MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!!! I guess that sums up a meer part of me...Include cooking, writing, studying, learning, driving long distance (cross country), reading, movies...oh, did I mention music? That gives you an idea about I really am...to start with.
I'd like to meet Stefanie, just because she's been a pen pal for too long not to have met her...Well, otherwise I'd like to meet anybody in this neighborhood who'd like to hang out.If I can meet and converse with a person of yesteryear I guess it would be Franz Kafka--and I'd try to be his friend...FAT CHANCE!As far as my music idols go, I would like to meet--or would like to have met: Michael Gielen, he is the Maerstro of perfection and precision; Mischa Elman; Gregor Piatogorsky, who was as funny as he was profound on the 'cello; Andre Navarra, his undue obsucurity would have made it easier for me to meet one of my avorite 'cellists; Cynthia Phelps, who gives the viola a new meaning every time I hear her;But most of all, I'm still waiting to meet NADJA SALERNO-SONNENBERG and shake her precious hand and thank her for the beautiful music she has given to the world.
As a Berliozian I must first say "Berlioz", but that's not all... Berlioz, Boccherini, Bruch, Brahms, Beethoven, Bach, many more B's, Dvorak, Mozart, Glazunov, Hindemith, Weber, Tchaikovsky, Garofalo, Schumann, Mahler, The Mommas & The Poppas, Anything Celtic, Scottish, Irish, and American Big Band=Glenn Miller, Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, etc.
Anything by Kevin Kline.Albeit movies are fine, I like old Sit-Coms and TV comedies, namely: Hogan's Heroes, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, Barney Miller, Red Skelton, A&C, etc.
Dharma & Greg; M*A*S*H; Becker; PBS programs, such as LIVE From Lincoln Center, NOW, NOVA, American Masters and cooking shows; Frasier; Cheers; The Red Skelton Show...and many more.
The collected writings of Franz Kafka; Soren Kierkegaard's very profoundly interesting books; Anyhthing about music, political history and cooking.
Hector Berlioz: for being the awesome composer he was and my musical grandfather--I LOVE YOU MY DEAR BERLIOZ!;Nathan Milstein: for being the awesome violinist he was and exceeding his peers in technique and musicality, yet remaining "normal" enough not to let the limelight blind him and his art;Paul Hindemith: for overcoming the atrocities of the Holocaust, and yet coming forth as such a genius and teacher for us all;Max Bruch: I just love the guy and the exquisite music he wrote--I wish I can start letting the world know about his amazing music, right away. Alas It'll have to wait till an orchestra entrusts me with their ensemble in order to conduct and show the woirld who Max Bruch really was;Robert Schumann: AHHH! My hero Schumann, no need for explenation! He was just perfection! What a tragedy he was...WILLIAM McKINLEY: one of the most amazing, courageous, passionate and just presidents in American history;The 6,000,000+ Jews who were anihilated and snuffed from this earth...just because they were Jews and loved their Creator;Rodolpho Giuliani (I just love that Italioan twist to it...) The greatest NY Mayor since La Guardia--I know because I lived trough his reighn--and probably the greatest man to be going to the White House since President McKinley, President Eisenhower, President Reagan, and President G. W. Bush... YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT, RUDY!When can we get thumping the campaign trail???Kaoru Miyauchi, for being such a great pianist and friend, and overcoming so much, yet possessing such a beautiful smile...