| February 16th, 2013. Yesterday, I left the warm hospitality of Eta and Paul in Canberra and was driven back to Sydney to the beautiful home of John and Marysia Molski, by his brother Felix Molski. Felix has been my guardian angel, shepherd, driver and guide during this remarkable Odyssey. The drive took a little over 2 hours. Sydney is quite a contrast to the more stately and austere city of Canberra. It has some of the hustle and bustle of a major American city...but without the noise of automobile horns!!!
I was quite impressed with the overall courtesy and patience of Australian drivers. Stan Kornel, a violinist in the Sydney Symphony and a friend of Ernestyna, secured tickets for Felix and me to attend the concert yesterday evening conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy. I'm sure you've seen the magnificent "orange peel" design of the exterior of Sydney Opera House overlooking the harbor. Entering the acual performance space however is a little bit disappointing. It is relatively small considering the promise of the exterior design. I would say it seats approximately the same size audience as Alice Tully Hall in New York. It really is a complex of several halls, like Lincoln Center. Simultaenously with the Symphony performance, there was an Opera and a Play in adjoining spaces.
Ashkenazy's skills as a conductor have grown considerably since I last saw him in New York several years ago. The program was a unique juxtapositioning of an early Sibelius Symphony, the Kullervo Symphony #7, and the Ravel piano concerto for the left hand with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet as the virtuosic soloist. The symphony was a very ambitious early work of Sibelius in which he told a Finnish epic tale using Orchestra, a male chorus and two soloists. It was indeed "epic". Lasting about 90 minutes. Colorful, dramatic, emotional, poignant, peaceful yet simultaneously gripping and exhuberant. All of these adjectives describe the impact the performance of this work had on the audience. Prolonged applause followed.
After the concert, Stan generously led us into the backstage areas where Ashkenazy, and his wife Dody effusively greeted us. We exchange Xmas cards every year. I wondered why he has not been appearing as frequently recently in New York. Dody, justifiably upset at this, explained that since 9/11 American imigration has made it difficult to obtain Visas. This is unacceptable for an artist of Ashkenazy's caliber and occurred despite his long history of U.S. performances. I hope the Obama team can correct this.
We then had refreshments in the Green Room with members of the orchestra and drove home. It was almost midnight, but the streets were filled with mini-skirted girls and tatooed young men walking in and out of the clubs and bars under the Symphony space and in the surrounding area. It felt like Times Square!! Tomorrow we have lunch with Aborigine representatives, then it's on to Jindabyne for the K'Ozzie Fest.
Love
Roy
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