Julie and Julia

I have just finished watching "Julie and Julia," which inspired me to update my blog, among other things. Those other things include eating, of course, and drinking a kir. Rachel tells me daily about how glorious Paris is...she tells me about the bread and the cheap wine, and she describes the fresh produce and the chocolate tarts, and she sends me pictures of the beautiful things she sees every day. In short, I find myself jealous for the hour a day that we are on Skype. And to make things even more irresistible, she is living in the apartment I once inhabited, cooking in my old kitchen, sleeping in my old bed. It's tough, because I want to spend time reminiscing, but I also want to let her have her own experience. So I hold my tongue as much as I can and I smile, letting her describe to me everything she is learning and discovering. (Maybe that's what it feels like to be a parent...I don't know. Whatever it is, it's a wonderful feeling.)

My heart is in Paris right now, with Rachel. She says, "But you have a whole life there!" No, babe, I keep myself busy here. I am making connections and spend every day working toward a career. But I don't have a life. My Friday night was spent at a reedmaking party, then stage managing a vocal recital, then (briefly) at a friend's house, where we watched a movie I'd seen already and didn't really interact with each other. My Saturday...well, let's just say that I got dressed around 6:30 to go to the grocery store and came straight home to make dinner. And then I watched that delicious movie. The food porn was lovely (all that boeuf bourguignon!), and the story was cute. Meryl Streep was again fantastic.

This semester has gotten busy. Our Sondheim concert last Monday was a roaring success! Completely sold out, Angela Lansbury was in the house as a guest with hundreds of New York socialites and musical theater buffs. I was so excited to be onstage behind such amazing Broadway singers and with Paul Gemignani conducting. He was down to business, rehearsing only until it barely held together (like dough), then leaving the pieces so they felt extremely fresh when we performed. I liked his style, and his band was incredible--Paul Ford is an incredible Sondheim pianist. Marin Mazzie was my favorite of the three women who sang; she gave a truly impassioned performance of "Not a Day Goes By" from Merrily We Roll Along. The oboe and English horn parts in Sondheim's music are often wonderful! The orchestration allows the oboe to cut through almost every time it plays, so Monday's concert was pretty rewarding...

Upcoming concerts: Next Thursday, Ravel Daphnis and Chloe (EH), and Berlioz Overture to Le Corsaire (Oboe 1), MSM Symphony. February 1, Strauss Serenade with Windscape (Oboe 2 to Randall Ellis), MSM. Feb 18, varied pieces including Bolero, Youth Orchestra of the Americas and students from MSM and El Sistema, Carnegie Hall! March 25, Mahler Resurrection Symphony, MSM Symphony, Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

Overall, it's shaping up to be a good semester!

Review:
Last Saturday, I went to a concert by The Knights. Grace Johnson, a recent MSM grad and now associate oboe teacher, was subbing with the group and invited all of the MSM oboists. It was an all winds program, featuring the Strauss Serenade and Mozart's Gran Partita for winds. The group started to play, and I was shocked by how good they were. Their intonation was incredible, their musical intentions clear, and their phrasings good. The clarinets were outstanding, offering beautiful interpretations as well as impressive technical work throughout the evening. The horn section sounded like any professional horn section, easily blending with each other and creating a solid foundation. Principal oboist Adam Hollander sounded fantastic in the Mozart, where he effectively maintained a balance between the role of the delicate soprano soloist and the strong high voice. The program was well suited to the group, allowing the strongest sections to display their talents, although there is hardly a weak link. I look forward to hearing The Knights in concert as a full orchestra in the future.