Thursday Nov 23rd felt like a Thanksgiving celebration.

I found a free parking spot on Bernard for one hour. The first 15 minutes were spent walking down Bedford Rd & then Philosopher’s Walk to the Edward Johnson Building for my first visit to the music library since my retirement in October 2020.

Outside the EJB I ran into Peter Johnston the Grounds Supervisor, looking ageless while toiling away in his usual hands on style of work. The whole university seems to be under construction, which can’t be fun for students and is an extra challenge for support staff like Peter. It’s not the first time I feel lucky, grateful to have retired.

The library at the EJB is a treasure.

There I was the morning after a TSO concert that included Mahler’s Fifth and seven songs of Alban Berg. Sure you can find orchestral scores. But I was able to find the piano versions of the songs and a piano reduction of the symphony. That is crazy, insanely useful.

I am thereby able to play the whole massive thing at a piano.

I also found the Liszt transcription of Berlioz’s Harold in Italy, the complete piano score to the Nutcracker, and piano reductions of Night on the Bald Mountain & Les Preludes by Liszt. The collection never ceases to amaze me.

I was headed for home to write the review then play the piano.

But first at the checkout I ran into Jay Lambie, who sang the role of Mozart in both casts of a production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Mozart and Salieri that we did 25 years ago at the Drama Centre. Moments later I ran into one of the two Salieris, Alex Dobson, still looking as youthful as ever. I briefly showed him my huge haul, almost more scores than I could carry, but Alex told me he had to run to teach at the EJB.

At home I would quickly grab dinner (thank you Erika), write a quick review of the TSO concert, then go play parts 1 and 2 of the Mahler at the piano.

The amazing thing about a piano transcription is how it’s a fantasy. While anyone else may hear the piano, when I do that opening phrase (fantasy) I hear that trumpet in my head. The crescendo that follows is still on a scale of piano solo, but one dreams of the huge tutti, at least in one’s own mind. Ditto playing other transcriptions. It’s quite a trip.

While TPL are having computer problems, this other library is a dream come true. I was able to find the call numbers in advance, knowing where to look so that I could scoop everything up, and make it back to my parking spot within an hour.

Thank you to the UTL web and IT gurus, and the librarians like Jay, who make it all possible.