art high
At Monte Alban Mario gave us the tour. he was fluent in english for guiding but a poor conversationalist. Monte Alban is a remarkable site but my crew is a little jaded about ancient architectural astroarchaeology, what with our tour of it in Ireland a few years ago. but the mountain was warm and we finally got some perspective on our setting. Oaxaca is large and mostly very poor, in a beautiful country of mountain and valley.
Upon our return we ate good salad at La Olla and Ms Miilpat and i went gallavanting. we went to the MOCA (museum of contemporary art) on alcala st, looked at art for purchase at la mana magica, and then made my day visiting las
pinturas museum, featuring oaxacan painters Rudolfo M... and Alvara Santiago. i liked the work by each master, but particularly santiago where he repeatedly showed a big literal heart and other of his own iconography in a manner that seemed quite fun and life affirming. some of his pieces reminded me of JBs art, possibly for a similar reason.
tonite we attended a free filharmonica concert at a fine and very old theater. all the music was dramatic and appealing but the musicians were also very strong, well rehearsed, and their maestro very young and terrific fun to watch. (Sylvain Gasancon, of France) There was a great clarinet soloist, (Miguel hernandez Aguilar) very pleasing to hear, but i also want to look for more music by carlos chavez who wrote "sinfonia india" and by "otto rino respighi" who wrote pinos de roma...
i practiced listening from my feet, belly, and remembered to sense myself while listening and thoroughly enjoyed myself. possibly sweetest was being there, in this remarkable theater, hearing great music played beautifully, with the people dearest to me and others i love....
