Symphony time!

Saturday night my dad and I got dressed up and went to see a performance of Symphony #9 by Ludwig van Beethoven. We also went out for a fabulous dinner (a plus when a parent is in town).

The Utah Symphony was conducted by the world famous conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. He is 82 years old!!! He conducted the entire symphony without a score...just from memory. It was amazing!! My dad said it was the best performance of the symphony that he had ever seen (this was about the 5th time). I was also very pleased that it was performed in German, as it was written and not "english-ized"

For those who are no "music literate", this symphony has the famous "Ode to Joy" chorale in the final movement. It was the first symphony to be more than a hour long, and it was the first symphony to include a chorus. In 1985 this version of "Ode to Joy" was chosen as the official anthem for the European Union.

I liked the crisp nature that it was played. The rests had silence, the notes were very clear. I though the string bass section was excellent! There was momentum, but I never felt that the conductor was fighting with the musicians. I was enthralled for the entire 72 minutes. It is nice to find that I am rediscovering my love for music after being buried in medicine for the past 2 years. I'm really excited for some of the upcoming Symphony concerts coming up; including a Dvorak concert and Beethoven's Symphony #4.