2009.11.26. Thanksgiving in Victoria

Took Victoria Clipper to Victoria. Left in the rain and back in the rain. Silly waiting at the dock. (The ticket asks passengers to check in 1 hour ahead.)
Luckily the weather was better in Victoria, even sunny in the morning. Visited St. Ann, just a block east of downtown traffic. A Catholic girls school and convent from 1858, predating the establishment of the city of Victoria, to 1973. It currently houses a museum and government offices. Small and pleasant ground. A relatively untamed park, Beacon Hill to the south, makes a good place for a picnic (I saw some broken glasses). I chatted with a French lady at Anglican Christ Church Cathedral. She's very proud of the highest church tower in Canada. Nice stainless glass windows. St. Andrew (1892) also has very elaborate stainless glass.
After a tasty lunch (recommended by a stranger) at Pagliacci, headed over to the Governor's residence. It's about a mile east in a fine neighborhood with fancy private houses. Meticulously planted and cared-for ground, open to public (with a restroom). Up on a hill, it offers fine view of the harbor and the ocean. Maybe on a clear day, you can see Olympic mountains.

Black Friday 11.27. Macy's parade on 4th ave. 9am - 11am. Not bad, a lot of people. Instead of catching up with his peer, a dog decided to poop right in front of the parade judge. At 5pm, Seattle Men's Chorus and Women's Chorus performed on the 3rd floor balcony of Westlake Center, followed by light of the star and a small fireworks on top of Macy's roof. Again, a large crowd, and the police was happy to shuffle people around.

Sunday. Marathon (I didn't do it). Both full and half. Even there is a Marathon Walk. Seems well organized. The recovery room has medical support and chiropractical sessions.

2009.11.20. Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6

Seattle Symphony under guest conductor Arild Remmereit.

Ludvig Irgens-Jensen: Partita Sinfonica, “The Drover”
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467. Gabriela Montero at piano.
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, “Pathétique” 

Irgens-Jensen's 1939 composition is romantic, especially the pretty 2nd movement.
Mozart's, as always, pretty and melodic. Montero's encore improvisation was fun and elaborate. She's too much of a soloist to play with an orchestra.
Pathétique's 1st movement is tear wrenching (I love the opening). 2nd movement is joyful and waltzy. 3rd movement is so grand and powerful that it brought untimely applause. Last movement is gloomy.

2009.11.19. Equivocation at Seattle Repertory Theatre, a new play by Bill Cain from Ashland's Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Plot summary: William Shakespeare was commissioned by Robert Cecil to write a play of the failed Gunpowder Plot, while father Henry Garnet was being trialed for his involvement. As how to answer under oath a question whose answer lies between a lie or death, equivocation comes to play. How to stage a play without angering the king and Cecil, Shakespeare and his actors had to make adjustments.

Good acting, simple stage (with fire), effective storm simulation (by light and sound). Long (3 hours). A bit too ambitious for the playwright to touch on these other themes: father daughter relationship, faith, artist's block and rivalry, ruthless politician, Macbeth & King Lear, current political comments. A little messy, but overall enjoyable.

2009.11.7. Shostakovich's Symphony No. 15

Seattle Symphony.

Borodin: Symphony No. 3 in A minor
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D major (Leonidas Kavakos, violin)
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 in B major

Tchaikovsky's 2nd movement is most moving. Kavakos's handling of speed and pause is delicious. I fell asleep during Shostakovich's, regardless of 4 percussionists' effort.