Britten

There's a wonderful public library next to CMU called the
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. It has a good collection,
really nice reading spaces with cushy black chairs, and even
a cafe! More importantly, they have a really good music
collection. I've been listening to a lot of chamber music
lately. I kind of exhausted the collection (which now
resides on my hard drive...) and so recently I grabbed some
cds I didn't think I would like, mostly out of my innate
greediness. I was right about most of them, but I was
floored by Benjamin Britten's "Simple Symphony". Listen
to "Sentimental Sarabande". It's so transparent and, well,
simple, but so beautiful...

"What is that?" Alessandro asked, pointing at a huge, round,
plug-like, hide case bound with straps.

"That's my suitcase," Orfeo replied, as if Alessandro were very stupid.

"Yes, but it has hair on it. I've never seen a suitcase
with hair on it."

"Untanned hides are the strongest," Orfeo replied. "These
are the kind of suitcases Americans carry,but Americans leave
the heads and tails on."

-- Helprin


At the aviary...