I didn't get a chance to go see the participants in the early disklavier screening thing..
BUT... I just randomly went to a recital of Denis Evstuhin's (he's also randomly the former student of my piano teacher's friend o_O)
Here's a not-very-long-not-short-either thing on it:
First off, we didn't really know place's name (it was a church), but we knew the address. However, we couldn't see the number on the church, and what do you know..! Alexander Braginsky (the non-voting judge d00d ~ he's randomly Denis' new teacher) and I just HAPPEN to arrive at the same time and we were both totally lost. He asked if I had come for Denis, and I said yes, but we both were like wtf cuz there weren't any signs or anything. So we're both on our cellphones trying to figure out what was going on.. and then my dad decides to keep going and we found the church it was actually at. So then he goes back to tell Alex and these other people. I keep running into this guy randomly all the time. o0
Anyway, I grab a program and brochure about him and go in looking for my teacher. There weren't really many people there yet, and neither was she, but all the good spots were taken nevertheless.
Obviously I wanted to be able to view to see his hands.
But damn... all the good ones taken.
So while I'm waiting for my teacher I notice this one girl that looks like a total fucking bitch talking to this pretty normal looking guy. She was sort of pretty, but with a shitload of dark ass eyeshadow that almost reached her eyebrows (actually it was well done and interesting looking.. IF she was in a broadway play, ha) and an extremely smug look on her face. Randomly when Braginsky arrived, he sat behind them, and briefly talked to them. Well she might be totally nice and all, but she just didn't LOOK like it. Then again.. I'm told that a lot too >_o
Well I chose to sit on the left, thinking I might be able to
maybe catch his hands. Next to me sat this Asian lady and her young daughter. Finally when my teacher arrived, I probably annoyed them because my teacher kept making us switch seats back and forth from different sides of the room, which meant I had to always go past the two. Well, finally we sat in the middle, which was a totally SHIT ass view, but the piano sounded better there.
Another thing that sucked about sitting there was the d00d that was behind me. He was in no condition to even be there. He was wheezing and hacking through the entire latter part of the first half and the earlier parts of the second half. Actually it was pretty funny at times, and I noticed my teacher getting pretty irritated, which made it even funnier to me. I tried so hard to resist laughing, and I did a pretty good job.. but I struggled. My eyes ended up watering as I restrained my laughter. I was just dying for one of my renown "shower-spray" laughs though.
His program was wonderful, and the order was very clever. Some things were unusual to me, however, like some of the dynamic changes he decided to do. I suppose they're "interesting," but meh.
His Islamey I think was the best thing he performed, except maybe the Schumann Kinderscenen, which was trully wonderful also. But the Islamey was really so great, and very memorable. LoL, this one little Asian boy started like.. bobbing up and down and almost dancing to it haha.
Hs interpretation of Chopin's 10/1 was so romantic. I actually like it tackled from a stricter pov, form an almost Beethoven like one.
But still.. superb..
During the intermission there was like a sheeyatload of cake and cookies, and coffee and tea. There were lots of people, many who just figured me to be Russian and started randomly saying things to me. Actually, a lot of it I understood, but I didn't know how to reply so that they might understand me, lol. So I just said "Uh, sorry, I don't speak Russian." Either that, or my teacher randomly came and answered.
She also forced me to like inhale these 2 cookies really quickly, and drink some water.
Dammit, I got crumbs all over myself, lol. SMOOOOTHHH... >_> lol
The Kreisler-Rachmaninov "Love's Sorrow" and "Love's Joy" was so nice. It was probably the most "pleasure" type work he performed. Good contrast to the others, and nice way to end the program.
One thing I find hilarious about pianists (probably other musicians do it too, but it's just that pianists are like notorious for it) is that after they finish their last piece, they stand for this long ass applause. Then they exit the stage for like just a few seconds, and come back out and get some more huge ass applause. Some do it a few more times. LoL. He only did it once, but it still made me laugh as much as I find it just like "hm what's the point?" and almost pompous, although I guess it's just.. tradition or whatever.
So.. it's the end of the recital and my teacher's talking with some random people and meanwhile randomly I end up talking to that one Asian woman and her daughter about what they thought of it. All 3 of us were such damn groupies, lol.. we wanted so badly to go talk to him (FINALLY I'm getting more courageous about this sheeyat) and ask for his autograph. They went to go look for the brochure about him, and I told my teacher I was going to talk to him, and she encouraged me to do so.
So I end up going alone, which was just.. well, I think it made things more awkward that I wasn't with the Asian lady and her daughter.
Previously I had seen him in the room sitting with a bunch of people and some audience members congratulating him, asking for autographs, and such.
However, when I went, it was just he and those people.
I go up and say I very much enjoyed his performance, all that good stuff.. and ask for an autograph.
GOD.. it was SO awkward. Perhaps it was THIS that prevented me from doing things previously.
I don't think I talked retardedly or anything... but still.. uber weirdness.
That one girl that looks like a bitch with the shitload of makeup was there and so was the guy she was talking to, and some other d00des.
Obviously, they are friends of his, and then I made the connection that Braginsky was probably aware of that (being Denis' current teacher), hence why he talked to her.
Anyway, when I told him about how I enjoyed it and stuff, he stared at me so weird. He looked like he was in this daze.. lol it was really funny actually, but also.. very very weird.
I didn't even like give him this long ass praise or anything that could explain it.. I was pretty brief about it, like 2 short sentences before I asked for the autograph.
So when I ask for the autograph, he's like "uh-huh" sounding and looking literally like he's completely drunk and hitting on me.
The girl laughed quietly and mocked how he said it, and then he said it again, sounding even more.. uh.. lol.. like trying to do this sexy voice thing, lol.
Ah.. <_>
While he's signing, I ask them "So you're all friends of his?"
LOL it was also weird + funny. All the guys are sitting there staring blankly and looking completely dead. Just the girl made some communication, nodding her head and smiling.. like she knew some sheeyat was going down with Denis' behaviour toward me. >_>
Hmm yeaaah...
So he hands me back the brochure which he autographed, and in like.. this totally weird romantic like manner of speaking, says thank you -- all again with the weird mysterious daze look.
In my mind I was just like "LMAO WTF hahahaha this is so unusual"
Yet I managed to keep my composure (SOMEHOW, because I usually end up laughing my ass off or doing something stupid like randomly tripping or suddenly not being able to speak), and "played his game," saying "Ah, thank YOU. It's an honour."
XD
ROFL.
Ah, it was great.
Except for he kept watching as I walked away.
God I hope I didn't look like an uber big retard because my shoes were killing me.. lol. >_>
So my teacher asks if I had talked to him, and I was like "Yes just briefly. I got his signature. But I didn't talk to him much because I saw he was with friends and I didn't want to interfere."
So then randomly that Asian lady and her daughter came again and asked me about it. Lol, I felt so bad. I should have gone with them, because they seemed so shy, but very nice.
Anyway, I left like right after that.. I wonder if my teacher went to talk to him. She did LAST time at the competition. For some reason I was an idiot right then and didn't even though he came over to where we were sitting and I just sat in front of him completely stunned and silent, whilst my teacher talked away. Plus, I guess she's got even further "reason," having come (and being friends) with Elena Piastro (Denis' former teacher).
If she did, it's inevitable that I was involved in the conversation, since I also auditioned at Hamline, where Denis randomly studies.
And SPEAKING of Hamline.. At my friend's Christmas/New Year party, we were talking to my friend's boyfriend who goes there, and he asked us about colleges and our interests and stuff. When I had told him that one of the schools I was applying to was Hamline, and that I wanted to do music in addition to an academic, he started talking about this guy he's close to who's also (he being from there and having lived here for some time now, and Denis having studied there most of his life but randomly come here I have no idea when) from St. Petersburg who plays mofo well.
I guess the eggnog got to me or something already then - lol - cuz I didn't make the connection that that was Denis (he hadn't mentioned the name).
So now..
If I get into music at Hamline and decide to go there, I'll be seeing him like every day. And he'll see me the first week and go "Dayum. Aren't you that weird ass girl?"
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
God, it's such a small ass (music in particular) world, lol.
I mean.. the memories of Koji and MT alone just with that thing with Braginsky was enough of a "it's a small world" provoking situation.. let alone this!
Ah, well.. I can't WAIT for the piano-e in June! Ahhhh! Yesss omg it'll be awwweeeesome.
Randomly, pictures of the brochure, including the back which he autographed (LOL uh yeah it would just have been even more awkward if I had asked for his friends to take a picture of him and me.. OMG... just imagining it is making me laugh, and be weirded out XP):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/ ... al-1ss.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/ ... al-2ss.jpg
by 
) from PF actually applied. Months ago several told me to expect them at the university. Hm..
