Is an earthquake not random? Nov. 1 at Mandeville Auditorium, the music writer sat next to a UCSD seismographic honcho at La Jolla Symphony & Chorus’ (LJS&C) season opener, “Time.” The centerpiece of the program — and no doubt some people’s reason for attending the concert — was Toru Takemitsu’s poetically titled “From me flows what you call Time.” My seatmate did not care for the 1990 piece, played by the orchestra and UCSD’s extraordinary resident percussion ensemble, red fish blue fish. The conciliator suggested that because he was used to the scientific, predictable and graphable, the randomness of Takemitsu might not be pleasing. “It makes me mad!” he exclaimed. Whew. That bad. Can’t we work together on this? Perhaps he’ll like Takemitsu better the next time he hears it. “There won’t be a next time.” Further probing was too risky — the Takemitsu fan didn’t want to cause an earthquake. After the interval, during which the adamant scientist sought the opinions of two other scientific types, he reported that one liked it. He read the other as a bit less enthusiastic. Is there a poem here somewhere? Perhaps the appeal of Takemitsu lies in its randomness and poetry, the fact that the work ends with the reverberation of numerous, randomly gathered, immense sets of wind chimes — certainly they would never sound exactly the same again. The sound — set off by the pulling of colored silk ribbons as indicated in the score — dies as it will. As the late Tom Nee wrote in a poem last December, “We feel the slight quiver that tells us our time is limited.” Prior to the concert, some concert attendees listened to a talk delivered by LJS&C Music Director Steven Schick. My seatmate asked if such a lecture explains how to listen to such music. The question was actually asked, and Schick explained that no two people ever hear anything identically, just like poetry. “Time” has fled, but LJS&C presents five equally evocative programs during the coming months. For information, visit www.lajollasymphony.com or call (858) 534-4637.   Harpsichord as earthquake Sunday, Nov. 2, at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, an amazing magisterial and magical musician named Richard Egarr played J.S. Bach’s “Goldberg” Variations, BWV 988. His instrument, which he lovingly introduced prior to the program, was a two-rank, beautifully decorated harpsichord that hails from Los Angeles. His head, his hands, the score, the landscape of the harpsichord and the silhouetted backs of those seated in the first row created a work of art. The sound seemed to flow both from and into the harpsichord itself, the music always sustaining and embellishing the core aria played at the beginning and the end of the program. The mind and the ears were tricked into believing in the illusion that some kind of sustained, orchestral sound was heard issuing from an instrument that Egarr himself described as mere “ping.” Over the course of 90 swift-moving minutes, one was impressed with Egarr’s facility, his unflagging energy and his ability to make the harpsichord sing so fully. Never again will a mere piano do. This recital, underwritten by Dr. Thomas Ziegler and presented in collaboration with Bach Collegium San Diego, marked Egarr’s San Diego harpsichord recital debut. He returns June 27-28, 2009, to conduct Collegium performances of Georg Frideric Handel’s three-act oratorio “Theodora” at St. James by-the-Sea and the Balboa Theatre. For information, go to www.bachcollegiumsd.org. Meanwhile, Bach Collegium joins San Diego Chamber Orchestra and Maestro Jung-Ho Pak for “Messiah” highlights at various locations, including 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 at St. James by-the-Sea. The Athenaeum’s monthly Barbara and William Karatz Chamber Concert Series is ongoing. Visit www.ljathenaeum.org or call (858) 454-5872.