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(Only) Five Things about Alexandru Tomescu and the 'Bach to Basics' Stradivarius National Tour
1. Last night (29th May, 2013), Alexandru Tomescu held the final recital of the 'Bach to Basics' Stradivarius National Tour. The event was held in St. Josef Cathedral. Iosif. Although the recital was scheduled to start at 20:00, the audience started coming in a full two hours before the starting time in order to secure a seat. People from a variety of religious backgrounds attended the Roman Catholic religious service in order to make sure to have a seat for the recital.
2. The church was so full that it became very difficult to not be overwhelmed by the heat and the cramming of people. It is true, however, that once Alexandru Tomescu got on stage, everything went silent because Bach's music began to flow like a stream of light. All the commotion came to a stop so suddenly that everyone felt like we were experiencing a miracle.
3. I remember Alexandru once saying that the best sound a violin can produce is the one right before a string snaps, and that violionists are always on a quest to achieve that particular sound. And Alexandru Tomescu certainly did. During the entire recital he produced this distinct sound because a string snapped right during the opening section of the final Partita- the Third. The little accident took nothing away from the quality of the concert, as after a few minutes of applause by which the audience expressed its support of the artist, the string was replaced and the Partita continued where it had left off, and the sound of the violin continued to have the same intensity, clarity and resonance.
4. The fact that entrance was free meant that Alexandru Tomescu's desire - that music should reach everyone - was accomplished. Whether they sat or stood, people listened through the entire recital with the utmost respect, giving generous rounds of applause when it was appropriate. The atmosphere was something special. It was not a regular concert, one could feel that a special communion was established between the artist and the audience.
5. Alexandru proved that music does indeed make better people of us. As you know, The 'Bach to Basics' Stradivarius Tour was dedicated to the Hope and Homes for Children Foundation Romania, an organisation supported by the violinist since 2012. With the help of Alexandru Tomescu and Bach's music, the people of Bucharest brought new hope to abandoned children, increasing their chances of having a home and a family. The donations in Bucharest raised a total sum of 8.912RON. Overall, the audience in the 12 cities which were included in the 'Bach to Basics' Stradivarius National Tour raised a grand total of 57.749RON which will be used for the building of family homes in the Sixth Department of Bucharest, which are destined for use by orphan children with disabilities.
Translated by Șerban Dudău and Elena Daniela Radu
MTTLC, The University of Bucharest