Posted to Vanessa-Mae Mailing List by [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Ray) ======================================================================== Hello fellow followers of Vanessa Mae! I am so pleased that the list is back! I've had several interesting little tid-bits to share but I had despaired that I couldn't register for the list. Naturally it came back while I was gone on vacation. Last year I had the great honor and privilege of talking with Midori! Now be patient, I know which list this is so stay with me. I have a friend who plays 1st violin in the Atlanta Symphony who gave me two tickets to hear her (and ASO) play with Midori. Naturally, I brought my beautiful and charming girl-friend, Kelly. Midori played the famous "Violin Concerto" by Jean Sibelius (one of my hundreds of favourite pieces). Her phrasing was perfect. She played with great prowess and power. You could feel the force of her personality projecting clear to our seat in the second balcony (which is acoustically far superior to the orchestra level). To say that she plays with great beauty and style deprives one of the realization of how truly awe inspiring Midori is as a violinist. I gave serious consideration to buying tickets for the next two nights she was to perform (I checked, they were sold out). One amusing comment. Every once in a while, Midori would give an emphatic stamp of her foot, not at all in time with the music. This did not detract from the quality of her music, however. She is a truly elegant musician. After the concert, Kelly and I waited in the reception area hoping to see Midori. I kept an eye out since I figured she would be instantly mobbed. I saw her being escorted up the stairs by a Symphony Guild member. No one seemed to notice her. Naturally, she had changed clothes, but the main reason was that in person she is very pleasant and mild. Very different from the towering force of musicianship we saw on stage. I walked over and shook her hand. Kelly and I then took the opportunity to speak with her. She was extremely nice. Both Kelly and I recieved an autograph and took a picture of her. She then mingled for about fifteen minutes but was soon alone again. I talked with her some more and complimented her performance. Kelly took a second picture of Midori and I standing together. She was then escorted away by a Symphony Guildsman. Sigh. During our conversation I asked Midori if she knew Vanessa Mae. She said that she had never played with her but was familiar with her playing and thought she was highly talented. I was much better prepared for Midori than I was when I met Vanessa Mae here in Atlanta a few years ago. Then I didn't have a camera but I did get an autograph. Our conversation went something like this: Ray: "I have my students watch your video every year to learn more about bow technique." VM: "Oh." Then the next person asks for an autograph. Certainly both Midori and Vanessa Mae are among the best in the world. Make every effort to hear them perform live. There is no substitute. Ray A. Kuutti Violinist for Hire ************************************************************************ Brought to you by VMH (http://www.vanessamae.com/) Subscribe, unsubscribe & other information: http://vm-l.vanessamae.com/ Mailing List Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/vm-l@vanessamae.com/ Search the web with 128 search engines! http://www.mostcomplete.com/ ************************************************************************
