An Angel Played the Violin–On Seinfeld?
I attended a wonderful concert last night at a local college. I even ran into friends there.
The Moscow State Symphony Orchestra was to play and the scheduled violin soloist was the highly esteemed Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.
She played in the second piece, Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No 1.
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
The women in the orchestra were garbed in elegant black fabrics: lace, silks. They wore high heels. I mean, these young women were Muscovites and they take pride.
But who was the woman who came out to play the solo? She was holding a violin! Where was Nadja? What happened to Nadja? She is beginning to play! But … her face! It’s different! It’s her! It’s not her! Who the hell is that?
The lightning on her face! It was that Seinfeld episode!
I swear, the woman had been abducted by violin-playing aliens and looked like not Nadja! Her straggly hair was flying all over the place–like it wanted to escape.
She wore a black top
She wore sporty black heels
SHE WORE RED, ILL-FITTING SLACKS that looked LIKE SHE GOT THEM AT THE GAP YEARS AGO
But RED????? She couldn’t wear BLACK?
My friend and I were stunned. Maybe …
- she just landed from the Gulag
- she had been mugged and her luggage got stolen
- she was on her way to a bowling tournament
It was many years ago, when I saw Paula Robison in concert as a soloist: the woman is an esteemed flautist.
She was wearing a silver gown. She was playing the flute. But where was it? It had disappeared into her dress. She became the flute!
Don’t performers realize that the audience is down there trying to focus?
Getting back to Nadja. She is truly a master, an angel. I realized, she, like all of us has aged. Now fifty-three. The distraction of her garb, is our problem, not hers. She’s earned her red pants. Maybe she just wanted to be comfortable.
An interesting video will show you what passion looks like.
And here she is many years ago playing last night’s piece.
Simply spectacular!
They do say we all have a twin in this world which explains her double on Seinfeld? 😉
Talent need not explain – she plays violin beautifully
I am sure her music did not disappoint you, dear Sue. Musicians are a little vain, and love looking younger than their age. For this reason, they always choose old flattering photos for their most recent CDs.
I translate the biographical notes of the artists taking part in the annual Cervo festival. They are often complete with pictures of the artist as a young man/ young woman. When I eventually see them performing, they are barely recognisable. Does it matter? Real talent doesn’t age.
With reference to Mrs. Salerno-Sonnenberg’s red slacks, I remember a concert with Viktoria Mullova a few years ago in the imposing Imperia cathedral: she stood in a pair of fluorescent green pants, tall and statuesque like an ice queen, and delivered a most moving concert. And she was almost fifty.