The Bluberry Kolaczki
Yeah I went to Polish Fest for the first time to watch the Chopin Youth Piano Competition. I wanted to see if any of my piano students would be able to compete. Then I read in the program that some junior participants, who weren't even in high school yet, were playing songs that I was playing in college. I was like, yikes.
It was great to hear the youngsters play. Made me want to go home and relearn some of that stuff. When a 16-year old flew through the Etude in C Minor (Op. 10, No. 12, aka "The Revolutionary Etude") I had flashbacks of playing this for an audition I had for the Oberlin Conservatory and feeling how fatigued my hand was while playing the piece. (It was the last of five pieces that I played for that crazy audition.)
The Chopin Youth Competition is funny, though, because in between performances, you could hear the om-pah-pah of an electric polka band from one of the other pavilions. A classical recital hall this was not, and the competition was all the more better for it. There were birds flying above the stage!
Afterwards, I trawled around the grounds looking for something to eat. I finally settled on The Blueberry Kolaczki from the Kawiarnia Polish Bakery. Good people. The pastry was insanely sugary. In my memory, I consumed the pastry and immediately got on my bike and just started biking South. I felt like I had the energy to bike to Poland, but I petered out within two miles of crossing the county line. Then I turned around and made a beeline to Classic Slice.
It was great to hear the youngsters play. Made me want to go home and relearn some of that stuff. When a 16-year old flew through the Etude in C Minor (Op. 10, No. 12, aka "The Revolutionary Etude") I had flashbacks of playing this for an audition I had for the Oberlin Conservatory and feeling how fatigued my hand was while playing the piece. (It was the last of five pieces that I played for that crazy audition.)
The Chopin Youth Competition is funny, though, because in between performances, you could hear the om-pah-pah of an electric polka band from one of the other pavilions. A classical recital hall this was not, and the competition was all the more better for it. There were birds flying above the stage!
Afterwards, I trawled around the grounds looking for something to eat. I finally settled on The Blueberry Kolaczki from the Kawiarnia Polish Bakery. Good people. The pastry was insanely sugary. In my memory, I consumed the pastry and immediately got on my bike and just started biking South. I felt like I had the energy to bike to Poland, but I petered out within two miles of crossing the county line. Then I turned around and made a beeline to Classic Slice.
2 Comments:
You crossed the county line? The Milwaukee/Racine county line, I presume?
I did not cross the county line on this ride. I came close, but I did not know how close until I came home and looked it up on a map.
I would cross the county line the following week.
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