Wednesday. Thunderstorms today. Pouring rain. It was so wet outside, I couldn’t go to see Dad. Hope he’s okay.
Roderick seems really inspired by his session with Mr. Horne. He’s played the clarinet for years -- he started just before I adopted the Smiths -- but he’s not as disciplined as Molly. Beauneville Latin is too small to have an orchestra. There’s a Washington County Youth Band, but no Youth Orchestra. Without an opportunity to perform, he hasn’t applied himself.
Mr. Horne set him straight. Clarinets are a dime a dozen. Roderick has the talent to be a musician if that’s what he wants to do, but he must practice, practice, practice, practice. Scales, long tones, etudes, breath exercises, orchestral excerpts. Don’t waste your time learning the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, he cautioned. Nobody wants to hear that for the hundredth time.
That comment made me laugh. I used to like the Mozart before I saw Godard’s Breathless.
Anyway, the boathouse closed today due to the weather, so Roderick returned home and practiced for hours. I supervised. While he worked, I snoozed. When he stopped working to putz around, I gave him a fierce look. He got the message.
He tried that passage from Beethoven’s Fourth again. Meh. He kept running out of gas midway through and had to sneak a breath, which messed up the cantabile. Mr. Horne gave him breathing exercises and cautioned him: lots of people can play fast, it’s the long and slow passages that expose the real musicians.
Next, he tried the Scherzo from Mendelssohn’s Ein Sommernachtstraum. Total fucking mess. Gonna have to work on that.
I went back downstairs to see if anyone was doing anything. Checked the dining room alcove. Occupied by Chauncy and his catnip mouse. Still pouring out. Yech.
Mrs. Smith was in the living room, reading her new book, Una Felix Culpa. She told Mr. Smith it’s about a series of unfortunate events that turn out to be positive in the end. Whatever. Ordinarily, she just likes bodice-rippers.
Hope the rain clears up tomorrow, I’ll go and see Dad.
All for now.