Last Monday, I went on a hike at Peninsula State Park’s Eagle trail, which afforded me a perfect opportunity to wrap my mind around the coming week’s repertoire and be ready for Tuesday’s rehearsal. The two mile hike was a sensory feast, not unlike the week’s biggest musical challenge, the Quintet in c minor by the great French composer Gabriel Faure. Written during the late impressionistic period, this music challenges its listeners, even when played well. Will we be able to bring out all of its attributes? I wondered.

Rehearsing it Tuesday was a great pleasure. As we played, what began as a mysterious dark void at noon was gradually illuminated until at 3:00, when rehearsal ended, it was ablaze! What an incredible piece! Spontaneously, these thoughts flashed through my head while we rehearsed:

great opening theme

long phrases

this is nourishing

food

“and chaos was on the face of the deep”

no accents

never ending

something’s happening

no accents, ever!

food

never ending

light

ecstatic

C Major at last, like the Prodigal Son

Let me know your thoughts after you listen to us perform this week! My wish for you is that the swirling impressionistic fog will lift just enough for you to join us in glimpsing paradise.