Thursday, 2005/11/03 Arrival in Beijing

Friday, 2005/11/04 1st Concert Poly Theatre (Eroica)

Saturday, 2005/11/05 2nd Concert Poly Theatre (Heldenleben & Asyla)

Sunday, 2005/11/06 Continuation to Seoul

The team has gotten only three hours of sleep a night since our arrival in China. We’re beat, not just because of the time difference, but because we rise before the orchestra and go to sleep after they do. Today is finally the first rehearsal and the first concert.

At the last concert in Peking 26 years ago, with Herbert von Karajan, bicycle bells and animated conversations by the audience during the concert added to the sound. Today it was quiet as a mouse, and the applause was big.

My sound theme today was traffic, and after a few hours in the smog of Peking, I had just about had it. The invention of the automobile is definitely not a blessing. 17 million people live here, of which only 10 percent own a car, and even that leads to smog problems.

But now to the quieter and magical sounds of Coal Mountain, where yesterday morning at 6:30am, I experienced the early morning sport routine of Peking citizens. The people just stand under the trees and yell, sing, dance, do Tai Chi and apparently begin their day very consciously. Fascinating!