More Therapy

It appears that WineGuy's therapy is watching ACC basketball with his sons. The reality is that I chewed him out yesterday for wanting to go on some all day adventure completely contradicted by doctors' orders. So, he's sat on his behind watching TV all weekend. I suppose he's entitled. At the moment, all my men are planted like palms in front of the plasma television. Fine. Leaves me some solitude to post earlier than 11:00 p.m.

Last night's concert was fantastic. My friend and I had seats in the second row, right in front of the cellos and basses. The orchestra played two Slavonic Dances by Dvorak. Yawn ... they took less than five minutes; the compositions were unremarkable. Then came this phenomenal piece by Philip Glass: Concerto Fantasy for Timpani and Orchestra. From my vantage point I could see our resident timpanist playing his heart and soul out in this thoroughly modern piece. When I perform with the chorale, I'm usually standing behind the timpanist, often singing and unable to really watch him. It was an intense and moving to witness the orchestra playing such modern, complex music to accompany one of their own. I was captivated. When the piece ended, I jumped to my feet to join the standing ovation. The second half of the concert was Schubert's "Great" Symphony in C Major. It was beautiful and skillfully performed but something of a letdown after that timpani piece.

The timpani piece drew me in and held my attention rapt for its full 35 minutes' duration. I really needed something to consume me and spit me out, spent, after the week I've had. Pretty good therapy for a free ticket to the philharmonic.