Ever since I was a small child, I have always loved the dramatic sounds of classical music. In the center of our living room, we had a dual stereo system. Equipped on the left side was the 8 track player. We had a few 8 track cassettes here and there, some Olivia Newton-John, The Lettermen and others. To the right, we had the old turntable.
I was constantly haunted by the sounds of Carmen, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, The Carpenters, The Beach Boys, and a favorite of mine and my brother’s: The William Tell Overture, which may be more familiarized by its use for scoring The Lone Ranger. In fact, Derek and I would run around the core of the house when it would play. I loved that old record player.
My parents thought it wise to introduce us to the classics of music early on, and I was privileged enough to have Mrs. Ruth Dowding as my 5th grade teacher. She was well versed and taught equally well the Masters of Classical music. Every week we would study a new composer. Bach, Beethoven, Hayden, Mozart, Bizet, Vivaldi and Gershwin to name a few. This early emphasis of music education helped me create a menagerie of dozens of genre that I enjoy to this day.
Erin used a good bit of research and good sense to exchange our Symphony tickets from last November’s “The Rite of Spring” to last week’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" by Sergei Rachmaninoff at Abravanel Hall. For those who are not familiar with this exceptional piece, this 24 variation piece isn’t really a rhapsody at all, yet it was named as such for it sounds as if the music is giving the oratory through its harmonic rise and fall. It is also of note that this piece is considered extremely difficult to play on piano and also to accompany with a symphony or orchestra.
I always associate the 18th variation with the movie “Somewhere in Time”, with my childhood hero, Christopher Reeve as the main character who falls in love with a woman in a 1912 photo: the beautiful Jane Seymour.
Reeve played Superman, an ultimate favorite film of mine throughout all my years. Somewhere in Time is an amazing film, and the music is its best feature, besides the lead actress.
With a full symphony and grand piano before us, I knew this was a special event, none to soon be matched. As I heard the introduction of the 18th variation being played at the symphony this weekend, (about 12 minutes into the rhapsody, I was paralyzed in my seat. The pianist had the sellout crowd totally and voluntarily captivated. We dared not even budge, sniff or make a sound. A particular quiet and hush befell the audience, and everyone just breathed in the entire moment. My eyes filled with tears (I have no problem admitting that art & music often moves me to an ocular salty discharge), and I totally embraced the moment as compelling, perfect, and without a doubt, I accepted this was the most incredible song I had ever heard.
Isn’t it grand to have dreams and moments come true that we have always anticipated we would one day see, hear and experience?
My hat is off to you, Erin. Bless you. Thank you for sharing that unforgettable experience with me and accompanying me in my endeavours and dreams.
