Mozart in the hands of youth

This is from a Manhattan School of Music performance of the finale of Mozart's Symphony no 40 in G minor. The young conductor's name is Brett Mitchell.  And notice the orchestra.  Some of them look like they couldn't be much older than 10 or 11 years old.  Fantastic performance by any standard! Bravo, kids!

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An afternoon at the theater

For the last couple of months my girls and I have been looking forward to today, for just before Lauren came home from France I bought tickets to take them to see the touring production of Andrew Lloyd Weber's The Phantom of the Opera at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Both of them have seen the film, but neither have seen it on stage. I saw it a number of years ago, when the kids were small, and I loved it. Now that they are young adults, I thought it a great experience to have with my girls. Afterwards we will be meeting their grandparents for dinner at one of our favorite spots, Mimi's Cafe. We're looking forward to a wonderful day!

Here's a clip from the film of my very favorite scene!

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The music we listened to...

As I've written here before, I grew up in a home that was filled with beautiful music. Although my parents were not professional musicians, they loved and valued good music and our home was constantly filled with it. I believe that the stereo was turned on more than the television, and the music we listened to ranged from religious choral music and light jazz to the classics.

One of the classical composers to whom I was exposed from an early age was the Russian pianist and composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff. My parents owned a set of piano concerti by the Neo-Romantic composer, and after I acquired my own stereo, I sneaked the collection up to my room and listened to it for hours upon end. I would plop myself into my lime green bean bag chair, and put the record on, plug in the headphones, lay back, and allow the music to take me away into my own dream world.

I have featured here, a section of the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme from Paganini, featuring the 18th variation, which is probably one of the most voluptuous, passionate, lyrical, and romantic passages found in any piece of music. Played here by Russian pianist, Mikhail Pletnev, this is music, that if you've never had the opportunity to hear, you must. You won't be disappointed. Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and just listen...

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