Trip to L.A., the Getty & the Hollywood Bowl

When we left off yesterday, the 2016 High School Summer Program students had just boarded three buses for a trip to Los Angeles. Traffic was heavy, as it often is in L.A., but the ride passed quickly. Students made good use of the time by practicing their Euclidean demonstrations, thanks to some prescient prefects who brought along paper and pencils for the whole group.

The first stop was the J. Paul Getty Museum in the Santa Monica Mountains, with its panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and the vast expanse of metropolitan Los Angeles. Students wandered the grounds, gazing upon world-renowned paintings, illuminated manuscripts, Greek and Roman sculptures, photographs, and other works of art, including some by Monet, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Bernini. They delighted to see a portrait of Boethius; to search for the hallmarks of excellent art that Dr. Nieto had identified in his Tuesday talk; and to admire one of the museum’s temporary exhibits, Unruly Nature: The Landscapes of Théodore Rousseau. They also found time to take plenty of pictures around the beautiful gardens, fountains, and outdoor patios.

At about 5:00 p.m. the group re-boarded the buses for a trip to the Hollywood Bowl, where students feasted on some 53 pizzas at the picnic grounds before settling in for the performance. The night’s concert was Mirga Conducts Beethoven and Ravel, billed as a meeting of “exhilarating power and sensuous grace,” conducted by the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s “charismatic associate conductor.” Students enjoyed the spirited performance, relaxing under the stars on a hot summer night in the Hollywood Hills.

The concert ended fairly late (about 10:30 or so), at which time students returned to the buses back to campus. Then it was off to bed for some much-needed rest before Wednesday’s classes on Euclid’s Elements and Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy.