European Vacation

                                                                 

is there anything better to soothe the jangled nerves and weary body inflicted by a low census saturday at the work than a bitsy vacation respite?

as a rule, by saturday quittin' time the only thing on my mind is collapsing into the cozy confines of the old lounge chair, rearing back, feet up with a schooner of chilled moscato close at hand, remote at the ready. 

last night, however, was symphony night.  after a quick shower and shave, the usual routine out of the question, i was whisked away on a european vacation guided by maestro kimbo ishii-eto and our ASO.

i don't pretend to know anything about classical music.  still it is clearly evident, even to this un-sophisticate, the growth our ASO has seen under the deft baton of the maestro.

i was moved to tears by orchestra's sibelius' karelius overture, opus 10.  as often as not i could just as well do without the guest artist. the exception du jour proved to be bruch's scottish fantasy, opus 46 featuring kyoko takezawa's riveting, strad worthy performance. our wondrous hall, and kyoko's face reflected the nuance of every wondrous note.

the highlight of the evening, for me, came after intermission. lawsy, i say, lawsy! i was carried away to a place where aching backs, fallen arches and frazzled nerves dare not tread. grieg's sigurd josalfar, opus 56 and strauss' don juan TRv 156, opus 20-- conducted by maestro kimbo and played by the marvel that is ASO lifted my spirit on the air of every amazing note.

the maestro was a blur of exhausting, conduction electricity, educing an infinitely precise performance from the house band on my saturday night vaca.

Maestro Kimbo and members of saturday eve's ASO, i would sum up the trip you took me on in a single word. Bravo!  aio