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The Secretary of State, the Instructor, and the Piano
The piano has been an important part of life for Condoleezza Rice and George Barth, her teacher. Although not as popular in today’s culture, for them classical music is challenging but worth the effort to understand the piano’s importance and beauty. As secretary of state, Rice would play the piano as a way of remembering where she came from and a way to refocus. In short, she said playing the piano made her a better secretary of state (although she also reveals that she likes to work out to Led Zeppelin).
Note: See is additional footage of Rice and Barth at the piano and a look at one of their lessons here.
Published in Entertainment, General
Just beautiful. Thank you.
One of my favorite moments as a volunteer with our local string program:
The Cape Cod Symphony rehearsed and performed at our local middle school auditorium. The auditorium was built to their acoustic specifications, and the architect played a wind instrument in the symphony. (The Cape Cod Symphony was the first local regional symphony orchestra in the country to pay all of its musicians. Classical music is important on the Cape.) Needless to say, the acoustics were spectacular.
But the best benefit of all was the inspiration it provided our children who were going to school in the same building as the Cape Cod Symphony was rehearsing and performing, for our students to be able to rehearse and perform on the same stage. No surprise that we had one of the best string programs in New England at that time.
At any rate, one day as the Cape Cod Symphony members were rehearsing, several students were listening, holding their breath in admiration, and the kids said to me, “It’s hard to believe that that is not a recording, that they can play together so perfectly.” :)
Yes, I agree. I think for Rice and Barth, the music is truly like meeting the person, and often times we give leave on things we don’t prefer in people, when we actually meet them.
I’m no fan of Ives, but I have to say, his dissonance is notorious, and I may have missed some of his simple things that might make me more gracious toward his more exploratory ideas. I like Barth enough to take his word on Ives. I don’t like Brussels Sprouts either, but when my sis makes them, I try them out, manners and all. :)
That interview was so uplifting, their joy poured right through the video. Thank you for facilitating their exchange for us to share.
Oh ET, don’t get me started swooning. Soon it is time for our New Year’s revelry and fantasy plan to go to Vienna for New Year’s Eve, Muti, and Sacher Torte. I do believe that plan is still a fantasy for this year, but there’s always next year to live the dream.
I have vinyl of Susanne Lautenberg playing the Bach Partitas, I may have worn it out. My heart can skip a beat thinking of the Chaconne, not even listening to it.
My physical skill to play those works music is severely and sorely lacking, but in my mind, I can play it like Lautenberg, and it is like a communion to dream it.