The day before ...

Greetings from a *cold* Harleysville, PA!

(I think all this time in NM, California, etc., has made my blood too thin for this).

I'm back at the "Ditlow Homestead" and have loved catching up with grandparents, brothers, sisters, parents, and my musical community to which I had such strong ties for the early part of my career. What is so exciting is that these ties have continued, and somehow even deepened, as we've all developed our lives and careers. A recent personnel change (due to weather) caused me to have to contact some people who I haven't seen or written to for a while, and I was moved by their immediate, warm responses and their willingness to help. (Problem solved, by the way!).

I've solved the epidemic problem of "Harleysville being on the edge of civilization" (meaning no Starbucks!) by taking matters into my own hands and bringing a milk frother, stovetop espresso maker, and Lavazza espresso with me. 

Tomorrow is "Bach by Candlelight" - and I couldn't resist making this "meme" ...

On this concert, I am the only person on it who gets the distinction of playing every piece - and really to play all "three" keyboard instruments. Within these works, I am charged with playing: 

1). 'orchestral' parts - multiple lines, covering for instruments we don't have ...

2). virtuoso solo music in the triple concerto (we're doing it on piano) - and the prelude and fugue isn't easy, either ... 

3). improvised and realized keyboard figured bass (but more than half of the music isn't figured) ... so essentially I'm making up the keyboard part in the right hand ... 

I found this quote from Bach which perfectly describes the magic of playing continuo:

"Like all music, the figured bass should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and recreation fo the soul; where this is not kept in mind there is no true music, but only an infernal clamor and ranting." 

I listened to rehearsal footage last night so that I can practice better today ... 

But there is also every genre possible in Bach's music - both looking back to Renaissance polyphony, and even the "rules" from plainchant or melodic construction - and - jazz, bebop, and ... heavy metal ... (there is a passage in the Bach d minor double violin concerto which makes me smile every time - it's Guns N' Roses, 260 years too early) ....