This concert happened on the 7th March.
I am so late on my concert dairy as the whole March was super super super busy because of …
My China Concert Tour!!
Please don’t get excited, I am not going to talk about this now.
I am going to catch up with my Oxford concert first.
It’s the second time here.
Second time playing at this old university church, I brought a programme full of memory, reminisience, and joy:
Robert Schumann Kinderszenen Op.15
Clara Schumann ‘Variation on a Theme by Robert Schumann’ Op.20
Robert Schumann Carnaval Op.9
Oxford was not in a very good mood that day, full of clouds and gale. Any day without blooming sunshine could be reckoned as a bad day, but we pianists are strong enough to play no mater how much miserable clouds accumulated on the sky.
I always feel Clara wrote her love and regret into this variation, as it was written in 1853, the 13th year of their marriage, and the year before Robert went into the asylum. Not only does it contain the happiness between the couple, but also carries her pities in the past, and her worries for the near future. Robert wrote to Clara in 1838, saying “Kinderszenen are the opposite [to Kreisleriana], light, gentle, and happy like our future.” After listening to Robert’s expectation of their marriage, listening to what Clara has to say gives us another perspective of perceiving this relationship, picturing more layers within this romantic love story.
Okay, enough knowledge and quote output. Nobody is here anyway so I am going to share some gossips, some secretive hope I buried deeply in my heart every time I went to Oxford. You might guess it already:
A romantic encounter with a handsome, clever, and thoughtful guy!
I thought playing something romantic would imply my secretive hope, and improve the chance of my dream coming true. Disappointedly, it did not. Everyone in the campus looked very busy, probably wouldn’t have the mood to enjoy a lovely afternoon with me. So I went, played, and left. No handsome guy.
Shame.
Maybe I should learn something from Clara.
How did she grab the hearts of the two most famous composers of the time?
Mystery...
Wait wait!
I got it.
I am not beautiful enough.
As simple as that.
Next time I will wear a super short dress regardless of the howling wind.
Deal.
2024.04.17
XinRu who is currently on the plane flying back to London, feeling super tight and sleepy, and really wants to return back to my Daddy’s home
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