The Social Distancing Music Festival - Exploring those 'espaces imaginaires'

Les Charmes de la Vie or The Music Party (1718) - Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) 

During this time of chronic and unaccustomed isolation over Easter, I sit at home reading, writing and practising the harpsichord and piano. A grey mist has descended over all our lives and everything we do. All the while I contemplate the sad demise this year of the many sublime music festivals and competitions I usually cover in such detail on this internet journal - the Leipzig Bach, the Chopin Nohant, Chopin and his Europe, Duszniki Zdroj, Music for Peace in Japan, the great International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition held every five years in Warsaw, which may or may not take place in October 2020.

It occurred to me that I could cover, perhaps describe, as a sort of recompense, what Chopin so tellingly referred to as his espaces imaginaires. Music conceived but without an audience. This might consist of the many stories of disappointed hopes that must  lie out there with classical musicians and my readers due to suddenly cancelled concerts, recitals, the music of religious festivals such as now at Easter and instrumentalist competition participation. There may even be stories of relief and happiness at this turn of events. Certainly I am practising far more than usual! 

For me especially, there is the fear that the immense preparation and absolute dedication required over fifteen to twenty years to even take part in an important concert engagement or participate in a great international competition may be denied so many young and promising artists. The uncertainty of a future career for young, brilliant musicians must be devastating. 

As worldwide restrictions continue to increase, the outlook for future engagements is indeed bleak for all classical musicians, orchestras, and agents.

Why not write to me and in some 300 words tell me something of your story, your activities now, your disappointment and even pleasures, and perhaps even include a musical link which would enable people, who might populate these espaces imaginaires, to hear something of your undeserved plight and what you intended to play, an eloquent fragment of your level of artistry.

Use this link to communicate and then I can sort through and find the most moving and interesting of what may arrive and place the account on this site.

mjcmoran@michael-moran.com

Anyway, just a thought from this rather indefatigable reviewer who finds himself lost and wandering at present in his own Chopinesque espace imaginaire.