This day of January 27 (as I rush to submit my column for the Feb 1 issue) is the birth anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. No wonder the Toronto Symphony Orchestra had back to back Mozart concerts. I only found out today (that it was Mozart’s birthday) as I was listening, through my laptop, to one of my fave classical music stations – WXQR – New York’s public radio for classical music. Excellently curated. If you are into classical music, I highly recommend listening to this station. Another go to radio station for me is our own Toronto classical music station 96.3 the New Classical. They each have 2 different and unique sensibilities both of which I find enjoyable.
Speaking of Mozart, I was fortunate enough to attend Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Mozart Requiem concert at the Roy Thomson Hall last January 15. It was the first time I heard the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. They were, to say the least, superb. Another beautiful Mozart concert was last weekend’s Mozart 40 – one of his later symphonies. I opted to watch the matinee performance at the Meridian Arts Centre (formerly the Toronto Centre for the Arts) at North York. I am so glad I did. It was with a bit of hesitation when I was booking the tickets for both concerts a month before. But, as it turned out, they were more than worth it.
It was only of late (like 6 months ago) that I have been familiarizing myself with his music. I owe it to Ang Lee, the renowned movie director, because of his movie Sense and Sensibility. (I also owe it to Jane Austen since I watched the movie because I am a Jane Austen fan, having read most of her novels). There is a scene there where the younger sister of the leading lady is playing the piano. It was a piece which stuck to my mind. After a bit of research, I found out it was the 2nd movement of Mozart’s Piano Sonata 16. From then on, I have been on a Mozart trail. Even my plants listen to Mozart. Not that I have abandoned Chopin and the Russian composers Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Borodin. It is just an addition to my mental library of classical music that resonates with me. May you also feel the joy that I experience, should you decide to acquaint yourself with their music.
Or with other composers like Bach, Dvorak, Beethoven, Mahler, Corelli, Telemann and many others. I do not profess to have listened to all of their music. Some compositions of each I am familiar with. But I still consider myself a student. A beginner in the appreciation of classical music. You may want to join me in this journey of learning to appreciate this kind of music. I notice that since then I have been calmer and less anxious. Let us see how this odyssey goes as it progresses.
By the way, in the Mozart 40 concert at the George Weston Hall, I noticed (to my amusement) that the conductor was seated on a bench or stool. This is the first time I have seen that. I have been to quite a number of symphony orchestra concerts, aside from watching performances online, and this was rather unusual and puzzling. I have seen a few performances where the pianist, like Mitsuko Uchida, would both be the pianist and conductor at the same time. But he was not playing any other musical instrument. I cannot imagine Gergiev, Dudamel, von Karajan, Bernstein, and the like, seated on a stool while being taken up by the emotion, intensity and the drama of conducting. Unless maybe he had an injury. I will definitely find out. For my own curiosity. And, if anyone is interested, for you as well.
That being said, let me pick up where I left off on k dramas (from classical music to k drama – from the sacred to the profane, in the words of Thich Naht Hanh) in my last month’s This and That column. Both Love with Flaws and Chocolate has ended. They kept me entertained through rain and snow. Thanks to the internet, the producers, the actors, the production crew. I was hoping though that Chocolate would improve towards the end. It did a bit, but not much. I am a fan pa naman of Ha Ji Won (Secret Garden, Empress Ki). Love With Flaws I found cute. Cheesy but charming. I like the lead actors Oh Yeon-Seo ( My Sassy Girl ) and beginning to like Ahn Jae-yeon. Even the second leads were good – Kim Seul-Gi, Gu Won and Heo Jeong-Min. I will miss them.
Now, the series I am really hooked on at the moment is Crash Landing On You. The chemistry between the leading protagonists Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin is palpable. It is just annoying that it was cut for the weekend of the New Year and then the weekend of the Lunar New Year. Drat! Double drat!
The location settings in North Korea are very interesting. I wonder how authentic they are. Through some online news, I understand that the South Korean government was not too happy about how North Korean life was portrayed in the series. I am eagerly awaiting the succeeding episodes and trust that there will be no more skipped weekends. You might want to view the episodes aired so far in Netflix. As of today Jan 27, 10 episodes. By the time, this issue hits the stand – 11 or 12 episodes. The series will give you an idea of the lifestyle differences between South Korea and North Korea. Worlds apart. So near and yet so far. So much for that. And this much I can say, I’ll be back with more on my take on k dramas. I would love to hear from you as well.
The big V day is just around the corner. Though my family is not big on Valentine. Or maybe it’s just me. But don’t get me wrong. I think true love is real. For me, love is quiet and shown through deeds. The new thing I am learning about lately is that true love is inclusive and not exclusive. I am still digesting this though. All my life, I have always been under the spell of the age-old concept that love, as we know it, is exclusive. How this works is something I am still far from understanding. Another new thing to learn for me.
More of this and that next time.
Ate Tess
taylorteresita@gmail.com
