Something refreshing

Many, many years ago, I had the good fortune during the Aspen Music Festival to be present in someone’s living room when some of the guests, musicians all, decided to do some sight reading for their fellow attendees.  I’m sure many of you have had similar experiences, although perhaps not quite the same caliber of performers:  Itzhak Perlman, Pincus Zuckerman and LazloVarga (who was once one of the most famous cellists in the world before Yo-Yo Ma came along).

To be honest, I was too young to appreciate the caliber of music I was hearing, but I was smart enough to look out the window.  Because this spontaneous little concert took place when the town of Aspen was flooded with musicians, people within range of the window understood that they were hearing something very special.  More and more gathered to hear, until there were dozens of people crowded on the grounds around the apartment, all drinking in the extraordinary music.  As I said, I didn’t quite get the music, but I understood the awe.

Two scenes in two old Hollywood musicals always make me think of that moment in time.  One scene comes from Rose Marie, a true classic staring Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald.  Until tonight, when I captured it on TiVo, I hadn’t seen Rose Marie in 35 years and had forgotten how charming it is.  I’d also forgotten that it has a scene that, with a little extra zing and drama, vividly reminded me of Aspen, Colorado, so long ago:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdnyGn0OZ6E[/youtube]

The other movie that has a scene reminiscent of my own youth is The Great Waltz, a highly romanticized homage to Strauss:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye3vQiXIIGY[/youtube]