Favorite Moments

Sometimes there are just moments that are so memorable they become history. This respectful and talented student was working hard in a Placido Domingo masterclass, and came to a wonderful note in the aria he was singing, and when Domingo heard him, he stopped him to refer to the note by way of demonstration- and after singing it far and above the already stunning rendition of the student, began to continue his comment upon it, when the audience, student and pianist all react to its beauty and erupt in applause and the laughter of astonishment!

I also listen to it in admiration for what the pianist accomplishes, and how respectful and wonderful the tone of the lesson is. Domingo is so considerate.

Uplifting Haydn

Click on this Lesson on Haydn (and Faure) by Lang Lang to a Japanese student Shion Ota- to see a perfect example of how when you are wondering how things could possibly improve, they do.

All Stories have Morals:

Franz Josef Haydn wanted to marry a lovely girl whose parents had destined for a nunnery. He made his proposal, and she was sent packing… to the nunnery. Her fine sister was still single and readily available, so he married her instead. She wasn’t very sympathetic toward his musical tendencies: She used his manuscripts to line her muffin tins and hair curlers. She was contumacious and sullen, and he was outgoing and lighthearted except regarding his relationship with her. They agreed to separate. He supported her financially. While in England, a rich and handsome widow became his student and was obviously attracted to him. “If I were a free man, this would have been a lovely thing,” he told a friend, “but I am not…” That is what I call being faithful in the face of adversity and temptation. I guess the moral of that story is, if you’re a really nice guy like Haydn, make sure to get what you really wanted in the first place... maybe even if it means breaking into the convent...