ItisFebruary;itiscoldinBoston.Snowstorms;onWednesdays,oneaftertheother;–treeswereladenwithicicles,beautifullydecorated,sparklinginthesunlight;abelatedChristmas.Thencamethemelts;andthenthefreeze.TheweathermanblamesitonLaNiňa.
MusichasbeeneffectedbytheweatherhereinBoston;famousmusicianshavecomeandgone,bringingwiththemiceandsnow;icyperformanceandicyhearts…Cookie-Cutters…!
Tonightwasdifferent.NewEnglandConservatoryPhilharmoniaconductedbyHughWolffandmyteacherRussellShermanwasthesoloist.TheorchestraopenedwiththeShostakovich9th–Howtrue:theabsurdisneverfarfromthedeepsorrow.Cynicismisbuttheflipsideofthesuffering.Shostakovich,afrightenedman–likemanyofus,frightened;suffering.Afeeblebeingonanislandinthemidstofthesociety.BeautifulBassoonsolos–ridinginsuspension–inthesnowboundSiberia,aimlessly.Ourconductor,HughWolff,conductedbyheart.Thetransitionswereseamless,lightandnatural;themovementwereconcise.Thestrings,7+6+6+6+3,aremagnificent.Thewindsareindividualandperfect.
ThentheGershwinPianoConcertowithRussellShermanassoloist.
Russelllookedfragile,butescortedanobleandgenuinesmile,excited–likeachildtohisfirstperformance–hewillbeturning81nextmonth.
Hewroteintheprogramnote:
Inthesummerof1937IwastogetherwithmyfatherinMiamiBeach,loungingaroundaswimmingpool.Hewasconvalescingfromachronicheartconditionandoccasionallywouldtakemewithhimtothesefancyresorts.Iwassevenyearsoldatthetimeand,ofcourse,completelyunpreparedfortheexigenciesoflifeanddeath.
Ithinkitwassometimeintheafternoonwhensuddenlyapalpableshudderwentthroughthecrowd.Anominouswavepassingthrough,muteshockineachheart,asthenewsregisteredandthesighswerestrangled:Gershwinwasdead.Attheageofthirty-seven.Gershwin,thesoulofJews,thesoulofBlacks,thesoulofrichpeopleandpoorpeople,thesoulofthemeltingpot,thesoulofAmerica.America,recoveringfromtheDepression,beforetheGreatWar,findingaherowhomadeusoneandwhole,whoembodiedourdestinyasakindandhappynation.Brothersandsisterswhosanganddancedwithoneheart-elated,gracious,caring.AverydifferentAmericafromthebitter,uglydivide,thevastchasmofincomeinequality,thewilfulperversionoflanguageandmeaningweexperiencenow.
Update.LastwintermywifeandIwerewatchingtheOlympicfigureskatingcompetition.OneofthefinalistswasanattractiveKoreanwoman.Wewererootingpassionatelyforher,inthespiritofmywife’sbloodlines.Shedancedbeautifully,liftedandcapturedbythemusic,bytheGershwinPianoConcerto-aworkwhichhasrungmanybellsduringthecourseofmylife.
SomeyearsagolmadearecordingofitwithGuntherSchullerconductingthePaulWhitemanarrangement.Gunthermadesurewewerereadingitcarefully,honourably,musically.Iwasverygratefulforthatopportunity,asIamequallyindebtedonthisoccasiontoHughWolffandtheNECPhilharmonia.Forthismusicisinmyblood,asAmericaisinmyblood.
Wearepresently''inanotherkindofdepression,oureconomybroken,ourillusionsbroken,ourdemocracyanoligarchy.ButthespiritofGershwinisstillthere,however,toremindusthatmusicredeemsandthateachsoulmattersandjoinsintothefeastofgiving,ofsoaring,ofbelieving.
-RussellSherman
Yu-NaKim2010VancouverWinterOlympic.
Thiswasaneveningoftruth,ofangels,offire,ofhope,ofdreams:Thedance–thejuxtaposition;thebrilliance–theother-worldly-ness…AllhallmarksofRussell’sArt.Yes,blues;yes,ragtime;youjustwanttofeelit.Walkingoffstage,Ifeltmycheekwet.Hecamebacktolay‘TheManILove’.
Ihavenotsobbedforalongtimelikethis.Andsittingbesidesmystudents…
TheprogramfinishedwithRavel’sDaphnisetChloe.Again,thereisnomusicstandinfrontofHugh.Everymoveseemedmusical,bornoutofhim,rightthere,rightthen.Whatasunrise!Magnificentlyliquidflute!Andaprimaldanceofecstasy!NECPhilharmoniaunderHughWolffismagic:Freeofjaded-ness,freeofobligation…Thereismusic;thereisgenuinelove;thereisyouthfulenthusiasm;onepulsinghear.–Nostockmarket;nopay-roll–nocorruption;noMusician’sUnion…Ah!
Notomorrow;itiswheremusicisstillalive–Hereandnow.Acrossthestreetmusichasmetitsquietdeath…
Inmysilence,Irealize,Iamwearingmygreycoat.Idon’twanttotakeitoff;itiswarm;itiscozy;anditbearstheinscription‘LouisofBoston’–Iliveinmycoatthesedaysinthesub-zeroweather.
Mygreycoathasbeenwithmefor23years;averyclosecompanion;itkeptmewarminthecoldestwinters.Anditwaspreviouslyowned…IwasanADstudent,goingtomylessonatRussell’shouseinLexington;itwasFebruary.‘IwasperforminginLondon,andsawanicecoatformyself.So,hereIhaveanextracoatwhichInolongerneed.Shallitkeepyouwarm,always’.Yes,ithas,for23years.Andfortonight,mycoatandyourmusictogetherkeptmeextrawarm.Thankyou,Russell. |
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