Thursday night was the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra concert: Beethoven's 6th and 5th symphonies. The very idea of a young orchestra comprised largely of Israeli and Arab musicians playing side-by-side is inspiring and to hear and see them was still more so. There were young women virtually throughout the sections (including a female timpanist in the Beethoven 6), and the first chair clarinet in the Beethoven 6, also a woman, really stood out to me as a cut above. I have huge respect for Daniel Barenboim who has done much for music and humanitarian causes, somewhat like Abbado in his own way. That said, I generally like Barenboim better conducting opera than as a symphony orchestra conductor or a solo pianist (his roots), and his reading of both symphonies had a slight feel toward molasses for me. For instance, I am guessing that he stresses long bowing in the strings to produce a particular rounded string sound, even when IMHO much of Beethoven should be a bit more angular and not so pretty. He took the third movements (both symphonies) quite slowly for my tastes. Nonetheless many fine details emerged, and the audience was very enthusiastic in its reception... not unexpected with the familiar program and the unique performers on this night.
Friday we took a direct train from Luzern to Milano and successfully transferred to the Trenitalia train to Parma. Much of the town is closed for the middle weeks of August for holidays ("Ferie") when many escape the heat if able to do so. It has been around 95F and moderately humid during the day. It seems the largest remaining population is college-aged young people who presumably can't afford to stay at the coasts, in lake country, etc. in August. At night there is eye candy for both genders, at the bars and spilling out onto the streets and alleys near them!
Having planned this trip largely around seeing Claudio Abbado and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, there was a nice bit of thematic continuity when we saw posters for Abbado's special performance at the Teatro Farnese in Parma a couple months ago, all over town (at the famous Teatro Regio steps away from our hotel, in a bar, etc.) He has raised money for many charitable causes and seems to be revered here. He of course taught at the local university early in his music career, and formed at least a couple orchestras with a major presence in Emilia-Romagna (the Mahler Chamber Orchestra which is the core of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, and the Orchestra Mozart, among those of which I am aware). Bravo Claudio.
Saturday we took a guided tour of a local dairy/cheese factory and saw how parmigiano reggiano is made; a Parma ham (prosciutto) factory of which we are told there are some 187 of various sizes in the small permitted region, and a winery which offered a number of wines, featuring local lambrusco (red) and malvasia (white), both of which are fizzy to a greater or lesser degree. Our guide Sara was incredible; articulate, well-educated, funny... She studied languages at the local university and seemed able to answer any question we had. Awesome. Our driver Davide (sp?) spoke only a little English but we managed to communicate with him a bit and via Sara's translation. He grew up in the heart of Parma ham country and took us on an "alternative route" that showed us some of the more forested and hilly country of the Parma plain. A great day.
Later in the afternoon we peeked inside the impressive duomo a couple blocks from the hotel.
We have eaten well these last two days. (Trattoria Corrieri and Gallo d'Oro, both great). The difference between the price of a great meal in Parma versus the exorbitant cost of food in Switzerland (not only at restaurants but even at the stores in Switzerland) is almost staggering. But... so much prosciutto and cold-cut meats, hunks of parmigiano reggiano, rich pasta dishes with more butter (to northern Italy what olive oil is to points south) than I've had in probably years, fizzy wine and espresso... Must slow down...
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