oboeinsight

I’m finally listening to the Renée Fleming CD, Verismo, that was sent to me (yes, for free; I’m supposed to acknowledge that here) to “review”. Everyone here knows I don’t actually review things; I don’t feel qualified and certainly don’t feel comfortable doing so. But I can tell you I’m enjoying the CD, and the little DVD sent along was fun to watch … especially for the three clothing changes (in the short DVD!) and hair styles Ms. Fleming does. 🙂

Anyway, it’s quite lovely and she’s quite lovely and so there you go. Lots of loveliness. All in one small CD. 😉

I can’t describe adequately enough how healing it can be to make music with others. There’s something almost hypnotic about it – the way we have to listen to each other and to ourselves, blend our rhythms and harmonies together, use sound and time, mathematics and physics, to evoke images and feelings and give life to a composer’s musical ideas. It’s a kind of consubstantiation; there’s something almost sacramental about it, a moving of breath and light through the small community we form every Thursday in our little room at a local college.

I read this here. T is a doctor. She is learning to play the oboe. And I love reading what she has to say about so many different things.

For her, it appears that playing takes her away from the stress of work that she has to deal with so frequently. Funny how what is a stress-reliever for her does quite the opposite for me. Not always, of course, but certainly this week!

I want that joy back. I absolutely love the Ravel works we are playing. I want to enjoy them and make good music and let everything else go. I wonder if I can manage. I’m hoping so.