Nov 20, 2010

The Cellist

He silently draws his arm across the bow and the swish of rosin is muffled by the horsehair strings. He takes his seat, fine tunes the strings of his cello until it sings in unison with the concertmaster, and fixes his eyes on the conductor's poised stick. At the slightest movement, a vibrating chorus rises, diffusing the silence that had since hung over the the eager listeners.



Watch his face. His eyes follow the ebb and flow of the soaring melody, closing and opening again to watch the conductor's signals; emotion quivers on his lips, as if longing to escape; he sways as if moved by the undulating sound; and through his fingers, his energy escapes in complex choreography, dancing up and down the fingerboard.
The final notes ring out, and with quiet satisfaction he exits stage left with the rich harmonies still lingering in his mind like a pleasant fragrance.

Photo and Text, 11.15.10

4 comments:

Stephanie said...

lovely!

Old_Guy said...

How delightful to have to opportunity to see this accomplished musician through YOUR eyes and to have the benefit of your thoughts reflected through YOUR pen. (OK, OK, according to Physics, they're probably refracted through your pen... fortunately, I'm a poet, not a physicist!)
-OG

Unknown said...

very well worded. delightful to read.

Shiloh Mae said...

yep
-bethany