No, there is no “China Wall” between one’s musical activities and the “real world”. Sometimes, in the face of the threats looming from the real world, musical activities feel simply futile.
So I’ve spent these last three months on other activities – as in “activism” – than music and reviewing. Not because I wanted to or thought it was any fun. Simply out of an inner compulsion, a sense of necessity, born from disgust.
But then the daily frequentation of a madman’s rantings – frankly, this is my best hypothesis -, the daily observation of this dogged entreprise of destruction of every institution that a democracy is based on – free and critical press, independance of the judiciary, even the concept of truth and reality – is bad for one’s mental health.
So I’ve tried to return to music, and right now I feel like a convalescent slowly recovering from a grave illness.
But I’ve managed to listen to and review the superb and unknown quintets of Mario Pilatti and Alessandro Longo on Naxos. Hail to the light!