Listening to Chopin

I've been trying hard to finish grading papers and writing several of my own. Since it's Thanksgiving weekend, the school of music has been relatively quiet with just a few die-hard musicians and one desperate writer. I've been using one of the seminar rooms - no distractions, no food, no comfortable futon to nap on (although I did manage just one power nap while slouching in the chair).

I met up with Frank, who's been practising Bartok, and enlisted his help with some argumentation questions that arose while I was grading. After that, I got him to play Chopin's Berceuse just so I could hear it being played properly for once. I don't quite do enough justice to the piece on my own so it was nice to hear Frank perform it. I also requested some of Ennio Morricone's music, and watching him sight-read the scores (without errors, of course) made me appreciate my friendships with musicians. It's always nice to listen to recordings but to watch a musician perform before you (and now I'm reminded of the time I watched Peiming and Noella rehearse Astor Piazzolla's Le Grand Tango) is a real treat. I'm very much looking forward to the recitals lined up for next semester.

Frank also introduced to me Chopin's Barcarolle. What did he call it, a piece of gondolier music? It's very pretty and I'm going to hunt for my own recording. Becuase I'm going to graduate and leave Ann Arbor one day, and then I won't be surrounded anymore by musicians who I can bully into playing my favorite music. Of course I could always holiday in Melbourne and ask Noella to play something just for me, or I could ring up Peiming and have her visit under the pretext of tea and egg tarts, and then point out the piano, how about some Debussy? But she'd probably see right through me.

A classmate in my musicology course - a retired piano teacher and wife to the saxophone professor in the music school (oh, and her son happens to play drums for Alanis Morissette) - once mentioned to me how she loves being retired in Ann Arbor. She gets to take up university courses (without having to write the papers) and she is never far from the music scene. Large scale performances or student recitals, the events make retirement a joy, she said. Something's always going on. What better way to fill the autumnal years? Attending football games? Oh, she goes to those too.

As I listened to her, I tried not to appear envious. There's plenty to look forward to when graduation rolls around, but I'm probably going to miss Ann Arbor very much when it's time to leave. And then there're the friends who'll be staying on or moving away. I don't think I'll go into that today. Still got another semester. Still got to finish that Carmen paper.

Posted by Monoceros at November 28, 2004 12:42 PM