E = Mendelssohn 3

March 1, 2009 at 1:04 AM

The conductor waves furiously as I hunch over the fourth movement, but there are no notes to be read, only black lightning bolts.

"Let's try that section again slowly." Under the scrutiny of the spotlight, the singular motion that led us from point A to point B now reveals its intricate complexity, like a grasshopper caught on high speed film. Ungainly legs and wings unfurl to propel the strange beast forward. How does it manage? Suspended weightlessly by its own motion, it doesn't stop to think about placing the landing, only of keeping momentum. There is no time to consider the present moment, only the future. When viewed in slow motion, the context dissolves and all meaning of function is lost. This is no heavy-handed, cerebral game of chess; it is a chase between predator and prey, fueled solely by flight instinct and heart pumping adrenaline.

"Okay, now back up to speed." As we continue, the frenzied pace transports us into a new dimension, the one that happens when you obtain a high enough velocity that time itself becomes relative. We bounce through a worm hole of notes in an instant, then in the space of a fifteen measure break, we've enough time for coffee and a newspaper while french horns play their quarter notes, back over there in common time.

This is when it suddenly occurs to me that if I wrinkle the page just right, I can hop a tesseract to the end of the piece. At least then, I'll be sure to arrive on time.

From Terez Mertes
Posted on March 1, 2009 at 4:06 PM

Whew! What was in YOUR coffee mug when you wrote this? : )

From Ray Randall
Posted on March 1, 2009 at 6:08 PM

At the SLCO we're playing the Schelomo Cello Concerto and Saint Sean's "Organ concerto" on the same program. Got 90% of the notes down, now I'm counting out loud to get the counting in order. At the next rehearsal on Tuesday I'm taking a calculator and leaving the metronome at home. That should do it.

From Rex Whitehead
Posted on March 2, 2009 at 2:09 AM

And the mome raths outgrabe?

From Emily Grossman
Posted on March 2, 2009 at 3:36 AM

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

From SAM MIHAILOFF
Posted on March 2, 2009 at 5:13 AM

fish in your violin case, moose at your window, lightening bolts on the music page...

wow, what a woman nopity.gif No Pity image by TGrosjean