Ten times I must begin again, lean down toward it. And each time, the laziness that deters us from every difficult task, every work of importance, has counseled me to leave it, to drink my tea and think only about my worries of today, my desires for tomorrow, upon which I may ruminate effortlessly.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? It does to me!
Anyone who has ever undertaken serious work knows the sentiments expressed by Proust’s narrator in Swann’s Way, the first volume of his masterpiece In Search of Lost Time.
A colleague once said to me, “We have to start over every day, don’t we?”
Yes!
We start again, and again, and once again, once more. What’s important? Pay attention to it. Once again, once more. Remember? Here’s another reminder. Once again, once more….
About Angela
French hornist Angela Cordell Bilger enjoys a freelance career as a chamber musician, orchestral player, and educator. She recently moved to the Chicago area from Philadelphia where she was second horn with Opera Philadelphia. She plays frequently with The Philadelphia Orchestra where she spent the 2008-2009 and 2016-2017 seasons as acting fourth horn. She recently joined the Chicago-based Sapphire Woodwind Quintet and coaches chamber music at Northwestern University and Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. During her years in New York City, Angela performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and in many Broadway shows. In addition, she spent several summers at the Marlboro Music Festival and toured with Musicians from Marlboro. Angela has served as adjunct faculty at Montclair State University, Drexel University, and Temple University. She lives on the North Shore of Chicago with her husband, trumpet player David Bilger, and their two children.
One Response to A Mini-Rumination on Proust