It is as if the chair underneath me had dissolved. I feel completely detatched from the material world. A dense envelope of sublime harmony engulfs me. The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra plays Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1, and Boris Berezovsky is caressing the instrument as if it were his muse. It's an evening to forget reality, to sit back, relax and let music elevate the spirit. My thoughts wander on their own volition.
Things I miss about Salt Lake come back to my mind. Endless months of sunshine with no rain that would spoil nights out. The Roasting Company serving the tastiest coffee within a few-hundred-mile radius. Walks at sunset when the last rays would soak green lawns and red brick in a intensly golden softness. Riding my mountain bike down the Original Trail on the other side of Big Mountain in summer, or dropping into four feet of powder the day Mineral Basin opened. Hearing Beethoven's Fourth symphony at Abravanel Hall.
Abruptly I awake. Is it possible to miss cultural sophistication after leaving Salt Lake, the city of Temple Square, rugged outdoors types, and endless suburbia? A few months ago I started to long for classical music. The desire became a craving, unfulfillable. Now I'm suffering badly from deprivation because Grenoble doesn't have a symphony hall. French cultivation is outclassed in the music department by a hick town out west. And Boris Berezovsky keeps visiting my CD player. Night after night.
2 comments:
You long for Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #1.... That was what Daniel Barenboim was playing with Berlin Philharmonic on television the sad day Germany lost the 2002 world cup. Remember! Music doesn't care, because the moment those beautiful chords are striked all else is forgotten and what remains are the mysterious air vibrations that capture the human spirit. Try Beethoven cello sonata in A op.69.
Kianoush, I still remember the day when Brazilian cruelty stood in the way of German glory, but the music that played that morning is not even a distant memory. While you enjoyed the Berlin Philharmonic on TV, I was glued to the screen of my little Sony devouring each new line of the Worldcup live ticker. Reality faded away quickly and took Tchaikovsky with it. When Ronaldo struck twice, all was quiet.
These days, Tchaikovsky keeps visiting me because it's the best of the very few classical CDs I own. I'll make sure to find Beethoven's cello sonata underneath the Christmas tree, though. Thanks for the suggestion.
Post a Comment