It's Friday evening and I am in a good mood, and not just for the usual reasons of finishing work for the weekend. It's August 1st, and the weather is overcast and the temperature in the air has dropped slightly. I always feel a light sense of melancholy when August arrives, with it being an indication that we are now entering late-summer, and on the descent towards dark nights and inclement weather. BUT - tonight is a bit special because I ran ten kilometers! I had only gone out for six, intending to lead up to ten by the end of this month. It think the air and clouds contributed to my success, and now at least I know I am capable!
To the music and tonight's programme opens with John Adams's The Chairman Dances. I've never heard it before but I like it. I like it a lot. It brings to my mind an image of a well-oiled machine; cogs and pistons interweaving seamlessly. There is a word for this style of playing but I can't bring it to mind in the moment. Writing this now, I think it might be spiccato - there's another piece by Paul Simon (Can't Run But) that also brings this pleasant motion to my mind. I ask ChatGPT and it also suggests 'motoric' or 'mechanistic'. Sounds about right, anyway!
We then transition to Rachmaninov, a composer we have heard for the last three nights on the trot. Not that I'm complaining. It starts off big - sounds to me like Liberace playing alongside the climatic parts of Hedwig's Theme.
There is a break in proceedings when some sort of siren sounds at the hall. I am not aware of this - probably my cooking drowning out any incidental noises - but the radio presenter lets us know. The next movement is more chilled (which I suppose is to be expected from the second part of a concerto?)
I start typing up my blog about last night's late-night prom during the interval.
The second half is Berio, who I have sort of already established is not really the composer for me. But I listen through and there are some interesting, albeit garish, motifs.
Happy Friday!
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