Please post this article and poem on Professor Noel do Carmo Flores on
Goanet.
Sincerely,
Anthony (Antonio) Gomes, MD
On Saturday, the 19th of May, 2012, Noel do Carmo Flores (Emeritus Professor
at the University of Music in Vienna) passed away in Vienna, Austria. The
funeral will take place on the 30th of May at 2:00 pm (14:00), in Vienna, at
the Zentralfriedhof, where people like Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, and
Strauss have found their resting place.
He was born in Siolim, Goa, lived in Panjim in his youth, and studied piano
mostly in Spain and Vienna. He was a highly acclaimed pianist and a Master
Teacher. He contributed significantly in the improvement of anatomical and
spiritual movements, introducing Yoga techniques into classical piano
playing. He was much sought after as a teacher in Vienna, both by European
and international students. His students won prizes at International Piano
Competitions, became renowned teachers & international recording &
performing artists. He held master-classes in Austria, United Kingdom,
Finland, Sweden, Germany, Japan and Korea. He was often invited as a member
of jury at international competitions held at Leeds, Vienna, Tel-Aviv
(Rubinstein Competition), Leipzig (Bach Comp.), South Africa, Germany,
Italy, Chile, Spain, Portugal and Greece. In 1997 he was awarded the grand
silver medal for his outstanding services to the State of Austria.
To me he was a wonderful bother-in-law whose company I cherished and whose
humility and joy-de-vivre, not withstanding his musicality and awesome
artist talents, was always a breath of fresh air. I fondly remember the
wonderful times we had together with my then wife Marina Flores, his
youngest sister, in our family re-unions in Vienna, Portugal, Goa and New
York. During one of his visit to Goa after an absence of many years, he
played for the family (Mother: Leucadia; Father: Bento Manuel. Siblings: The
late Marina Gomes, Filomena Dulio Ribeiro, Antonio, Jeorge and Victor
Flores; Judith, Ralph, Ruth, Alvaro, and Cosme Flores) at his home in
Panjim. In the poem, “Ode to Noel Flores,” I try to capture that rare
poignant moment.
Ode to Noel Flores
His family requests—they hadn’t heard
His compelling music for ages.
He steps forth, tall and lithe
On the piano he sits, apologetically—
It’s no Steinway or a Bechstein
Some old piano that’s lost its name
Unworthy of his fame.
He hesitates,
Turns his head side to side
The nose flares; the cheekbones elongate
Droplets of sweat gather on forehead
The eyes open and close, the light dims
Head of hair, white strands sparkle
The muscles tense, relax, the hands move
Fingers flutter in the rarefied night air
Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Chopin
Notes flow:
Like water over pebbles in a stream
Ripples in a shallow lake of fire
Snow- flakes on quartz and saphire
Dewdrops on emerald lotus leaves
Notes resound:
Like sheets of rainfall on mountain tops
Gushing diamonds over waterfalls
The rush of a sudden thunderstorm
The tremolo of wild bird wings
The final gust of autumn wind.
A sudden silence—
He stands tall, bows,
A shy smile
Crosses his radiant face.
His mother, father, his siblings,
Their faces light up in a daylight dream
Like pilgrims in a fable
A moment’s joy dims away the world.
Bravo! Encore! Bravo!
Anthony (Antonio) Gomes, MD
Prof. of Medicine, Mt. Sinai Med. Center, NY
Author of the Sting of Peppercorns and Visions from Grymes Hill
Email: tong....@gmail.com
