a marvelous concert.  It was transporting, and completely cured me of Apprenticitis.  They also did Henri Dutilleux's Symphony No. 1, which we'd never heard; truly marvelous. A guest pianist also played Ravel's Piano Concerto in G, another new one to us, and also thrilling to listen to.  Funny, I'd thought I was finished with classical music, but it has been reborn for me.

Muy fortunada

Good weekend, full of sunny weather to walk along in and plenty of weeds to pull the next day to balance the pleasure/choring ratio; next week brings back rain, although it'll be warmer water falling upon us.
Finished a couple of books by Patrick Leigh Fermor, and again wonder at his voice; had never heard of him until I read his obituary in the NY Times. The one called "Roumeli", which was about his explorations in northern Greece, became almost surrealistic as he let himself cut loose in a poetic way. These are works you keep and re-read.
Now into a writer named Karen Tei Yamashita, another wildly creative soul...