Another openin', another show

On Monday evening, the first day of lessons and classes, there was a recital showcasing the AIMS faculty. It was supposed to take place in a nearby hall but since it was raining non-stop it was decided that the concert would be moved to the large hall of the Heim. I got to hear my colleagues and enjoy their considerable talents. The program covered the gamut from opera to operetta, cabaret, art songs, piano solos, and music parody (an amusing rendition of Rossini's "Barber of Seville" overture for piano, 6 hands). My own contribution was a performance of a song I had written for basso Gustavo Halley, entitled "Sokrates und Alcibiades" (text of Hölderlin). It is one of five songs I wrote for Gustavo some 15 years ago. He performed them in Kansas City at that time, but not since. So, we dusted off this one song for this concert. It was billed as an "Österreichische Erstaufführing" (Austrian first performance). It sounds more impressive in German than it really is. It was very well received. A few days ago I had an e-mail from another colleague from the Conservatory who is teaching at a summer program in Orvieto, Italy. He informed me that a student of his who is in the program there (a bass I worked with last semester) performed some of the five songs on a concert at the Opera House in Orvieto. When it rains, it pours, apparently. Two European performances of my music in one week -- I don't know if I can handle that! Anyway, the AIMS faculty concert was really very fine. There is an impressive assemblage of talent here.

The Austrians are famously polite, and I can attest to that. The other day I went to a Friseur to have a simple haircut. It was a local place, in the Leonhardstrasse, nothing fancy. The woman who cut my hair was charmingly attentive and solicitous, explaining to me what she was doing at every turn, making every effort to please. She made me look ten years younger. I think I'd like to take her back to the States with me as my personal friseur.