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A Letter from Brazil
Here is a description of an event that happened in São Paolo, which I had intended to write about in the journal, so I will just leave it to Carlos to describe:
9/16/2002 1:08 PMI have fallen badly behind in my journal over the past few weeks, sorry. I hope to catch up a bit on the plane back from Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Meanwhile here is a description of an event that happened in São Paolo, which I had intended to write about in the journal, so I will just leave it to Carlos to describe:
São Paulo, Brazil, September 10th, 2002.
To: Mr. Benjamin Zander and Mrs. Rosamund Stone Zander
From: Carlos Silvério
On August 8th, very pleasant afternoon, this year, I had the pleasure of spending 30 minutes talking to and getting to know Benjamin Zander personally at the Parigi restaurant here in São Paulo, while he finished his lunch and had tea. They were 30 minutes that will last as a source of energy and stimulation for me for the next 10 years.
Everything began two weeks before:
Exactly on July 27, a Saturday, having recently arrived from my vacation, I was watching T.V. Actually, "zapping" at channels randomly, when I stopped on the "Film & Arts" channel presenting a program, a documentary, about a conductor of whom, I must confess, I had never heard.
I had already seen similar programs with personalities such as Isaac Stern and Itzhak Perlman, who besides being great instrumentalists, also actively participate in schools and exhibit their master classes. It was 11:20 p.m. and I couldn't take my eyes away from the TV so great was my absorption. That maestro's enthusiasm, alacrity, wisdom, clarity and sensitivity convinced me that I ought to find a way of sharing my new personal discovery with others.
Returning to my office, I went directly after a copy of the program. Despite working in an advertising agency, which in principle should facilitate my trajectory, I became more and more frustrated with the disorganization of the channel representatives in Brazil who buried all my hopes of obtaining the desired copy.
I was fueled by impulse, thinking that, with a copy of the program in hand, I could interest my agency's executives into promoting a visit of this recently discovered maestro in lectures, and who knows, maybe even in the event called "Semana da Criação Publicitária" which takes place here in São Paulo amassing creative people from all the agencies, students, and marketing professionals many of whom are our clients.
As I performed contortions to find a way to get a copy, I was surprised by a phone call from my wife, who having followed this odyssey, told me she had that very morning seen a small announcement of a concert to be given by a group called "Youth Orchestra of the Americas" conducted by none other than Benjamin Zander. I could hardly believe that two weeks after I had seen that memorable program about a maestro of whom I had never heard, but of whom I had already become a great fan was going to be in São Paulo for a single performance.
One day I had learned to call certain occurrences, not coincidence, but synchronicity. This was too much of a "coincidence" to call it so.
With my 3 tickets for the concert on the 8th in hand, I decided to try something different in all this adventure: I summoned my agency's press staff and assigned them the task of contacting the Mozarteum Foundation to arrange a meeting with Ben (notice how intimate I had become) and me, even if we had to stand, and even if it were in 5 minutes from the time they were able to talk to someone. I imagined I could quickly tell them the story and let them in on my plans. Seven days of waiting later, on the morning of the 8th, the day of the concert, João, our press assessor told me that everything was all arranged and scheduled for 2:30 that afternoon, at the Parigi Restaurant.
It is here that I return full swing to the beginning of this text:
One lovely afternoon, at this restaurant only 2 minutes walking distance from my office, he was there. The maestro, the professor, the enthusiast and opener of minds who I had accidentally met 2 weeks before while spread on my couch recovering from jet lag.
Against all my fears, Ben was as sensational live as he had been on TV. As I said above, and reiterate, those memorable 30 minutes will last as inspiration to me for the rest of my life. But that's not all.
The concert that night was indescribably beautiful. Mahler was only overshadowed by the execution of Fernandez's Battuque with the "Meninos do Morumbi" participating with the most original percussion.
But, my friend, Ben Zander, met me again after the show. We took pictures (which I am attaching to this e-mail) and though I bid the maestro and his talented young orchestra farewell, I was left with the feeling that it was more like a "see you soon" to something I have yet to organize...
Gratefully yours,
Carlos Silvério
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