20 IV 2002 - 18:49 - regressus

So, it's been quite a while since I last updated. This is another one of my procrastination entries; my research paper on the influence of Asian music on Benjamin Britten's style is due on Monday. Right now, I have an outline, a poem which needs to be edited and submitted by yesterday, a piano waiting for me to practice, and a mother in China who is upset that I haven't replied to any of her emails. (But I don't check the family account! the son says. Never mind that, says the mother, and complains some more.) I've noticed that her English grammar seems to be getting worse as she spends more time in China...

I wrote and posted a six-page letter to Raych today, mostly because it helps me to avoid writing that letter of condolence to my aunt. I love her, but I didn't really know my uncle, and all I really want to do is be of some comfort to her, but I'm clumsy at the mechanics of comfort. So that's on hold for the moment -

Rostropovich was amazing. Borogoves most likely understands how, if he got up on stage and played "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on an eighth-size violin, it would still be wonderful. But he didn't. He played Dvorak's b minor concerto (after a somewhat lackluster, rather scattered performance of Nielsen 6) - there were some slight brain farts, hitches in the line, and also some questionable intonation, but overall it was beautiful. Everything was expressive; his powerful cantabile reached even me in my seat, tucked in beneath the overhang of the loge. For his encore, he played the Sarabande from the d minor Bach suite. This demonstrated his proficiency in the inward sound which is so elusive for so many - this is why the critics excuse his minor slips. Some of my friends went backstage and got kissed by him seven times. This I learned today at orchestra rehearsal. All his mistakes were excusable - he's 75, for chrissakes. When I'm 75, if I can walk, I'll be happy. But he's travelling and giving concerts. I am in awe.

A couple of notes from borogoves's entry: he didn't look around so much this time - it was mostly straight ahead. He was supposed to play Shostakovich 1, but replaced it with Dvorak, which was mildly disappointing. But how can you remain disappointed? It's Rostropovich! Also a nice thing about the concert: I ran into a lot of people I hadn't seen in a long time.

Berkeley is coming together; I contemplate doing German and Irish this summer, but that adds up to 18 credits and the limit is 16, so I choose German and Classical Mythology instead. All I need now is for the recommendation from my Latin teacher in its neat sealed envelope and I'm ready to go.

The Decorator Showcase (a fundraiser my school does to keep our financial aid program afloat = the only reason I'm still at my school) parties were this weekend - the parties provide an opportunity for the social elite of San Francisco to get socially drunk and view the house and, if they're drunk enough, to hit on the jailbait they are surrounded with. Our orchestra teacher made us put together a quartet to serve as background music - a role I both love and hate because one gets to play without fear of how you sound, because no one is listening anyway (except for the lush who leans over your music and breathes in your face, "You play so beautifully!"). However, people bump into you and ignore you (if you need as much attention as I do, that can be a bad thing at times). Oh! and if the other groups which play before you are composed of brass instruments, you get to work around the little puddles of spit on the floor.

Since I'm dropping all music courses next year, risking the wrath of the power that is my school's music department (which should be fine if I don't want to take any more courses from them) and the management of my youth orchestra (but I'm setting up an independent quartet, so that shouldn't be too much trouble), I don't think I'll be asked to have the dubious honor of playing the showcase again next year. (Although, as our flautist's flute refused to seal properly, I did get a lot of practice with Bach allemandes and courantes and gigues.)

My course selection sheet has been submitted and, with luck, I'll be out of orchestra and into interesting classes next year. I'll have a guaranteed free period since I'm dropping my arts course! You don't know how exciting this is for me - I might have a chance to go off campus, or sleep, or do homework, or... the possibilities are endless! Most likely I'll be stuck doing PE, but that's all right, I can fool myself into thinking that I have a chance of escaping that particular duty. From what I hear, AP Latin is going to be small next year as well. All of the juniors in my class (having reached level three of the language) are dropping the course, which means that I'll be the only person from my class of fourteen to be continuing. Gah.

I'll get around to catching up on everyone else's entries in a while; I'm caught up on dizboy and dsdiary, and I need to go write my report now. Take care. Once my papers are in, I'll be writing more.