The last engagement in 2006 was a production for TV with the lovely Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana led by Rumon Gamba. In the program: Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano Concerto + the delightful Rondo in D, by Mozart. But because TV means big money, the producer didn’t want any risks in case anything went wrong in the evening so we actually had to perform twice: instead of a general rehearsal, I was ‘made-up’ (ugh) and in concert-dress, at 10 in the morning, for “safety”... You know, that little relentless Concerto is more exhausting than Brahms 2! And to play it again a few hours later ... wasn’t easy!
Only later, listening to the 2nd half of the concert in the hall, I realized the unfortunate placing of the camera as I went about at the keyboard -- I could have touched it by stretching my right arm -- it prevented a large section of the paying audience from seeing the soloist at all! Oh well, at least they could hear me. The finished program, due to be aired on New Year’s Eve, meant that some of them could watch the televised result, while sipping at some delicious bubbly, in their own home! Then that ‘offending’ camera would have proved its purpose... Following the success of the evening concert, Renzo, the delighted producer re-invited me on the spot for another production of his dreams: that of Prokofiev’s 3rd Piano Concerto... I must at first, choose the conductor carefully since that’s a hard work to accompany. Then I’d better get some performances on the Diary, right now!

The irony of it all...  

When a year reaches its end, sometimes depression can slip in alongside a certain amount of unavoidable personal reflection! I felt rather too close to tears subsequently on-and-off while re-weighing what I’d made of my existence... I know were I to keep going as I have for many years, once the new year sets in the gloom will probably ease-off... but hey, it’s not that simple: if only my mental strength were as robust as the physical one ( knock-knock ). I have been told endlessly, that one has only oneself to blame for what one makes of life... But I want to matter, I want to belong ... And I realize that maybe I never really did! It’s true that when younger I wasn’t aware of much, life just went by so fast; whereas now I realize how tired I am of digging deep to make light of things. I have always advocated that ‘happiness comes from within’, but of course only as long as you’re satisfied. Have I come to the end of my tether?! Given that at the moment I’m playing plenty of Debussy, “Reflets ... dans l’eau” impressionistically mirrors the situation!

It remains for me to hope for a better year ahead, so over a glass of Roderer: “Cin-cin: here is to 2007”!