Genius runs in the family.

I have just finished listening to the recording of my recital. To my very critical ear it is full of flaws, and yet I can understand why the audience rose to its feet at the end, not because it was a technically perfect performance, but because I truly somehow managed to accomplish my goal, to move my listeners in some way. I’m often out of tune, my accompanist had to save me a couple of times in the contemporary pieces, my voice falters often, my lower register had all but disappeared by the end of the first Schubert, and I was compensating all over the place for vocal problems. And yet, there are moments of transcendent beauty, even to my very critical sensibilities. I laughed out loud when I heard how terribly flat I was on the high F’s in the Queen of the Night aria, but I nearly wept with Gretchen as she lamented the loss of her peace of mind.

I really, really would have liked to have done this recital when it was originally scheduled. I cancelled belly dancing tonight because I feel a sore throat coming on, that same presaging I had yesterday when I couldn’t seem to get the phlegm unstuck from my middle register during the recitative to Dido’s heartrending lament. I know that it was perfect during the dress rehearsal. I’m sad it was not for yesterday’s performance. But, and I will say it again, it was an interesting and moving recital. I don’t regret it. I just wish it had been better.

The real news, however, which I somehow forgot to relate earlier in my elated, post-concert state, was that my daughter, Little Princess, has received a positive response to her application to pursue graduate studies in astrophysics at the University of T0r0nt0. In fact, she has totally bypassed the Master’s and been granted direct admission to the Ph.D. programme with more money guaranteed annually for five years than my husband was making in his first full-time teaching job. To say that we are proud and thrilled is an understatement. I am absolutely delighted! I knew she was smart. Now everyone else does, too.

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