Condoleezza Rice plays piano for Queen at palace

Outgoing US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice played the piano for Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace Monday as a farewell gesture before the end of the Bush administration's term next month.

Rice's spokesman Sean McCormack said Tuesday the top U.S. diplomat played Brahms and was accompanied on violin by Louise Miliband, the wife of Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband, along with three London Symphony Orchestra members.

An accomplished pianist who ultimately chose foreign policy instead of becoming a professional musician, Rice has made several public music performances as the top US diplomat.

McCormack said the royal recital was in a music room at the palace and the Queen had presented a recording of the performance to Rice afterwards. The musicians practiced for an hour beforehand, he added.

"It was all organized by the British and just a very nice gesture as a farewell gift," McCormack said.

Rice is in London on what is expected to be her final British visit before President-elect Barack Obama takes office on January 20, 2009. Rice will be replaced by former first lady and New York Senator Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.

Rice moves on to Brussels Tuesday for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers and is then set to fly to New Delhi for meetings with Indian officials after last week's attacks in Mumbai.

即将卸任的美国国务卿康多莉扎•赖斯于本周一在英国白金汉宫为女王伊丽莎白二世献上了精彩的钢琴演奏，作为布什政府任期结束前的一份告别礼物。

赖斯的发言人西恩•麦考马克于本周二称，当天赖斯为女王弹奏的是（德国作曲家）勃拉姆斯的曲子，英国外交部长的妻子路易丝•米利班德为她拉小提琴伴奏，一同伴奏的还有伦敦交响乐团的三名成员。

赖斯在任国务卿期间曾公开表演过几次钢琴独奏。赖斯的钢琴造诣颇深，但她最终没有选择做一名职业音乐家，而是成为了一名外交官。

麦考马克说，当天的演奏地点在白金汉宫的一间音乐厅，女王将赖斯弹奏的钢琴曲录制了下来作为礼物回送给赖斯。据他透露，几位演奏家还预先排练了一个小时。

麦考马克说：“此次演奏全由英方组织安排，堪称一份非常不错的告别礼物。”

这是赖斯在任期间最后一次访问英国，美国总统当选人巴拉克•奥巴马将于明年1月20日就任。赖斯的国务卿一职将由前第一夫人、纽约州参议员希拉里•克林顿接任。

赖斯于本周二离开英国前往布鲁塞尔，参加北约外长会议。之后，她将前往印度首都新德里会见印度官员。上周，印度孟买市发生了连环爆炸恐怖袭击事件。