Gratitude 13

I am thankful for having witnessed this man's passion and sincere love for music while playing a piece by Haydn as if it was simply a part of who he is.

Yesterday was the official beginning of classes. However, I only had one class, which I found rather ridiculous. I will normally have conducting lab in the late afternoons as well, but as the conducting classes had yet to meet, that obviously couldn't happen this week. In the evening, a few of us attended a free concert by the world-renowned Bartok Quartet at the Kodály School across town. It was really class! (The Irish girls here are teaching me some of their terminology! haha!) That concert definitely has to be up there with one of the most beautiful moments of music I've heard/witnessed in my life. For some reason, my eye was constantly pulled towards this man. It was as if the music he played seeped from his pores. It was just there, free and natural and pure.

Today, was the real start of classes of me, as my Tuesdays and Thursdays are completely packed with classes and lessons. (And oddly enough, Wednesdays are absolutely empty...all the better for practice and preparation then!) The schedule is so crazy because many of the professors/teachers live in Budapest and also work at the Liszt Academy of Music. I had Hungarian music literature, solfege, lecture on the philosophy of Kodály, my piano lesson, conducting, and supposed to be a voice lesson as well. I met János, my voice teacher here, for about literally two minutes because he had to leave for some reason. I guess he only did some consultations today. Our meeting consisted of pretty much this conversation:

János: Hi, I'm János! Nice to meet you!
Me: Hi, I'm Samantha!
János: Have you ever studied voice before? Oh, wait! You're the Capital girl. Of course, you've studied voice...you're a voice major.
Me: Igen (yes), vocal performance.
János: Great! You have a recital coming up? Good. Write out a list of what you have worked on, what you are doing now, suggestions from your teacher, and your recital program. Good. See you Thursday then.

A few things were left out, but that was pretty much the extent of it. I left there freaking out because I don't have my recital programmed yet! I only just scheduled it! Lynn and I haven't really talked indepthly about exactly what I'm doing, only ideas! I made him my repertoire list and the suggestions from Lynn, and that is all he's getting right now. I was also quite frustrated that I didn't actually get a lesson, but all will be well. At least I see him Thursday. (Zita and I decided to try out splitting my hour lesson into two half-hour sessions. I think it will work out much better for me, but it can always be changed if it doesn't work.)

Solfege, one of the largest reasons I am here, is about 2-2 1/2 hours twice a week. I never thought I would see the day that I would actually enjoy Solfege class! My teacher Klára is absolutely wonderful! She is the perfect teacher for me, and I think our work together is going to better me so much as a musician. Finally, it is all beginning to make sense. They aren't just silly solfa exercises but real music! There's a ton of homework, but that's for the best. Conducting was a hoot today! I have never conducted before. Our teacher Zoltán is going to be great fun, I think. :) Orsolya, the piano teacher, is going to be incredible as well! She is going to be strict but full of laughs, I'm sure. We talked about piano and what we shall do for maybe ten minutes. The next ten minutes: she commented on my audition in piano and voice and then pulled me over to the mirror and start critiquing my singing. It was so funny! Very constructive, too. She pointed out some things I never realized I did, so now every time I walk by a mirror I think about it. I guess that's a good thing...correcting little things like that add up to a better performance. I think I'm going to like her very much! :) All the teachers here are wonderful and expect nothing less than the best. This is going to be an incredible (but intensely difficult) semester! :) Now, off for some practice!