1999-2014, and Benjamin Britten

Of course, I find myself wishing that I had Paul Griffith's notes to Thomas Zehetmair's recording of the Six Sonatas for Unaccompanied Violin at my side.

It was after a concert given by the New World Symphony (an organization of which I was a member) in early 1999 that I decided that it was time to learn Edward Elgar's Violin Concerto.  How could I forget that day:  on a Sunday afternoon, after the third performance of a program that included Benjamin Britten's
Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes and Elgar's Symphony No. 1, two of my NWS colleagues and I walked in silence from the Lincoln Theatre (now the home of a H&M?!) to the Plymouth Hotel (where we lived).   The silence was more than appropriate - in fact, during the walk one of us started to speak, and was met with a shake of the head and a raising of the hand....

"...no, don't talk...we need to think about the music that we just experienced..."

This week, I find myself revisiting that time as once again I am playing in an orchestra that is performing Britten's Four Sea Interludes....and that is all that I can say.    The memories, responses, and reactions are all mine, all personal, and all private.

However, the magic of this music is not - enjoy.....