The performance we saw on Thursday was incredibly memorable and engaging.
First off: Carnegie Hall. Amazing! The building was beautiful, the interior was beautiful and the hall gave off an intense vibe of culture. It was simply a joy to be there and moreso to see a performance there. As soon as I saw the hall, I could not help but snap a picture.
Onto the performance: all of the pieces were fairly great. They were all perfectly complemented by the mesmerizing conducting of Pablo Heras-Casado, who gave a whole other level of energy to the performance. That was the moment I realized how truly integral a good conductor is to a good performance. One piece in particular etched itself into my mind: Mendelssohn’s “Die erste Walpurgisnacht” (The First Walpurgis Night). The narrative involved with this piece made me look forward to it even before the show had started. When the orchestra played it and the singers sang with their powerful voices, I was absolutely mesmerized. The innate story of the piece also appealed to me deeply: an oppressed group winning out against the majority. The ending of the piece was also, by far, my favorite part of the entire night.
Afterwards, an evening spent at the diner with the rest of the class made for an extremely memorable night.
Yes, scavenger hunt for a diner and some fine diner food definitely top the night!
Hi Shahrouk,
I too very much enjoyed Die Erste Walpurgisnacht for its story. It’s an empowering story of the Druids simply trying to follow their customs and traditions while the Christians are bent on converting them. A couple of noteworthy lines: “And even if they rob us of our ancient ritual, / who can take your light from us?” I think that just demonstrates the pagans’ steadfast belief in their religion, which is very admirable. It reminds me of many historical periods when oppressed, persecuted people still held strong to their beliefs. It’s a very relevant story of struggle, in my opinion!