Go to the Symphony! Take a Roller Coaster Ride!!!

Today was a volunteer day with the Symphony. I was unable to attend last week and my co-workers were happy to see me this week! Aw, so sweet! So nice working with happy people!! Peggy and I were able to catch up. She attends MANY musical events in the city, is a graduate of Brown University and a character and a half!! We enjoy sharing adventures and making each other laugh. We were short one person at our table so all of us had to WORK today!! No worries, thankfully we enjoy helping others and accomplished our goals.

After glancing over the program, I was a little disappointed.....a piece from Larcher called 'Red and Green' (2010) - Not sure about you but to me NEW Symphonic music is mystifying yet peculiar.

We listened to Ronald Gallman, the Director of Education and Youth Orchestra give the lecture beforehand. He did an EXCELLENT job and was very knowledgeable and entertaining. After his lecture, he held a question/answer with the composer Larcher himself! Yup, this young man was present and discussed his musical background, where he gets his inspiration from and what he wants us to gain from listening to his piece. Next, appeared in the audience, took a seat right across the aisle from me, and opened a HUGE yellow manuscript of the music - this thing was 36" high and 24" wide, then he opened it and it doubled!! I could see the small print of each instrument, lining the pages! I thought, YES, we are in for a TREAT today!!!

In my 'notes' to talk to Peggy next month about were these:

Breaking Glass

Enormous FLIES

Enormous Bumble Bees

Amazing use of dynamics

An Accordion in the symphony? OK

Loud 'scales' no melody

Thousands of mosquitoes!!

Nerve racking

Annoying

Made me nervous

MURDER!

Needless to say, I was glad THAT was over!! One of my other volunteer friends, Dick, he is in his 80's and we joke with each other all of the time. Why do I just LOVE old men? Hmmmm....that is another blog.....Anyway, Dick happened to sit behind me. He tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around. He said, "What did you think of that?" I said, "Hmmm....not really my style. Felt like I was in a room full of mosquitoes, bumble bees and flies!!" He said, "Wait until the Violin Concerto!"
Not sure if it was planned to happen this way, but it did.....the next two pieces were extremely enjoyable. Was it because we had THAT to compare? Hmmmm.... Next on the list was Vaughan Williams - A London Symphony (1933). Still 'young' in the music world but very much enjoyable.

Then.......IT HAPPENED. I was moved to tears, once again by the San Francisco Symphony. It was a magical. It was angelic. It was heavenly. It was the most beautiful piece I have ever witnessed in my entire life. I know, I've said that before, but this one was REALLY THE ONE!!! It was Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor, Opus 64 (1844).

The Concertmaster Alexander Barantschik is the one that made everyone cry! We've heard him perform in the past and I think he made us cry at that time too. He played the "1742 Guarnerius del Gesu violin owned by Ferdinand David, who is believed to have played it in the world premiere of THIS Concerto in 1845!" This violin is in the Fine Arts Museum, "with the stipulation that it be played only by artists worthy of the instrument and its legacy." (Taken from the program notes - gotta give credit where credit is due right?)

Anyway, the concerto opens with immediate entry of the solo violin. THAT is when I stopped breathing. This piece moves you! There are parts that are so sweet, then a time of extremely FAST, difficult runs, back to very romantic and moving. What a roller coaster ride!!!

When it was over, I turned around to see what Dick had to say. I said, "THAT. is my style!!!" He said, "And THAT is why they call it 'the song of the angels'! The reason why we are all here!!" Gotta love this guy!! WOW! Very well said!! I can only hope that when I die, I get to hear this all the while I'm in Heaven, God willing!