I am SO bummed out. We just missed seeing Rick Riordan on his visit to Seattle. G has been reading the Percy Jackson books to me, and finished the second book last night on our drive to Seattle (next paragraph). So this morning I hop online to see if the next book is out — it is, just the first of this month — and notice that he was in Seattle this past WEDNESDAY! *sigh* Will be watching his site so we don’t miss him next time. Have also added his blog (Myth & Mystery) to my blogroll: I think you will like it, him, and the books he writes.
Last night we went to the concert at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. The guest maestro, Masaaki Suzuki, was beautiful to watch. He is a slight, smaller man, but when he starts to conduct he is a dancer. I had to lean forward a lot to see him though as the box below us hid all but his head when I sat back. He signed M’s program and the CD we bought for Tom. I was enchanted by the Telemann piece, though we arrived late and had to sit in the lobby for it. Then two pieces by CPE Bach before intermission. They were lovely.
Then the Wedding Catata by CPE’s dad JS. I have to say, though the singer, Ying Huang, had a lovely, expressive voice and I would look for her again, I do not like that piece. It drags on and on without any particular musical merit. The music has some very nice passages, and the recitatives moved along nicely, but the seven arias were tedious. Just the words were self-conscious! Here is the sixth aria:
Mighty patrons, thy diversion
Must e’en o’er our sound have suasion,
For thou goodwill dost us impart.
And among thy wisdom’s treasures
Can thee nought inspire such pleasure
As sweet music’s charming art.
The translation by Z. Philip Ambrose is a good approximation of the German. Ick.The final work, the Suite No. 4 in D Major (BWV 1069) was exquisite and exciting and just the right length. The inclusion of three trumpets (one was a piccolo I think) really brightened M’s day. The Gavotte especially caught my ear. And I put down my knitting entirely to watch the Maestro. Wish my seat had made it easier to see him the whole time.