Category: Music

Diversions: Reading & Viewing

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ETA

This is the hurricane season that just doesn’t want to quit. It was a wild week with tropical storm Eta bearing down on Florida’s southwest coast. In our area, we experienced torrential rain (8 inches total) and wind gusts up to 50 miles an hour. At high tide, the surge brought brought water and debris through our mangrove hedges closer to our homes than anyone had ever seen. Some folks had roof leaks, but other than that, we were very fortunate. Thankfully, we were spared hurricane force winds.

GENDER DYNAMICS AND FAMILY LIFE

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
Author Frankel (book page.com)

First a confession, I started this book last year.  It didn’t captivate me, and I did a lot of skimming before setting it aside.  This year it’s a book group selection so I picked it up with more serious intent.  And this time, I became immersed.  Oh, it did take a few chapters to become accustomed to what seems like Frankel’s scatter shot or kitchen sink approach to sentences.  Put in as many words and related phrases as possible and string it out into a fairly long sentence.

I got past that, and I made the effort to learn the four older children and keep them straight.  The bedtime fairy tale that writer/father Penn spins for them featuring Prince Grumwald and Princess Stephanie, plays an important role which I was impatient with previously.  

This is a novel of family life.   Anyone who’s been a parent, particularly a parent of more than one child, will relate to issues of schedules, schoolyard fights, and the general messiness of kids.  More importantly, it’s about a child born Claude who wants to dress like a girl and be called Poppy.  How these parents, ER doctor Rosie and author Penn, and his/her siblings keep Poppy’s big secret, and what the ramifications are, make for a poignant, heartwarming, and ultimately life-affirming novel.  Recommended!

VIEWING: SWEDEN AFTER THE WAR

The Restaurant, or the translated Swedish title, Our Time is Now (Amazon Prime, Season 1; Seasons 2-4, Sundance for $)
Lowander Family with some of the wait staff (netflix.com)

This Swedish series has been compared to Downton Abbey in its popularity in that country.  We too can become immersed in a post-war world seen through the lens of a family-owned restaurant.  It opens in 1945 Stockholm at the Djurgardskalleren, a very formal dining room serving traditional fare.  The Lowander family:  matriarch Helga, sons Gustaf (restaurant manager) and Peter (initially a budding lawyer), and pampered daughter Nina (creator of the DK Club) will soon be celebrating the restaurant’s 50th anniversary.  Business is at a low ebb.  Chef Backe is a fixture.  He both admires and feels threatened by rising chef Calle’s talents.  

But times are changing.  The wait staff, especially Maggan, seek better working conditions through union membership.  Women like Nina feel stifled by dated expectations of a woman’s role.  As the 50’s lead into the 60’s, new music emerges, new cuisine is introduced to restaurant patrons, and society loosens up.

The four seasons unfold through the decades into the 1970’s.  It’s an absorbing story of loves and longing, failed and successful marriages, and sibling rivalries over who has the most power.  All against the backdrop of the social issues of the time.  Highly recommended!

CULTURE THIS WEEK

PIANO RECITAL—Jeremy Denk

Thanks to our friend, Patricia, we’ve discovered the rich offerings from the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.  Their first concert was presented live to a small audience and available online for viewing for 72 hours.  Pianist Jeremy Denk gave an exquisite performance of pieces by Robert and Clara Schumann, Bolts of Loving Thunder by contemporary composer Missy Mazzoli, and Brahms’ Four Piano Pieces.  The Mazzoli piece was commissioned for Emmanuel Ax in 2013 and inspired by some of Brahms’ early work.  

Jeremy Denk (latimes.com)

Thanks to my resident tech whiz, we were able to watch on our big screen!    Unlike some organizations that set a fixed price for each streamed performance, the PCMS takes a pay-what-you-want approach.  This recital was 50 minutes, a perfect length for at-home viewing.

SERENADE FOR STRINGS—Sarasota Orchestra

If you’re local, you’ll be pleased to know that the Sarasota Orchestra has put together its own series of concerts. They are presented live for a small audience in Holley Hall and then later streamed.  Live tickets sell out quickly, but the streaming versions are only $10.    

The orchestra’s first program, featuring thirteen musicians, consists of works by Tchaikovsky and the 18thcentury composer, Joseph Bologne.  We have yet to watch this concert, but our streaming ticket allows five days from the date the link is sent out.

Covid-19 has forced cultural organizations to adapt and be creative in new ways.  I foresee a future where you’ll have multiple subscription options.  Like magazines that you can receive in print or online or both, there may well be these kinds of paid combo packages for concerts, opera and dance.

Note: Header photo is out a window showing tropical storm Eta in action. ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).

Tidy Tidbits: Literature & Music

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RECENT READING

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

(www.annpatchett.com)

I thoroughly enjoyed Patchett’s new novel about two siblings, Maeve, and her younger by seven years brother, Danny.  Set in the Philadelphia suburbs and New York, it takes place over many decades.  This brother and sister are linked together, joined at the hip one might say, by the house they lived in for some of their childhood.  Deserted by their mother who leaves them to help the poor in India, their father eventually marries Andrea, a younger woman with two daughters.  Andrea loves the house, takes it over, and after their father’s untimely death, puts Maeve and Danny out.  

Bereft and neglected, they live briefly in Maeve’s cramped space until Danny goes to boarding school.  Over the years that follow, they drive to their old house, the grand Dutch house, and sit parked outside in the car.  There they re-live and re-visit their mother’s abandonment along with Andrea’s mistreatment. Maeve never marries, Danny does, but Maeve holds primacy in his life and his emotions over Celeste, his wife.

What happens when Danny and Maeve reach middle age and their mother re-appears raises issues of forgiveness, compassion, bitterness and disappointment.  Danny narrates their story, and he and Maeve are richly drawn characters.  Anyone who has left a beloved house behind will identify with their lingering memories.

 This novel makes a nice pairing with Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane.  In each case, a young person experiences a childhood trauma, be it a horrible tragedy or a major loss, and that event follows and, to an extent, haunts the rest of the person’s life.  Being able to come to a reckoning of what happened and move forward and beyond it brings acceptance.  Both Danny here and Peter in Keane’s novel achieve peace with the past. (~JWFarrington)

POLITICAL MEMOIR

The Education of an Idealist by Samantha Power

(twitter.com)

If you’re a political junkie, then you will enjoy reading Powers’ detailed account of her time as a White House advisor to President Obama and then later as the US representative to the United Nations.  If, like me, you resonate with the life stories of accomplished and intelligent women, then you will find Powers’ personal story engrossing and fascinating.  As a child she emigrated with her mother from Ireland to this country and then spent the early part of her career as a journalist and reporter in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones.  She never anticipated that she’d work in government, but her positions on Obama’s team have been the most meaningful of her career.  

At the time she began work in the White House, she was newly married and soon juggling the demands of one and then two young children.  Generous in praise of her colleagues, forthcoming about her own shortcomings and mistakes, candid about what she learns about the roles and limitations of government, Ms. Powers’ memoir is engaging, compelling, and a worthwhile read.  (~JWFarrington)

FABULOUS CONCERT

This season the Sarasota Orchestra is hosting a series of guest conductors, part of its search for a new music director to succeed Anu Tali.  This week Bramwell Tovey, principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, led our local musicians in an ambitious and most enjoyable concert.  From the opening notes of Berlioz’s Overture to Rob Roy, the playing was crisp and energetic; it continued that way through the entire concert.  Guest soloists, Simone Porter on violin and Joshua Roman on cello, presented a spirited rendition of Brahms’ Concerto in A Minor.  I found the Andante movement especially lovely.  Before conducting William Walton’s Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Maestro Tovey combined British wit and verve to give the audience a bit of history about Walton along with suggestions on what to listen for in the four movements.  This was a tour de force of a concert!

CELEBRATING HOUSE GUESTS

We had a week of company beginning with our son and wife and their two girls followed by my niece from Raleigh, North Carolina.  These were lively days marked by tasty meals, time in the pool, some great conversation, blueberry pancakes with Grandma, a dollhouse, blocks and Calico Critters for added diversion and, lastly, an early birthday celebration for almost 4-year old, Frances.  The heart-shaped cake, iced with pink frosting, of course, and decorated with berries, was made by Grandpa and a big hit!  And not just with the birthday girl!

Note: Header photo is of a sea grape leaf at Robinson Preserve. It and the cake photo ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).

Savoring the Sarasota Scene

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MARVELOUS MUSIC

Sarasota has a rich and wide-ranging music scene, and some of the best musical performances all year occur during the Sarasota Music Festival, sponsored by the Sarasota Orchestra. This three-week series in June brings together music students, now called fellows, from conservatories across the country and pairs them with first class music professors and performers. 

Montrose Trio (montrosetrio.com)

 It’s a wonderful partnership that results in some great concerts.  This week at the Triple Crown concert, we had the pleasure of hearing three faculty as soloists along with the fellows, and they were all superb.  Ani Kavafian (Yale) on violin, Richard Svaboda (principal, Boston Symphony) on bassoon in a Vivaldi concerto, and Nathan Hughes (principal, Metropolitan Opera, and Juilliard) in Mozart’s oboe concerto.  But, the crowning piece in this very special concert was Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 2 as presented by the Montrose Trio.  It was mesmerizing and the hall was silent.  The moment the last note was played the audience was on its feet.  

DINING LOCALLY

Durham in Bradenton

Good friends introduced us to the Central Café in old Bradenton.  It’s spacious and airy with lots of tables and a bar at the back.  Its laidback casual feel reminded us of Foster’s Market and the Ninth Street Bakery in Durham, North Carolina.  Although it was our waitress’ first day on the job, she readily went back to the kitchen to get answers to our menu questions.  Among the four of us, we enjoyed the pork chop special, a super lunchtime sandwich, ribs, and the pork tostada.  Add in a glass of beer or wine or even a cocktail and you’re set.   

SAVOR SARASOTA

Each June restaurants in Sarasota offer specially-priced three course lunch and/or dinner menus. This year around 100 restaurants are participating with a lunch menus for $16 and dinner $32.  Earlier this week we dined at two participating restaurants.  At CasAntica, where we have eaten before, we did order their Savor menu and it was excellent!  Several choices for each course and slightly smaller portions which we appreciated.  Especially tasty were the chicken piccata and the veal piccata and a luscious almond cake for dessert!

Umbrellas 1296

This was our first time eating at Umbrellas, the space where Roast used to be, but totally re-imagined.   We loved the décor—-blue walls, comfy blue chairs and banquettes, and attractive pillows. One of the wait staff told us that they were an inclusive place and welcomed everyone of every persuasion, hence the name.  Likewise, the menu is a broad one ranging from salads and small plates to entrees and featuring tacos, fish, a burger, roasted brussels sprouts, and chicken Parmesan.  They too had a Savor Sarasota menu and a pre-theater Opera menu (also 3 courses). 

Instead of either of those, we opted to share a Caesar salad (plenty for the two of us) and sampled the tasty sprouts, very good crab cake, and the chicken parm.  The latter had a nicely spiced tomato sauce, but the chicken had obviously been prepared ahead of time so was a bit dry.  It came on a generous mound of spaghetti.  Paul, the ebullient owner, was touring around the tables and we had an amusing chat with him.

The vibe is lively to loud, but we were there early during happy hour.  Many evenings they also have live music so I wouldn’t go planning on a quiet tete a tete.  We will return to try some other dishes.

SUMMER READING UPDATE

While I published a list of titles I’d like to read this summer in my last blog, I often add in books not on my initial list. Here is one from the list and one I picked up at Hudson News in Grand Central Station. Thanks to those of you who’ve already sent me some of your suggestions—I have added a few titles to my ever growing lists!

Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl

Ruth Reichl was editor of Gourmet for ten years before Conde Nast stunned readers and staff by pulling the plug on the magazine.  Restaurant critic for the New York Times and author of several memoirs, Reichl was surprised, and a bit terrified, about being approached to become Gourmet’s editor. She had never run a large organization nor supervised a big staff, but she took on the challenge.  In so doing, she expanded the boundaries of its coverage and re-shaped the magazine at an exciting time in the culinary world.  Reichl is a breezy writer and great company for an afternoon. She shares her doubts and worries, her concerns about neglecting her son when she travels, and highlights some of the egos and outsize personaltiies she interacts with along the way.  A fun read for foodies! (~JWFarrington)

Into the Raging Sea  by Rachel Slade

If you’re looking for a book that will completely absorb you for about 24 hours, this is it.  Slade has written a dramatic account of the last voyage of the American freighter, El Faro, which went down near San Salvador in 2015 on its weekly run to Puerto Rico.  Not only is this the story of that voyage, but it’s also an informative history of the shipping industry, how commercial ships today are regulated or not, along with testimony from the ship’s owners (TOTE) about the company’s restructuring. 

What makes this such a compelling read is that Slade spent time with family members of the 33 individuals on the ship, all of whom were lost.  She also presents the crew members’ actual words from the many hours of conversation transcribed from the ship’s “black box.”  There is an intimacy to her account that makes it both painful and poignant.  With references to Jacksonville, Florida, home to many of these mariners; Maine where some received their training; and Philadelphia where Sun Ship was based; this book should appeal to a wider audience beyond those attracted to the sea.  Slade is a journalist and writer based in Boston. (~JWFarrington)

Note: Text and Umbrellas photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).

Tidy Tidbits: Music & Newport

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UNUSUAL INSTRUMENT

For many of us, our first response when you mention an accordion is an oompah band or the Lawrence Welk show and Myron Floren.  This week we had the distinct and unexpected pleasure of hearing a young Chinese woman demonstrate her virtuosity playing classical accordion.  Her accordion is both heavy and elaborate.  It weighs 45 pounds and has a keyboard on the left side and a whole series of buttons on the right.  Hanzhi Wang played a selection of classical pieces by Bach and Grieg among others that had been arranged for accordion;  if you didn’t see her, you would not have guessed you were hearing an accordion.  

 Wang earned music degrees in Beijing and Copenhagen.  Based in Copenhagen, she tours the world performing and has given master classes at the Manhattan School of Music. Hearing her was truly special!

RECENT READING

NEWPORT THROUGH THE CENTURIES

The Maze at Windermere by Gregory Blake Smith

I’ll start by stating that I loved this novel!  What Mr. Smith has done using Newport, Rhode Island, as the venue and presenting five different stories from five different perspectives in five different time periods is simply amazing.  Sandy Allison is a tennis pro in 2011 involved with three women, none of whom he initially sees as a partner for the long term.  Franklin Drexel, a gay blade in all senses of the term, aspires to marry a wealthy widow in 1896 Newport, although he has no desire for women.  

At just 20, Henry James is spending time in Newport (1863) and observing the scene and the people.  He develops a friendship with a young woman named Alice (same name as his sister) and keeps a journal recording his experiences.  A British officer, Major Ballard, is stationed in Newport during the American Revolution and is obsessed with his attraction to a young Jewess. 

Lastly, there is Prudence Selwyn, a young Quaker of 15 whose mother is dead and her father likely lost at sea. It is 1692, she has one slave, and she must figure out how to live her life and support the two of them.  Three of the stories are presented as diaries while the other two, Sandy’s and Franklin’s, are in the third person.  

Themes of love, lust, betrayal, and duplicity, along with how we present ourselves to the world and each other, echo in each individual’s life.  Windermere is modeled on an old mansion, but the physical aspects of Newport such as Doubling Point and the Jewish cemetery which recur down the years are historically true.  I found all the characters fascinating with the British officer being the least likable and least sympathetic.  

The novel is summed up, I think, in the last letter Henry James writes to Alice Taylor:

“…this sense I have that the hundreds of millions of us who breathe upon the earth are each a unique flame, that we are each uniquely composed within the caskets of our bodies and our minds, that each has an experience of the world as different as that of a fishwife’s from a foundryman’s, and yet we all live the same life (millionaire, artist, soldier, slave), we each of us strive to understand who we are why we are here, to love and be loved, and that, for all that striving, we are each of us lost in the mystery of our own heart.”

Gregory Blake Smith was not an author I was familiar with, but this novel came to my attention from a publisher’s e-mail.  Subsequently, I learned it was one of the Washington Post’sten best books of 2018.  For more on the creation of this work, here is a link to an interview with Smith from the Literary Hub.  (~JWFarrington)

Note: Header photo is Chateau-sur-mer in Newport from visitrhodeisland.com. Hanzhi Wang photo from opening nights.fsu.edu and book cover image from the publisher.