Last night Mark and I went to hear the UCLA Philharmonia perform. The first half was Webern’s 6 Pieces for Orchestra followed by the Mahler “Songs of a Wayfarer.” The second half was the Beethoven Eroica. I was thrilled Mark agreed to my usual plan of staying for half the concert. I know the eroica symphony, have heard it too many times and agree students need to know it as well. But I’ve heard it enough. And the first half was a complete meal for me. My musical stomach is smaller these days. 45 minutes or less is just fine. Especially when one of them is a new work.
Part of my problem is a physical one that I share with my father: a very long torso. This makes sitting for long periods of time fatiguing to my back. Ditto opera, movies and long rides in planes, cars or trains. Sometimes I’ll take a naprosyn before sitting for a long period and that helps. It may just be a problem unique to professional musicians and music teachers. Music is special, and we want to keep it that way. Three cheers for short concerts!
—
During the concert a cricket sang along with the Webern. It actually kind of worked. I had heard complaints about our cricket from others, he does have a rather loud voice, but it gave a kind of calming feeling to the event.
[Photo: The White Door by Roger Bourland]
{ 1 comment }
Comments on this entry are closed.