A Day in The Rose City

Portland is called the Rose City. I'll find out why someday but it really doesn't matter that much. It sounds okay. By contrast Leominster is the Plastics City. I think.

Monday 9/29 I went to Portland in the afternoon to soak up some city while waiting for the Oregon Symphony performance at 8 p.m. for which I had a ticket.

I dressed somewhat better than usual so as not to be embarrassed. I wore a gray shirt black pants and black dress shoes. After walking around for a while the stupid shoes hurt so I went back to the car and changed into my Birthday Sandals (thanks Donna) and turns out they are perfect for Portland Symphony performances. Nice color too. Went well with my gray black ensemble. Women know best.

I had a Super Dog and a Super Dog Ale at Super Dog a super hot dog joint beside the park. I sat outdoors and drank the beer observing city life. Then I sat in the park reading and observing some more.

* Almost everyone has a backpack (some have two).

* Also common: bicycles cell phones dogs sensible shoes.

* Lots of MP3 players some skateboards razr scooters.

* Some people sit in the park reading books. I did too.

* I should have brought the camera (next time).

* A guy rode by me on a Segway. He had tattoos and wore a helmet.

* I just heard someone say in a high pitched voice, "I am a banana!"

* Two old guys with white beards are sitting on separate benches reading books. One of them is smoking a blunt.

* The other old guy just lit a blunt and stared at me the whole time he was smoking it. I smiled at him but he just continued to stare and smoke. Then he left.

* There is an 8' bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln nearby on a pedestal. Often people stop and look up at him touch his shoes reach up and touch his hands. Parents with babies stop to show the babies Lincoln. The babies look up and point at Abe.

* I hate flip-flops because of that sound they make (Flip. Flop.).

The Symphony performs in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall ("The Schnitz"). As evening came the lights on the marquee of The Schnitz sparkled and ran around the perimeter of the marquee. The street lamps in the park came on. People began to stroll through the park toward the Schnitz. Some wore suits and dresses. Some wore casual shirts and pants. I think I dressed appropriately even with the sandals. Some wore jeans.

An hour before the performance the conductor Carlos Kalmar gave a talk about the history of the music about to be performed. His enthusiasm was genuine. I learned a few things about the music which surprised me. I thought I knew it completely.

At 8 we were seated. The Schnitz is an old baroque styled theater. It's smaller than I thought it would be but my memories of Alice Tully Hall probably set my expectations high. I have not been to Lincoln Center in decades so probably it is even bigger in my memory than in reality.

The program began with Ralph Vaughn Williams' "Serenade to Music." Written in 1938 it is a beautiful delicate piece.

From the program: "The text is taken from the love scene at Belmont [in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice], in which Lorenzo and Jessica, daughter of Shylock, are enraptured by the moonlit night and the music that wafts towards them from the town. The lushness of the harmonies, interspersed with individual solos, envelops the listener in a voluptuous cloud of sonorous beauty."

A bit purple. I think all solos are individual. Nevertheless a good description.

What followed was a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony with full orchestra and chorus.

This was for me the fulfillment of a long held wish to see such a performance. I was not disappointed. I have listened to recordings of the 9th so many times I have it memorized. To see this orchestra and chorus perform was even more fun than I imagined it would be. Due to my familiarity with the music I was able to anticipate each section and musician's performance on cue and to watch Carlos' conducting with a critical eye. How will he interpret this or that section? Is his enthusiasm well placed and genuine? It is.

When the performance ended I exited via a side door which brought me to the sidewalk next to the musicians' stage door exit. It was a beautiful night and the orchestra was coming out as I walked up the street back to the other side of the park where I had left my car.

I gush like a school girl. Suffice to say I am beginning to like Portland a lot. There was no hassle getting to the city and The Schnitz as there would probably have been in New York or Boston. Portland is not a bustling metropolis like those two cities. It is a deliberately livable city. Geography. Mindset. Planning makes it so. This is a city that wants its residents to like it. Everything from public transportation to parks to bicycle lanes and dog-friendliness tells the newcomer that this is a great place to live.