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Davei
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Gender: Male
Interests: Classical music, jazz, pop music, movies, reading, photography and politics.
Expertise: Music
Occupation: Education/training
Message: message me
Member Since:
4/8/2002
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| Joseph Joachim plays Brahms Hugarian Rhapsody No. 1
Brahms wrote his Hungarian Dances to play on tour with the violinist in the link above.
Here is a modern violinist playing another of the dances.
Maxim Vengerov performs Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5
My little orchestra will survive the temporary loss of our first fiddle player. We will perform for the faculty awards luncheon the 1st of December: Brahms Hungarian Dances Nos. 4,5, and 6. Brahms Serenade No. 1, Scherzo, Lennon and McCartney Eleanor Rigby!
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| The leader of the violin section in my little string orchestra broke her thumb in dance class yesterday. I feel bad for her, as she is really upset about not being able to play. I hope she isn't badly injured. They are doing an MRI tomorrow, and she has a good orthopod who specializes in musicians and athletes, so I think she is in good hands.
It is cool outside, and sleeping is nice. I need to do more of it, as I am still bouncing back from the stomach bug I had last week. Green tea has been recommended.
I bought the new issue of BBC Music Magazine last night, and there is an excellent CD of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde included, with Donald Runnicles conducing the BBC Scottish Orchestra. It is a wonderful performance. Very languid and lyrical. I would never give up my Bruno Walter/NY Phil recording, but this one is lovely.
This week's Harper's has an article by Andrew Bacevich. He is a West Pointer who lost a son in Iraq. He doesn't think we can win in Afthanistan, and recalls the Brits and the Russians. There is also an excellent article by Richard Rodriquez on the death of the American newspaper. | | |
| Sometimes when you teach a class or direct a rehearsal you feel that much of what you say goes out of your mouth and straight into the air above the heads of the group, and nobody is really paying attention. Today, for most of my two rehearsals and one class I felt that the students were really hearing what I had to say, and that we were making real progress. That is one of the most rewarding things a teacher can experience. It was also great to hear an enthusiastic flute ensemble that still had the energy to practice by themselves after band rehearsal.
Our weather continues to change, and we will probably be getting some of the rain from Hurricane Ida as she passes far to the north of us. It has been unusually windy for two days already.
I'm still excited about having read Twyla Tharp's book, The Creative Habit: Learn It And Use It For Life. The most helpful thing among many was that when she begins a project, no matter what it is, she puts everything connected to that project, including newspaper clippings, notes, objects, books, magazines, photos, etc. into a box. The project is all in the box, and she can dig back through the box to the beginning of the project after it reaches a certain stage if she feels it necessary. What an amazing woman she is. To create so many dance pieces out of thin air over the years, and to have the physical energy to transmit them to her dancers is an amazing achievement of courage and discipline.
I was so sick last week I cancelled classes for two days. I think I had a kind of virus. It really knocked me off my feet, and that was humbling and kind of scary coming in the midst of a busy semester. I view it as a wakeup call to get more sleep, eat more carefully, and take my meds and insulin religiously and meticulously. I don't think I have the self-discipline to get up at 5:30 and go to the gym every morning as Tharp has done for fifteen years, but I have resolved to begin walking every day. | | |
| Today was a long teaching day, but one which ended up being very rewarding. I saw some real learning taking place, and I was trying some new approaches to things that I was happy with. It is so nice to see puzzled expressions turn to understanding smiles when you explain something in a slightly different way, or approach it from a different angle.
I'm using singing much more in theory, orchestra, and band. It is so important to music, and it helps to make everything more expressive.
I still love the Beatles after all these years, and the remastered albums sound so wonderful.
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| Could it be we are really getting a cold front moving through tomorrow? I still don't believe it. It was as hot as August this afternoon in the sun.
This has been a productive week so far. Lots of good things going on.
I did discover this morning in clarinet quartet rehearsal that I need to spend hours practicing my runs in the Uhl and the passage work in Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. We have given ourselves a challenging program to present in November for a private chamber music series, so the hours must be put in.
As Kalman Opperman says: "It's only a matter of hours." | | |
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