Category: Carnegie (Page 2 of 2)

When I first walked into Carnegie Hall I was awe-struck. It was beautiful. The gold accents against the white walls and ceilings and red velvet seats gave the hall an elegant feel. I had never been to a concert like this before so I did not know what to expect.

Anne-Sophie Mutter herself was a graceful vision in yellow. She played the violin with such experienced hands. What I liked was how Mutter brought forward the soloist violinists to play with her. The sound of the soft, high notes of the violins was complimented by the lower notes of the cellos and double base. The swaying movement of the musicians also contributed to the rhythm of the music.

Moreover, I liked how the musicians played classical music but also added some modern pieces. I think that if we don’t include modern pieces such as those, we will always be stuck in the past and future generations will not remember the musicians today.

Honestly I never took an interest in classical music and orchestras so this was a new experience for me and I’m glad I was there to see it.

Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi had a brilliant performance at Carnegie Hall. I loved the pieces performed. The Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, Strings, and Continuo in D Minor and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons were beloved classics performed perfectly by Mutter and her virtuosi. In Bach’s Concerto, Mutter played with three different soloists and gave them their own moments to shine. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was played with vivacity. The fast movements were shockingly impeccable. Andre Previn’s Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra offered a modern piece of music to enjoy. I was captivated by the energy and originality of piece, but I found the harpsichord interludes stark in comparison to the fullness of Mutter and her students. I loved how passionately Mutter and the students played. I was amazed by how incredibly talented the students were. Mutter had a way of captivating the audience with her soulful playing.

When I found out that we were going to see Anne-Sophie Mutter at Carnegie Hall I was so excited. Bach’s works are one of my favorite classical pieces and I listen to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons probably at least once a week. So, this was certainly one of my favorite outings, since I was able to distinguish previous experience from actually visualizing it live. It’s one thing to see a digitalized image on a computer or listen to a song through headphones, and a completely different experience seeing, hearing, and getting lost in a performance that comes to life.

One particular detail that I paid attention to was the rhythm and motion of the musicians’ bodies. I find their facial and body expressions so empowering because I can sense the music possessing them. Certainly not choreographed, I found it fascinating that when the musicians play the same piece they end up moving in a similar fashion, as if this “dance” was pre-arranged. I also found that my favorite parts were those when everyone played together, rather than the attention being on a soloist. Having multiple varying notes, beats, rhythms, sounds and expressions coalesce with each other produced an image of a flashing storm of sounds for me, as if I were being overwhelmed and bombarded with multiple waves at once. The irony is that instead of hearing it as chaos, the different degrees of waves still manage to synchronize with each other at the same time, enlivening and heightening the senses.

I had the best time at this outing. I never knew I loved classical music so much, so I was pleasantly surprised.

My favorite pieces were Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

I heard the call and response technique often in these two pieces. What I loved about Four Seasons was the story behind it. In the playbill, there was a small story for each season, and I connected the story to the sounds. It was beautiful to listen to and watch

I loved watching each player as they played their instrument. They get so into it. Their facial expressions are serious, then sad then happy, and the way they move their bodies is magnificent.

I loved how Anne-Sophie Mutter would turn around to each player and almost cheer them on as she was playing her violin. She was also a beauty to watch. So elegant, yet so powerful at the same time.

It was definitely an experience I will never forget.

Violins, violas, cellos, double basses and a harpsichord. That is  my kind of concert.

When the concert started, I just wanted the notes to surround me and suck me in. At some points it did, but at others I felt like an outsider to the music. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert, but I just wanted to be sitting on the stage in the middle of the orchestra. I wanted to be closer to the music.

I want to see how it is to sit right in front of the stage. To feel the vibrations of the strings.

But, don’t we all?