Notes From a Curious Listener

I just had to laugh while reading the Oct 30 blog  post, "Precious Viola Moment", by Charles Noble, a viola player in the Oregon Symphony. He writes of, "one of those rare moments that is hilarious" that happened earlier in the evening during a performance. A musician shouted at the end of an especially exhilarating section of music.

I, like Charles, think this is funny and fun. Musicians shouting in enthusiasm aren't a rare exception in pop music; so why in classical music? It could get out of control, of course; but a little improvisation now and then would be a nice surprise.

My husband and I recently became friends with a couple in Berlin who love classical music and opera as we do. They took us to a concert in Kunsthaus Tacheles. The theatre only holds about 200 seats; but it was full - not bad for a classical music concert in the middle of the week. More surprising, it was full of people who are young - not just young at heart!

Why? Was it simply the low ticket price of approximately $20? I don't think so although I'm sure price is a critical factor. Just as important is the completely casual atmosphere. The theatre is a dive with a grubby, beer-stained floor that my feet stuck to. It has a black ceiling and black walls with metal, bleacher-like benches which support surprisingly comfy individual seats. The stairway and lobby is covered in graffiti, albeit pretty graffiti.

Here's a shout out to the mariachi band of the Community Music Center (CMC). They serenaded the staff and VIP guests at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the first San Diego office of Mutual of Omaha Bank. The President, Butch Dorian, said, "We wanted to highlight our commitment to kids." He has five of them himself, so he's certainly committed!

I was once told that education programs by arts organizations like La Jolla Music Society (LJMS) are never good. This person,

This program lasts five hours. We'll even be taking a dinner break in the middle. And why do I want to take an entire Sunday afternoon and evening to hear one pianist play? The answer is simple, Liszt's Années de pèlerinage, inspired by his travels throughout Europe, are gorgeous. You may legally download and listen to some of Deuxième année: Italie and decide for yourself.

Another reason is that this concert is quite unique. Marcus Overton, a genuine music aficionado and La Jolla Music Society Consultant for Special Projects, writes,  "...not only is hearing this work in its entirety a rare opportunity, but playing it in its entirety is extremely rare (the physical demands alone are daunting)..." 

So, Louis Lortie has accepted this daunting task of playing the entire work of Années de pèlerinage to celebrate Franz Liszt's 200th birthday. Lortie is also releasing the CD in early 2011.