During stress of finals, contestants got to have some more fun as they joined several cast members from The Sirens of TI to give a dance performance on decks of two ships. They had to be patient during several "takes" of opening number, as event was being filmed for television. Later, several contestants gave individual performances: ladies from Australia and Poland performed very athletic dances; Czech contestant did a creative sleight-of-hand act while dancing, and contestant from Antigua sang a challenging pop tune.

Hawaiian Tropic owner and founder Ron Rice attended pageant, and during finals he presented special awards to winners of local "Little Miss" and "Little Mister" Hawaiian Tropic competition. The awardees ranged from two to fifteen years of age, and winners of international finals (to be held this summer in Laval, Canada) will attend children's charity events and can appear in advertisements for company's sun care products for kids.

Ron introduced them as "the future of Hawaiian Tropic." He also introduced distinguished friends in audience and members of his own family. Far from a seamy or "spring break" atmosphere, this pageant had an air of wholesomeness and class, reminiscent of last year's CarnaVé 2003 pageant. We can joke about ditzy "beach babes," but I was impressed by intelligence and poise of international contestants with whom I spoke.

The contest was narrowed to 15 semifinalists,

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Rob LaGrone, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

Ah, Mozart. The concerto sounded like a dance as much as Bartók pieces did. Written in three-movement style of day, Wolfgang's concerto started "allegro," light and moderately fast, then relaxed in an "andante" second movement, then sped up again for third movement - in this case "allegretto," accelerating to "presto" for energetic finale. This translates into "dancing in parlor, refreshing ourselves with a glass of wine, and then dancing out on lawn." The concerto was played by an ensemble of strings and winds from orchestra, with no percussion. The alternation between ensemble play and solo piano was smooth and precise and didn't break flow of music. We've all heard Mozart's wonderfully identifiable sound; I describe it as "All Europe in a good mood." I even saw some of orchestra's musicians swaying to gentle rhythms when they weren't playing. Mozart will do that to you. In my mind his music evokes elegant gatherings of happy Hapsburg aristocrats who don't care how hungry even-tempered peasants are.

The Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra was formed in 1923 as Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra. Bartók's "Dance Suite" was commissioned that year in commemoration of official union of adjoining cities of Buda and Pest (probably because no one liked name "Pest"). Zoltán Kocsis became conductor and music director in 1997 after 14 years heading Budapest Festival Orchestra. More information is available at Philharmonic's excellent website, www.hunphilharmonic.org.hu/index.asp?lang=EN. This link should get you to English-language version (the one without all accent marks).

Hearing orchestra play Antonin Dvorak's 'Symphony No. 3 in E Flat Major', and reading program notes, I couldn't help thinking of wine tasting. The Symphony is said to contain influences of Richard Wagner (a really "big" cabernet), and Dvorak's work in general reportedly hints at his admiration for Beethoven (a complex burgundy), but what I tasted most in this piece was peppery zinfandel of Tchaikovsky. The first movement contained powerful horns and sweeping strings, and with its constant shifts from intense to calm and back, it reminded me of 1812 Overture without cannons. The movement ended big with a rather climactic final chord reminiscent of Swan Lake ballet suite. Like wine tasting, it's all rather subjective: "Did you taste chocolate and blackberries in finish?" Yeah.

During pause, Maestro Kocsis (now only conducting) leaned back against podium rail

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Rob LaGrone, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com