Synchronisity . That is the theory that things happen to you when you are ready to receive when you are prepared to receive it. The last few days were incredible.
Before leaving home I read in the BBC Music Magazine about the autobiography of one of my idols, Phillip Glass. The book is not available on Amazon yet. But I found it in Shakespeare and Co, the bookstore , in Paris. He writes about all his artist and composer friends, like Adams, Reich and Cage.
I watch lot of You Tube to catch up.
I decide not to ever see John Cage performances.
I then meet Jan Steyn. We talk about Silence and the Cage music 4’ 33 seconds ( about silence)
Next I see an American touring orchestra, the Cincinatti orchestra, visiting Paris. They present an all American program and three separate concerts to illustrate modern music from America. It is the first time ever I have even seen these works on a program, anywhere!
I end up seeing and enjoying all the concerts. Something ,I am sure would not have happened a month earlier as I wasn’t ready for it!
La Seine Musicale. What an incredible good use for an abandoned place. It used to be the old Renauld factury. Newly renovated the building is so much more useful than the Foundation Louis Vuitton. It is very busy with Paresioners using it. Not just as a musical venue but to sit outside and enjoy the autumn sun. I had a lovely Ceasar salad while waiting on Frederika as we overslept and I could be ready in 10 minutes. I made the concert just in time. But madame la chef was very late! But we managed to enjoy lunch together
After lunch I showed Frederika the gardens on the roof. The areas that’s not green are used for solar energy. There is really good use of space. On top of this building is incredible gardens!
The first concert was by a string quartet. Different trains by Reich is about him as boy traveling between New York and LA. He realized that if the family were still living in Paris he would be a boy on an extermination train on his way from Paris to Auswitz. In the music one can hear the rhythm of train wheels on railway tracks. The second piece by Crumb is about loss in the Vietnam war. Neither of them are really party music! But it did stimulate thought. I will post links to similar You Tube videos on the web site.
The last concert was choir music with a about thirty voice professional choir. Quite enjoyable except that there was a host of children for the last choir piece. I am glad not to be a teacher…
Now we are going home: the macaroons are waiting!