Louis

Historically, I’ve been driven to write when I’m feeling most sorry for myself. I’m beginning to break out of that -- sometimes by patently censoring the negative feelings (which comes in the form of typing a paragraph, selecting it with the mouse, and pressing delete -- followed by retyping a slightly different version of the paragraph, selecting it again, and pressing delete again) and sometimes by distracting myself with one of those things we ought to be grateful for.

For example: Sure, I may be completely ungrateful that I seem to be a reverse black hole pushing everything in the universe away. I may be completely ungrateful that I’m attracted to such a wide range of beauty while the only thing attracted to me is ex-boyfriends (as I texted someone during a solo dinner last night). I may be ungrateful that a recital I give is a long-grown redwood falling soundlessly in a peopleless forest. I may be ungrateful, in fact, that I’m perfectly mediocre in every way.

BUT! I am grateful for the concert series put on by San Francisco Performances, which allows me to sit in the second row just feet from incredible performers and all for cheapies. Last night I saw pianist Louis Lortie (whom I’ve marveled over since I first got his CD of Ravel over a decade ago, and which I gave to C.B. in an unusual display of selflessness) in a program of some admittedly unenjoyable Liszt. But he began the recital by talking a little about the relation between Liszt and Wagner and the music he would be performing, and he was so charming and human and informative . . . Well, naturally I fell in love. And then his octaves beat Liszt into submission.

The program mentioned his website, and THIS is what I am grateful for. LouisLortie.com is the best musical artist’s website I’ve come across. Speaking and playing for us intimately and casually from his own piano, he is a god putting on a divine Punch and Judy show amidst the muddy filth of Web Street.

Recital time

It's time for a recital again! It seems like we just had one, but my records show that it was way back in August. This time we're focusing on the second Mendelssohn trio. I've been working on it diligently since the beginning of the year. It's terribly difficult for me, but much more manageable than the first Mendelssohn trio.

I'm kicking musical things up a notch. We three trioers (G., D., and me) took a movement of the Mendelssohn to a chamber music workshop last month. It was the first time the three of us had been coached by a professional. He was very encouraging and gave us all kinds of helpful advice. I've also applied for private lessons at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. It's been a long time since I've had a real lesson, and I think there will be a real difference now -- I won't be reliving history with the ol' lozenge thrower, and I won't be bound by tuition and professor-freshman relations to a tendonitis-causing Southern gentlewoman whom I don't really respect. Instead, I'll be seeking advice and encouragement through a program designed to help music stretch throughout the community at large.

Granted, I'm still contemplating ways of becoming an honest musician . . . going back to school, ideally in a combo bachelor's/master's way . . . where my enthusiasm and accompanying skills could be put to good use . . . where I could come to terms with being slightly above mediocre but still helpful to the world of music . . . poor, perhaps, but aligned with a passion . . . (make it happen!!!)

And putting that aside, let it hereby be officially announced:

A Casual Recital of Music for Piano Trio

March 15, 2008
3 p.m.
Berkeley, California

Featuring
Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No. 2 in c minor
with music by Beethoven and Frank Bridge

Crabs

I could tell you about how water started pouring into my apartment at about 5:45 this morning, and about how I repositioned my neighbor's various chamberpots, but instead I'll share with you the happy experience I had yesterday.

Armed with my new camera and a zoom lens, I headed to the Union Square Celebrity Crab Festival (all your favorite crabs). I hoped to take crowd pictures and people pictures, as well as to try out a few of the crab samples from San Francisco restaurants. The crab was great, and the people were even better. In face, people are magic:



See the entire set here.