italia 112012

MUSIC. DECADENCE. BEAUTY  | Ok, I'll admit it was overly ambitious to plan a twenty-four hour sojourn strung across two different cities. But the challenge was too good to pass up on, and so I set the wheels in motion, intent on conjuring up another wild escapade! First stop was the absolutely stunning, ultra modern new concert hall in Roma on a still, damp, moonlit night where we experienced the exquisite sound of Martha Argerich and orchestra. An incredible pianist, Martha is one of the few living greats, and I am always moved to find myself in her radiant presence and have her peerless music touch my soul. Then, stirred by this memorable experience, we were off to Firenze by train to take in a late, late dinner and linger in the beauty of a timeworn Italianate palace which had lost nothing of its charm. Finally, as dawn broke, we were treated to the prospect of sunlight dancing across the river, dappling the villas in its wake. Standing there, in the wee small hours of the morning, it was all too easy to embrace the beauty of this region; that same beauty which the Renaissance masters had drawn upon centuries before.