RANDOM JOTTINGS

A blog about music, sports, theatre and rants

Long time blogger just moved to wordpress. Love music, theatre, movies, sport (tennis and cricket) and cooking. Two great daughters, two great granddaughters.

First Post of the Year

I woke up this morning feeling rather gloomy. I have been on my own since Boxing Day and, try as I might, I do find it hard to be cheerful in the face of all the doom laden predictions that are abounding. I have reached the stage where I cannot tell what is true and what is not so I have abandoned all news on the television and only skim the papers. I may be being blinkered but I have honestly had enough at the moment.

Every year I watch the New Year's Day concert from Vienna and wondered how they would manage it this year. Well they did. I gather the orchestra were tested twice daily before and after rehearsals as they were determined to perform. Muti conducted and it seems he is alone in a hotel where it and the entire city is deserted. He is reported to have said it was like being in a horror movie….The Shining comes to mind.

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My first glimpse of the concert hall. Totally empty and I burst into tears. I found it incredibly upsetting and as my mood was not good it affected me quite badly.  The orchestra played simply beautifully. I suppose it is because of the lack of audience that the acoustics and sound seemed clearer and brighter but I also felt the Vienna Phil were playing their socks off for us and it was simply stunning.

At the interval, we heard applause. Apparently people all round the world signed up to be the "audience and I found it quite moving and it cheered me up – a bit anyway.

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Before the encores Muti came out to address his world wide audience and said that yes, we were worred about our health and that was the first thing but "the health of the mind is so important and this is what music is for". And, oh dear I was off again.

In the end I got up and clapped and marched around my flat when the Radetsky March was played and then we heard the worldwide applause again.  My congratulations and thanks to the Vienna Phil and Muti for going that extra mile to help us all.  It was glorious

I wish you all a Happy New Year and, once again, my thanks to you all for reading, commenting and visiting. Many of you have been loyal supporters for years and it is such a comfort and a joy.  Bless you.

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18 responses to “First Post of the Year”

  1. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    I felt the orchestra played the best I have ever heard them as if they wanted to make us all happy. It was glorius.

    Reply
  2. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    In these circumstances I do not think it matters whether we are better off or worse off than family and friends, these bad days just pop up now and and then and they just floor me. I get wobbly, I shake inside and I cannot get warm. I now recognise the symptoms so just curl up on the bed with tea, hot water bottle and blanket and wait for it to pass. It does but not nice when it happens.
    It will get better. I keep telling msyelf that

    Reply
  3. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    well we are now in lockdown again so fighting heard with keeping the spirits up! all you lovely people on this blog help enormously. Bless you

    Reply
  4. Margaret Powling Avatar
    Margaret Powling

    Even though I’m not a lover of the music if the Strauss family I always watch the concert and I also found it upsetting, Elaine, to see that wonderful concert hall empty. And how well the orchestra played, for we mustn’t forget that while being musicians they are also performers and are used to performing before a live audience and that really lifts a performance. I think under the circumstances they did remarkably well. I do hope you will feel better soon, if you aren’t feeling better already. And this evening I understand Boris is to put us under yet more restrictions, but understandably so because of the rapid rise in Covid cases. Onwards and upwards, dear lady!

    Reply
  5. Jacquie in RI Avatar
    Jacquie in RI

    I’ve given myself a title of Queen of Rhode Island rants. Mine are verbal. I wouldn’t dare write them down. I thought I would settle down after the election, but Mr. Trump isn’t going to leave us in peace – EVER.
    I hope with holidays over perhaps the vaccine challenge will sort itself out a bit. One of the times I’m happy to live in Rhode Island. Small state, low population, very good governor (a woman of course). Even though your health care system is different than ours, if there’s a way to foul things up they all find it.
    A high point to end the year was that concert. Spirits up!

    Reply
  6. Helen Avatar
    Helen

    Hello Elaine:)
    Do hope you’re feeling better. I really sympathise as most of the time, like you I just get on with it; in fact, we’re pretty much o.k. (so long as we don’t think about the economy and people dying and so forth which of course we do). What I mean is, we keep each other company, have always got on very well, have no children or other family to miss (although we do miss close friends), have no extra financial worries and so on, which is why I’m bewildered by the fact that every so often I feel really wobbly just as you did when you posted this. Inexplicable in my case and I suppose all we can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other and wait for the vaccine.
    Meanwhile, we’re all rooting for you and each other so a belated happy new year. It Will Get Better. It Must.

    Reply
  7. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    I, too, felt that the orchestra were playing over and above their norm. They always sound fantastic but this year I felt they wanted it to be special. I found myself in tears all the way through. And Muti’s message at the end finished me off completely. I have recorded it and will be keeping it to watch and cheer me jup.
    I am 74 in a few weeks so should be getting the vaccine soon but, quite frankly, if there is a way to cock it up this government will find it….
    Rest assured there will be Rants. I already have one lined up but think I will leave it a week or two.

    Reply
  8. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    Daily testing I gather and before and after rehearsals. I really appreciate the determination to get this concert on. And Muti is now 80 so a hig risk and I really loved seeing him. I remember going to concerts when he was young and dashing. Long time ago….
    And thank you for your kind comment at the end. I will keep going

    Reply
  9. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    Yes I am. Just a blip. This happens every now and then and I know it will pass but I just felt really weepy today.
    Onwards and upwards
    xx

    Reply
  10. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    Hello Ellen
    I am so tired of it all now as we all are and the weather is bleak and dreary. Once January is out the way I always feel better. I am making myself go out for a daily walk as I did in the summer and I have Bourne Mill just round the corner from me and it is always good to see it

    Reply
  11. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    It really brought it home to me just how much this has affected us all. Why a concert hall I do not know but it did

    Reply
  12. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    Thank you Ann. I had a visit to Oz lined up for next year but this is now on hold. My daughter was supposed to visit in 2020 but that had to be cancelled so just hoping that by the summer things will be better

    Reply
  13. Jacquie in RI Avatar
    Jacquie in RI

    I never get tired of looking at that beautiful concert hall and it was all so special because of the way it was done. I do think that the participants were giving it their all and seemed to play with a little extra something. I love watching this conductor. I sort of wish I had gotten up and marched too. It was a delightful surprise when I was expecting a boring evening of old movies.
    UK or US things don’t seem to be flowing along as we’d hoped. I’m so anxious to get my vaccine. Supposedly I am in the next group which is 74 and over. I can’t wait. I’ve put so many things off until I feel comfortable doing Doctor visits, x-rays etc.
    I wish you all well. Elaine, thanks so much for keeping this going. It’s a lift for us all. Rant all you want.

    Reply
  14. Erika W. Avatar
    Erika W.

    We also watched the concert and then found an account of how they rehearsed beforehand. it lifted our hearts that they were determined not to let us all down Lovely beginning to no doubt another difficult year.
    Thank you, too, Elaine, for carrying us through the last year and I hope you will have the strength and kindness to do the same in 2021.

    Reply
  15. Mog Avatar
    Mog

    This new year must be better than 2020, it has been so awful in many areas. I do hope you are feeling calmer today. xx

    Reply
  16. EllenD Avatar
    EllenD

    I’m glad the concert got you marching. I think we’re all a bit down and sensitive at the moment as I find myself tearing up at so many things whether upbeat – eg people’s kindness to others – or sad. For me, it’s because I thought we were coming to the end of this dreadful time, as vaccines were beginning and while there were still restrictions and it would take time, I thought it would be only another few months of tier 2 or 3 restrictions. But now this new variant means we’re stuck in tier 4, and how limited that leaves our lives. I’m sure we’re all get through it, but I need to accept that there will be ups and downs in how I feel and find some guaranteed things to lift my spirits – clearly reading and for me family history. The days are getting longer and while on a walk last week I saw an egret in a local river, which I’d never seen locally before, so that was an uptick.

    Reply
  17. Ann Hall Avatar
    Ann Hall

    Have just watched the concert on You tube. Seeing them playing their hearts out to that empty hall made me cry too.

    Reply
  18. Ann Hall Avatar
    Ann Hall

    I do feel for you all in the UK. I just hope we are not getting too complacent here in WA, which is about the safest place in the world at the moment. I did not think that concert would go ahead this year so did not look for it on tv. I’m sure I’ll still be able to find it on line somewhere. I’m glad that marching to the Radetsky march lightened your spirits a bit and hope that 2021 will be a better year for you and everyone.

    Reply

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