A quiet Sunday afternoon...

[dai bread]

Today at noon I get "La Boheme" from the Met; then at 3:30pm a live concert from the Auckland Town Hall featuring its newly-refurbished organ. (Program: BACH: Toccata & Fugue in D minor BWV565; BRAHMS: Geistliches Lied Op 30; PARRY: I was glad; WELLS: Organ Symphony; GUILMANT: Symphony No 1 in D minor Op 42) (RNZ)

[dai bread]

Well, it's not often that I wish I had attended a concert rather than hearing it live on air, but that Town Hall organ recital is one of them.

The people who restored it (a German company- Johannes Klais Orgelbau) did an excellent job. Every note crisp and clear; crisp starts, crisp ends, silky smooth and not a vibration out of place. I know from attending organ recitals that the low notes shake the floor, and that being so, the limits of my TV sound system were exposed. My headphones did better, since they'll go to a nominal 5hz, but of course they're only headphones and lack the ability to, well, shake the floor.

Radio NZ's engineers did the organ proud. Excellent sound, unlike the last broadcast I heard (orchestral) which was distinctly fuzzy.

John Wells' organ symphony was a surprisingly good work to listen to. Not at all discordant; no striving for novelty, just good music. I don't know if it will be available on RNZ's website, but if it is I recommend you try it.

And just BTW, I enjoyed the Met's "La Boheme" too. It comes to us via Europe, not directly from the Met. I don't know why.

[Shapley]

I finally watched the film The Chorus, the sountrack of which is sometimes heard here on Beethoven.com. It was a very good movie. I really enjoyed it, and the music was great.

I also watched the film The Man Who Cried, another Beethoven.com soundtrack favourite. I was less impressed by the film, although the soundtrack alone was good enough reason to see the film. The story, however, I found a bit slow.