What are you reading this week of April 23, 2017?

[pangaia]

8. I was first in Leningrad in January 1985.

Arrived Christmas eve -20 F snowing.
BEAUTIFUL !!!

So many stories about that trip..
got drunk with russian percussionists after a concert at the Leningrad Philharmonie - the SAME hall where Shostakovich's 7th Symphony was played during the siege by the Leningrad Radio Symphony-what was left of it!. ( The Philharmonic and it's conductor Mvarinsky had been evacuated to Novosibirsk.)

I have returned to St Petersburg several times since then and have loved that city ever since that first trip.....and have played several of Shostakovich's Symphonies over the years, including #7 ----2-3 times..

--here ya go,
Andris Nelsons and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
first is the Bartok Violin Concerto. Janine Jensen.

If you want to skip that--- WHY WOULD YOU :&gt ) the Shostakovich begins at 26:00

An aside.... The St Petersburg Philharmonic came to Rochester, NY, near where I live, in Feb and played the Shostakovich 5th Sym.. After the gig I went out with the percussionists, once again, and of naturally we again drank vodka.many toasts...They, of course, knew the percussionists from 1985, so it was a really special touching 'reunion.' for all of us.