On my counter in my kitchen, I've had open a book I bought 24 years ago. When I was living/studying in Madrid, I found a "Handbook of 4,500 Spanish Verbs" at a bookstore and picked it up. Granted, it's not the most riveting of texts to read, but it IS a great source of information, especially when one is on the eve of a trip to South America.
I'll be arriving in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, at the end of the week. With last week's Beethoven rehearsals and numerous other tasks taking my time, opportunities for Spanish review have been few and far between.
But I've managed to get some homework done! 1) created a small document of three common irregular verb conjugations (for the infinitives "ser/estar"--"to be" and "ir"--"to go") AND posted it to my iPhone for handy viewing; 2) spent a lovely hour chatting in Spanish with Patricia Camacho, a member of the Symphonic Choir originally from Mexico (she was very patient with me!); and 3) dug up the aforementioned verb textbook.
On my previous Bolivia trips, I've had to hit the ground running, usually having either a rehearsal or media interview within a few hours of stepping off the plane. I'm sure this one will be no different. Stay tuned to see how it plays out!
BEETHOVEN
Singing the mighty 9th Symphony of Beethoven is always a thrill. Our past weekend's three performances with the Indianapolis Symphony and conductor emeritus Raymond Leppard were a great way to finish the Choir's 74th season. Leppard, now in his 80's, brought plenty of his trademark wit to the proceedings. His was an expansive 9th, and though some might have wished for a more sprightly take, it did give the opportunity to savor Beethoven's delectable inner voice writing.
"Music Made Me" is the title of Leppard's just released autobiography, which concludes with a chapter about coming to and working in Indianapolis. I've read that chapter first (quite enlightening viewpoint of our city) of course, and will let you know about the other chapters in the coming posts.
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