BARENBOIM’S BLOG

Daniel Barenboim has a blog
(He calls it an “on-line journal” --- whatever!)

Here’s My Barenboim Story -
In 5th grade, I became obsessed with Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven.
Piano practice revolved around Moonlight Sonata – and I refused to play anything other than Beethoven.
Dear ‘ole Dad heard that Barenboim was playing the complete Beethoven Sonatas, and got two tickets for him and I to see a Sunday performance. (My first visit to Orchestra Hall!!)

We sat way in the back - and it was amazing!
During intermission Dear ‘ole Dad made friends with an usher who let us see the box seats (wowie zowie!)

Barenboim became director of the CSO a few years later.
And I was very happy for him.
(My friends swooned over The New Kinds on the Block, I swooned over Barenboim!)
Yeah – I was (am) a dork

* * *

Fast forward ten years.
I’m in college, with a prof who happens to be friends with a CSO trumpet player.
Trumpet player is invited to campus to do some masterclasses
and have pizza with a few music majors.
It was the weirdest thing to hear that guy complain about Barenboim –
I knew he had an ego (don’t all conductors?)
But the inside scoop on CSO rehearsals and Barenboim’s style.
It disturbed me.
(And the pizza was not that good either).

That’s my Barenboim stories.
Except Hillary and Jackie is not a very good book
(and I really didn’t like the movie).

The end.