Marty’s blog

I came across this Youtube video of Charlie Rose interviewing Riccardo Muti (first half is with Ozawa).
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Sensitive, smart, charismatic, humble, confident, educated, growing…I still can’t believe he’s coming to Chicago as music director with the CSO!  The part where he talks about every orchestra [...]

Guidon Kremer is the most creative and unique violinist of our time.  Someone posted him playing all the Bach sonatas and partitas on YouTube.  Marverlous.
Here he is doing the second half of the Bach Chaconne:
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For all you non-fiddlers, among violinists the title “the Chaconne” [...]

Here’s a piece I wrote several years ago that got picked up by several places on the web and in print. I thought I’d re-post it here, since I’m getting back in my fiddling mode - and mood - as of late. The piece generated tons of feedback - I still get some today. The [...]

At the risk of boring readers of this blog (if there are any), I’ve had the urge lately to delve back into an old passion of mine; violin history.  This passion has consumed me on-an-off since I was in high school.
I started playing the violin when I was seven or so, and never gave up [...]

I think one of my wife’s biggest dissapointments in her life has been the fact that I can’t dance. (I’m the worst!) And after seeing this movie again, why even try?!
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And I look like a waiter in a tuxedo.

Oh god, I love Jeff Beck’s version of Rollin’ and Tumblin’!
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Was on the highway the other day and set the CD player to repeat the track about ten times - blasting, with the windows open. People in other cars looking at me strangely…I wonder [...]

The stereo and turntable are hooked up tonight, and right now it is Turandot with Nilsson, Tebaldi, Bjoerling and Tozzi. Yes! So the hell what if I have to get up every 20 minutes to change sides!
Yes, I still l like my vinyl.
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When I’m down, there’s always one sure thing that’ll get me up again. This movie, and oh, what a scene! There is no more perfect scene in all of moviedom. And Gene Kelly…immortal.
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The second best scene with Donald O’Connor:
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I love Cecilia Bartoli doing Rossini. She’s just the best! Here she is singing the aria non piu mesta from La Cenerentola.
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And if that’s not enough, here are my two favorite (living) opera singers, Bartoli and Renee Fleming singing a duet from The Marriage [...]

Drove around a little downtown after dark, Jeff Beck on the CD. A little side trip tonight to pick up the daughter at the train station (she was visiting her boyfriend downstate, you know…to catch up).
So we played with the camera a little as we drove around.

Old Union Station, one with the Sears Tower, [...]