Lamentando

A man’s real and deep feelings are surely those which he acts upon when challenged, not those which, mellow-eyed and soft-voiced, he spouts in easy times.

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—	Sarah Patton Boyle

My own opinion is that [love] is felt most completely in marriage, or some comparable attachment of long duration. Love takes time. What are called “love affairs” may afford a wide, and in retrospect, illuminating variety of emotions; not only fierce satisfactions and swooning delights, but the horrors of jealousy and the desperation of parting attend them; the hangover from one of these emotional riots may be long and dreadful. But rarely have the pleasures of love an opportunity to manifest themselves in such riots of passion. Love affairs are for emotional sprinters; the pleasures of love are for the emotional marathoners.

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—	Robertson Davies

I am in for a long hiatus.

Single piece
- polish a piece to the summit of your abilities, create a reference interpretation.

Whole recital
- be a consummate musician who can fill a whole evening program with meaning, truth, and beauty.

Signature piece
- develop and establish your personal favorite and best repertoire.

Concerto
- dominate, yet mesh with a large ensemble, be a romantic hero.

Chamber music concert
- communicate with a group of equal musicians, the “highest expression of civilization”.

Public figure
- be eloquent and authentic as well as humble yet authoritative.

Fund raiser
- know the value of high art, present and defend it in front of patrons. You are fighting the good fight.

Organizer
- Create opportunities. Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation. In the words of Alexey Steele (heavy Russian accent) “opportunity percolate permanently”.

Champion of music
- live a fulfilled life in music that can be a categorical example for the present and the next generation.

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—	185 • A concert pianist needs to excel at a couple different things: « Pianist to Pianist, by Jura Margulis (via sonateharder)

If you’re going to be stubborn, then try to be stubborn for good reason.

L’isle Joyeuse

Claude Debussy

Pianist, Maurizio Pollini