I can't say I had much vacation this summer: by the time I had to travel to Poland to take part in a Chopin Festival, I had had all of 2 weeks free, down in the south of France ... better busy, one shouldn't complain! I had always wanted to go back to Duznicki Zdroj, and greeting everyone upon arrival, many people immediately remembered the party at the local bistro after my recital, 8 ys ago, never mind my music! It was like thus: hearing someone tinkling away on this upright piano in the bar, I happily joined in a 3-hands jazz or bossa-nova session… I am really not that good, but they were amused! Some dancers were among us, and finding that one of them was Brazilian .. we danced a bit of Lambada - my gorgeous daughters could have done that, so much better... then they started singing Polish songs... and all this went on until quite late - although someone said it was around 5 in the morning, that's an exaggeration, I swear.

This year, I happened to be in town for the traditional candle-lit soirée called "Nocturne", when the audience sits at tables which surround the 2 pianos with only candelabra lit up; 10 pianists were to play some 10 minutes of music each - of course there were Nocturnes, Preludes, Intermezzi and the like - not knowing much about the set-up, I had chosen a group of short pieces by Fructuoso Vianna, to introduce a 'new' Brazilian composer to Polish audiences. But seeing it on paper, that looked like a sore-thumb to me - but everyone loved it!

The evening was presented by a famous actress who read mainly from Cyprian Norwid's writings about Chopin... Not understanding a word of Polish, I concentrated on the sounds of the delivery I heard: and what a revealing Master Class that was! A myriad of colours and 'timbres', words bouncing off = musical notes, enunciation = articulation, a minute breath here, a quicksilver change of mood there ... if only one young pianist would have heard her speak, he could have applied some variety of touch into his utterly 'flat', boring playing of a Brahms' Intermezzo - even more infuriating since I had been in the Jury which presented him with a 1st prize, a few years back, and thus expected more musicality than I got... Beware...!

My recital proper, the following evening, was being recorded for later broadcast to 16 countries but do you think I bothered to relax and concentrate, beforehand? There was hardly enough time for me to go back to the hotel to change for the evening: with 3 or 4 performances throughout the day, plus my own practising, I didn't know where to turn! For the 1st time in my life I had the luxury of using two different instruments for the same concert: the Yamaha and its wonderful repetition, for Ravel and Chopin in the 1st half; then Brahms's F minor required the Steinway, for its depth of tone and projection of basses.. I thought it was a successful choice - I may be wrong - but as the evening progressed, I felt totally free, almost to the point of conversing with the audience - many friendly faces who had surrounded me for the last couple of days, as fellow-listeners or at parties: now, it was my turn to perform and I could see their faces beaming at me!

Once Dworek Chopina - the concert hall - had been freed of public, I gave a very late interview for TV- it happened last visit, too - and then rushed to join everyone for my farewell-party: arriving there, people am the 3 or 4 long tables, got up and sung 2 Polish songs for me - so touching! Then after a lot of "Polish juice" - a drink made mainly of vodka, with a drop of fruit juice - I was ready to worry about packing: I was to leave in a few hours...

And as I was having breakfast, a phone call came from London: due to a cancellation I was being offered the chance to take over 3 (possibly 4) performances of Rach 2, with the Australian Youth Orchestra under my friend Larry Foster - remember 'squeeze-on-one", in Prague? (v. entry of Jan 2004) - rehearsals due to start two days later and the first concert was in Amsterdam's Concertgebouw!! " SOS - Ortiz" was being summoned yet again!

To put it all in a nutshell, the week went on like a flash; I have never had so much pleasure from making music than with this bunch of talented young and pure musicians. Most invigorating was to see how many of them came to talk to me before or after each performance, eagerly questioning me on musical preparation, or telling me how it felt as if we were playing chamber music together, or showing interest in my attitude to detail... Guys, I felt equally inspired by your commitment and sheer brilliance! Thanks, all!

And how astounded was I, when at the farewell dinner to which I asked to be part of - they were off on a marathon of a bus ride the next day while I was going back to Paris, miserable, lonely, linked as I had become to these gorgeous creatures, alas for too short a time! - the Orchestra in appreciation of my contribution to their tour, presented me with two beautiful gifts (thanks Tony, Pam, and Len!), in the person of Kristian, the 19 ys old introverted 'shy' leader of the AYO, who surprised me by making a most articulate speech - unlike me - basically thanking me for the inspirational concerts and making them realize that performances should never sound the same, the need for music is to be recreated, one must play according to the acoustics in hand, and a soloist must constantly listen to everyone, be it the whole orchestra through the conductor, or directly commune with the solo flute, oboe, clarinet, viola or bassoon !

The success was tremendous: Amsterdam, Kessel and Chaise-Dieu, thanks to Larry's perfect handling of the youngsters, telling them how to dialogue with the piano by listening to what it has to say; he's also always willing to try suggestions and we did work rather well together by watching out for little doubts here and there, so that the next time we met for the shortest balance-rehearsal, those would be sorted out. In the middle of dinner, he would ask, out-of-the-blue: "how do you do that, I never heard every note in those triplets" or "I don't know which night was best, they were all so different!" Or in rehearsal, after I had asked him to try out something, he'd announce unselfishly to the kids: "I thought I really knew this score but then Cristina shows me some little jewels I never noticed before..."

He's a wonderful all-round musician and I adore working with him!

Thanks for the support and BRAVO, Larry!

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