A Long Night at the Symphony

Looking down on the good seats.

I took myself out to the final classical concert Saturday night, parking underground for $10, and with no "cheap" tickets left, I still ended way up high in the back. It was a pretty full house.

This might have been the longest symphony concert ever, with two encores before intermission and an end of the year recognition, including a lengthy tribute for a woman retiring after 50 years of playing violin with the symphony.

One of the two encores (three on Friday night!) was a 4-hand number with Maestro Marcello and his Mom. Very cute.

All the music was great! The Chopin Concerto No. 2 (actually his first--composed when he was only 19) was played impeccably by the conductor's mother, who is highly acclaimed in her native Brazil. She performed this concerto while she was pregnant with the conductor (now 39) as well! Her fingers flew over the keys in a way I don't even have words to describe--rippling maybe, lyrical rather than loud. A microphone was placed by the piano strings, which I found interesting ... and I don't think it was just for recording purposes.

In the Ravel Mother Goose Suite a contra-bassoon was featured to depict the beast in the Beauty and the Beast story. That delightful sound is what I most remember from that part of the concert!

After a long intermission and tributes, a forty minute Brahms symphony (No. 2) was programmed. A few people left, including the sniffling youngster seated behind me.

I wished that I had had a better seat and a good companion, but still, it was a great concert. I'm glad the hall can still be filled for two evenings with this kind of music. It wasn't all grey hair, either. I did notice a good number of grossly overweight women, though!

Since I am a late night person, I did not get sleepy, even though it was a long, stiff sit.

On the way home the sky was looking pretty freaky. Black clouds were passing over the large moon. I continued  about five blocks past my house to get a better view. This is what my Samsung s9 captured at 10:51 PM: