I'm Reading a New Book!

After weeks and weeks of not being interested in any new reading, I found myself in my beautiful local library in front of the new nonfiction shelf. In the morning, when I stand with my back to the fireplace there, looking at one side of that bookcase, I've got to squint because of the sun coming down full on my face from the window in the ceiling. But when I go around to read the spines of the books on the other side of that same case, I've got the warm sun on my back and neck and tend to stand twice as long reading those titles. It was just such a morning that my eyes and hand fell upon this book on the bottom shelf of the sunny side of the case, Piano Lessons by Anna Goldsworthy.

The author is a concert pianist and she writes of her lessons from the age of nine with her teacher, a Russian woman, Eleanora Sivan, who is full of wisdom and intuition. I love the passages detailing their lessons.

I love Mrs. Sivan:

This is Mozart. Mozart is absolutely human being, and in love first with all the human, with people around him! And of course his favorite is young soprano, leggiero soprano--why? Because it is reminding him of little blossom, beginning to flower, beginning to bloom. And at the concert next week, you will play beautifully, and show them face of Mozart.

Mrs. Sivan again:

We talk about generosity. Liszt completely generous musician, and completely open. I admire this man more and more. Very interesting how enormously educated he was. Czerny was his teacher, which meant he had Beethoven roots, straightaway. But also, he learns from everything and everybody. Happy to give, and happy to take! Sometimes takes from Chopin, by the way, who not always so generous--except to piano, who he loves.

And:

You must remember, music is big and beautiful forest. You see every little tree and enjoying, but always you remember big forest.