Day 77: My heart on a string…

 

Today was a preplanned day and the goal was to head to the lake to indulge in the sweet sound of music from several quartets with musicians who have studied and performed in places such as the NYC opera and ballet to the Chicago Symphony orchestra to St. Petersburg. I have attended musical events and concerts in the past but never had the pleasure of an intimate concert at Lake Tahoe.  My only hope was that I could have a relaxing afternoon letting my mind get lost in music, my heart be serenaded and my spirit be centered by the  sound of a sweet violin….

It was a very warm day in the valley and I knew that the temps up at the lake would not be much better, so I made sure to dress light, a skirt, light white top, my open-toed high heels and a light sweater for the evening to follow.  Siri would not be a necessity for this trip, but my iPhone was always by my side.  I made my way up the mountain to the venue.

The drive up to the lake is about 30 min depending on traffic, and just enough time to indulge in some important reflection. Today, I simply felt grateful.  Grateful for the opportunity to be able to take the time and attend an orchestra concert at such a beautiful place.  The week was a bit busy and stressful, and so this escape was very much needed.  I could feel the vibration of the music already and the thought of the constant melody started to relax my mind.

I arrived at the venue and there in front of me was a large white tent with a short walkway to the entrance. I stood in line for but a moment when I was handed a program and made my way into the seating area.  Unfortunately, it was requested that no video or photography be taken while at the concert.  Going against my goals of documenting my attendance, I decided to record portions of the concert instead.

The concert that was originally scheduled had to be altered due to several musicians being unable to attend the last performance of the season. I could see the displeasure on some of the audience members faces however, I did not mind as there were other musicians that filled the void.  Furthermore, it was a lovely day for a concert and nothing could disrupt that feeling!

The concert began with the first group of 4, two violists, violinist, and a cellist. The theme of the concert was “Salute to London”.  The first piece was String Quartet Opus 77, No 1.  The music started off light and built up to a crescendo.  Then the finale seemed to return to the slower beginning melody.

Please listen to the rough audio clip for the first musical piece

There was an intermission that allowed me to look around and I noticed that most of the audience was perhaps 70 and older.  They sat with their spouses or friends and enjoyed the afternoon at the orchestra.  I sat and thought about how far music has come since the days when symphonies and quartets were the only music of choice.  From Hip-hop, to rock and roll, to heavy metal, to country, to soul, to jazz and the list goes on… how far music has evolved.  I could not imagine a life without music.  The sound of one note connecting to another filling our minds and hearts with the energizing message of inspiration, motivation, delight and romance to list a few feelings, is invaluable.  I sat and thought about the last run I did without the sound of “Journey” to fill the void of the treadmill, or the sound of “Bocelli” when I am out for a walk, or the sound of “Sarah Barellis” when I am working and need something to lift my spirit up and keep me motivated, seemed unfathomable.  Life without music… seemed almost too sad to bear.  I particularly like when I am driving on a sunny day and  a song comes on and within the first note, I know exactly who the artist is. If it is one of those songs that reaches your soul, then the volume gets increased, the windows get rolled down and I let my heart sing!!!  Ah yes, back to the orchestra.  I listen to classical music on occasion, more to settle my mind after a long day or perhaps before bed.  I played the flute for many years, and so it is hard not to want to lick my lips and purse them, raise my hands in that alternating position and gently blow softly to touch the senses that create a smile.  Yes, I do miss playing the flute, but hope to take up a different instrument as part of my Quest, very soon.

 

The intermission was quickly over and the second performance with a new quartet was about to begin.   Britten’s Phantasy Quartet for Oboe and Strings was to perform next.  The quartet was comprised of the oboe, violin, viola, and cello.  The sound of the oboe was intense, with long runs of music between rests.  The violinist played as if he were making love with slow and long runs of the sweetest melodies and then building to an intense crescendo of rapid transitions and low notes until the climax of quick and sharp high notes and then silence while the oboe went solo for but a moment… I could feel the violinist’s exhaustion and pleasure after his brilliant performance… every note was on key, his movements were brisk and yet delicate… the sound was magical.  The violinist took the rest to casually wipe his glistening skin from the harmony he had just created.  The music continued but in a subtle tone and so I closed my eyes as if already having been pleasured by the sounds of the sweet violin and just rested in a blissful state.  The concert had soon ended and I opened my eyes and stood with the audience to applaud the intimate performance of the four talented musicians.  The crowd meandered out the door and I made my way to the parking lot and passed one of the musicians on the way out, he smiled at me and I at him as if to say, “Thank you” for the afternoon delight.

With the sun beginning to set in the western sky it was time to head to the Lone Eagle Grille at the Hyatt at Lake Tahoe for a dinner reservation. I felt relaxed and needed to take in the view of the Lake.  I was just a tad early for the reservation and decided to walk along the beach and just memorize the waves as they came ashore.  The breeze was light, reminiscent of the music I had just indulged in.  The sun was  a heavy orange as if to take a rest for the day.  I sighed as if to give my worries or troubles to the sun to take with her as she set for the night.

I looked at my watch and realized that it was just about time to return to check in for my dinner reservation.  For just a moment I sat and felt grateful for the courage to drive up to the lake and listen to the orchestra play.  I found true relevance in this quest.  Four months ago, before this Quest started, I would not have taken a day away from work or life to just enjoy and do something different.  Before the quest, life was always full of obligations to others and their needs.  Today, it was about recognizing that by living our lives, we must nourish our souls as well as others.  We need to take those afternoons to do something different, something that some may be scared to experience, something new, something they wished they had done sooner, something just for yourself.   Time… it is so short.  The minutes seem like many, but that thought is really a mirage.  The days can be long when filled with things we don’t necessarily desire to do, and that is why we need to balance those hours with new and exciting experiences.

To Live: To have a reason to live for or to be alive for.

 

 

 

Yes, work is important, but I had someone important tell me once, “If you only do what you have to do in life, you’re not really living.” I stood up and slowly walked back to the restaurant where I was promptly seated, enjoyed some fresh salmon, a glass of white wine, a sinful dessert and a view that held so many possibilities, promises and dreams… Making no excuses for this simple indulgence… today, it was about relishing in an afternoon delight with the sweet sound of the violin to invigorate my senses, make me remember playing an instrument with my delicate hands and lips, finding pleasure in time spent by myself with the view of the sunset over the lake, behind the mountains and in my heart.

Feeling rested, alive, sensual and fulfilled… Wondering what tomorrow will bring..