I was called away to New York to attend Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera, have dinner with Sam Sifton of the New York Times, view the Eero Saarinen exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York and the Bauhaus exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, and, of course, spend time with my sister, brother in law, and my boyfriend, then delivered into an exhausting work week.

The Met’s prodution of Turandot was flawless and astounding. There’s little more that can be said for it than that. I only hope I can remember it clearly enough to reminisce for a long time. The space, however, is in dire need of rejuvenation. Another Manhattan building designed by Wallace Harrison, the United Nations Headquarters, is currently under renovation. My hope is that the Met shall enjoy soon enjoy similar treatment.

Viewing a thorough retrospective of Eero Saarinen’s work was fascinating. I will have much to write about him after I have time to devote further study to his work, but I can see that he was simultaneously inspired by the possibilities inherent in Modern architecture and frustrated by its limitations. I believe postmodernism owes much to the way he pushed and challenged Modern design.

And to see so much of the mythical Bauhaus school and movement gathered in one place filled me with inspiration and a sense of merriment, but also of loss. A study of the educational writings of Itten and Albers is, I feel, vital for my development. But if only the Bauhaus had continued to function through 1933 and beyond. I wonder what it might have grown into. Again, I’ll have much writing to do after further study of the school.