Encore Galore

Yes, I did the case presentation, and it went on better than I had thought. I had managed to gather some invaluable contributions from my colleagues, and I suppose this would help me work more effectively with that client in concern.

I still have yet to clear my work to a level whereby I am only left with a manageable amount of backlog. I have accepted the fact that having some backlog might be inevitable. However, not too much please.

There are a lot of case recordings to be written, and I could only manage by delaying to complete the case recordings. Thank goodness that I have scribbled sufficient case notes for me to write the case recordings a week or two later. Else I fear forgetting what had transpired in the session.

If I could afford it, I might consider hiring a cheering team to cheer me on during this time of heavy workload. I am trying hard to clear as much work as possible so that I have less work-related things to worry about when I go to Aberdeen this August.

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I attended a concert by the Chamber Orchestra "Moscow Virtuosi". The artistic director and Chief Conductor of this chamber orchestra is Maestro Vladimir Spivakov.

Maestro Vladimir Spivakov was the violin soloist for the Vivaldi's Violin Concerto in E minor, F.I. 37 (RV 278). I like the tone, he was able to produce a clear tone on his violin. He also was one of the violin soloists for J.S. Bach's Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043. I prefer his tone to the other violin soloists.

For this concert, my ears got quite attentive to Bela Bartok's Divertissement. The chamber orchestra played pretty clearly and musically, and somehow my ears which did not have a preference for 20th century music were also captivated by the interesting rhythms and textures.

Concluding the published programme for the concert was Haydn's Symphony No. 45 in F sharp minor, Hob. I:45 "Farewell". The history behind this symphony goes like this: Hadyn was a court composer, and was in the service of Prince Nikolaus Eszterhazy. At the prince's summer house, Hadyn and his musician were expected to perform to the prince's pleasure, often incurring long hours and many weeks away from their families. In 1772, Hadyn composed this symphony to remind the prince subtly that the musicians needed their rest too.

So Hadyn wrote the symphony in such a way that at the final movement, the music got slower and slower and the musicians were seen to depart from the stage until by the work's end, there were only two musicians who remained. So I got to witness the visual display of the orchestra gradually diminishing in its forces. (As if to bid the patron "farewell") How ingenious. So the story goes that the prince took the hint and granted the musicians and Hadyn a well-deserved break.

Now, could anyone grant me mine?

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Encore galored following the symphony. I think the orchestra must have played at least four encores. I can't remember what encores it had played, but I like the way that the orchestra played the encores. I felt that the orchestra musicians enjoyed themselves and were more spontaneous when they played the encores.

The encores ended my attendance of the concert in a pleasant manner. For the first half of the concert, I was only half-awake due to a tiring work day. I think I truly became fully awake to enjoy the concert towards the end of Hadyn's Farewell Symphony's final movement and also during the encores.