Musical Respite

Things have been very busy at The Friends lately – the season has begun, and I’m keeping up with grant deadlines, donor cultivation and acknowledgement, benefit planning, board stewardship, and the general filing and correspondence that are always present. It’s easy to get lost in administrative tasks, but this weekend’s piano recital by Richard Goode will be a nice reminder of why we do what we do!

I first heard Goode on The Friends’ series in March of 2007, a couple of months after I had started my position here. I was very moved by his thoughtful, skilled, and beautiful playing. I remember thinking what an awesome responsibility it must be to have the kind of intense talent that he does. Sure, any amateur pianist can play the notes in a Mozart, Bach, or Schubert piece, but only a rare few can shed light on the composer’s meaning, as though the composer was speaking through him. Goode is one of these artists.

The program tomorrow evening is made up of relatively short pieces by Bach and Chopin, two of my favorite composers. When the lights go down and the curtain goes up, I’m looking forward to sitting back in my theater chair and letting Goode’s masterful interpretations wash over me, a welcome musical respite from the daily grind.