Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, and less important things.

Today, my father told me on the phone that Lorraine Hunt Lieberson had died. She died of cancer on July 3. I vaguely knew that she was ill, but not this ill. She was an incredible mezzo-soprano who began her musical career as a violist, and whose recordings of Handel arias are among my favorite singing in the world. She will be missed. I cried when my dad told me; I was embarrassed to find myself becoming so emotional over a stranger. I never got the chance to hear her perform live. It's too early - she was 52. So, go and listen to her recordings, and appreciate her.

I'm incredibly far behind in my attempts to keep up with what's happened musically here. We performed Brahms 1 and Prokofiev Piano Concerto no. 2 with David Robertson conducting on Sunday. He was a fascinating, brilliant, energetic conductor who is hugely fond of complicated, obscure metaphors and some silly jokes. ("Measure 18: the measure that's old enough to vote, but not old enough to drink.") He talked a little too much, and so I didn't feel quite as ready to perform Brahms as I had felt ready to perform Shosty 7. I expected a nerve-wracking and difficult concert. Instead, I got a wonderful orchestra experience. It was the happiest I have been in an orchestra in a long time. I felt truly immersed in how beautiful that music is.

Next, we perform Mahler 1 and Beethoven Triple Concerto (with Gil Shaham, Truls Mork and Yefim Bronfman) under David Zinman. Because of some serious fucking up in the orchestra management/library departments, I just got my music today, and the first rehearsal is tomorrow morning. For someone with my brain and my violin technique (or lack thereof) it will be impossible to learn the entire symphony today! So, I will humiliate myself in front of my new stand partner, and try not to cry. Oh my.

My lesson today was intense, particularly on the G minor Bach fugue. There is SO MUCH to think about: left hand chord formations, right hand pyrotechnics, musical ideas are all hugely complex and overwhelming. I must isolate each of these for now, so as to avoid becoming overwhelmed. The great masters do it all at once. At times, I was sure I sounded like utter ass, but nonethless Ms. Heard said that I've improved a lot. "It's very good work," she said. And it was one of the best practice weeks I have had since my recital. So perhaps the work will be rewarding.

I'm glad to have updated this thing, but there are so many things I haven't discussed here: the incredible concerts I've seen, for example. I go to a concert virtually every day, and especially loved the Takacs Quartet recital last week. They are incredibly inspiring, devoted, beautiful musicians. When I see the quartets performing here, I know that this is what I want. But the giftedness and the work that it requires ... well, they're overwhelming. But what a gift to give to the world. What they give to us is priceless.