Front-Row Seats

Front-Row Seats

Hello everyone!

(A big thank-you to VEFM and BD for helping me fix my blog-issues.).

We are leaving Shanghai early tomorrow morning.  I realize that I haven't yet posted about my reactions from the Beijing concert, and I believe that they are important to share.  Our performance in Shanghai is tonight at 7PM at the Conservatory of Music, followed by a "reception dinner."  

Our performance (and really, our entire time) in Beijing was another beautiful reminder about why I do this - why I am an artist, why I have chosen and have been chosen to be a collaborative pianist, why I travel, and why I enjoy playing with Ellen so much.    

I will first reflect on the experiences I had teaching the violists and pianists at the Beijing Conservatory of Music.  I found the students to be open, well-prepared, and eager to learn more.  Ellen and I tag-teamed the students on the day prior to our concert.  I taught in public, for the first time in my life, the E-major solo violin partita (but violists play it in A).  What makes this interesting is that I do not play any stringed instrument nearly at the level that any of these students do, and when I did study the violin, I had no business studying or playing any of the Bach unaccompanied works.

However, I do love them.  I listen to them when I need to be "alone with music."  And I have played Bach's keyboard music since I was a young girl.  I have coached vocalists on it, played rehearsals for cantatas and the major Passions, and have performed a good amount of the Preludes and Fugues, English Suites, Partitas, concerti, and all of the two-and-three part Inventions.  So, I guess that made me qualified to say something.  I think I helped, and Ellen was very positive about my input to that student in particular.  I also had more to say to the piano-viola duos.  

One moment during the class that was incredibly touching was Ellen's demonstration of the opening of the Bruch "Romance."  I teared up, immediately, upon hearing it, and her husband (next to me at the time) did as well.  She played it intimately and beautifully, as if she herself was writing it, and talking to someone.

The concert, last Saturday night (only 4 days ago!), was a wonderful experience as well.  In the front-row were Zheng and his mother, Ayuen (our hosts for the first week and our traveling companions to the Great Wall and to the Forbidden City).  In fact, I could see them very clearly from where I was sitting.  The audience was peppered with people video-taping the concert - with pretty high-powered video equipment, iPhones, iPads, other tablets, etc.  

Though the image that I will never forget is what happened during the first piece of our second half, Messaien's "Louange à l'Éternité de Jésus."  This is the first piece that Ellen and I ever played together (it's the cello movement of the "Quartet for the End of Time.").  Messaien has notated it in such a way as to eliminate the feelings of barlines, or really, time at all.  The piano part isn't technically demanding, but the bow-control issues and keeping the tempo slow enough make it challenging for any musician.  Because of my (relatively) easier part, I was able to take in the audience's reaction to the piece while we were playing it.  

There was a young Chinese man, maybe aged 14, in the front row.  He was sitting there, his eyes closed, and looked totally transported by this music.  Was he moved by the inexorable rhythmic quality?  Ellen's etherial vocalism?  Or the message of the piece itself?  I dare mention that it could have been the first time some of the audience had seen the word "Jesus" in print. 

I have noticed here that the pings and pangs of church-bells are noteably absent in China.  Compared to my "beaten paths" around Europe, the sounds of these cities are markedly different.  Noisier in some ways, and more silent in others.  

I dare say that Ellen and I made our mark on Beijing, but certainly this man in the front row.  My job as a sound-painter was able to insert pealing bells into new hearts and ears.  

The young man in the front row did greet us after the concert.  He pointed to the Messaien in the program with tears in his eyes.   He didn't say a word to us in his language, nor did we respond in ours.  We left the hall that night having decidedly done our jobs.

This picture is one I took during a visit to the "Temple of Heaven" in Beijing a few days ago.  

Getting "Shanghai"ed

Dear ones,

First of all, any of you who know me even a little know that I can't resist a pun, even an incredibly bad and cheap one. That will never change.

I write to you from Shanghai now. We left our hotel this morning in Beijing in darkness, and we were taken by a "mega-taxi" (sedan with huge trunk that could accommodate our suitcases) to Peking Int'l Airport. I especially appreciated our taxi driver's "secret ninja driving skills" in order to bypass the immense traffic getting into Terminal 1 this morning. We stood in line to check in, which was fast, and security was even faster. No shoe removal necessary, although security had a small problem with my umbrella. (?) The flight was terrific, and I was aloud to read my Kindle during take-off (though I did have to have the WiFi feature toggled off). We had a great meal on-board too, which, these days in the US, is unheard of on domestic flights. It is about a 2-hour flight from Beijing to Shanghai.

Now, officially after two flights on-board a non-US carrier, I will say this.

United States transportation organizations, you have A LOT to learn. Our baggage was *waiting* for us from the baggage claim when we disembarked! And furthermore, there were guards who made you match your passport to your claim-check tag. There will be no stealing-of-bags here.

The taxi-routine at these airports is also something commendable. You wait in a fast-paced line, and there is a gentleman who funnels the taxis to parking spots. From there, he looks at your personnel (Warning: he does not look at your luggage amount! And we learned this fast.), and then assigns the proper vessel. In our case, he had miscalculated the amount of stuff (I'm fairly laden-down on this trip, I have to say) we had, including an instrument that can't go in the trunk, and luggage for three people, etc.

We eventually commandeered a mini-SUV-taxi and easily checked into our hotel. I headed out ASAP to start exploring, and since our hotel doesn't have WiFi, and I can't read a Chinese map, I am currently at "Você" trying to figure out how to get around this new city! I was able to pantomime "map" (which, I promise sounded like the word for "panda" in the supermarket, but I'm quite sure that I am in the wrong). So, I have a nice map and I will hopefully figure out some things here.

I will keep you posted on our adventures - our work at Shanghai Conservatory begins tomorrow. We are within walking distance of that school, and it promises to be raining here for our entire visit. However, the weather is more pleasant here. Not as chilly ...

Signing off for now ...

Kristin

Getting ready, Concert #1

Hello, friends! 

It is Saturday night, and Ellen and I are poised and ready for our concert in Beijing.  We had a tremendous rehearsal this morning, and she sounds terrific.  I have the pleasure of performing on a Steinway "D" in a beautiful, intimate space.  Ellen sounds beautiful.  I have no idea what to expect tonight, in terms of audience, performance traditions, but I know that I am lucky for this opportunity and am blessed to be here.  

Here is a poster of our performance ... 

Till later, K 

Central Conservatory "hot pot"!

Today marked our in-person introduction to the Beijing Central Conservatory. This campus, 13 buildings and approximately 2,000 students, is the site of our first master classes and concerts. First, we were taken there to warm-up by three delightful conservatory viola freshmen. Ellen and I rehearsed a little (the music feels great!) and then she gave a terrific class on orchestral excerpts.

Afterwards, the viola professor at the Beijing Conservatory, our "handlers," Bob, Ellen, and I (and the viola) were taken out to eat to "Hot Pot," for a traditional Chinese dinner, from the Szechuan province. "Soup," begins *in* the table: one half spicy, one half mild. Ingredients ranging from expected (mushrooms) to exotic (bamboo) are added to the pot of your choice. Other ingredients included tube-shrimp (shrimp that has been ground up, and that will re-expand upon contact with the hot water), squid (!), lamb, fish, ribbon tofu, noodles, water chestnuts. We also made our own "paste," before starting the soup-creation. My paste, sort of copied from the girl in line in front of me (it looked pretty good!) was: fried beans, sesame jam, coriander, minced garlic, green onion.

(Half of the reason that I'm writing these down and then "blogging" them is to remember how to re-create these once I'm States-side again!)

The hospitality that we have been shown by *everyone* has been absolutely astonishing. I have found our hosts to be delightful, enthusiastic to share their country, their stories, and especially their FOOD. Thank you!

(I could not have imagined the things that I have eaten already!).

Of special note tonight was the "noodle-man" - he did a dance with the noodles before throwing them into the soup!

"Peking" at the Forbidden City

Hello friends and family!

We have had a VERY rich and full day, our first full day in China! After I returned from the morning walk (complete with the tea-ceremony), I returned to the hotel! Our wonderful Beijing host, Zhong, re-met us again today at the hotel and brought with him his mother! What a delight!

She presented Ellen as a gift ... a hand-made, full-length, Chinese silk formal gown! It is a gift for Ellen as a "thank-you" for being Zhong's teacher. She then ... proceded to measure ME for ... something! My favorite color was requested, along with probably the most hilarious measuring-session I've ever had in my life! When I was asked about my preferences for the cut of the gown (apparently she is going to make me one, but I could have lost something in translation ...) ... I was asked how low she should make the front and-or the back. Zhong got an impish look in his eye when he translated,

"Do you want it sexy, or traditional?" I'm still giggling about this ...

We then were escorted to a restaurant, apparently one of the most famous for its PEKING DUCK. Peking Duck is a specialty from this area, and the cooking of said duck involves blowing its stomach up with beer, roasting it, and hanging it for several hours before serving it. The food that was brought to us was enough to feed all of the people at Tiananmen Square today. And it was ALL amazing -- the flavors, textures, colors of it. Zhong asked me if I wanted to try the Duck Head ... remember my rule of "trying everything once" - and so I said, of course! I was also informed that eating duck's brains adds to your own intelligence.

Getting to the restaurant was also an *adventure*. We took a public bus (that was uneventful) and then Zhong made us take two different rickshaws! (Small cart pulled by "driver" riding a bike in this case). Ellen and Bob took one, Zhong, his mother and I were in the other. I loved riding in this rickshaw. It was fun, and you could smell the streets as you rode by, and hear the sounds of this city!

From the restaurant, we went to the "Forbidden City." I have seen pictures of this, I have played an opera about it (Puccini's final opera, "Turandot," takes place in Peking's Forbidden City), and I have seen it on television and in the movies. However, nothing prepares you for the magnitude and beauty of this place! So many palaces, rooms, thrones, and rooftops. I was informed that when President Bush visited China, he stayed in the Emperor's quarters, which we saw part of today.

I'm also in shutter-bug-heaven here. It is such a different place than any place I have ever been, and every turn is a different monument to color and detail. There are sets of gargoyles I keep seeing - a dragon with several minions - that I need to find out more about.

Tomorrow's adventure - the Great Wall.