Blog

Sep 24, 2010

The town was easy to walk and safe, with many shops and restaurants, and things generally were much cheaper than in Sao Paulo.  The concert hall, Teatro Solis, was located across the square from the hotel, so it was easy for us to go back and forth (rehearse and then return to the hotel to change to concert clothes).  Although the acoustics there were a bit on the dry side, we had an excellent concert and a very warm and appreciative audience.  There are many Germans and Austrian descendants in Montevideo from the World War II refuges who fled here (both Jewish and Nazi actually).  So there is a long tradition of supporting and appreciating good “classical” music.  Musica Angelica is in good company on the series at Teatro Solis – this year also appearing are the Dresden Philharmonic, the Bach Gewandhaus Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma, and Pinchas Zukerman.  Also remarkable were the myriad of the antique stores in the old town with everything imaginable from that early era – china, furniture, paintings, books, opera memorabilia, sterling silver, etc. – it is an antique collector’s playground (except you would have to think about the shipping costs!).  We all loved Montevideo and wished we could have done another concert there.

September 25 - The next day was the tough one, with a 3:30 a.m. departure from the hotel to the airport.  I arranged for coffee and tea in the lobby and bought a couple kilos of croissants and assorted pastries to fill our bellies before the long journey.  Two planes and many hours to Rio de Janiero, we arrived with one hour to check in to the hotel, then off to the Teatro Municipal for rehearsal and concert.  A long day for sure, which was rewarded with an exciting concert, a standing ovation, and 3 curtain calls.  Daniel Taylor was in top form, considering the plane rides, and he melted people’s hearts.  Looking forward to the next program with Suzie Leblanc; in addition to her arias she is also singing the Bach Cantata No. 202.

The Teatro Municipal is an elegant and grandly appointed opera house, completed in 1909.  The architecture is in the style of the Paris Opera and the inside is full of sculptures by Henrique Bernardelli and paintings by Rodolfo Amoedo and Eliseu Visconti, including an incredible curtain drop.  Around the time that we are here, also appearing at the Teatro Municipal are soprano Sumi Jo, Zubin Mehta and the Munich Philharmonic, Jessye Norman in recital, and Brayshnikov in a solo dance program.

September 26 - We are all tired, but taking copious amounts of vitamin C, so most everyone is holding up for the moment, a few colds developing in the cello and bass section. Otherwise, Sunday was spent exploring Rio de Janiero, which is an incredible city for sure.  The musicians explored all over the city, visiting the Corcovado (the gigantic statue of Jesus overlooking the city, although it was quite cloudy and sadly not much view), Sugar Loaf which is the pinnacle rock on the bay, the serene botanical gardens, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches for fresh drinks from coconuts and walks along the sand, and poking around the many small fairs and markets around the squares.

Monday, September 27 - back to rehearsal and concert mode with another concert that drew fantastic ovations from the audience.