Alban's Blog

Easter Monday with Janos

After finishing the Reger recordings early (we were so well prepared that we got it over with in two days) I was thrilled to be able to spend an extra day home in Berlin, having a real Easter celebration with my son Janos. Sunday we just slept in for ever and ever, then afer a lush breakfast went into the park of Schloss Charlottenburg where I hid János’ two little presents and some eggs. For lunch we met very dear friends from Puerto Rico at Borchardt’s – Angel and Totie Collado Schwarz came to Berlin for their friend Daniel Barenboim’s Mahler marathon. Interesting conversations about the future of Puerto Rico (statehood, own country, status quo) with a man who is not a politician but completely in love with his beautiful island, and who with his contacts could turn it around.

We attended the Vespa at St.Hedwigs-Cathedral in Berlin where the Domprobst gave a beautiful speech – even for me, rather an agnostic, very touching and fulfilling. In Germany, even though people aren’t that religious, we have many church holidays, and so we call the Monday after Easter Sunday a holiday as well – so I had to do someting holiday-like with Janos; because of my gig with Berlin Phil I had to start practising the Schumann today (after almost a year), but after 2 hours I gave up and we prepared this delicious chicken (with chili, garlic, olive oil and lemon rub), put it in the oven which I pre-scheduled to start baking at 20:15 (never did that in my life before, and it worked), drove at 4 pm 1 hour outside of Berlin to a fun-bath swimming-pool thingy, with huge slides, tons of attractions, so even I liked it, got back after 5 hours exactly when the chicken was done, had delicious dinner, and now I just read him this adorable story from the conference of the animals by Erich Kästner which he probably wrote right after the second world war (the animals were fed up with the unability of humans to finish fighting, so they do a conference in which they force the humans to reach the most pacifist agreement ever (no borders, no weapons, no wars). I love reading to him, he is so cute while listening (I am doing all these voices he is fascinated by…) –

late night whiskey with Lars Vogt in my apartment… Good night 🙂

Comments

  • Josh Rappaport

    Hi Alban. It’s really cool that you sometimes guest solo with the Berlin Philharmonic. Do you work there under Daniel Barenboim’s baton? Who is Janos? Very interesting article. Thank you.

    Reply
  • Alban

    Hi Josh,
    well, it’s not really sometimes that I solo with them, it’s only the second time in my life (last time was in 1991), so it’s a rare occasion, but of great significance for me personally, since it is the orchestra I grew up hearing, it had so much influence on my upbringing and my personal development as an artist, maybe more so than any other musician. It will be with Christian Thielemann, wonderful German conductor, chief of Munich Philharmonic. He conducts Berlin Phil once a season, and they like him very much, I think.

    Janos is my 8-year old son.

    Best wishes,
    Alban

    Reply
  • Boris Nedialkov

    Dear Alban,

    I appreciate good food too! In my country, we make lamb with lots of spices, so why don’t you consider giving another concert in Sofia this time next year? 🙂

    Reply
  • Bob

    You and Katalina are so beautiful together. The Schwarz’s also look very sympathetic. I hope you will post a family photo soon, perhaps from your next birthday party?

    Reply
  • Alban

    Dear Boris,
    yes, I’d love to come back to Sofia, even if it’s only for the lamb with lots of spices!!! How are the studies going?

    Thanks, Bob, yes, we are rather happy these days 🙂 will have to do that, a family photo, maybe tomorrow, it’s my sister’s birthday, and there will be lots of photo opportunity!

    Reply

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