Procession: A Path: Jesse Norman

The artists I desperately wanted to attend but couldn’t were:

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

I bought three tickets.

All were cancelled……

The one I had a chance to see but chose not to was:

Luciano Pavarotti.

I sometimes regret that decision.

Sergiu CelibidacheI was so lucky to attend his last master class in France.

But I couldn’t go to his live performance.

He left this planet before I could catch him.

I learned one of the most precious lessons from him while quietly sitting in his master class during that memorable hot summer.

I will write about him one day.

Jesse Norman.

I went to her concert once in Paris.

It was her solo recital, and I wish I had been able to see her perform in opera.

Roots: My Life, My Music is her late-years recording (I believe).

Most of the repertoire on this album is not classical music, and she revealed the depth of her artistry.

Her performance on this album is filled with the true joy of music, and with her understanding of what music is for herself and for everyone else.

I hear her saying that all music is equally beautiful, and that it is meaningless to be overly persistent in one style while ignoring the meanings within each.

Her voice was speaking to me softly, warmly, passionately, and decisively.

It is amazing to witness her breathing life into any music.

The short summer in Canada was about to end.

I was sitting in my backyard, listening to her voice.

This is one of my favourite albums in my collection.

I have heard it many times, yet each time I listen, a different piece captures my attention.

Today, it was Another Man Done Gone.

The grim tone of the drum, with its heavy marching rhythm, felt like the sorrowful, dragging footsteps of a funeral.

I felt as if I were being pulled into an invisible black hole.

Something was triggered.

The word procession came to mind.

It probably has nothing to do with funerals.

Her voice sounds strong and brave.

The truth of history exists in our daily lives, in our lives, and in our deaths.

Some pieces on this album were recorded live in Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt.

The program lineup is well composed.

I don’t sense a political message here, but her message is spoken in a quiet, soft, and deep voice.

This is the power of art, an ultimate force that leads us to places we may not yet know.

That is why, whenever questions about the appropriateness of the title of Golliwogg’s Cakewalk arise repeatedly, I find myself confused.

The danger of a cancel culture that erases past mistakes should not be ignored.

Because the only way to reach mutual understanding is by acknowledging our mistakes.

We have to face them.

Pretending they didn’t happen will not cultivate anything in the future.

Let’s go back to music.

Good things are good.

Just so.

In my backyard, tree leaves rustled.

Her voice mixed with them, and I felt so good.

My heart and body were absorbing her music.

The band members on this album are all exceptional.

Maybe Jesse Norman’s name made this project possible.

But so?

All performances sound vibrant.

The music flows naturally, without flattery.

They enjoy being in it.

Their free spirit within the music is unmistakable.

Bravissimo.