He had some wrong assumptions about me. Captivated by the figure of someone he respects a lot he thought that I just play the piano all day long and teach the same instrument. Fairytale of a pianist surrounded just with music and no other "real life" things. Distorted image, that's what it was. Because how else would he come to the conclusion that I have a housekeeper and a cleaning lady? Someone to wash, clean everything in the house, to cook, to do shopping. Yes, that is what he thought, that dear student of mine.
I had to tell the truth when he asked for confirmation of his belief. No, I don't have anybody to do that instead of me. His reaction was a big surprise, but in the end, he accepted, I do clean and cook, and wash and do all the other stuff everyone does. The piano fingers are not reserved only for the piano keys.
This was confirmed this morning too. My fingers are not supposed just to play the piano. But why I have chosen to clean is another story. I was driven by my restless spirit, let's do something, anything, to spend the energy that wanted to explode inside me. Not the good energy thought (is there good or bad energy?). I did something that was postponed for a long time. The kitchen desperately screamed for my attention as the extractor hood was in so neglected condition. Rubber gloves, degreaser and wire brush were my instrument this morning.
The filters were easy to remove and clean apart. Ok, not that easy and it consumed some time, but easier compared to what waited for me inside of the hood. The position of it was the most challenging, so after some time my right arm started to hurt. And my shoulder too. I thought that at least my fingers are well protected with the rubber gloves, but in one moment when I took them off, I saw my poor fingers. They were not looking very well.
However, that was my chosen way to relax. The only one I could come up with. Hey, do you laugh now? Seriously? What is funny if someone does a deep cleaning of an extractor hood when wants to relax and forget about stuff?? You never do that? Well, that is certainly my way to spend the negative energy. When my guys in the house see me keeping quiet and cleaning, they know, something happened. Probably just in my mind :D
After finishing the cleaning, I was exhausted. No more energy, negative but either positive one. That second one would come in handy though as I needed to do some indeed important tasks. To practice my real instrument, my piano, because I have one meeting tomorrow morning. The director of the choir wanted to record one piece, in my interpretation. It would be super easy, in case I know the music and already have it in my repertoire. The total opposite is what the real picture is - I had no clue how the piece sounds or how to play it until this morning. Not even I opened the scores to see the title or the structure of it. Well, I had work to be done. Alfonsina was waiting for me to learn all about her.
Alfonsina y el mar is a song composed by Argentine pianist Ariel Ramírez, inspired by the story of the death of a poet, Alfonsina Storni. She committed suicide in 1938 jumping into the sea, and the nation was in grief. The song itself is very sad, both the text and the tune.
The first challenge is one part that is more technical so it requires a bit of drilling.
The second challenge is the expression and the phrasing, but that latter one depends on the director of the choir, how he will guide me tomorrow morning.
He needs the recording as the accompaniment to his rehearsals, so I don't have to attend them every time. The choir will have a concert in May, and I will play with them. Until then, I am sure I will play this song with my eyes closed, but I need it for tomorrow to be perfect (semi-perfect.... ok, decent will be good?) No, perfect would be the only acceptable version, so I am off now to practice a bit more my piano!