"In his domestic administration my father had this system . . . to keep a journal and insert in it all occurrences of any note . . . A record very pleasant to look at when time begins to efface the memory of events, and very well suited to get us out of perplexity: When was such and such a thing begun? When completed? What retinues came? How long did they stay? Our trips, our absences; marriages; deaths; the receipt of happy or unhappy news . . . An ancient custom, which I think it would be good to revive, each man in each man's home. And I think I am a fool to have neglected it." (Montaigne, Book I, Essay 35 (publ. 1580))

Monday, November 06, 2017

Swan Lake

Here I am at age 61 and had never attended a ballet performance.  Nedda has been planning to correct this, and it happened on Saturday 28 October - Ballet Arizona put on Swan Lake with the Phoenix Symphony at Symphony Hall (PJ, Nedda, PJr me attending).

PJr/Nedda had lined up seating in one of the little balconies - which I think made a big difference - the unobstructed view from somewhat overhead made it much easier to see the various patterns.  Plus the extra space was nice.


My low expectations were way off the mark - I don't know enough to judge intelligently, but I definitely thought it was a great show.  Tchaikovsky's music certainly is pretty wonderful, and Nedda advises that the lead ballerina was quite good.  The combination of dance and music was surprisingly effective.  Glad we went.

Followed by a late supper at Taco Guild - a converted church with entirely satisfactory food/drink. 

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