Having a world class symphony in town is one thing.
Being able to afford tickets is another.
We managed to score some $17 tickets. They get you in the door, they get you right up close, really close, look out for musician sweat close.
The interesting part is that while you could see the musicians right in front of you, the rest was just bits and pieces.
The first half had soloists and a chorale. We saw pant leg and skirt bottom of the soloists. I saw the hands of one person in the chorus. A pianists hands came into sight for a brief moment when two violinists moved their legs briefly.
Nevertheless, music is about listening more than seeing.
The second half of the program was Holst’s Planets. It was great. I love the music. In the last movement – Neptune – the Mystic – there were singers in the very back upper balcony. It was a mysterious sound. My personal favorite is Mercury, although Mars and Jupiter are close to the top as well.
Time to sleep – planning to walk tomorrow AM.
The first half was a new piece called “Meditations” by a composer whose name I can’t remember (and am too tired to get up and find).
It was OK, but it didn’t grab me. I followed the words (all about God and how could he think much of me) I actually was counting columns of lyrics to see how far we had to go until intermission.
At one point I flashed back to a twin bill at the Soo Drive In. Carl & I suffered through Blind Date with Bruce Willis and others, whi;e waiting for George Carlin, Bette Midler & Shelley Long in “Outrageous Fortunes”. I believe we had baby Rey along as well.
Raincharm's Weblog 
June 27, 2009 at 6:15 am |
I was wondering if they were going to have a choir for the planets that involved singing.
June 27, 2009 at 1:06 pm |
Pluto and earth are not included. Earth OK, but we were surmizing that Pluto had not yet made the planetary grade, and of course now they don’t have to decide whether to keep it in.
June 27, 2009 at 3:42 pm |
Pluto had not even been discovered at the time of composition.
June 28, 2009 at 8:19 am |
I dunno. I think when you are at a concert there is actually a visual component to music. I don’t like to sit long enough to listen to concerts but I do better when I am close enough to see the musicians facial expressions, et al. I do prefer music to be in the background though. On the radio while I’m doing chores, or in a coffee shop or wherever. And not too loud.
June 28, 2009 at 9:23 am |
I agree with the visuals.
One thing that I loved about orchestras as a young person was all of the bows going at the same direction together – like a school of fish changing direction.
For these tickets Ashlan, Carl & I all had slightly different things and people we could see. But in the Planets portion some of the obstructing drums had been removed and both Carl & I could see one of the percussionists, especially when he was not playing (sitting). He made some interesting faces that we both, independly noticed. I don’t know if they wree smirks, ticks, concentration, but they were amusing.
The paper’s review of the concert noted the “ethereal” quality of the singers in Neptune, and that it was not a sound you could recreate on a recording. I’m not sure that is true, but it was a beautiful sound.