That the unconscious is not simply a realm of hidden wishes, but a peculiar mode of thinking is of philosophical significance. - FREUD, jonathan lear, second edition

Balse team meet up in New York City, late March. Jam packed six days.

DAY 1 - LAX - EWR, arrived 4:30pm, taxi to Central Park south, check-in at hotel, change, Ken (ClassicAsobi) food take out and meetup at the hotel to have a quick dinner. 7pm, arrive at Met Opera for Verdi’s Opera Falstaff. Parterre Center seat (box 26, front row seat 3). Sound was well balanced and a view of the orchestra pit as well as the whole stage. First time I was well prepared to see a full opera. Meaningful breakthrough. Great start.
DAY 2 - Met up with Ken 10:30am and picked up Dress rehearsal tickets from the Met Opera Orchestra second Flutist, Maron, to see Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. Four hour performance. Row S, center left. My first dress rehearsal.
DAY 3 - Noon, Met Opera matinee performance of Bellini’s Norma (I still need to create a study of this piece on the site TBD). Rain rain rain. Beer at P.J. Clarke's Lincoln Square. 7:30pm Carnegie Zankel Hall, Ensemble Intercontemporarain concert. Front center seat. Magnificent. One of the highlight experiences.
DAY 4 - 11am MoMA, exhibit ‘Signals - how video transformed the world’, plus the amazing AI art, a huge screen setup by the window looking out into the courtyard. Stimulating, thought provoking. Dinner in East Village, Shanghainese restaurant, Cheli, highly recommended. Evening 8:30 pm, Carnegie Hall Dallas Symphony Orchestra, an impromptu buy. Was great to experience the Carnegie main hall sound, back orchestra center left.
DAY 5 - 1:30pm Metropolitan Museum of Art - Richard Avedon photo exhibits, Beyond the Light - 19th century Danish paintings exhibit, the usual stroll through the ancient art and modern contemporary sections as well. Evening, 7:30pm, back at the Met Opera for Der Rosenkavalier performance.
DAY6 - shopping at the Paris fashion brand Officine Geneale SoHo shop. Found out that they opened two stores in LA this year, wonderful news. Evening 7:30pm back at Carnegie Zankel Hall for Jeanine De Bique and Concerto Köln performance. Mostly Hendel. Gorgeous. I am finding that I really like Hendel.