226: 3 Things....

[smecker]

Name three things that you're looking forward to in the near future and why.

One: May 18th, and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra's 50th anniversary evening.

Why I'm looking forward to it: Yo-Yo Ma. What's not to look forward to regarding several hours of God's own fucking gift to contemporary cello?

Oh, and they'll be playing Dvořák. My

Comments

[sand_andwater]

Dvořák is wonderful though I have to admit to being personally fond of his later works, the piano quintets especially.

Do you know which concertos Yo-Yo Ma will be playing?

I'm Pippa Kerr, by the way. I don't mean to butt in unwanted but I couldn't help be a bit giddy over the fact that someone else appreciates classical music and Dvořák in particular isn't someone you often hear praise for.

[smecker]

Cello Concerto No. 1, opus 104, in B minor. Orchestra's also doing Symphony No. 8. I have high hopes.

It is true though. Other than the beloved, by which I mean overplayed, Ninth, Antonín gets little love these days. Frickin' shame, that.

Pleasure to meet you, Miss Kerr. Paul Smecker. You in Boston?

[sand_andwater]

I'm in New York, actually. Sadly, it seems, since I'll be forced to miss a wonderful concert.

I may sound like a bit of a blasphemer for this, but I've never really cared for From the New World. I prefer the Fifth, actually. It was a large departure from his earlier works and I like the change of pace and the 'risk' he took by expanding his particular influences.

[smecker]

Shame. I have a continual problem finding people to take my second ticket. (Seasonal subscription.)

The Fifth? Pass. Barring the second movement, it holds nothing of particular interest that he doesn't do better with the Sixth. And with either of those I'd just as soon hit Beethoven if I'm in the mood for pastoral, thanks.

Now, if you want to talk about the glorious goddamn Seventh, that, I am perfectly willing to grant its superiority over the Ninth.

[sand_andwater]

I readily admit to being a fan of the pastoral, but I have an emotional reluctance to actually listening to Beethoven. Personal quirk. Antonio Breschi is my favorite modern pianist/composer of the genre...you might find you like him.

Autobiographic significance aside, and I do appreciate that about the Seventh, I'm not so much into tortured music. I will listen to it over any emo boy band though. If you are going to do it, do it right and Dvořák was capable of pouring palpable emotion into his music.

I can't imagine anyone wanting to turn down a ticket to see Yo Yo Ma play. I'd want to go just to get a look at his cello. The Davydov Stradivarius...I'm a pianist but my word is that a gorgeous instrument.

[smecker]

...You have a 'personal quirk' against Beethoven? That is one fucking hell of a fucking quirk, pardon my fucking French.

Haven't run into Breschi yet. I'll give him a chance. Right now I'm mainlining Uri Caine.

*lips quirk* I think Antonín may have just flipped in his grave at being compared, even obliquely and favorably, to any of today's "emo" acts. Tch tch, Pippa Kerr.

Yeah, well, people are idiots. This is nothing new. As for the Strad, it's entirely possible I might spontaneously orgasm if I was in its immediate presence yes, it's beautiful.

[sand_andwater]

Oh my, you are colorful, aren't you? As for my quirkiness, it's rather long and involved and probably quite boring to anyone other than myself.

Can't go wrong with good jazz.

Mea maxima culpa, Mr. Smecker. I wasn't trying to insult your personal musical preferences in the slightest. And I certainly was not trying to insult the brilliance of the composer.

Unfortunately, I have to concede your point about the general lack of intelligence and ability to appreciate the finer things in life becoming de rigueur. I really wonder about people sometimes.

[smecker]

"Colorful." Yes, that particular adjective's been applied before. Fine then, suit yourself. But Beethoven--

Oh, Chrissake, don't go apologizing; we were doing so well. And if you must apologize, don't borrow from Latin mass to do so. (That's a quirk of mine.)

I don't. Wonder, that is. I've long since resigned myself to the fact that everything's going straight to hell. Give yourself a coupla years, Miss Kerr, and it will cease to bother you either.

[sand_andwater]

Pippa, please. And I sincerely hope I won't become apathetic in older age...I do enjoy people
and their quirks even if some of them are simply beyond the pale as far as I'm concerned.

What if I told you it had less to do with a Latin mass and far more to do with time spent in Italy, would the apology be less offensive? And if not, you may consider it retracted in full.

I have my reasons.

[smecker]

Fine. Pippa. Given our respective age difference, etiquette would probably insist you keep calling me "Mr. Smecker."

No, it wouldn't, unless you find a reason to explain why time in Italy would lead you to say mea maxima culpa instead of colpa dolorosa mia-- said explanation not involving the Catholic church in any way, shape or form.

But if, as I suspect, papal Rome has some hand in it one way or the other, then I will accept your retraction.

[sand_andwater]

You'd be correct on all fronts, Mr. Smecker.

Parla italiano, signor ?

[smecker]

So soltanto un po'. *shrugs* É arruginito.

[sand_andwater]

Sì, posso vedere quello. *grins* I can tell. No shame in that, I don't suppose you have much use for the language here in the States, I know I don't.

[smecker]

*snorts* The parts of my Italian that see the most use are probably not the bits I should repeat to a respectable young woman.

[sand_andwater]

She thanks you, kind sir. She does.

[smecker]

She's quite welcome, though honesty compels me to admit my restraint is due mostly to trying to avoid reprimands from my supervisors.