May Day
I went into Oxford very early this morning and made my way to the Sheldonian Theatre in Broad Street, because I was fortunate enough to have tickets for the unique visit by conductor Daniel Barenboim and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Their annual European Concert was hosted by Oxford this year, the first visit by them to Oxford in 30 years. My tickets were for the unreserved upper gallery, so I was determined to be first in the queue to get in and get seats with a view. So I found myself early on a sunny morning in the midst of the traditional Oxford May morning revels: Morris Men, girls in flowered hats and dresses dancing in the street, students having an early drink at the pubs in the Broad, lots of noise, litter and good humour. By 9am the May revellers had gone home to bed and the more sober classical music fans were lining up to get into the Sheldonian for the 10am start. Sleek German cars with German number plates were arriving to deposit the orchestra and the VIPs. The concert was sponsored by VW, who had reserved all the good seats in the theatre for their guests – shame on them that some remained unoccupied throughout the concert while the real Oxford music lovers were crammed into the gallery, knees wedged against the back of the person in front. Oh but it was worth it!
First we heard the Prelude to Act 3 of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg; then Elgar’s Cello Concerto. How could Barenboim not have been thinking of his late wife, Jacqueline du Pre, who made this piece her own, as he conducted an equally talented, beautiful and profound cellist, Alisa Weilerstein (in a red satin evening dress), as she gave a performance as emotional and satisfying as her predecessor? We finished with Brahms Symphony no. 1, of terrific energy and intensity, and then the audience exploded in applause and thanks. We realised this was one of the best concerts we were ever likely to hear.
This was the 20th European Concert given by the orchestra. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the orchestra, which was founded on May Day 1882, decided to promote the idea of a united and democratic Europe by musical means, and every year since 1991 the concert has been held on 1 May in a chosen European city. It was broadcast throughout Europe today – but not in the UK, although maybe later. For once I felt European, as the music and its message spoke to me.
The problem with classical music is that it is like academic writing, its not something that can be simply picked up, you have to be taught to do it.
True art my Lady, the imagined scenes to any classical piece are astounding and beyond the ability of man to reproduce. Personally my preference is for the more energetic forms, the 1812, Beethovens 5th and Wagners “Ride of the Valkyries” though the latter being operatic.
Mix that with some Black Sabbath, a heaping of Cat Stevens and various others and you`ve my musical taste wrapped up.
You are making me jealous, Baroness Deech… Brahms is one of my favourite composers, and I am well aware of Elgar’s Cello Concerto; indeed, I have a performance by du Pre bookmarked on YouTube. Barenboim I had the opportunity to enjoy in last year’s New Year Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic. I have to say, it is a pity to see, as it so often happens, true music lovers struggle to find a seat in a venue because so many have been taken up by people who treat it as a social event. I watched a performance of Don Quixote in the ancient open-air theatre of Dion last summer, and I was thoroughly annoyed by the constant smoking and fidgeting of two women sitting in front of me, as well as by the fact that they didn’t seem to be interested in the play at all afterwards; my father later commented that they probably attended just in order to be able to say that they did. Different case, same attitudes…
Hm. I didn’t actually mean for the video to be transcluded; I only wanted to give the link.
Baroness Deech was put in the unfamiliar place for her, to “upgrade” from an inferior seat in the Sheldonian then, unlike my gentle self who always take a bird’s eye view at the ROH, in order to upgrade at the interval to the one or two spare seats which do occur?
Unusual things can happen as when the gentleman I deposited my self next to, had booked the seat adjacent for an anonymous lady from the Gods, and suddenly found me there instead.
“Aw! It doesn’t matter he replied “Now you are there, but I was hoping for a Lady”.
Imagine my surprise when I went privately for a second opinion for a broken leg some years later and found myself confronted by none other than the generous consultant.
Have I paid my dues?
Seeing Opera and ballet close up and personal is essential!
Troika, I can’;t disagree with you more. I personally gravitated towards “Classical” Music when a Child, and still love it today. While I by no means profess expertise in Music, I find that soothing yet stirring musical cords are rather Universal in appeal.
One problem I do have though is how all Music from a certain period before about 1910 is considered “Classical”, and music that follows the same style is too. Most of it is either Romantic or Berouque, and some f its even older style like Chanting, or Midaevel Lytrisism.
But, it seems we live in a Lazy Culture, and one that is taught o go to Music with only 4 notes repeated endlessly and that appeals to a baser passion, and not the intellect.