If you are not a classical music buff, don’t be concerned. Neither am I. I only know a little of Beethoven, a dab of Mozart (I do not care for most of his work, Vivaldi and a few others. There is so much to take in. We took time the other night to go to Sainte Chappelle Cathedral here in Paris to hear Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
If you, like me, imagine that this Vivaldi package is the brief pieces we hear now and then as backdrop to advertising or at high school concerts, not so. The seasons are quite involved and go off in many directions. By the time Winter, a brief and beautiful piece, rolls around, we have experienced almost an hour. I will give due credit to the amazing magicians later when I have more time [Paul Rouger was far and away the star of the show, a brilliant violinist.]
We were treated at the beginning to Pachelbel’s Canon in D and then Albinoni’s Adagio in G minor. Each of these beautiful pieces is recognizable even to the untrained ear … you know, like mine.
At the end there was palpable excitement among the hundreds of people in the crowd, as there usually is at the end of a remarkable performance. I could not help but marvel at the depth of talent in our species, and the power of collaboration. I cannot imagine that we live and develop these remarkable talents, and then just die. There has to be more! Has to be.
Of course, many do not develop our potential, and so become truck drivers, cooks, politicians and accountants. We had a piano in our house when I was a kid. None of the four of us boys ever learned to play.
Piece of Mindful 