Presents to Send You

Dear readers, all eight of you who have stayed with me this far, this will be my last entry from Moscow, at least for this trip. I have no great epiphanies to share, no earth-shattering conclusions to present, and no secret truths to reveal. But, what I do have have is a belief that Russian hospitality is alive and doing very well in Moscow. My hostess has been wonderful throughout the entire trip, even during the three weeks when she was quite sick. She is truly a mensch.

Moscow is still Moscow. There are so many things to see here, and some of those things can make you just shake your head in wonder or frustration, and others can take your breath away with their beauty. Such was last night's performance of Swan Lake at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre. It was truly beautiful and I am not a ballet fan by any stretch of the imagination. The Italians sitting near me cheered wildly, as did the Russians, Germans, and Brits. Muscovites love the theatre and tickets are not nearly as expensive here as they are in the United States, at least from my limited experience. I was able to see an opera and a ballet, each performed by excellent artists, for under $35. But the thing that struck me greatly at each performance was the behavior of the Russians, who are normally very stoic when you encounter them on the street or the metro. At the theatre however, these same people were transformed into smiling, laughing, cheering extroverts who would freely converse with their neighbors, whether they know you or not. I guess there is something to be said for the power of art.

I learned a great deal about my project here too and a number of my suspicions have been confirmed. Soviet composers had an ongoing conversation about jazz throughout the 1950s and were aware of the differences between modern jazz and swing; they just preferred swing, as it was closer to the "highbrow" art that they sought to promote. If the large numbers of Russians present at the opera and the ballet and the lengthy explanation I received for Verdi's la Traviata from a dentist are any indication, it appears that those old Soviet composers were successful. Although, the strippers in La Traviata have to be taken into consideration too.

What have I learned these past 6 weeks that isn't related to my dissertation?  I learned that just as I have a difficult time pronouncing the word 'metropolis' in English, I have an equally difficult time pronouncing it in Russian. Repertoire is easier to spell in Russian. Blini, or crepes, are perfect sprinkled with fresh squeezed lemon juice and a little bit of sugar. Shredded zucchini mixed with a little egg, flour, milk, and nutmeg, makes wonderful little pancakes that are very good for breakfast. Music libraries are my favorite places to be. A career as a musician might have been a good choice. Even though I am in theory an adult, I still miss my mom when I am away. After 15 years together I am much better when Grant is with me. And lastly, the selection of beers that we have in the United States is very limited.

So I have packed all of my souvenirs, clothes, archival records, receipts, and all other necessary items and will soon be heading back to the states. Cheers and I hope to see you soon!