Dandyism-2: UNRAVELING RAVEL SE

Dear Friends, Let me begin by saying that the amazing fashion show by our amateur dandies and quaintrelles (a female-dandy) at the last concert was truly inspiring. It was a real pleasure to see such avid participation from the salon’s audience. It proves that our concept and ideas truly resonate with you - during both our concerts and our somewhat "heated" discussions.

So, let’s continue to engage, contribute and provoke! As Oscar Wilde said: “Give a man a mask and he’ll tell you the truth.” So, please bring your mask (or your inner mask?), your attire (costume), and your spirit, but if any of you choose to participate by not participating (in a true dandy’s tradition) - you are welcome to do so as well! On May 10th, yet again, we will combine a story, music, and movies in an effort to unfold the enigmatic life of Maurice Ravel. Once again, I am privileged to work with fantastic musicians:  -a brilliant  Misha Keylin (violin), poetic and virtuosic  Sergey Antonov (cello), a renaissance film-performer Inessa Gordeiko , and, last but not least, our charming aspiring architect/actor and a dandy-in-the-making, Daniel Berlinsky. We will play the ecstatic and powerful Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor, and also two of the composer’s jewels Sad Birds and Pavane Pour une Infante Défunte. This concert is an effort to intimately explore Ravel - the man and his music. A deeply moving novella about Ravel by a wonderful novelist Jean Echenoz will help us hear Ravel’s music in a new light. The novella opens in 1928 as Maurice Ravel - a dandy, an eccentric, and a curmudgeon - crosses the Atlantic to begin his triumphant grand tour of the United States. In the next letter I will share more details about the actual program. Meanwhile, I would love to ask you to imagine and fantasize ..

”To live is the rarest thing in the word. Most people just exist” (Oscar Wilde)

So let’s live!!! Here is your playful chance to expose (or perhaps even seduce?) Ravel - by either reserve or provocation; pick your strategy, find an appropriate attire, wear it well and … let’s try to UN-RAVEL!

Musically yours,

Leon