Florence Sausages and Phillip Glass

Wandering round il Super Mercato I spot some of those coils of sausages I sometimes see TV chefs trying to cook. As I happen to know someone who always tries the locaL sausages, I feel obliged to buy some. Timidly, I try the cheapest type. I also buy a tray of Atlantic Salmon cutlets as it’s Good Friday tomorrow.

I have a cunning plan for tonight’s concert. I will dally over my meal and creep into the hall after the Arvo Part and  the Phillip Glass pieces have finished. Then I can sit back and enjoy the Beethoven Opus 65! So I have heaps of time to investigate this sausage. I am not prejudiced against sausages ( or Philip Glass, come to think of it!) but most of the sausages I have tried recently contain lumps of stuff with which I have experienced some difficulty.

With some trepidation, I cook and try the sausage. They taste nice!! More than that – it is a delightful experience with wonderful spices. Wow!! A very pleasant and unexpected surprise!

Satisfied and happy, I wander down to the concert in the church of San Stefano al Ponte Vecchio.

The Arvo Pärt is still being performed! I don’t understand this but I wait until it is ended. Then I slip into a seat on the third row curiously just vacated after the Pärt. I suppose that’s what Pärt does to some people. But why should anyone want to miss the Beethoven?

This quartet, which has only been going officially for three years, has called itself the “Quartetto Idée fixe” The only reason I can think that they would use such a name is to make it stick firmly in peoples’ memories, as it has in mine. Perhaps we have to extend the idea of “Idée fixe” to cover Phillip Glass. When the meanings of so many terms have been destroyed, why not?

They tackle the Webern Op 5 with enthusiasm. The different textures seem to be enhanced by the marble church. I thought most of the sound would be lost but it comes over crystal clear. They seem to enjiy this ‘modern’ music composed a hundred years ago.

I am very surprised when the next piece is the Philip Glass String Quartet No 5. The quartet seem extremely happy in this piece. It is performed in front of a Russian film and the music reflects the mood of the film. (One episode even shows a lady making about a hundred cardboard boxes in a minute – and we get the full minute! – We might even ascribe much of Philip Glass’s music to this type of scenario?!!)

In facrt the piece comes over very well. The sound functions well as film music but the sections are introduced by really warm twentieth century harmony of the best Hollywood variety – REALLY nice. Much to my amazement I enjoyed it. A very pleasant and unexpected surprise!

Now here comes the shock. The quartet returns, takes many calls and almost threatens to play an encore. I realise that it is the end of the concert. They have deliberately outwitted me by playing the Beethoven Op65 at the BEGINNING of the concert rather than at the end. Not fair!!