The Last Friday of the MMF!

Wow! We got here at 8:50 this a.m., in time for the Brahms Quartet in A Major. Fantastic! Today we will hear Brahms (2 pieces), Boccherini, Adės, Beethoven, Schuman and Bartok. We will have a full day of music. Meanwhile, John and Cynthi are struggling with a car problem just as they were planning to drive to Grand Manan for a much anticipated two-week vacation. But their Honda Fit has a clutch/transmission problem - stick shift, and it is very difficult to shift gears, sometimes impossible. Can't drive to Canada with that situation! They had planned originally to leave today, and had already delayed their departure because of Tropical Storm Debby coming up through Maine today. Torrential rain! Not fun driving. So, lots of things to figure out. We'll try to be of help some way if we can.

The Brahms quartet: Cynthia Raim, piano; Clara Neubauer, violin; Misha Amory; viola; Annie Jacobs-Perkins, cello.************************ LATER. The Brahms was followed by the Boccherini String Quintet, and that was followed by something we had not heard before: a piece for a String Ensemble of some 18 musicians titled, Shanty - Over the Sea, by Thomas Ades. It was unusual and quite lovely. Then there was a long lunch break until 2p.m., when the rehearsed the Beethoven Choral Fantasy, which is a decades-long traditional final piece of the Festival which will be performed this Sunday afternoon. That just ended, and they are re-setting the stage for the Bartok Contrasts for clarinet, violin and piano. That will e followed by the Brahms Sechs Quartette, and that will be it for today. During the lunch break we ate in the car (because it was raining- Tropical Storm Debby remnants!) and then went down to West Brattleboro and got a maple creamee at Dutton's. I also called John and got an update on their car situation. No final solutions as yet.

Rehearsing the Beethoven Choral Fantasy. The chorus wasn't here today - they will undoubtedly come tomorrow.

The Ades, Shanty-Over the Sea being rehearsed.