Streets of Philadelphia

A photo from this weekend's quick sojourn to Philly. I didn't see any ladies in bonnets (except for those working at the Pennsylvania Dutch bakeries), but this is just one example remnant of the city's former glory. I discovered many leftovers from its days of high society, including a 1780s pianoforte from London (with all the original ivories!) in the historical home of Dr. Physick, inventor of soda.

Now playing: Music by Philadelphia composer (and R. Serkin grandson) David Ludwig from instant encore.

Now eating: Leftover cha-soba from last night's dinner at Morimoto (the original...and it's purportedly better than the Chelsea location). I also had a lovely experience at another Stephen Starr restaurant, Alma de Cuba.

One More for the Road

With a nerve wracking audition preparation over, I've been able to focus on more agreeable upcoming events. One possibility is a clarinet and piano recital upstate, part of a birthday celebration for a certain American composer, that would also include a new work commissioned specifically for the evening. The concert is tentatively scheduled for October, which gives me an unusually luxurious amount of lead time to prepare.

A moment of silence, please, for Fubar. I probably shouldn't admit that, although it was a total dive, it was one of my favorite places to have a drink with friends. Since one of my best pals lives in the neighborhood, we spent many a quiet weekday evening (when the concentration of frat boys was far less than on weekends) lounging on the couches in the back room. I've added giant falling cranes to my List of Things to Watch Out For.

Proof of Life

I haven't exactly had a stress-free existence lately, so in place of an actual post I've decided to share more photos from my last visit to the Boston MFA. The first is of an ornately decorated Hensch harpsichord from 1736, one of only five surviving.





My other favorite in the MFA's instrument room was a 1796 Broadwood piano. At first I was perplexed by the middle pedal- surely a piano this early could not have been outfitted with a sostenuto?- and I think the security guard was wary of me peering underneath the instrument on my hands and knees. According to a book on the collection's keyboard instruments (which I did ultimately find and order online, after great effort), the middle pedal actually controlled a drumstick that would strike the underside of the piano. It may have also been linked to a cymbal or triangle. Evidently it provided a bit of "Turkish music" to accompany the pianist. It reminded me of some old player pianos I've seen that also included percussion sounds.




The media was full of stories last week about the NY Phil's trip to North Korea. I don't think the orchestra has enjoyed that much attention since Bernstein was alive. I listened to parts of the broadcast and enjoyed Maazel's attempts to speak Korean. I'm not sure what he was trying to say and I'm fairly certain the audience wasn't either. Maybe the Music Director will return to NY with an Asian rock star haircut. Or wig.