A Different Symphony Experience

The concert Monkey and I were to attend in January had to be cancelled due to an ice storm, so the education department at the symphony offered the opportunity for folks to attend a working rehearsal. I was intrigued to see what this was like, and I dragged the two younger children along with me.

It was a relief to leave behind the drone of the saw in the basement cutting into the wall to relax in the opulence of the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall.

The picture above shows the rows of empty seats for this relaxed concert. There were one or two school groups in attendance…and us.

This photo is a little tough to decipher, but I’m attempting to show the symphony in their casual comfort. The Maestro is in jeans and has a stool to sit on. The tuxedos and heels we are used to seeing are no where in sight.

The soloist for the Mahler concert was Jennifer Koh. To be able to listen and watch the intensity, energy, and sheer power she brought to the music was riveting for me. I didn’t know Mahler’s music before this, and parts of the concert were haunting and eery. And Jennifer Koh’s command of the violin, after watching Buster learn to play, held me in awe.

The entire experience was very different from the other concerts we have been to. The concerts the symphony puts on for children always have some sort of a hook to help the children stay focused. We’ve seen dancers, watched videos, the conductor always chats with the audience between songs. But this was a working rehearsal.

Giancarlo Guerrero gave us a humorous little wave akin to Thor when the rehearsal began:

but that was it. These were people on a job, working their craft. People sneezed, got up and walked off-stage, one of the spotlights decided to let loose from its moorings and spin up to point straight at the ceiling, sending out a buzzing sound.

It was a fascinating look behind the scenes, while sitting in our seats.