1. A correction from my blog post yesterday: A suite is a collection of instrumental movements, but I stated a suite is a collection of dances. Often, maybe even usually they are. But not always. A suite might extract its component parts from ballet (e.g. The Nutcracker Suite), operas, or original compositions.
You can see my way of learning. I have a long history of learning as I get things not quite right and correct myself.
2. I was very grateful today for Spokane Public Radio. Every Saturday at noon, the station features a program entitled, "Concert of the Week". Each week one can hear a performance recently given locally or not too far away.
I'd been looking forward to today's presentation for the last several days. I went a lecture a week ago Thursday looking at the program the Spokane Symphony played last weekend. I didn't go to the Symphony's performance, but it was on Spokane Public Radio today.
It was thrilling.
Bernstein's Symphonic Dances, a suite of songs from West Side Story, touched upon a wide range of emotions, ranging from energetic jubilation to tragic grief.
I had never heard anything quite like Paul Creston's Fantasy for Trombone and thoroughly enjoyed its energy, drive, various rhythms, and the space it gave the trombone soloist, the Spokane Symphony's principle trombonist, John Church to showcase his virtuosity and play trombone passages that introduced me to whole new ways of hearing what could be played on a trombone.
Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances occupied the entirety of the second half of the program. I loved its hugeness, its variety of directions, and, as with Bernstein, its evocation of a variety of emotions ranging from disillusionment to nostalgia to expressions of spirituality.
I want to increase my familiarity with this Rachmaninoff composition. I want to listen to it more, read more about it. It was more than I could absorb today, listening to it for the first time.
3. For tomorrow night's family dinner, Christy assigned me to make cole slaw. I made it this afternoon in the hope that it will benefit from sitting overnight in the fridge, giving its variety of flavors a chance to mature. I usually prefer cabbage salad or cole slaw with a vinegar dressing, but I decided to veer away from my usual pattern and made a creamy cole slaw.
I have my fingers crossed that Christy, Carol, and Paul will enjoy it tomorrow evening.
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