Without music, life would be a mistake
orI went to a gig in Prague!
As Prague is such a city of culture, I decided to go to a concert in the Municipal Theatre. It was a chamber string orchestra, 2 first violins, 2 second violins, a viola, 'cello and double bass, playing a selection of music Mozart and Dvorak and treating us to an encore of Johann Strauss' Pizzicato Polka.
Municipal Theatre |
The lead violinist was open, friendly and engaged with the audience, all without uttering a word. The second 1st violin was the image of Shay, a violist in the orchestra I play in, the St Agnes Parents String Orchestra, except that his hair was blacker. He was tall, laid back and you couldn't avoid the sneaking suspicion that he's quite at home in the more relaxed vibe of folk or traditional music.
The group was excellent. It was hard to hear that there were two musicians playing each of the violin parts, all perfectly in tune and in time. Only occasionally could you tell that there were two musicians per part instead of one.
From my seat the second violins were a joy to watch, their bowing perfectly in synch. I'd love it if the member of St Agnes orchestra had a chance to see them. The first one (without glasses) stood erect. One could picture him as a young boy taking his lessons very seriously, striving for perfection and hoping to please his parents and teacher. The second had a slightly more relaxed pose, feet slightly apart. One could imagine him as the reluctant pupil, forced to his violin lessons by his parents, complying obviously, because otherwise how could he have become a professional, but still holding a rebellious streak believing that there's more to life than perfecting your technique.
Me and my 'cello |
The violist was quiet, unnoticeable until he came to life during a wee solo, during which his fellow musicians, gave him encouraging smiles of support. The cellist was an earnest chap with a boyish face, eager to perform and hit all the right notes. The bassist suffered from the usual bassist independence, slightly behind the others, especially when it came to the pizz.
Afterwards, I left the auditorium humming away to myself enjoyed the rest of the evening with the company of some pilsner. Imagine my surprise a couple of days later when coincidence of coincidences, who did I meet on the aeroplane? It was only Shay himself who had so resembled the violinist. Was he moonlighting as a Czech violinist? Is he living a secret life, violist in St Agnes on Mondays and Tuesdays and the rest of the week violinist in Prague? I didn't have the nerve to ask him!