Read: Philippians 1:12-21
I once asked a counselor what the major issues were that brought people to him. Without hesitation he said, The root of many problems is broken expectations; if not dealt with, they mature into anger and bitterness.
In our best moments, its easy to expect that we will find ourselves in a good place surrounded by good people who like and affirm us. But life has a way of breaking those expectations. What then?
Stuck in jail and beset by fellow believers in Rome who didnt like him (Phil. 1:15-16), Paul remained surprisingly upbeat. As he saw it, God had given him a new mission field. While under house arrest, he witnessed to the guards about Christ, which sent the gospel into Caesars house. And even though those opposing him were preaching the gospel from wrong motives, Christ was being preached, so Paul rejoiced (v.18).
Paul never expected to be in a great place or to be well liked. His only expectation was that Christ will be magnified through him (v.20). He wasnt disappointed.
If our expectation is to make Christ visible to those around us regardless of where we are or who we are with, we will find those expectations met and even exceeded. Christ will be magnified.
Johannes Brahms rang the cash register when he took a series of Hungarian folk dances and arranged them for piano 4-handed duet for the home market. His good friend, violinist Joseph Joachim, not to be left out of the fun, arranged them for piano and violin, also for the home market. Jo did his own arrangement for full orchestra.
Antonin Dvorak (pronounced DVOR-zhock) saw the way to his own fortune and wrote a series of Slavonic Dances of his own invention for piano 4-hands. The result rang the cash register for him and ended his subsistence on grants from the Austro-Hungarian government that had been facilitated by his friend Brahms. He arranged this set of dances for full orchestra, and it is in this arrangement that the pieces are most often heard.
Would lightning strike twice? Tony sat down and wrote a second set of Slavonic Dances for piano 4-hands and repeated his success. Now he could live comfortably with his wife and many daughters, and spend less time teaching.
Orion Weiss and wife Anna Polonsky are in the first stages of marketing themselves as duo pianists, and Ive been advising them on some unconventional repertory. To my delight, they are performing the complete first set of Slavonic Dances, Opus 46, in the original piano duet format on Saturday night.
This dance is a furiant, a wild Bohemian dance in 3/4 time, where Tony works around the bar lines with duplets mixed in with the 3/4 beat. The two grade school students in this video are absolutely amazing!
Dvorak: Slavonic Dance in G minor, Op. 46/8
These teenagers are also something to watch.
Slavonic Dance in C minor, Op. 46/7
These two Asian teenage girls have a fine technique. This dance is a dumka, which is a dance alternating sad and happy moments.
Slavonic Dance in E minor, Op. 46/2
This is a straightforward minuet.
This is another furiant.
Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.