Practice, practice, practice.

I am perpetually looking for places where I can squeeze in practice time. One way I do this is taking an hour lunch break twice a week to go around the corner to Opera America and use their beautiful practice room space. Since most weeks I only get two real hours of practice time, I always have to have a plan.

My plan today is to work on two Wolf songs and my favorite song of all time: Gustav Mahler's setting of Liebst du um Schoenheit.

Translation:

If you love for beauty, do not love me!
Love the sun with its golden hair!

If you love for youth, do not love me!
Love spring - spring is new every year!

If you love for riches, do not love me!
Love the mermaid, she has many luminous pearls.

If you love for loves sake, then love me!
Love me forever, I love you always, forever!

(from CECMusic.com)