Lime water and Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos No.2 & 3 on a Sunday morning..

I had just walked out from another speech from Minister of Education Priya Manickchand about her Government's successes with domestic violence and child abuse prevention - when I received the text asking me if I had ever heard Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos.

I like classical music but very rarely remember names of composers and their works and I cannot get into critiquing any performance beyond it sound good or it make my skin grow.  The man who had sent the text sent another one to say  that he found them life affirming and when I came home that night I listened to a Vladimir Horowitz performance and got the emotions rolling through the loss of Guyana being able to get anywhere in its work for social justice.. the despair at how I got caught up in the sucking up to the Minister,  and as the piano and orchestra moved generated sound waves pushing the mood to believe that anything was possible.

I never talked to the man again about the piano concertos - I did feel inadequate to do so as well, and I never really listened again.

Sunday morning months later and the man sent a link to this very clear and powerful performance. 

Different listening as motivation and energy are low and there are many tasks which have to be done and which are taking time to consider.

The Hindu philosophy is very clear about not becoming a prisoner to the senses. One of things about trying to deal with the dark clouds which roll over is to perhaps try to use the other senses to remain connected to the surroundings. The blasted body stiffness which is one of the senses..


The opening parts of the No 2 cause some emotions to move.. a different kind of emotion from the dullness.. almost feeling like tears but the same sound waves seem to bring the tears up and then push them b ack



And so.. it is a hot Sunday morning and the lime juice and ice water without sugar is good for the taste buds and to counter the humidity and the heat and the thirst and that is one set of senses as the ears and others are moved. Watch the video and see the musicians at work.

My favourite part is the Allegro ma non tanto around 33:00 here. 



http://youtu.be/feKnL1W3aNs

There are different ways to listen to this. Now I listen as I sip through two glasses of the cold sour lime water and sort out some video editing and then as I write this and I contemplate the other tasks which have to be done and not to get lost in any one thing - perhaps the energy is coming back.

Or perhaps I should for a time get lost in this and forget everything else until everything else comes back. The finale reaches quickly but I can listen again.