That will make the ladies scream.
— Joseph Haydn, speaking of the ‘surprise’ in the ‘Surprise’ Symphony No.94; quoted in A Gyrowetz, Memoirs, 1848
I was cut off from the world. There was no one to confuse or torment me, and I was forced to become original.
— Joseph Haydn, speaking of his period as Kapellmeister at the Esterhazy court; quoted in J Cuthbert Hadden, Haydn (1934)
Though I had some instruction from Haydn, I never learned anything from him.
— Ludwig van Beethoven, quoted in Marion M Scott, Beethoven, 1934
So far as genius can exist in a man who is merely virtuous, Haydn had it. He went as far as the limits that morality sets to the intellect.
— Friedrich Nietzsche, 1878
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What am I going to wear? Never have been to the New York Philharmonic before, and never thought of going there, it was my time to experience such moments in images on trains around the city. Walking towards Lincoln Center, once again, I was thinking about what is going to happen in the near future.
Coming through the back entrance, I saw the light shine the gold plated images on walls of this huge gallery. While walking up the stairs, I stopped for a minute to take in the breadth of the evening and the long piece of art hanging four stories up. The evening seemed to be going well. With smiles in my heart, as we climbed up to the last floor, I was taken aback by the highly rich environment.
As we went to our seats and sat, this huge auditorium was filled up with people of all ages. I had never been to such a place before, similar to my experiences at the Opera. When performance started, I did not know what to expect, as the conductor went in and out twice. I guessed that was the way they begin and exit the stage for a classical concert. About the music, I especially liked the parts after the break. Probably because I had gotten accustomed to the sounds of the different instruments once before the intermission. Another factor would be because I might have heard that part before somewhere in India, as I had mentioned earlier in the class. It brought back a few memories dubbed in my mind for years. It was great pondering upon these memories as the music was playing in the background.
Whenever I hear a piece of music, it brings a picture to my mind. I had always thought of classical music as being boring and not worth listening to. However, with this occurrence of remembering some moments that I liked to cherish, I guess this type of music is after all not so bad if it is at the right time and place. It brought a change to me, and I am sure I will be respectful of this type of music in the future and not “judge the book by its cover.”
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Beethoven will be glad you came around.
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I must confess that I was not looking forward to this event and I was expecting a dreadfully boring performance. I even thought of bringing a pillow and blanket ☺. During the semester, I started using classical music as background noise to help me study. By not concentrating on the music, I can focus on my work my work and still hear some noise to keep me alert. For the Haydn piece, I got into my ‘study mode’ and didn’t follow the music, rather I observed the audience, the design of the hall, the stage design, etc. I then began to observe a man in the center column of the auditorium. I figured that he might have been a musical conductor because his hand movements mirrored those of Ms. Xian Zhang. I remember thinking that it is weird that he was so mesmerized by the performance and I was far from enjoying it.
When the piano came onstage, I was in awe of its majesty and dominance of the stage. I was curious to see this beast in action so I followed this performance keenly. The back and forth between the piano and the rest of the orchestra was lovely. It was similar to a mini-battle that had you guessing what is the opponent’s the opponent’s next move. The entire composition and delivery of Martinu’s Incantation was amazing. I was now drawn into the evening’s performance and was anxious for the next piece. I was far from disappointed. The intensity of Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1 captured and took me to another world. The timpani took me back to my days of playing steel pan. Markus Rhoten’s striking patterns were similar to patterns for my pan, the double second. By relating to Mr. Rhoten I feel that I have made a deeper connection with both classical music and Sibelius. Combined with my connection, I don’t know if it was my low expectations for the evening and/or the greatness of the New York Philharmonic, but the evening made me appreciate classical music and raised my interest in the genre. This event was simply awesome.
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“Music is what feelings sound like.”—Anonymous
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I had never been to a classical music concert before this. However, I’ve listened to a lot of classical music in my past. This is mainly from watching cartoons such as Bugs Bunny and from watching plays. Although it’s not my favorite type of music, I feel classical music goes very well as background music for pretty much anything. It very effectively sways the proper emotion that one must feel when watching a particular scene in a cartoon, movie, play, etc. Unlike modern songs that maintain a constant mood, the mood in classical music can change very easily and it can be felt in our hearts. Thus, I see classical music as flexible and can go many ways. By playing loudly and quickly, meaning at a high tempo, the orchestra and composer inspire the audience to feel tense as if something catastrophic is about to happen. On the other hand, playing very smoothly at a rather slow pace calms the audience down and perhaps makes them feel happy or free. Music with a lot of base more easily sways deep emotions, while playing high-pitched, fluttery noises brings about notions of having fun. Although the concert was mainly comprised of music without anything much to watch other than the musicians, the music still had the same effect on me and so the concert was a very enjoyable experience.
I currently don’t play any musical instruments, but when I was younger I learned to play the piano and the trombone. Therefore, as I watched the musicians play during the concert, I was able to relate to the pianist and the trombonist. I never really learned to play those instruments very well, but I understood what it was like to practice them and get better an better at them. Thus, as I listened to those musicians play, I was able to comprehend their skill and mastery at the art. I believed this helped to me appreciate the music more. After actually watching people play classical music live, I have a new found respect for it and hope to pursue it further.
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Note the benefits of listening to classical music: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_effect
The Mozart effect can refer to:
A set of research results that indicate that listening to Mozart’s music may induce a short-term improvement on the performance of certain kinds of mental tasks known as “spatial-temporal reasoning;”[1]
Popularized versions of the theory, which suggest that “listening to Mozart makes you smarter”, or that early childhood exposure to classical music has a beneficial effect on mental development;
A US trademark for a set of commercial recordings and related materials, which are claimed to harness the effect for a variety of purposes. The trademark owner, Don Campbell, Inc.,[2] claims benefits far beyond improving spatio-temporal reasoning or raising intelligence, defining the mark as “an inclusive term signifying the transformational powers of music in health, education, and well-being.”
The term was first coined by Alfred A. Tomatis who used Mozart’s music as the listening stimulus in his work attempting to cure a variety of disorders. The approach has been popularized in a book by Don Campbell, and is based on an experiment published in Nature suggesting that listening to Mozart temporarily boosted students’ IQ by 8 to 9 points.[3] As a result, the Governor of Georgia, Zell Miller, proposed a budget to provide every child born in Georgia with a CD of classical music. (Wikipedia) -
What first caught my attention was the hall we were seated in. The arhitecture was amazing and the ceiling was memorizing. When the orchestra started playing I was still looking at the ripples in the ceiling. It was hard for me to watch the orchestra from where I was sitting; I could only see the right side. The music was very relaxing. Soon I quit trying to watch the orchestra because it was hurting my back and I just let the music sink in. My mind was thinking about a million things, very unrelated to music, but it relaxed my feelings and I felt like I was the only person in that hall. The piano was my FAVORITE part and I couldn’t stop looking at the Harp player for some reason. It’s a very strange instrument, in a good way.
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Put a little more effort into these reminiscences.
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When i listened to the orchestra that night, I felt that something was missing. This is probably due to the fact that whenever I hear orchestrated music, it has been accompanied by gameplay (if in a videogame), a cartoon or movie. Therefore, I had a hard time listening to the musical pieces that night because it was presented solely for listening and not accompanied by another media. Because of that, I couldn’t really enjoy myself and I found myself falling asleep and forgetting most of the music; I cant even recall any of the pieces i heard that night. If I were more knowledgeable or more experienced with this type of music, I would’ve probably enjoyed it more.
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A perfect argument for why most video games should be immediately pulverized.
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I will be the first to admit that I am a very musically challenged individual. Sure, I like listening to music (some types more than others) and I like singing to myself as much as the next person but that’s as far as my talents in music go. Classical music is so different from what I normally listen to. It was difficult for me to fully appreciate it.
It felt as if it was a constant struggle to understand and appreciate something that I couldn’t fully grasp. This part was frustrating to say the least. I think I gave up trying halfway into the first piece. From then on I just sat back, stopped trying to look at the stage and just relaxed. This wasn’t such a good idea either because I found myself getting distracted very easily. So I decided to alternate between sitting back and watching the stage. Personally I found it easier to follow the music when I watched the musicians, I liked how their movements mirrored the highs and lows of the music they played.
Reading everyone’s posts it’s really cool for me to see how much other people took away from the experience and how well they were able to appreciate the skills and (for lack of better words) the musical awesomeness of the orchestra. I wish I had been able to take away as much but sadly that wasn’t the case. However, I hope that at some later point in my life I will be able to learn more about and get a better understanding of classical music (or maybe just music in general).
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Try reading this essay (http://www.naxos.com/education/introduction.asp):
Introduction to Classical Music
Classical music is probably more familiar than we might at first imagine. Indeed, nowadays it is all around us, whether it be in restaurants, supermarkets, lifts, for advertising or as theme and incidental music on television. A great deal of film music either directly uses or draws from the ‘classical’ tradition; a good example of the former might be ‘2001: Space Odyssey’, and of the latter, the many scores John Williams has composed in recent years for such blockbusters as the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies. -
I really like that quote about the trumpet that Professor Judell put up, as I was a trumpet player and I feel it is a perfect musical microcosm for Haydn’s personality. In a symphonic orchestra setting, the different instruments begin to develop personalities of their own. Clarinetists are mellow and soft spoken. Flautists become very devoted to playing their music technically perfect. Trumpet players become the loud mouths of the group. One cannot say if this occurs because we are placed at the back of the ensemble or simply because we like the sound of our own voice and hence we are drawn to the arguable loudest instrument. I remember in my high school, which had a very good music program, a small marine jazz band came to play an assembly. I don’t remember what I said, but I think I heckled them a little bit, and one of them stopped talking and pointed at me and asked me if I was a trumpet player. Everyone was amazed, because they did not understand that musicians were so stereotypical.
Haydn, in a sense is a trumpet player. It is unheard of for a clarinet player to say something like, “that will make the ladies scream.” I had a teacher who constantly said, “art is a dictatorship” and in this sense, Haydn is Fidel Castro.
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“I used to look at these pictures of trumpeters pointing their instrument to the ceiling. Stunning pictures, but if you play the trumpet and point it upwards, all the spit comes back into your mouth!”
—Humphrey Lyttelton -
I do not have the chance to listen to classical music often. Nevertheless, I was excited because it was my first experience at a classical musical concert. I was looking forward toward the piece involving the pianist. At first the high tier level where we were sitting was a bit discouraging. After a couple of minutes that did not matter and it seemed pointless to keep on leaning forward. Even though I was not fully accustomed to listening to music only, I tried my best to translate music into words.
Music always invokes some sort of emotion in everyone. For example, soft music may provoke a gloomy feeling and a lively upbeat music may provoke a feeling of aliveness and excitement. Apart from concentrating on the music, I focused on the musicians themselves. The percussions, brass, woodwinds, and strings were all placed accordingly. It brought forth a feeling of regularity and balance. Once the conductor stepped into place and started to lead the entire orchestra, the final piece to the puzzle was complete. In addition, it is amazing how different musical instruments playing simultaneously are able to create a sound that does not sound raucous. Music can be created from anything, but to create it from various types of contraptions requires a great deal of talent and skill. I feel once again, exposure to something new has opened my mind to keep on exploring the cultural features in the Big Apple.-
“Music is love in search of a word.”
—Sidonie Gabrielle -
When we first trekked up those stairs I was wondering where we were going. Why were we going up so high. Then I opened the door to the seating area and I stepped into the grandeur of the overwhelmingly gigantic hall. The sheer size of the hall is what first got my attention. After the show started I struggled to get a good view of the orchestra players. Peering over the ledge was dangerous so I only did it for part of the orchestra. My back hurt, my legs ached, and the railing was cold. After the first act I gave up. I leaned back on my chair and closed my eyes. And the music started back up. I was surprised. I had been battling with my angle for so long that I forgot what I was there for, the music. I could hear the bangs of the tympani and the roar of the cellos in my ear drums. The sounds reverberated in my head. This is probably what he meant when he said he was “cut off” from the real world. After that I was able to enjoy it better. The crescendo and decrescendo of the first act. The tag like melodies of the piano segment. And the elegant finale were all inspiring. Music delivers emotions, we have established that in class. When you can lose track of time and space, and find yourself lost in the vibrations around you music has done its job. The Lincoln Center orchestra has done its job.
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“When people hear good music, it makes them homesick for something they never had, and never will have.”
—Edgar Watson Howe quote -
My first reaction to going into the symphony hall was to complain about being up so high and about the seats in general. But to that would be to miss the point. Surely, I prefer to see the conductor so that I know when to applaud, but it is not necessary. That is why, by the second movement of the first piece, I just leaned forward and closed my eyes (though I was slightly self-conscious because I felt like Professor Judell kept staring at me. If so, I never caught him at it). I will have to be forgiven for not remembering any names, but my favorite piece was the second with the guest pianist. The piano did not really thrill me, but I found the piece to be very technically challenging for the performers, particularly the strings and percussion, and I was very happy to see the pianist acknowledge his percussionists during the applause.
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“When any fit of gloominess, or perversion of mind, lays hold upon you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaints.” ~Samuel Johnson
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This event was definitely the most inspiring event for me, as it sparked a fire in me I thought was put out a long time ago. After witnessing the excellence displayed by the orchestra at the Philharmonic, I have a new drive to pursue playing musical instruments again. Being a former trumpet player, I was upset that the orchestra was string dominated, but most orchestra’s today are. Nonetheless, I now have a recurring urge to begin playing again and I regret giving up the trumpet after six years of experience. Perhaps living in an apartment building hinders my pursuit because the trumpet is a relatively loud instrument and I’ve had complaints when playing in the past. Because of this, I also have an urge to learn to play the piano. I’ve wanted to learn the piano for quite some time now and I think after witnessing this event I have the motivation I need to go about my aspiration.
Classical music isn’t always my top choice, but I definitely enjoyed the orchestra’s performance. I enjoyed the second piece in particular; I got to observe the pianist, Garrick Ohlsson, at work and how intricate his playing style was. He looked very careful on each note he played and as a result, his performance was flawless. The lead violinist was also very impressive; I remember parts of their solos (if you’d call it that) and they truly stood out from the rest of the orchestra. The brass instruments and drums weren’t spectacular; they didn’t get many chances to play. I remember watching the brass instruments play a series of notes, then put their instruments down and wait about 3 minutes to play again. The strings however were incredible and I applaud them for the ability to endure playing such long pieces while still performing magnificently.
Now it’s time for me to go buy myself a keyboard so I can pursue the ambitions brought on by the Philharmonic orchestra. These events surely change me as a person; every event that passes I feel a new urge to pick up a new hobby and sometimes a new career. This term has been great and I’ll never forget the experiences I’ve had with all the great people in this class. Thank you Professor Judell.
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“Any instrument well played will open my heart, but only the heavenly scream of a trumpet will rapture my Soul.” – Joe Correia
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Of all types of art, I definitely like music the most. I didn’t grow up listening to classical music because I’m not particularly fond of the soft melodies it often produces, but I do like the works of Beethoven and Debussy. Although I’m not a classical fanatic, I do love instrumental/orchestra music, particularly that of Hans Zimmer and James Horner. I guess I like music that’s more dramatic and is very effective in provoking emotions. Hans Zimmer and James Horner are great at this and thus the reason why I love their music.
I’ve listened to a few classical pieces before because it’s calming, but I’ve never heard the ones played at Avery Fisher Hall. Of the three pieces played, I liked the second piece the best. The climax of the piece was very intense, which was a good juxtaposition to its soft beginning. I also loved the pianist – his finger-work was incredible! I was particularly amazed by the fact that he managed to play his whole part without sheet music. He is going to be my role model (in terms of music) from now on because I’ve been trying to learn the piano on my own for almost a year now and I still can’t read sheet music. I’m just going to play music without sheets. Also, I think the cello soloist from the first piece was great too. Aside from the music (just the one I mentioned), I also enjoyed watching the musicians play, especially the violinists. I was mesmerized by their harmony not just in the music, but the movement of their arms as well. Everything was in sync – simply amazing. It’s not that the other musicians didn’t catch my eye, but I am particularly fond of the violinists because they are like the core of the orchestra. The violinists make up a majority of the orchestra and the music itself. In addition to the music and the musicians, I also thought the conductor was great. I can tell that she was really captured by the music. Her leadership contributed greatly to the success of the performance.
I was very excited to attend my first orchestra but I am not particularly impressed by what I heard. I’ve watched many orchestras perform on PBS and other programs before and I almost always enjoyed the music. But there’s something about that particular performance we saw that didn’t work for me. It’s not the fact that I wasn’t captured by the music in general, but the fact that the orchestra did not perform well. A key factor in making music, especially instrumental music, enjoyable for the audience is to put one’s heart and soul into it. The music that we heard that night lacked feeling and emotion. This was clear to me since the first piece was played – the trumpeters seemed bored. This continued throughout the entire performance. Also, many musicians were intensively focused on the sheet music – so much so that they rarely looked at the conductor. Because of the orchestra’s lack of emotions, their music and performance was greatly affected (in my opinion).
In addition to the poor performance, I also didn’t like the seats that we were in. We were only able to see half of the orchestra…at least I saw the conductor.
Overall, although the first live orchestra performance that I attended was relatively poor, I still love orchestra music in general and I will gladly attend another performance.
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After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.
Aldous Huxley (1894 – 1963), “Music at Night”, 1931It’s alright to be disappointed, but express your disappointment with a bit more zing. Sometimes a word grasped from a thesaurus can transform a whole critique.
Also, look at your playbill or go online to discover the names of the artists and compositions you are reflecting upon.
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Avery Fisher hall was magnificent. The walk to our seats was exhilarating. I was awed by the abstract gold plated chandelier and other sculptures that were situated near the escalators. I think fell in love with the building more than I did with the music.
BUT the music was also dazzling! I loved the “plucking of the strings” technique, and the beautiful combination of the piano and the harp. It was difficult for me to focus on any one instrument but I couldn’t tear my eyes off of the harp. The lady plucking the strings did it so with such grace and confidence that towards the end I was rendered speechless, envious, inspired all at the same time.
The seats were a definite drawback. Because we were on the third tier I kept craning my neck to try to catch a glimpse of the stage. But for me going to a place like the Lincoln Center and not being able to see the stage was a bit disheartening. After a while I just gave up and closed my eyes to enjoy the music. And it was at this very moment that I connected with the music. Hayden stated this feeling beautifully, “ I was cut off from the world. There was no one to confuse or torment me, and I was forced to become original.” I remember my high school school music teacher, Mr. Vujovic wagging his finger at us when we were studying master composers of their time and saying, “good music will speak to you. It will tell you a story from start to finish. You just have to let your imagination loose.” And because everyone has a different imagination music will affect every person differently.
I distinctly recall my class (including myself) groaning when we heard we were going to be studying classical music but Mr. Vujovic opened a new door in our lives and taught us to not just listen to the music but connect to it. This event just made the connection stronger.
I have a long-list of things that I would like to do at some point in my life (kind of like a bucket list) and playing an instrument is one of them. This event made me realize the skill, patience, and practice that it takes to produce good music. I hate it when people look at the orchestra and say, “Bah, playing the piano or a violin looks so easy.” Keyword –LOOKS, try it yourself and then we shall see.
All in all it was another great experience that really opened my eyes. I do not think I will ever look musicians the same way ever again.
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Now I know when your eyes are closed in class, you are just listening to the music of my voice.
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I thought that night’s performance was an auditory treat because it was a great sampling of different genres of symphonic music. I guess I have limited my exposure to symphonic music to some of the better-known pieces of Beethoven, Vivaldi, and Chopin and I have little practical experience with symphonic music — I played the cello for two years in middle school. Nevertheless, this sampling gave me the opportunity to be exposed to other genres of music and allowed me to assess the emotions evoked by pieces from different genres. Beethoven’s quote resonated the most with my experience listening to the New York Philharmonic play that night because I felt that as the pieces progressed the give and take between the three genres (classical, expressionist, and romantic) as one developed after the other in history became evident.
The first piece by Haydn was very smooth, free flowing and jubilant. It doesn’t denote any of the harshness of his personal life. As a child, he was what could be considered a “starving artist” today. This status continued even as an adult as he was intermittently homeless. He had an unhappy marriage and had multiple mistresses. He even suffered from nasal polyposis. But, rather than expressing these hardships explicitly, he tamed the same passion it took to overcome them to drive his music. And I think this is an endearing quality, especially for musicians. I saw this same passion amidst the string section. They were all committed to be pitch perfect and express the intents of Haydn. And this consummated the piece for me.
Whereas Haydn didn’t denote his hardships in his piece, Martinu expressed his emotions outright in his piano concerto. This second piece was shifted and turned at sharper intervals than the pervious one. It was also intense at times given the severity with which they were playing. But, at the same time, it was meditative. I have always admired musicians who utilized the piano as their main accompaniment whether it be Frederic Chopin, Elton John, Billy Joel, or Ben Folds. I was very impressed at the talent with the piano player’s (Garrick Ohlsson) talent. The solos he had to do during the piece were both well executed and natural. He certainly raised the expectations that I have for the above group.
The last piece was certainly my favorite because it had the smooth transitions of the Haydn symphony with the severity of the Martinu concerto and more. The string section and the woodwind and brass sections were utilized equally in this piece to great effect. They complimented each other, especially in the second movement. And at various times throughout the piece they were isolated to shine in their own.
Aside from the pieces themselves, I felt like I saved myself the awkwardness of not knowing when to clap by going onto youtube and listening to all the pieces, getting an unconscious familiarity of when each movement ended. Of course, I didn’t intend to know when each movement ended. I only looked it up to see what I was heading in for, like listening to a preview of main ideas in a speech so that I won’t get lost and will know what to look for. Yet, it was still awkward because I didn’t expect so much coughing going on during the silence between movements. But, now I know what to expect. Not that it still won’t be awkward. At least, now I know that I can join in.
Needless to say, my interest in symphonic music was whetted by this experience. And, I hope to go back to a concert of this nature in the near future.
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Sorry. My fault. I should have directed you to this article earlier: CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT ETIQUETTE: http://www.essortment.com/all/classicalmusi_rwsl.htm
Now when you take this seminar again next semester, you’ll be much more at ease.
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Even though I am not a New York Phil Harmonic member, I am a human being, and by nature, egocentric. No matter how hard I try to start this comment with something not related to my own experience, I wind up using the word “I”. Therefore, I will be somehow drawing a connection between this orchestral performance and me, myself, and I. I apologize.
I took vocal lessons and piano lessons throughout my childhood and in my freshman year of high school in Brooklyn, New York. I was in the music department of my school, so I was fortunate enough to watch every spring and winter concert the department put on. With the 3 different orchestras in my school and a grand total of over 10 classical concerts attended and involved in, I approached Avery Fisher Hall believing I had had sufficient exposure to classical music–I was wrong.
The performance we watched in early November was superb. I loved watching each soloist fill the hall with their own sound, making the instrument channel their own emotions. It sounded real and pure–and professional. Going to Lincoln Center to get lost in the music was easy once you saw how easily the performers got lost in it themselves. Witnessing on such a large scale how the conductor unifies and leads 40 people with grace, ease and control was a powerful experience. It was really cool to sit back and just listen too–without looking at the players. If I closed my eyes, it was like the music only played for me. The third symphony was definitely my favorite of the night. I enjoyed the lively melodies and the use of percussions such as the cymbals . The first and second violinists were really great in each symphony–but I particularly enjoyed the third piece because I felt it was easier to connect to the action it incorporated into its composure.
I thoroughly enjoyed the New York Phil Harmonic, and I am so grateful to be in this class where we get to experience things like this so frequently.
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I guess you agree with Bach then when he said, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” Well, you didn’t mention God, but your soul did indeed sound refreshed.
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This was such a fantastic experience. I’ve been involved with music my whole life. I began singing lessons at age four, and I began playing flute at age nine. Since then, I’ve learned five other instruments, and all throughout middle school and high school my schedule was packed full of chorus and band rehearsals.
This concert was such a..treat (for lack of a better word) to someone like me. I have never been to a concert of this caliber, and it was truly breathtaking to be at the NY Philharmonic. I loved every minute of the performances, and felt truly moved. I have a pretty decent classical music library, and I had heard the Haydn piece before. Though I wish I would have perhaps, studied the other pieces before I went to the concert, I still had a great time hearing some of the pieces for the first time.
I’ve always been a Haydn fan, ever since I received a piece of his from my piano teacher a few years ago. I also just used his “Serenade” to audition for the CCNY orchestra. I do not know too many people who truly enjoy Haydn’s music, but I find it wonderful. It is simple, but beautiful in its simplicity. Haydn didn’t try too hard to impress, he used the instruments he had to create melody and fluidity.
I’m not very familiar with Martinu, but I rather enjoyed this piece at the NYPhil. Garrick Ohlsson is..a musical talent unlike many other I’ve seen. His expression and ability to play that music blew my mind. The orchestral accompaniment was particularly interesting to me. I found that Martinu’s intwining of the soloist and the orchestra messed perfectly, even in a piece full of dissonance and harmony.
I very much enjoyed the Sibelius work because, like most other people…think of exactly that when we think of classical music. It was three movements, balanced, and full. It left me satisfied and feeling complete, which is why I think it was a perfect piece to end with. I think I’ll probably download it. 🙂
As for “my favorite,” well, it’s hard to say. I enjoy classical music for many different reasons, and each piece seems to serve different purposes for me. I think I can just judge the whole concert and the whole evening. I feel undeniably lucky to be in New York City experiencing the best the world has to offer. This night, just as all the others we have experienced together, will not be forgotten.
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Jean Sibelius: “Pay no attention to what the critics say. A statue has never been erected in honor of a critic.”
I wonder if any professors have received a statue.
Anyway, it’s enlightening to hear about your well-rounded musical education.
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Ah, the NY Philharmonic concert. I have had orchestral experience in the past, and I’ve probably been to more than ten orchestra concerts, none of them as grand and professional as this one.
My experience with orchestral music has reminded me that, before I step into the concert hall, I need to listen to the pieces beforehand!! It’s MUCH better to know what to expect, and figuring how the conductor interprets some segments differently is always enlightening. I’ll get something new out of the music every time.
But alas, I didn’t have the chance to get to know the pieces. Plus, I am not very familiar with Haydn, and Sibelius was quite an obscure figure to me. It’s often difficult to get a grasp of a long, orchestral piece at the first time listening to it, so what I looked for during the concert were remarkable solo parts from various instruments. And of course, the pianist’s solo as well.
The cello solo from the third movement in the first piece was great! The combination of plucking the strings and using the bow was remarkable. In the first movement of the second piece, there was a clarinet solo, and oh my, the clarinetist’s tone was so first-rate. I play the clarinet and I told myself, “that’s how it is really supposed to sound like!” It had such a rich and centered tone…well, obviously the guy was using a very thick reed, but sound of the clarinet filled the air like intense heat from a fireplace. Later and constantly throughout, there were oboe parts. I remember making fun of a friend who played the oboe because it sounded like a dying duck.
The piano solo made me think of words like tornado, chaos, disorder. I couldn’t extract a motif or like a repeating melody but the pianist often moved both of his hands from the left end of the piano to the right, and that sounded disorderly to me. It reminded me of Hanon exercises when I learned to play the piano- the exercise which trains the pianist’s hands by letting them play variously designed scales from one end of piano to the other, without much attention to melody.
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Acker Bilk, musician: “I look at my clarinet sometimes and I think, I wonder what’s going to come out of there tonight? You never know.”
I hope you play in your final project.
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Nietzsche may have been accurate in his analysis of Haydn, but that was not what touched me most Saturday evening. After the first thirty minutes of the performance, of which I was wary of falling over the railing in the orchestra box, I began to enjoy what was a masterful presentation of musical greatness. But what made me take such a liking to the symphony was not the music itself; rather it was an old memory that the music brought to light for the first time in a long time. The ideal, quintessential American grandfather-grandson relationship is marked by days of fishing and catch, but I did not have such a childhood. I did spend most of my early youth with my grandfather, but what we shared was classical music.
My grandfather, an Armenian immigrant, was a fairly illiterate man with little schooling. However, I came to realize that what he lacked in his youth he compensated for when he reached middle and old age. The man who had no knowledge of mathematics, eloquence, or writing was able to teach me my ABC’s, 123’s, and, most importantly, the world of classical music. At four o’clock, the living room television would always be tuned to channel 67 or 75, the BCAT stations that had classical music programming in the late afternoons. Classic Arts Showcase it was called; I can still recall my grandfather sounding out the letters of those three words in an attempt to learn the English language to the best of his ability. Following homework and an imaginary game of baseball that I would play in the living room, I would turn my attention to the musical wonders of Bizet, Bach, and the rest of history’s genius composers.
Everyday I would look forward to the next presentation, whether it was Carmen or Tosca. Many dinner table chatters involved my grandfather singing classical tunes to me and challenging me to guess their identity. Today, I can no longer do that; not because by grandfather is dead, but because I am consumed by college. I can do nothing but accept to this period in my life, yet I am troubled by it. It seems quite clear that as we progress with new beginnings in college, the ones we love and have loved for years are reaching irrevocable endings. The man who raised me and opened my eyes to a remarkable world now sits watching his classical music broadcasts alone. I can only speculate, but for me I am certain that he wishes for the “good old days.” Yesterday evening he was at my side. We have never left each other, nor shall we ever depart from our state of kinship.
*Thank you for the tickets Professor. I have always dreamed of becoming a writer and I have always wanted to write a book documenting my grandfather’s life. This only the start of my attempt, and I credit last night’s performance as the foundation, the stepping stone from which my dream begins.
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A poignant, superlative response as always. Definitely take some writing courses here before you graduate.
Moving on, a Katie Greenwood once wrote: “Music isn’t just learning notes and playing them. You learn notes to play the music of your soul.” Possibly then for those of us who can’t play, listening to the music we connect with is discovering the music of our souls in a “secondhand” manner.
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