Around the World On 88 Keys

Cello Festival

2011-04-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

MC'd today's Concert for Children at Towson University; part of the International Cello Festival. Good group of kids from Baltimore City and County schools. TU students presented movements of Beethoven's Septet (for violin, viola, cello, bass, horn, bassoon, and clarinet... what a combination!), Mozart trio, and a work by student composer John Haggerty (for string quartet and percussion). Frances played a movement of the Poulenc clarinet sonata (which she re-wrote for cello and is officially premeiring tomorrow), my 9-year-old student Kara plalyed three selections and pretty much wowed the audience (very musical, very enthusiastic. Solid!).

Getting ready for performance tomorrow night (7:30p.m.) with Frances - works by Poulenc, Bartok, and Tchaikovsky. (Facebook event page)

Photos from Vilnius and Surrounding Areas

2011-03-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

Lithuania - Basics first

2011-03-16T05:05:00.000-07:00

Wow - I love Lithuania! Been keeping busy with performances and meetings; I'll write more details soon. In the meantime, a few of the basics from Vilnius:

HOTEL: The famous Neringa of Vilnius. Very comfortable, delicious breakfast buffet, lunches, and dinners
WEATHER: Chilly but sunny.
STREET VIEW: Piles of packed snow/ice darkened with gravel, sand, and soot on the sides of sidewalks, also packed a few inches thick on some smaller streets. Men hack away at it on warmer days, breaking it it up into blocks and (I'm told) carting it away. The snow doesn't really melt - it can last through April or longer. Cobblestone streets throughout the old town of Vilnius. Lots of walkers (but hardly crowded). Traffic is rather light for a city of this size. Feels very safe. Clean streets (I often see people sweeping them with brooms made of bunched Willow branches)
ARCHITECTURE/CITY LAYOUT: beautiful traditional European city, reminiscent of cities I have visited in Poland, Italy, Germany, France, and Austria. Lots of space for parks - must be stunning in Spring/Summer!
PRACTICING: a LOT.
FOOD and DRINK: Delicious! Great cakes/pastries. Potato cake (entree) is amazing (never had anything like it in any other country), as are potato pancakes, blini, and dumplings. Loving the fresh mushrooms, cheeses, breads. Local beer gets 2 thumbs up, too!
ATMOSPHERE & HOSPITALITY: Amazing. Very creative, intelligent, energetic people.
LANGUAGES: Unfortunately I'm very dependent on English here. Most people speak excellent English, as well as Russian and another language or two. My parents' languages are coming in good use. Lithuanian is very different from Polish and German (my two foreign languages) and I've been slow to pick up phrases.

Good morning: Labas rytas (Lah-bahs reeh-tahs)
Good evening: Labas vykaras (Lah-bahs vick-ah-rahs)
Thank you: Aciu (ah-CHIU)
Very nice weather: Nuostabus Oras (Nosta-boose awe-rus)

Photos from Lithuania - Part 1

2011-03-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

Japan

2011-03-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

Very sad to hear about the disaster in Japan. Thoughts and prayers go out to all people there. A terrible tragedy and one I am not able to get my mind around - the photos/videos are frightening to look at, and when I think of it at a human, personal level, my heart breaks for these people. Our sympathy to our Japanese friends and their families...

Ready or not... here we go!

2011-03-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

Ready or not... here we go! The last few weeks (months?) have often made me wish I had a few extra hours each day and this long-awaited trip to the Baltic countries has arrived sooner than I imagined (but maybe - just in time for my musical and personal well-being!).

Mom and Emmanuel flew out of BWI; Dad and I went (courtesy of Steven Bailey) to Dulles. Got a bad case of carsickness on the way - weak and dizzy and very nauseated is not a good way to start the journey. Dad dug around in his luggage and found an Underberg for me; started working almost immediately.

Slept most of the flight to Copenhagen. Arrived at the airport at 7:00a.m. and was taken by the stylish design and friendly staff. Dropped off hand luggage at the "garderobe" and bought metro tickets (managed to do it in Danish at kiosk as we couldn't figure out how to change the settings to English). GREAT public transportation - getting to downtown from the airport was easy and fast (and only about $6 per person). First headed to the Conservatory (using Google directions I pre-printed) and then explored - walked in whichever direction we felt, window-shopped, strolled through stores and especially supermarkets. Enjoyed a quart of pear-banana yogurt, people-watched, and followed the "general direction" of downtown. Streets are full of walkers and bicyclists, young and old heading to wherever they need to go on bike; and bikes line the sidewalks outside schools, businesses, and shops. Bikes have their own lane/path on each side of the road. People are well-dressed, very friendly (and everyone we've met - even the cashier at 7-11 - speaks seemingly-perfect English). Enjoyed the palace area (second time visiting) and witnessed the royal horses being exercised - got some great shots of them.

There is something about Copenhangen that I really, really like. Seems like a really live-able city, not sure how to explain why it feels that way. A relaxed energy - friendly and classy?

Chilly weather but we had our winter jackets and gloves and kept moving.On the way uptown the skies got dark and it started pouring, and then snowing. But ten minutes later - sunny and relatively warm.

We met the director of International Relations at the Danish Royal Conservatory - a very good meeting - then had lunch/dinner (big, so we figured it would cover both) at a nearby cafe... and started falling asleep as we ate (silly jet-lag!). Had an espresso and headed back to the airport. Our feet were tired but we felt we made the most of our day.

Checked into Air Baltic at 6:00 (for 8pm flight) and made sure to ask about their luggage. Receptionist (is that what you call the desk personnel for airlines?) verified that it's in the system and ready to load onto the plane. (That's what she said...)

Security was a little different than Dulles - short line, didn't have to take shoes off, set off the detector alarm and was pat down - by a male security agent.

The flight was uneventful - slept most of the flight again and announcements by the flight attendants only slightly invaded my dreams. Close to landing I put the chair back in the upright position without opening my eyes and fell back asleep.

We arrived at the Vilnius airport at 10:45 p.m. It's a small airport - we walked off the plane, noted that there were piles of snow, and went to pick up our luggage. Baggage belt started up immediately, suitcases came out, people gathered round, and 2 minutes later (it was a small plane) the belt stopped and the doors to the outside loading area closed. Our luggage hadn't arrived. We weren't exactly prepared to go without it - I had my music, and we had some chocolates we bought at the Copenhagen airport (I know, I should be able to survive on music and chocolate!) but that was it. Filed a claim with baggage services and got an emergency overnight kit - plain white t-shirt, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razor and shaving cream, eau d toilette, brush, and a toothbrush.

We were met by Maestro Adomaitis and his assistant, Romas, of Dagilelis Choir, and headed to Hotel Neringa. Very nice hotel - felt "at home" immediately. Reunited with Mom and Emmanuel - and found out that they too (despite being on another flight, and another airline) had no luggage. They had been given emergency overnight bags too - but theirs are nicer than ours with some great sample projects (actually got excited about these!) though their white T-shirt was identical to ours. We joked that it should say "AirBaltic/Finnair lost my luggage and all I got was this T-shirt." Or that if our luggage doesn't arrive by Sunday, we'll go on stage in white t-shirts. . .

Photos from Copenhagen

2011-03-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

Modern art outside the palace

Channel in center-city

Bicycles (and bicyclists) are everywhere! Loved seeing all the people out and about, walking and riding, with kids in tow (or in some cases, the kids were in little carts in front of the bicycle - all bundled up in blankets - and were pushed)!

Train Station

Entrance to Tivoli

I was excited to see the royal horses being exercised around the palace.

Drop-off mail boxes

I'm guarding the palace...

Student Success at NFMC Junior Festival

2011-02-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

PRESS RELEASE:

On Saturday, February 26, fifteen young piano students from the Maryland Conservatory of Music participated in the Maryland division of the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Junior Festival at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The festival is a musical event held in all 50 states, involving thousands of pre-college musicians nationwide. Students are grouped into categories based on the difficulty of their chosen musical selections. Each student plays two selections by memory in front of a public audience and receives a written critique and a rating from professional musicians. The ratings are Superior, Excellent, Satisfactory, Fair, and Needs Improvement.

All fifteen students study with pianist Elizabeth Borowsky at the Maryland Conservatory of Music. A professional concert pianist, Ms. Borowsky has traveled to over 35 countries performing in venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and directs the annual International Music Institute and Festival USA in Emmitsburg, Maryland. She has been on the Faculty of the Maryland Conservatory of Music since 2009, and enjoys sharing her love of music with her students. Under her guidance, all of the participating students from the Conservatory achieved a rating of “Superior” or “Excellent.”

This festival was a wonderful opportunity for students to grow and learn in their music through diligent practice towards the festival, showcase their talents in front of an appreciative audience, and benefit from the advice of professional musicians. The students, parents, and community can be very proud of their achievement.

(Names omitted from this online blog due to privacy)

14 Pieces Available from Imagine Music Publishing

2011-02-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

Imagine Music Publishing has published a collection of 14 pieces for winds and piano written in collaboration with friend and former Towson University Music Chairman Dr. David Marchand. The pieces are written for young musicians and are scored for flute, saxophone, clarinet, or trumpet and piano. Dr. Marchand wrote the melodies, I created the accompaniments.

Click here for music. Samples available on individual instrument pages.

Life: An Impromptu

2010-11-15T14:33:00.000-08:00

Last week I was interviewed for the nationally syndicated radio show "The Story" regarding my work with Dick Smith, a 95-year-old resident of Oak Crest Village (Parkville, MD). Mr Smith was inspired to write a piece of music after attending a performance by Rachmaninoff in 1931. He spent decades piecing his musical ideas together (he never took lessons, and didn't own a piano until age 60), and asked me to help him prepare the work as a concert piece.

I was thrilled to premiere Life: An Impromptu on August 29, 2010 at Oak Crest in a special concert dedicated to Mr. Smith. His family was there - as well as an audience of over 300 OCV residents - and it was a highlight of the year for me (and of my musical career!). The story received some local attention (Channel 11 News, Baltimore Sun, Erickson Tribune).

http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_1167_Yassin_Alsalman.mp3/view
Scroll down for links to the interview and to an MP3 recording of my performance.

Life: An Impromptu

2010-11-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

On Tour with the Young German Symphony Orchestra

2008-11-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

Emmanuel, Frances, and I joined the Young German Symphony Orchestra for their U.S. concert tour. We performed as soloists for the Beethoven Triple Concerto. Concerts took place in Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Emmitsburg, Baltimore, and New York.

Return to the USA

2008-07-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

Emmanuel and I were the last of our family to remain at Dilsberg, however we had plenty of visitors to keep us from getting lonely. Our good friend Erlend came all the way from Norway, my best friend from my studies in London (Chi-Ling) spent a few days with us, our nearby relatives came for short visits, and we were invited to spend afternoons and evenings drinking coffee, wine, and other pleasing liquid concoctions with locals. We took long walks, picked berries, visited all the shops of Heidelberg, climbed to the top of Heiligenberg, and enjoyed every last minute of our time in Dilsberg/Germany. The only unpleasant experience? Packing. What an awful struggle. We realized much too late (the night before our early-morning departure) that we had too much "stuff" and too little space in our suitcases. So we started giving things away... We still ended up with three 50-pound suitcases, two over-stuffed backpacks, a bag of food for the trip, and Emmanuel's oh-so-heavy violin (really, it is) which was more than enough for the travels the next day (car ride to the train station, 5 trains, 2 trams). As we sat in the airport we thought about all the experiences we had over the 10-weeks and the memories that we would remember... and tried to keep our minds busy with planning for the future. We made it back to the USA safely, though our luggage got lost somewhere between New York and Washington D.C. Our Dad picked us up at the airport and we headed straight to Emmitsburg, Maryland for the International Music Institute and Festival USA.

We jumped right into the middle of the program (it had started on July 13) with teaching lessons, coaching ensembles, meeting some new students and catching up with returning students, and enjoying the lovely setting of Mount St. Mary's University. On Wednesday night I presented a workshop on "improvisation." On Saturday we performed a recital in memory of our dear friend and mentor, Dr. Peter Sotiriou, who passed away from cancer earlier this year, but left his entire music collection to us! Our faculty this year were PHENOMENAL. We were pleased to have violinist Chin Kim and pianist Brian Ganz return to IMIF again this year. Each presented a fabulous masterclass and a recital. Ganz leaves me speechless every time I hear him perform. He is simply incredible, and one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. We also had Baltimore Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Jonathan Carney teaching at IMIF (so down-to-earth and a great teacher!) , Jose Cueto (the kids really loved him), Blanka Bednarz (missed her by a day, but I met her last year - an excellent musician and dynamic woman), as well as our "regular" faculty: my Mom (the most incredible cellist), Dr. Sharon Eng (a wonderful musician, good friend, mentor, and our morning-exercise leader), Dr. Fred Minger (first-rate pianist), and Yoshie Kubota (a wonderful pianist, composer, and singer!).

The week passed by quickly, and then 9 of the musicians hit the road with us for a post-IMIF tour. We performed concerts in Biglerville, Gettysburg, and York Springs.

P.S. Our luggage did finally arrive (two days after us).

One week left in Dilsberg

2008-06-25T03:27:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been packed with experiences that have been more than worthy of mention here, but have also taken away from the time I need to sit down peacefully and write. Thus, a long list of notes on "things to blog about" has accumulated, and the task of writing about all of them seems daunting. However, I will attempt to catch up on the highlights of the last weeks...

SPEAKING GERMAN
I'm thrilled to say that my German has improved tremendously during my time here, and some daily conversation with my family and with people we meet. It still needs work (I could stand to do some studying of the basic grammar rules, as well as simply read more in German) but I've never been able to converse as much and as actively as I can right now. My vocabulary still sometimes fails me, but I can get my points across. I realized this over the past weekend, during which I had many conversations and rarely had to ask for any clarification, and noted that I'm finally "thinking in German."

THE SWEDES
Dilsberg is sister cities with a town in Sweden. In late June, a musical delegation (choir and big band) from this Swedish town came to visit Dilsberg. My Dad volunteered that we'll perform a "welcome concert for them." A stage was set up outside, a reception was put together, and we played a short concert which included the Swedish Anthem. In return, the choir performed an impromptu mini-concert for us. A nice exchange.

EURO CUP
It was nice to follow the Euro Cup while here and cheer for Germany. They made it to the finals, losing to Spain. Soccer has a way of bringing out national pride... I've never seen so many German flags in Germany, on cars, balconies, and in stores!

FLIP FLOPS
Since mid-May, the only pair of shoes I've worn (except for concerts, during which I wear my concert shoes, and jogging, for which I wear sneakers) has been a pair of flip-flops that I bought last summer. They're comfortable and match all my outfits, and I've grown used to slipping them on before . The right shoe is still in perfect condition, but the left one is falling apart to the degree that the flip-flop strap is barely attached to the base of the shoe. I used a needle and thread to keep it from breaking, but I think it's time for a new pair. The problem here is finding shoes in my size.

TICKS
This isn't really a highlight, but it's a part of our time here worthy of mention. The woods here are full of ticks who care little about anti-tick bug spray. Each we came back from a hike, at least one of us later found a tick (or a few). Thus, we have finally opted to stay on the main roads (ugh, jogging on concrete).

COLLECTIVE COMPOSING
Emmanuel, Frances, and I wrote our first ever joint composition. It's called "Postcards from Dilsberg," is about 14 minutes long, and is in my humble opinion pretty damn awesome! The work process was tedious, trying to improvise collectively, and streamline our differing ideas into one cohesive whole... but the end result is something we're all proud of. We premeired the piece at our concert here on July 6 (see below). We were working on it until the day of the performance. The piece consists of five movements:

I. Morning in Dilsberg:
The Neckar River winds around Dilsberg. The birds sing. The sun shines.
II. Ready for Battle.
III. The Legendary Sleeping Chamber.
IV. Rose of Dilsberg.
V. Triumphal March (In Honor of Dilsberg’s 800th Anniversary)

PERU BENEFIT CONCERT:
Early on during our stay in Dilsberg, my Dad went for an early morning walk and met a man tending the bee hive. My Dad asked if he could buy honey from him, and the man asked him to come by his house later on that day. We went with my Dad, met the man, his wife, and their dog, and started talking about their experience living in Dilsberg, what we are doing here, etc. We found out that they are very active in the Catholic Church, and that the lady is the head of a committee in charge of a sister-church relationship with a church in Peru, and that they occasional try to rasie funds for their Peruvian sister-church. We offered to play a benefit concert, and so the planning started... Posters were printed and posted around the area, invitations were sent out, the media was alerted... and we practiced, of course! The concert took place this past Sunday, July 6 and was a great success. The church was packed (standing room only!), the program was very well received (consisted of works ranging from peaceful favorites such as Ave Maria, Ave Verum, and Meditation from Thais to virtuoso works such as Ravel's Jeux d'Eau, Sarasate's Zigeunderweisen, and Popper's Hungarian Rhapsody, and THE PREMEIRE of our composition, "Postcards from Dilsberg," which received a standing ovation). After the concert, we received a special surprise (more like a shock) when renowned conductor Maestro Mario Venzago came to congratulate us! Yikes! We were glad we didn't know that he was in the audience prior to the performance... Afterwards we enjoyed a reception during which the local historic dance troupe performed several dances for us.

BIRTHDAYS
During our time here my Dad, brother, and sister celebrated their birthdays. We had several gatherings in their honor and had relatives and friends come visit.

CONCERT FOR OUR OMA
We visited our Oma and celebrated her 89th birthday! She was in good spirits and sang many German folk songs with my Dad. We also congratulated my cousin Peter on his 40th birthday, and played soccer with him and my cousin Tomek. My Mom's sister Urzula was with my Oma, caring for her, and it was wonderful to see and catch up with her. The day after my Oma's birthday, we performed a concert in the Repelen Evangelical Church, very close to where my Oma lives. The concert went well and afterwards we enjoyed a tasty dinner in a gourmet restaurant together with the Pastor of the church. And then, he took us back to the church and gave us a tour... from the bottom up... ALL the way up... Up lots of stairs and then long steep ladders... Past the bells (way past!), all the way to the very top!

FRUIT
Dilsberg is full of fruit trees and bushes with fruit for picking. Some of the fruits we have enjoyed include blackberries and raspberries (though 99% of them still aren't ripe), black cherries (yummmmmmmmmmmm!), and red currants.

WEATHER
Summer here is very, very pleasant. Some warm days, some cool days, some sunny, some cloudy, some dry, some humid.... but all in all a nice moderate climate. I'm not looking forward to jumping right into the middle of the Baltimore summer...

Woman Walks Goats as Dogs

2008-06-24T07:52:00.001-07:00

We looked out our bedroom window and saw a German woman walking three big goats and one little one!

Pictures from Schloss Engers in Neuwied

2008-06-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Dilsberg, continued...

2008-06-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

The last month has passed quickly, and only now when looking at my last entry did I realize just how overdue an update is!

My Mom and France arrived here the second half of May. They were taken aback by the beauty of the town and surroundings, and quickly felt at home. The apartment, which is small (2 BR, 1 bath, and a very small kitchen), was more than a little cramped with the five of us but we managed. My Mom returned home last week.
Everyone here seems to know who we are, what we do, where we are, where we go... It's a small town, and word gets around FAST. Someone is always around, watching...
We were interviewed by the Rhein-Neckar Zeitung (the major newspaper of this region of Germany), the article (with a nice picture of all of us) came out at the end of May.
The Dilsbergers we have met are very nice, and extremely hospitable. We've been invited to many a dinner (they are also great cooks!) and have enjoyed their company and stories.
We've had relatives visit us, and have also gone out to visit them (e.g. my Grandmother and Aunt and Uncle in Moers). It's nice to finally be close enough to get together spontaneously if we want to.
I'm composing and arranging music, and often improvising with Eman and Frances.
We performed a concert in Schloss Engers (Villa Musica): http://schloss-engers.de/
The Germans have very good wine. Interestingly, my brother and I both find the dry wines sweet. Either our tastes have matured or German dry wines are simply not that dry.
Speaking of Eman and drinking... He'll be turning 21 in a few days. But that's not a big deal here at all, as even Frances is served wine and fruit liquor, and not only in private homes! I've yet to hear of anyone ever being asked for an ID here.
We watched the opening night of "Rose of Dilberg," a tragic play put on by the local Dilsberg theatre group. It was well-presented, and took place outdoors on the castle ruins in the evening. Lovely! Synopsis below.

Rose of Dilsberg
The scene of the action is set in Dilsberg Castle on Midsummer's Eve in the early twelfth century. Every year on Midsummer's Eve it is brought back to life from its twilight existence. The Count of Lauffen was preparing for the wedding of his daughter Rose. She had originally been engaged to Ulrich von Steinach (Neckarsteinach) at the tender age of ten, but it was only a marriage
of expediency that had been arranged by the two fathers, to end their perpetual feuding. However,Ulrich von Steinach was presumed dead since having gone off to a Crusade. Rose grew into a beautiful young woman and fell in love with Wolf von Hirschhorn. As they were preparing for their wedding, the Count of Dilsberg was notified that an entourage of Steinach knights desired entry to Dilsberg Castle. The captain of the castle warned the Dilsberg count against the crafty and violent Landschad Pleikart von Steinach, Ulrich's father. However, in his celebratory mood, the Dilsberg count paid no heed to these warnings, and on the contrary hospitably welcomed his Steinach neighbor. Pleikart, the sly fox, who always took the greatest pleasure in making happy people cry and sad people laugh, used this opportunity to coax a promise from the Dilsberg count to give his daughter Rose to Ulrich von Steinach, if he should ever return from the realm of the dead. What the Dilsberg count thinks is a joke, turns out to be, quite literally, deadly serious. During the procession of the wedding party to the church, Ulrich von Steinach, who has returned from his journey and up to now has gone unrecognized, pulls up his visor and discloses his identity; he demands his bride back from Wolf von Hirschhorn. The Count of Dilsberg, trapped by his promise, must refuse to allow Rose to marry her beloved Wolf. As a result, Wolf challenges Ulrich to a duel. Wolf von Hirschhorn and Ulrich von Steinach do battle against each other; Wolf is mortally wounded and dies. In grief and despair Rosamunde throws herself from the parapet of the castle wall.

Mark Twain's Take on Dilsberg

2008-05-27T01:23:00.000-07:00

From: http://twain.thefreelibrary.com/Tramp-Abroad/0-19

However, I wander from the raft. We made the port of Necharsteinach in good season, and went to the hotel and ordered a trout dinner, the same to be ready against our return from a two-hour pedestrian excursion to the village and castle of Dilsberg, a mile distant, on the other side of the river. I do not mean that we proposed to be two hours making two miles--no, we meant to employ most of the time in inspecting Dilsberg.

For Dilsberg is a quaint place. It is most quaintly and picturesquely situated, too. Imagine the beautiful river before you; then a few rods of brilliant green sward on its opposite shore; then a sudden hill--no preparatory gently rising slopes, but a sort of instantaneous hill-- a hill two hundred and fifty or three hundred feet high, as round as a bowl, with the same taper upward that an inverted bowl has, and with about the same relation of height to diameter that distinguishes a bowl of good honest depth--a hill which is thickly clothed with green bushes--a comely, shapely hill, rising abruptly out of the dead level of the surrounding green plains, visible from a great distance down the bends of the river, and with just exactly room on the top of its head for its steepled and turreted and roof-clustered cap of architecture, which same is tightly jammed and compacted within the perfectly round hoop of the ancient village wall.

There is no house outside the wall on the whole hill, or any vestige of a former house; all the houses are inside the wall, but there isn't room for another one. It is really a finished town, and has been finished a very long time. There is no space between the wall and the first circle of buildings; no, the village wall is itself the rear wall of the first circle of buildings, a nd the roofs jut a little over the wall a nd thus furnish it with eaves. The general level of the massed roofs is gracefully broken and relieved by the dominating towers of the ruined castle and the tall spires of a couple of churches; so, from a distance Dilsberg has rather more the look of a king's crown than a cap. That lofty green eminence and its quaint coronet form quite a striking picture, you may be sure, in the flush of the evening sun.

We crossed over in a boat and began the ascent by a narrow, steep path which plunged us at once into the leafy deeps of the bushes. But they were not cool deeps by any means, for the sun's rays were weltering hot and there was little or no breeze to temper them. As we panted up the sharp ascent, we met brown, bareheaded and barefooted boys and girls, occasionally, and sometimes men; they came upon us without warning, they gave us good day, flashed out of sight in the bushes, and were gone as suddenly and mysteriously as they had come. They were bound for the other side of the river to work. This path had been traveled by many generations of these people. They have always gone down to the valley to earn their bread, but they have always climbed their hill again to eat it, and to sleep in their snug town.

It is said the the Dilsbergers do not emigrate much; they find that living up there above the world, in their peaceful nest, is pleasanter than living down in the troublous world. The seven hundred inhabitants are all blood-kin to each other, too; they have always been blood-kin to each other for fifteen hundred years; they are simply one large family, and they like the home folks better than they like strangers, hence they persistently stay at home. It has been said that for ages Dilsberg has been merely a thriving and diligent idiot-factory. I saw no idiots there, but the captain said, "Because of late years the government has taken to lugging them off to asylums and otherwheres; and government wants to cripple the factory, too, and is trying to get these Dilsbergers to marry out of the family, but they don't like to."

The captain probably imagined all this, as modern science denies that the intermarrying of relatives deteriorates the stock.

Arrived within the wall, we found the usual village sights and life. We moved along a narrow, crooked lane which had been paved in the Middle Ages. A strapping, ruddy girl was beating flax or some such stuff in a little bit of a good-box of a barn, and she swung her flail with a will--if it was a flail; I was not farmer enough to know what she was at; a frowsy, barelegged girl was herding half a dozen geese with a stick--driving them along the lane and keeping them out of the dwellings; a cooper was at work in a shop which I know he did not make so large a thing as a hogshead in, for there was not room. In the front rooms of dwellings girls and women were cooking or spinning, and ducks and chickens were waddling in and out, over the threshold, picking up chance crumbs and holding pleasant converse; a very old and wrinkled man sat asleep before his door, with his chin upon his breast and his extinguished pipe in his lap; soiled children were playing in the dirt everywhere along the lane, unmindful of the sun.

Except the sleeping old man, everybody was at work, but the place was very still and peaceful, nevertheless; so still that the distant cackle of the successful hen smote upon the ear but little dulled by intervening sounds. That commonest of village sights was lacking here--the public pump, with its great stone tank or trough of limpid water, and its group of gossiping pitcher-bearers; for there is no well or fountain or spring on this tall hill; cisterns of rain-water are used.

Our alpenstocks and muslin tails compelled attention, and as we moved through the village we gathered a considerable procession of little boys and girls, and so went in some state to the castle. It proved to be an extensive pile of crumbling walls, arches, and towers, massive, properly grouped for picturesque effect, weedy, grass-grown, and satisfactory. The children acted as guides; they walked us along the top of the highest walls, then took us up into a high tower and showed us a wide and beautiful landscape, made up of wavy distances of woody hills, and a nearer prospect of undulating expanses of green lowlands, on the one hand, and castle-graced crags and ridges on the other, with the shining curves of the Neckar flowing between. But the principal show, the chief pride of the children, was the ancient and empty well in the grass-grown court of the castle. Its massive stone curb stands up three or four feet above-ground, and is whole and uninjured. The children said that in the Middle Ages this well was four hundred feet deep, and furnished all the village with an abundant supply of water, in war and peace. They said that in the old day its bottom was below the level of the Neckar, hence the water-supply was inexhaustible.

But there were some who believed it had never been a well at all, and was never deeper than it is now--eighty feet; that at that depth a subterranean passage branched from it and descended gradually to a remote place in the valley, where it opened into somebody's cellar or other hidden recess, and that the secret of this locality is now lost. Those who hold this belief say that herein lies the explanation that Dilsberg, besieged by Tilly and many a soldier before him, was never taken: after the longest and closest sieges the besiegers were astonished to perceive that the besieged were as fat and hearty as ever, and were well furnished with munitions of war--therefore it must be that the Dilsbergers had been bringing these things in through the subterranean passage all the time.

The children said that there was in truth a subterranean outlet down there, and they would prove it. So they set a great truss of straw on fire and threw it down the well, while we leaned on the curb and watched the glowing mass descend. It struck bottom and gradually burned out. No smoke came up. The children clapped their hands and said:

"You see! Nothing makes so much smoke as burning straw--now where did the smoke go to, if there is no subterranean outlet?"

So it seemed quite evident that the subterranean outlet indeed existed. But the finest thing within the ruin's limits was a noble linden, which the children said was four hundred years old, and no doubt it was. It had a mighty trunk and a mighty spread of limb and foliage. The limbs near the ground were nearly the thickness of a barrel.

That tree had witnessed the assaults of men in mail-- how remote such a time seems, and how ungraspable is the fact that real men ever did fight in real armor!--and it had seen the time when these broken arches and crumbling battlements were a trim and strong and stately fortress, fluttering its gay banners in the sun, and peopled with vigorous humanity--how impossibly long ago that seems!--and here it stands yet, and possibly may still be standing here, sunning itself and dreaming its historical dreams, when today shall have been joined to the days called "ancient."

Well, we sat down under the tree to smoke, and the captain delivered himself of his legend:

THE LEGEND OF DILSBERG CASTLE

It was to this effect. In the old times there was once a great company assembled at the castle, and festivity ran high. Of course there was a haunted chamber in the castle, and one day the talk fell upon that. It was said that whoever slept in it would not wake again for fifty years. Now when a young knight named Conrad von Geisberg heard this, he said that if the castle were his he would destroy that chamber, so that no foolish person might have the chance to bring so dreadful a misfortune upon himself and afflict such as loved him with the memory of it. Straightway, the company privately laid their heads together to contrive some way to get this superstitious young man to sleep in that chamber.

And they succeeded--in this way. They persuaded his betrothed, a lovely mischievous young creature, niece of the lord of the castle, to help them in their plot. She presently took him aside and had speech with him. She used all her persuasions, but could not shake him; he said his belief was firm, that if he should sleep there he would wake no more for fifty years, and it made him shudder to think of it. Catharina began to weep. This was a better argument; Conrad could not out against it. He yielded and said she should have her wish if she would only smile and be happy again. She flung her arms about his neck, and the kisses she gave him showed that her thankfulness and her pleasure were very real. Then she flew to tell the company her success, and the applause she received made her glad and proud she had undertaken her mission, since all alone she had accomplished what the multitude had failed in.

At midnight, that night, after the usual feasting, Conrad was taken to the haunted chamber and left there. He fell asleep, by and by.

When he awoke again and looked about him, his heart stood still with horror! The whole aspect of the chamber was changed. The walls were moldy and hung with ancient cobwebs; the curtains and beddings were rotten; the furniture was rickety and ready to fall to pieces. He sprang out of bed, but his quaking knees sunk under him and he fell to the floor.

"This is the weakness of age," he said.

He rose and sought his clothing. It was clothing no longer. The colors were gone, the garments gave way in many places while he was putting them on. He fled, shuddering, into the corridor, and along it to the great hall. Here he was met by a middle-aged stranger of a kind countenance, who stopped and gazed at him with surprise. Conrad said:

"Good sir, will you send hither the lord Ulrich?"

The stranger looked puzzled a moment, then said:

"The lord Ulrich?"

"Yes--if you will be so good."

The stranger called--"Wilhelm!" A young serving-man came, and the stranger said to him:

"Is there a lord Ulrich among the guests?"

"I know none of the name, so please your honor."

Conrad said, hesitatingly:

"I did not mean a guest, but the lord of the castle, sir."

The stranger and the servant exchanged wondering glances. Then the former said:

"I am the lord of the castle."

"Since when, sir?"

"Since the death of my father, the good lord Ulrich more than forty years ago."

Conrad sank upon a bench and covered his face with his hands while he rocked his body to and fro and moaned. The stranger said in a low voice to the servant:

"I fear me this poor old creature is mad. Call some one."

In a moment several people came, and grouped themselves about, talking in whispers. Conrad looked up and scanned the faces about him wistfully.

Then he shook his head and said, in a grieved voice:

"No, there is none among ye that I know. I am old and alone in the world. They are dead and gone these many years that cared for me. But sure, some of these aged ones I see about me can tell me some little word or two concerning them."

Several bent and tottering men and women came nearer and answered his questions about each former friend as he mentioned the names. This one they said had been dead ten years, that one twenty, another thirty. Each succeeding blow struck heavier and heavier. At last the sufferer said:

"There is one more, but I have not the courage to--O my lost Catharina!"

One of the old dames said:

"Ah, I knew her well, poor soul. A misfortune overtook her lover, and she died of sorrow nearly fifty years ago. She lieth under the linden tree without the court."

Conrad bowed his head and said:

"Ah, why did I ever wake! And so she died of grief for me, poor child. So young, so sweet, so good! She never wittingly did a hurtful thing in all the little summer of her life. Her loving debt shall be repaid--for I will die of grief for her."

His head drooped upon his breast. In the moment there was a wild burst of joyous laughter, a pair of round young arms were flung about Conrad's neck and a sweet voice cried:

"There, Conrad mine, thy kind words kill me--the farce shall go no further! Look up, and laugh with us--'twas all a jest!"

And he did look up, and gazed, in a dazed wonderment-- for the disguises were stripped away, and the aged men and women were bright and young and gay again. Catharina's happy tongue ran on:

"'Twas a marvelous jest, and bravely carried out. They gave you a heavy sleeping-draught before you went to bed, and in the night they bore you to a ruined chamber where all had fallen to decay, and placed these rags of clothing by you. And when your sleep was spent and you came forth, two strangers, well instructed in their parts, were here to meet you; and all we, your friends, in our disguises, were close at hand, to see and hear, you may be sure. Ah, 'twas a gallant jest! Come, now, and make thee ready for the pleasures of the day. How real was thy misery for the moment, thou poor lad! Look up and have thy laugh, now!"

He looked up, searched the merry faces about him in a dreamy way, then sighed and said:

"I am aweary, good strangers, I pray you lead me to her grave."

All the smile vanished away, every cheek blanched, Catharina sunk to the ground in a swoon.

All day the people went about the castle with troubled faces, and communed together in undertones. A painful hush pervaded the place which had lately been so full of cheery life. Each in his turn tried to arouse Conrad out of his hallucination and bring him to himself; but all the answer any got was a meek, bewildered stare, and then the words:

"Good stranger, I have no friends, all are at rest these many years; ye speak me fair, ye mean me well, but I know ye not; I am alone and forlorn in the world--prithee lead me to her grave."

During two years Conrad spent his days, from the early morning till the night, under the linden tree, mourning over the imaginary grave of his Catharina. Catharina was the only company of the harmless madman. He was very friendly toward her because, as he said, in some ways she reminded him of his Catharina whom he had lost "fifty years ago." He often said:

"She was so gay, so happy-hearted--but you never smile; and always when you think I am not looking, you cry."

When Conrad died, they buried him under the linden, according to his directions, so that he might rest "near his poor Catharina." Then Catharina sat under the linden alone, every day and all day long, a great many years, speaking to no one, and never smiling; and at last her long repentance was rewarded with death, and she was buried by Conrad's side.

Harris pleased the captain by saying it was good legend; and pleased him further by adding:

"Now that I have seen this mighty tree, vigorous with its four hundred years, I feel a desire to believe the legend for ITS sake; so I will humor the desire, and consider that the tree really watches over those poor hearts and feels a sort of human tenderness for them."

We returned to Necharsteinach, plunged our hot heads into the trough at the town pump, and then went to the hotel and ate our trout dinner in leisurely comfort, in the garden, with the beautiful Neckar flowing at our feet, the quaint Dilsberg looming beyond, and the graceful towers and battlements of a couple of medieval castles.

Corpus Christi Celebration in Dilsberg

2008-05-23T04:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Dilsberg observed the Catholic feast day Corpus Christi. As an official holiday, stores were closed... but church was very much open. The little church was packed with Dilsberg's Catholic community; there were 19 altar servers! The main part of mass took place in the church, it was followed by a procession through the town. Two make-shift altars were assembled on the street and decorated with flower petals.

The procession wound it's way around the town... Young and old walked through the streets, following the first communion kids, altar servers, and priest, who carried the Eucharist under a canopy.

The procession was followed by a reception in the town recreation center. There was cake...

We were officially introduced...
And there was music!

Visits From (And To) Our European Relatives

2008-05-23T04:10:00.000-07:00

Over the past week, we've been reconnecting with more relatives:

Our cousin Peter (Mom's side of the family) visited us for a weekend. We took walks, talked, ate, and played music together (he brought his violin along, we played music in Suzuki Violin Book 6, including La Folia by Corelli and Allegro by Fiocco).

We went to Philippsburg to celebrate my second-cousin Daria's 22nd birthday (grand-daughter of my Dad's younger sister!). We had a great celebration with all members that branch of the family, enjoying a delicious dinner, LOTS of cake, wine, beer, and a beer-cola mix. Peter came along, too, and joined in the celebrating!

More photos... first days in Dilsberg.

2008-05-14T02:53:00.001-07:00

A "Fachwerk" home in Dilsberg.
Another view of our home... The square building in the foreground has laundry facilities on the bottom floor (brick part) and a room for Emmanuel to practice in on the second floor (Fachwerk and windows).

The entrance gate to Dilsberg.

Scenic view of Neckargemünd.

Me... peering around the spiral staircase.

A few photos

2008-05-14T02:39:00.000-07:00

The Neckar River and picturesque Neckarsteinach.

The Kommandantenhause (our home for the time being) and the Dilsberg Castle.

Ship passing through a lock on the Neckar River.

Sign proclaiming the celebration of Dilsberg's 800th anniversary (this year!)

Our home...

Our First Visitors: Tante Christina and Onkel Charlie

2008-05-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Christina and Uncle Charlie spent the afternoon with us (they both live in Heidelberg, just a few kilometers away). They brought us a car full of groceries (since there is no food store in town, and we don't yet have our transportation passes), then we had coffee and cake (apple and poppyseed, both freshly baked by my Aunt), performed a mini-concert for them (Bach, Chopin, and some of my compositions/arrangements for piano and violin), looked at photos from China, went for a walk through and around the town (literally around the walls of the town), prepared a wonderful dinner of white spargel (asparagus), and chatted all the while. It's always fascinating to see my Dad with his older sister. She's one of the few people who he'll listen to (hey, she's his older sister!) but besides occasional minor instances in which scolds him, they are very much alike in terms of way of thinking/being. My uncle is of a quiet nature and (as usual) chose to watch and listen.

They had some very interesting conversations, many about our family history... Amongst others:
-their childhood experiences (e.g. my aunt's military training at age 14)
-the Polonization of Silesia... mandatory name changes
-history books' depictions of the war and after-war periods in Poland and Germany
-the unfortunate story of my Grandmother applying 25 times to leave Poland to go to Germany (each time being rejected). She finally got approval after her death

Evening at Schwetzingen Festspiele

2008-05-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, I attended a wonderful duo piano concert performed by the husband/wife team Liuben Dimitrov and Aglika Genova at the Schwetzingen Festspiele. They performed a beautiful program of Ravel (Daphnis et Chloé), Liszt (Variations on Mozart's Don Giovanni), Bernstein (excerpts from West Side Story), and Gershwin (excerpts from Porgy and Bess) with ease, unbelievable precision, and convincing interpretation. The audience (myself included) loved them and enthusiastically rewarded them with what I call the European Uni-Clap (the whole audience magically morphs from chaotic individual clapping to a unified rhythmic clapping... this seems to only happen in Europe), thereby squeezing 3 encores out of this pair.

The concert took place at the Schwetzingen Castle, a famous palace which "was the summer residence of the Electors Palatine Karl III Philip and Charles Theodore, and is most notable for its spacious and ornate gardens. Prior to the concert, I walked through the castle gardens. WOW. Gorgeous. And huge. Flowers and plants and trees and birds from around the world... Winding rivers and beautiful ponds and small lakes... Decorative buildings erected in the style of buildings from around the world.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel... (And thoughts on Utopia)

2008-05-08T02:36:00.001-07:00

My brother (Emmanuel) got here yesterday, and brought lots of energy and enthusiasm with him. He also has already made a point to speak only in German, and only answer us if we speak to him in German... so that he (and we all) can all improve our German skills... Bravo Eman! Maybe I should start writing my blog in German?

I got an email from someone very close to me which gave me something to think about:

"I don't believe in utopia, or shangrila, or a mysterious garden of Eden where one's troubles forever go away, but I do believe some places can make one's problems worse. . . There are times I love being here [in the US], and there are other times where I dream of where you are -- in a castle, in nature, away from all the traffic and rat-racing of America."

It's true, there is no perfect place. Life has it's stresses and challenges wherever you are, and there is no permanent escape through physical means that I know of. But I'm lucky to have this opportunity to be in an environment which for me is a perfect catalyst for my work... and something of a temporary escape, at least a change in atmosphere. I"ll enjoy it for as long as I'm here, as I'm sure the time will pass by quickly.

(Sleep)-walking to the Neckar River and Four Castles

2008-05-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

My Dad has been hiking up and down the mountain every morning since we got here. I've been sleeping in... but woke up early enough today to join him.

We headed down the mountain, zig-zagging on a steep incline through lush, green woods with birds serenading us all the way. We made it to the Neckar River, which was sparkling in the bright sunlight, and walked along a path by the river until we reached a lock, with a bridge for pedestrians above the river. We walked over the river (peering at it over the sides of the bridge, but also through the metal grates we were walking on) and into the town of Neckarsteinach, joking that we can combine our workout with grocery shopping (since there is no grocery store in Dilsberg). We walked around town, visiting two beautiful churches (one Catholic, one now Evangelical but formerly Catholic) and then followed the signs to "Vierbürgen" (Four Castles), which we could already see... perched on the top and sides of the hills just outside the town. We walked up to one, which is privately owned (yikes! who owns this incredible building and property? one can make out a chapel and tower from outside the castle walls), and then around it through the woods, and arrived at the fully explorable ruins of another. I spotted a bench and decided to lay down to enjoy the warmth of the sun, the fresh air, and the singing of my birds, my Dad (of course) climbed up to the top of the tower). Half-opening one eye, I had the most beautiful view of the river, the town behind it, the mountain of Dilsberg, and, a few feet from me, a little black bird perched on a rock, singing to me...

The rest of the day: practicing, eating, and (in the evening) watching Poulenc's opera, "Les Dialogues des Carmélites" on ZDF television...

Visit the Dilsberg Website

2008-05-05T14:27:00.001-07:00

www.burg-dilsberg.de

And view us on Googlemaps:
http://www.maplandia.com/germany/baden-wurttemberg/karlsruhe/rhein-neckar-kreis/dilsberg/

Our residence is the building furthest to the right and highest up in this aerial view (to the right of the castle):
http://lhcb2006.physi.uni-heidelberg.de/images/dilsberg.jpg

Cello Jamboree

2008-05-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

The concert went very well - YAY! Now I can disclose that I barely looked at the piano since my return from China (no time to do so) and was honestly worried about this performance... Ironically, the only piece I had a flash of doubt as to "what comes next" while playing was my own composition, "Northern Lights" which I played as an encore...

Let me explain the context of this concert: cellist Michael Flaksman organized a four-day course for young cellists (ages 8-16) here in Dilsberg, from May 1-4. He invited 8 young cellists (2 from Italy, 3 from Germany, 2 from Poland, 1 from Korea) to come here to have lessons with him and two other cellists, his wife (Jelena Ocic) and Wolfgang Lehner (a Swiss cellist... who happens to be a good friend of my family, though until this week we hadn't been in touch for some years). The cellists participated in masterclasses, rehearsed and performed works for cello ensemble, and performed solo recitals.

What a gifted group of kids! They performed the most difficult works (e.g. Lalo, Schumann, Haydn, Shostakovitch, and Saint-Saens Concertos, Schumann Fantasy Pieces, Shostakovitch Sonata, Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso, Popper Hungarian Rhapsody, among others) with finesse (clear interpretive ideas) and great technical prowess (fast and agile fingerwork, excellent intonation, excellent bow control). I volunteered to accompany two for works that I've played many times, the Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso and the Popper Hungarian Rhapsody... But never have I heard either work played as fast as these boys did (at Ferrari test-course speed). I personally wouldn't choose to play (or listen to) either of these pieces at the tempi they chose, but it was impressive nonetheless. Probably a combination of ambition, adrenalin, competition with their peers, and purely being able to handle the pieces technically (showing off).

The 8-year-old (Riccardo Giovine) pulled off an impressive solo recital consisting of Bach's Arioso (accompanied by cello ensemble), Bach's Menuetto I and II from the G-major Suite, Vivaldi's 5th Sonata, Squire's Danza Rustica, and the finale of Goltermann's 4th Concerto.

I also attended a fantastic concert performed by Jelena Ocic (cello), Connie Shih (piano), and Phillip Roy (violin). Prior to the start of the concert, I accompanied the audience as we sang "Happy Birthday" to Michael Flaksman... The Trio performed Beethoven's Trio Op. 97 (Archduke) and Mendelssohn's Trio in d-minor Op. 49. A wonderful performance, performed with incredible passion (picture hair flying in all directions as they shook their heads to the music... a la rock stars). My Dad and I sat in the seats reserved for us... in the front row... an arm's distance from the cellist (I really could have reached out and touched her bow if I wanted to... wouldn't that have caused an outrage!).

Now, they've all gone home and Dilsberg feels a little empty... (except for all the birds, singing beautifully).

Germany: the beginnings of a 2.5 month adventure, part II

2008-05-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Dilsberg is GORGEOUS. I'm literally living in a medieval castle and village. Much of the castle is in ruins (though you can go up and walk on the castle walls and climb the tower), but the Kommandantenhaus (Commander's House) and tower, which was built in the 13th century, is a beautifully restored 5 level-building. It's built on a hill, so levels 1, 2, and 3 are all 'ground floor.'

Level 1- Cellar, kind of dungeon-like but much friendlier. Used as a dining room for groups
Level 2-Kitchen and Reception area
Level 3-Concert Hall. Features a fantastic Hamburg Steinway, and beautiful modern artwork painted by artists who have had residencies here. Gorgeous view out of the windows, to the rest of the castle and village, the town down below (waaaaaaay down), the Neckar River, and tree-covered mountains .
Level 4: Meeting room
Level 5 (gotta go up a narrowly winding stone staircase to get there): Our apartment! Two bedrooms, a kitchen-dining area, and bathroom. Beautifully furnished. Windows have an incredible view.

The town is as picturesque as can be. Cute houses, little pathways leading between them, cobblestone roads, flowerpots on the windows, herb gardens, a Chocolaterie and Inn, a park, two churches, and hiking paths down the mountain. There are so many birds singing... Am I living in a fairy-tale land?

And the food is great too :-) We were welcomed with glasses of wine and canapes. My Dad went shopping yesterday and bought a carful of some of my favorite food (white asparagus, potato dumplings, Musli, yogurts and quark, and smoked eel) as well as 'standard' groceries.

I just finished a rehearsal of David Popper's Requiem with a cello trio (three cellists). What a beautiful piece. I played it a few years ago but completely forgot about it until this morning, when I was asked if I could jump in to play this piece at a concert... tonight. I'm also playing Chopin's Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante and George Gershwin's Three Preludes. Wish me luck...

Germany: the beginnings of a 2.5 month adventure, part I.

2008-05-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

After returning from China, I had two weeks to do laundry, see friends for a brief "hi" and "bye," and repack my bags, this time for a 2.5 month trip to Germany. My family and I (yes, we do a LOT together) were invited to be artists-in-residence at the Dilsberg Castle, a few miles up the Neckar River from Heidelberg. We accepted the invitation last year and have been looking forward to this "retreat" and the chance to focus on learning new music, composing, writing, thinking, resting, enjoying the natural world, and enjoying good German food and wine...

However, the few days before my departure were frantic and stressful, and I was wishing that I had more time (In the end, I accomplished most of what I wanted to and figured I'd try to do the rest from Germany).

I drove myself to the airport (Dulles) on Wednesday afternoon, tried to check in with my e-ticket (but was denied due to "itinerary changes" that I wasn't aware of and had to wait in a long line to talk with an agent), went through security (each time I fly the process of going the security gets slightly more elaborate), hopped on a shuttle to Termínal A, and waited for my flight to Zurich... The ticket was Swissair, but the flight was operated by United. I headed to the bar, which was crammed with passengers looking to get a last drink in before their flights. One guy saw me standing looking for the non-existent place to sit and offered that I could join him. I took him up on his offer, enjoyed a large beer while chatting about music and hearing about his two young daughters, and then headed to my gate, which was empty, as they had boarded the flight while I was at the bar. No worries, the flight was delayed and even after boarding it I sat in my seat and waited another half hour before we finally took off.

The guy who sat in the seat to my left is a graduate student at GW University in DC. We talked for most of the flight. I did try sleeping, as I wanted to conserve some energy for my first day in Germany, but I've never really able to fall asleep when I'm belted in, sitting up, and have nothing to lean against. We talked about politics, music, languages, our families, travel experiences, his work in Jordan, museums in DC, Facebook, parties, food, drink, education, siblings... After about 5 hours we realized that we hadn't introduced ourselves and thus still didn't know each other's names. Funny.

In Zurich I rushed through the airport (according to my ticket, I had 20 minutes to catch the plane before it took off to Frankfurt), making it to the counter only to find out that the flight was delayed. This flight, too, was marked on my ticket as Swissair but was a Lufthansa flight in reality. Hmm.

My Dad picked me up in Frankfurt. What a HUGE airport. After finding the car in the enormous garage (with just a wee bit of trouble) we drove to Lorsch to visit an old cloister and walk through the town. We also browsed through the wares at a flea market, picking up a beautiful English teapot and sugar container for a mere 4 Euros.

To be continued...

China, April 1-15, 2008

2008-05-02T05:10:00.000-07:00

My family and I spent the first two weeks of April in China for Pre-Olympic concerts ("Great Harmony: One World, One Dream, One Family"). We performed recitals in major Chinese cities, including Tianjin and Beijing. We also performed a concert as soloists with the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra consisting of John Williams' Olympic Fanfare, the Beethoven Triple Concerto, David Popper's Hungarian Rhapsody, Camille Saint-Saens' Introduction and Rondo Cappriciosso, Chopin's Polonaise Op. 22, and a 'medley' of music from around the world that I arranged for our family and orchestra.

I could probably write a book just about the foods we ate (sea cucumber anyone?) but I'll try to be concise and share just the most interesting experiences.

-Eating exotic foods such as chicken feet (rubbery, chewy skin on 2 inches of claw and foot), sea cucumber (essentially a slug of the sea), and tree fungus... but also lots of INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS foods (well spiced, beautifully decorated and presented).

-Protocol of eating with important people: animated discussions on who sits where, lots of food, lots of drinks ('gambe!' means 'bottoms up!' and cannot be turned down or else you are rejecting a token of friendship), and lots of toasts (presented by each and every person at the table, some made multiple toasts)

-Meeting with the Mayor of Tianjin in an elaborate private room (gold everything) of a high-end restaurant which former Pres. Bush once ate, and being serenaded by traditional Chinese musicians... which played music we picked from a "music menu"

-Visiting Tianamen Square, the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall

-Dressing up like a Chinese guard for a picture with my family (why they put me in the guard attire when everyone else was in royal clothing is a mystery). I kinda looked like Xena, the (Chinese) Warrior Princess

-Being treated as if we were rock stars. Our audiences took pictures of us (often during the performance), asked for our autographs, and gave us bouquets and plush toys. The girls sooned over Emmanuel (western boy = desireable) and envied Frances' blonde hair

-Walking into a lecture hall a few minutes prior to my Dad's lecture and hearing our afternoon practice session being broadcast over the loudspeakers (they surreptitiously recorded us!)

-Meeting a university student (majoring in computer engineering) who insisted on playing for me (very, very good pianist) and proceeded to tell me about all the differences between my Ekier edition of the Chopin Polonaise Op. 22 and the Paderewski edition, and then started telling me about his favorite pianists, composers, pieces... He let me listen to one of his compositions (a la Ravel) on his i-pod, then asked me if I'd like to come to a music store "to buy pirated CDs." He also suggested that we play a duet at the concert... which would be taking place the next day and broadcast nationwide on TV.

-Finding out that Chinese musicians and orchestra personnel (manager, conductor, concertmaster, principal cellist, conductor) enjoy playing drinking games with their soloists (perhaps trying to make us a little tipsy)!!! That's an experience I won't forget soon.

-Waking up to smoggy sunrises in Tianjin. Watching the smoggy, gloomy sunsets. Coming home and LOVING the blue skies of Baltimore.

Ice Storm: The Day After

2007-12-28T05:31:00.000-08:00

It is a deceptively beautiful day. Ice caresses the curves of every plant, tree, wire, and shingle I can see. It looks gorgeous, this liquid-diamond coating. But the clouds are dark and low and randomly unleash moments of sleet and ice pebbles. The roads here - small, curving, winding, hilly - are fun ... when you can drive them. Last year I made it through snow and ice, sliding from side to side on the road and down the hills.