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August 17, 2004 at 2:28 AM

Last night I had difficulties getting to sleep. I kept fingering the Bach Double concerto in my head, feeling the notes and the phrases on my fingertips. Ba da da da da Da da da da da DUH duh DUH... And so on. Finally at about one o' clock, I realized how silly I was being, but I couldn't help it - I just had to finger the Bach Double. It was like breathing, or blinking my eyes, or having my heart beat - it just came, for Pete's sake, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. Finally I went through a guided-imagary tour, settling my thoughts on opening my violin case, setting the violin in the velvet, pulling the velcro strap over the fingerboard, floofing out the blanket, latching the case closed, zipping up the music pocket. Surprisingly enough, this worked. I was asleep by two.

What a strange existence us musicians lead.

I indulged at my local music store today - bought Oistrakh's Brahms concerto and third sonata (his accompanist, Vladimir Yampolsky, is the father of Victor who I met in Door County), Heifetz's Walton and Elgar concertos, and a Gramophone magazine. With the Gramophone magazine came an absolutely delightful sampler CD. Quite a bargain, really, for the $8.50 price, and such a lot of fun to read!