Over on my homepage I posted some mp3s from the dress rehearsal of Beethoven's piano sonata in C major, Op. 2 Nr. 3. This was a "live" dress rehearsal at a retirement home in Munich, the Augustinum on Feb. 18th. The "real" performance is this coming Wednesday, March 18th at the Seidlvilla in Munich (see the Pianistenclub site for more information). Oh, did I mention that I'm the one playing?

" Wie geht es dir ?" "How are you feeling?" These questions are probably heard in every culture. The answers, and how mild illness is dealt with, varies between Germany and America. Mir geht es schlecht - I'm not feeling well. Really. Since Thursday I've been lying in bed with a low fever, racking cough, stuffed up nose and sneezing. A typical February complaint. What do I have? For an American, the answer is probably simple - either a cold or the flu, perhaps with a touch of bronchitis. For a German the answer is not quite so clear cut. The German is aware that real flu (influenza) is characterized by a sudden high fever, chills, and aches and pains - in addition to the typical upper respiratory symptoms. I don't think I have influenza - my fever, at around 100°, just isn't high enough. And I don't have any aches and pains. But a cold? Well, does a cold come with a fever? It might, I guess, in English. But the Germans have a special word fo