This morning I made a visit to the Chi Mei Museum in Tainan. Andy, the orchestra director, a high official at Chi Mei and along with his daughter Rebecca was so kind to me, he, in addition to his normal job rumzuführen.
Chi Mei is one of the largest since 1959 Kunststofhersteller in the world, with factories in Tainan and in Zhenjiang. The Chi Mei Museum is the existing since 1990, private museum of the Chi Mei Foundation. The very rich collection in this museum is one of 5 categories: West variable artificial (painting, pictures, etc), natural history, weapons, antiques and ... Musical instruments - and all from different eras, and almost every continent! The collection Musical instruments was one of the class - from ancient African instruments up on player pianos (which also played yet) and barrel organs to the most beautiful string instruments!
because at the moment where we had seen most of the museum, I was taken with a mysterious subterranean for a stick. And what I saw in this story was truly unbelievable: a collection of room 450 stringed instruments, of which 350 violins, with including Amati, Stradivarius, Guarneri, Stainer, Guadagnini! What a story present in this room! Then you suddenly with such a Stradivarius in his hand and did not know what to say! The Chi Mei Foundation provides these tools all available to talented Taiwanese strings, for example, Yo Yo Ma - the only thing they have to pay for the insurance. The Foundation is committed for that "good instruments be played by good players and the good music produced Thus be shared by all mankind," according to Mr. Wen-long Shi, president of Chi Mei Culture Foundation. Many members of the Chimei Philharmonic Orchestra play at one of these instruments!
Then I had the last orchestra rehearsal with the orchestra - and in the evening ballet rehearsal, the first in Tainan Theatre. The dancers were all already establishing itself, and Allen worked at TGV speed of his play. I think he was not particularly happy, but we still have a few days. Tomorrow is the first of only two samples together with ballet and orchestra (!) - I hope that all fit in the ditch ... And if not, I turn just one of my Hagen "tricks" to (now I dare to confess first that ...) and then the go on ...!
Below a picture of Andy, Rebecca and the rest of your family in Japan last week. I run the water still in the mouth! ...
