If I am able to return to California, that is...
Today Mr. Christopher Hogwood (big photo), conductor laureate for the Handel and Haydn Society, conducted the ensemble in a performance of Haydn and Mozart. I was able to get a rush ticket (sold 3 hours before the performance) for $9--I thought it was $10. The concert was well-attended, but there were still plenty of seats in the back. I can't remember the last H&H concert I attended; it must have been at least a year and half since I've been to one.
Before getting the ticket I went to St. Clement's Eucharistic Shrine (under the care of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary) for liturgy. The homily and music could have been worse (and it is worse at other parishes in Boston). There were a lot of young people in attendance at the 11 A.M. Mass; I don't know if they are Berklee students, or BU students, or young professionals.
Most of the Berklee students have the grunge/slacker look, and I don't find it becoming or attractive. It's unfortunate--it gives me a bad impression, and reinforces the stereotype that they think music is so important in comparison to other things (while maintaining a leftist view of politics and of the world). Perhaps Asian students might be an exception (there are some foreign students), but there are plenty who dress like their American peers--I've seen some Japanese guys who have dressed like that. The Korean (and Japanese?) women usually dress better.
For lunch I dropped by Bombay Cafe--it may be the last time I go there for a while. Tandoori chicken is ok, but I got tired of it fast--I'm not sure if it is the tandoori itself, or just Bombay Cafe. Anyway, all that chicken made me reconsider getting fried chicken for dinner. (But after 4 or 5 hours I had forgotten my aversion to chicken.)
After lunch I walked up the street to take a peek inside St. Cecilia Church. Nothing really to look at, on the inside, as far as I'm concerned.
Then I walked by Christian Science Plaza, the Mary Baker Eddy Library and the First Church of Christ, Scientist (Church of Christ Scientist Worldwide). It's unbelievable that they could get all this money to build these buildings (after all, how many practicing Christian Scientists are there these days), but then again it's New England. I remember passing through here once with EJK, she was impressed by the buildings...
I would have taken a picture of the reflection pool if there was water in it.
A shot of the Prudential Building and the southwest corner of the Prudential Center.
Horticultural Hall
Symphony Hall:
I once again fell asleep during parts of the concert, blah; I tried to take a nap before the concert started, but no luck. I don't know what it is, the seats? If I could get up in the middle of the concert and do something to keep myself awake, I would, but I'm sure the other patrons wouldn't appreciate the distraction. Gotta do some wind sprints...
After the concert Mr. Hogwood and several of the soloists gathered for an informal Q&A session with those who stayed behind to listen. I enjoyed this very much, and Mr. Hogwood's voice wasn't what I expected, but still what one expects of an English accent. I was going to ask him to sign my program, but he had to leave and the ushers were trying to get people leave the building, since the time for H&H was up. (Speaking of ushers, the red-haired usher is still at Symphony Hall--I don't know if she volunteers at any of the other venues.) One of the audience members commented that he didn't like the first half of the program--he said it was "artificial" or "fake Mozart"--Mr. Hogwood had made an arrangement of Fantasy for Mechanical Organ, K. 608 for orchestra. He mentioned that as the piece was originally written for a machine, it required more than what human performers could give. Apparently while his work was written primarily for human performers, Mozart's mind was such that he had complicated "musical ideas" that could be executed only by machines, and therefore would not normally find expression. Ah... the genius of Mozart.
I tried to find Popeye's in Kenmore Square, 645 Beacon St., but I don't think it has been built yet--unless it's on the other side of Commonwealth Avenue, but I doubt it. My guess is that it should be across the street from Barnes and Noble, but there is nothing there right now, since the MBTA is renovating Kenmore Station. I decided to skip the backup plan (going to KFC), and just come home...
A shot of Kenmore Square and the Citgo sign:
1 comment:
red-haired usher...?
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