Go To A Concert

Fortunately, I attended a concert in March that is ideal as the basis for this exercise. I did previously write a brief overview of my experience at the concert, so I'll try not to duplicate too much here.

The concert was performed at Birmingham Symphony Hall, by the London Concert Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Inglis. It was a programme of mostly romantic-era music, but it also featured some baroque and 20th century works. The performance required the use of the full orchestra, and also a grand piano for Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. The instrumentation was all conventional, covering the string, woodwind, brass and percussion spectrum. For three of the pieces soloists were required; Thomas Gould on violin for Massenet's Méditation and Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending, and Jonathan Scott on piano for Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.

The repertoire selected for the programme was gathered together under the banner of 'Classics for Spring'. Most of the pieces were familiar to me, as they are popular and well-known works. The two pieces that were unknown to me at the time are Massenet's Méditation from Thaïs and Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Italien. The programme that I purchased on the day has been very helpful in enlightening me on the background to these two pieces. Tchaikovsky, thought of as a typical Russian composer, gathered the themes for his capriccio from the local popular melodies he heard whilst on a visit to Rome. Massenet's piece is a symphonic intermezzo from his opera Thaïs, scored for solo violin and orchestra.

Seeing the music performed live was definitely a different experience to watching the same thing on TV, or hearing it on the radio. I attribute this to the fact that in a live concert setting you are hearing the music unfiltered; direct from instrument to ear, whereas on even a high quality recording some things may get lost in translation. Being at a live event, you also feel more involved in the music; the conductor refers directly to the audience of which you are part of, and you receive the vibes of collective enjoyment from the other audience members which electrifies the experience. This is much more satisfying than the often solitary experience you have when listening to the radio or watching TV.

I think purchasing and taking the time to thoroughly read the concert programme for a classical music event is essential. For one thing, the few pounds spent on the programme is extra revenue for the orchestra which will enable it to continue performing, and also because the background, form, instrumentation etc. of classical music is often complex, so having an overview in front of you on the page is very useful for knowing a little about what you are about to hear. This is especially important for music that you are unfamiliar with; an outline of the piece, like a map, gives you some knowledge of what to expect, which enhances your enjoyment of the music.

I frequently keeps tabs on upcoming performances at my local venues, but I'm often limited due to the costs involved. Although I will continue to attend large evening concerts where possible, I am also going to look out for low cost and free performances that are available, such as lunch-time concerts.