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E.T.
Goes Home
Boston,
MA -- After 24 years as Music Director of the
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa has
announced he wishes to "go home."
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Chumming
it up with his earth pals
(middle)
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With
little fanfare after a Friday night
performance Seiji removed his toupee,
raised what appeared to be a red glowing
blistered finger and said just as much.
Reaction over the local celebrity's sudden
departure is unanimous, the biggest
laments coming from Seiji's former
students.
"He
was like a real mentor," says Wendy
Lombardi, 2nd seat Skin Flutist, 25. "My
technique was very toothy. Seiji taught me
how to relax my throat while performing
which really seemed to excite him. Once,
when I was at band camp...."
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Ozawa's
care for his students' well-being went
well beyond the confines of the orchestra
hall, often getting intimately involved in
their personal lives.
"Over
the years Seiji really became part of our
family," says 1st seat triangle guy Wayne
Crotchet. "We had him over the house for
dinner all the time. He would even help my
little brother Timmy with his paper
route."
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Seiji
announces his
departure
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On
the route with little
Timmy
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In
his personal life the soft-spoken Seiji
lived in a modest studio apartment in the
Fenway where he spent most of his free
time watching movies on the Sci-Fi
channel. "He was very particular about
what he liked," says one unnamed
trombonist. "I gave him a movie poster
from Close Encounters of the Third
Kind for his 127th birthday and he
ripped it to shreds right in front of me!
I was kinda hurt but what can I say, it's
hard to stay mad at the little guy for
long."
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On
a side note Seiji's apartment will be on
the market soon through Out of This World
Realtors. According to apartment broker
Mary Beth Carey the studio is in perfect
condition, "Hardwood floors and very high
ceilings. And it doesn't look like the
bathroom was ever used."
Seiji
was also known for his eccentricities. "He
used to call us all the time," reports
Chad Bayless Dominos Pizza manager. "It
was like clockwork. Every night at 10:00pm
he would call up and demand to speak to
Bad Andy from our TV commercials. I would
explain to him that Andy wasn't in our
store but it would only make him
angrier."
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Seiji's
final travel arrangements are being made
this week by his personal assistant. "I
phoned home for him," says a frazzled Mr.
Mulder. "I used 1-800-COLLECT, saved his
folks a buck or two."
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