A Close Encounter With Jaap van Zweden, Ctd.

I, too, went to the symphony last night. Glenn, you neglected to mention the performance itself, which was fantastic. I am proof that you don’t need to know anything about classical music to be amazed and entertained by a performance. From Scott Cantrell’s review:

Not from the Berlin Philharmonic, not from the Chicago Symphony will you hear a more electrifying Tchaikovsky Fourth Symphony than that delivered Thursday night by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra’s sheer virtuosity in the finale was breathtaking …

Literally, it was breathtaking. The first full, loud crash — I’m sure there’s a more elegant word — during the finale made me gasp. I was moved to tears by the time the final notes were played, and seeing the musicians turn to each other with wide smiles as they accepted applause, as if they’d surprised themselves with their performance, was so cool to see.

Pre-intermission (during the first half?) things didn’t go as well. Cantrell also wrote: “Alas, Barber’s Violin Concerto got a grotesque performance from violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg [who is not part of the home team]. Rocking back and forth, fidgeting, flailing and grimacing, Salerno-Sonnenberg immediately set about defacing musical lines with arbitrary jerks, bulges and exaggerated slowings. … I felt dirty for having witnessed the dismantling of a beautiful piece.” Again, I know nothing about classical music, but even I could tell that Salerno-Sonnenberg was a freak show.

Let’s end on a high note, though, shall we? One of my favorite moments from last night came before the first note was played. Van Zweden took the podium, and the audience erupted in applause, just thrilled that the new season was set to begin. Concertmaster Emanuel Borok stood when it was appropriate to acknowledge the audience’s warm reception — but he was the only musician to stand. At which point he half-turned to his fellow musicians and with a wry smile motioned for them to stand up. Like: “Come on, guys. This is for you. Yes, they like you!” A small thing. But it was charming.