Being a fan of the Romeo and Juliet score by Prokofiev, my perception of the rehearsal is biased. Though the interruptions during the music did take away from the flow of some songs, I found the event still extremely enjoyable. I have never heard the New York Philharmonic and I have never heard the score played by a live orchestra. So when I heard my favorite selection from the score, “Montagues and Capulets”, I feel in love with it all over again. The sound of all the musical pieces was so crisp and so nuanced that every piece they played, with or without the interruptions, sounded beautiful.I was surprised by the range of the age of the musicians. They ranged from young to old, yet all seemed to play at a very high level. The length of the rehearsal might be good enough for the musicians, but for the listener it can start to seem way too long and make the listener inclined to sleep through a portion of it. If you enjoy classical music though, or enjoy the sound of instruments beautifully collaborating together, then this will be worth the length. The songs played were truly music to my ears.
I think going to the performance would be much more rewarding. You listen to a polished concert with no interruptions; however for someone who has never listened to the philharmonic before, can enjoy the music with the interruptions and wants cheaper tickets, this might be a good performance to attend.
