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Beethoven tonight was just powerful. It wasn't a flawless performance by any means; we definitely missed a couple of entrances (there was something in the double fugue where it sounded like only a couple other basses and I got an entrance), and I'm not proud of the fact that I somehow managed to skip two measures in a particular line. But there was something electrifying about that last movement that made it fly by in an instant.
The orchestra was wonderful in both the Triple Concerto and the first three movements of the Beethoven. John gave a great pre-symphony talk as usual. I can't begin to describe what it felt like because I'm not sure myself; it took a while to come down from the adrenaline rush afterwards. It's the same kind of feeling you get from running a really good race... I suppose one can get that kind of emotional response from emergency stuff but I have yet to go on any real calls.
But I digress... the fourth movement felt like it was over in 5 minutes. It was the same thing that made my high school performance of the Brahms Requiem feel like 15 minutes even though it was close to an hour long. In this concert at least, we were sitting waiting to go for nearly two hours, before the movement began. So by the time the bass soloist started singing "O Freunde, nicht diese Tone!" there was this incredible amount of pent-up energy that just had to go somewhere. It was just a kind of intense concentration -- where you're looking at the music and the baton, thinking about your breathing, the diction, the dynamics. I don't know if I've ever had a concert where it felt quite that intense, where I was going from blasting fortissimo high F's to hovering over pianissimo long notes so quickly. Maybe, to draw a somewhat pertinent analogy, singing the Beethoven tonight was a lot more like running the 800 as opposed to the 5k. With most of the other, longer pieces that we usually do, the focus still has to be there but it's a little more restrained in a way.
Anyway, it's time for bed. And thanks to everyone who came to my birthday party today and made it wonderful. :)
The orchestra was wonderful in both the Triple Concerto and the first three movements of the Beethoven. John gave a great pre-symphony talk as usual. I can't begin to describe what it felt like because I'm not sure myself; it took a while to come down from the adrenaline rush afterwards. It's the same kind of feeling you get from running a really good race... I suppose one can get that kind of emotional response from emergency stuff but I have yet to go on any real calls.
But I digress... the fourth movement felt like it was over in 5 minutes. It was the same thing that made my high school performance of the Brahms Requiem feel like 15 minutes even though it was close to an hour long. In this concert at least, we were sitting waiting to go for nearly two hours, before the movement began. So by the time the bass soloist started singing "O Freunde, nicht diese Tone!" there was this incredible amount of pent-up energy that just had to go somewhere. It was just a kind of intense concentration -- where you're looking at the music and the baton, thinking about your breathing, the diction, the dynamics. I don't know if I've ever had a concert where it felt quite that intense, where I was going from blasting fortissimo high F's to hovering over pianissimo long notes so quickly. Maybe, to draw a somewhat pertinent analogy, singing the Beethoven tonight was a lot more like running the 800 as opposed to the 5k. With most of the other, longer pieces that we usually do, the focus still has to be there but it's a little more restrained in a way.
Anyway, it's time for bed. And thanks to everyone who came to my birthday party today and made it wonderful. :)
