I am currently enjoying the delights of Gustav Dudamel conducting the Simon Bolivar symphony orchestra (as supposed to the youth orchestra it used to be before they all got old). They are playing Mahler's Second Symphony, The Resurrection, I am not overly familiar but I am enjoying it none the less, personally I am not finding it heavy going as some might report Mahler to be.
Now I know many for whom this is not really an enjoyable evening, some even who when suggested to them it was a travesty they had not even listed it as an option for the evening viewing (admittedly not in all seriousness, given other options were Watchmen, Goldeneye and Con Air) it was immediately ruled out as "I'm not a cultural person." Now this truly saddens me, that you can rule out something as uninteresting purely because you view it to be boring through some predisposition to some childish perception of such things I find truly repuslive. Ok, fine, classical music may not be to everyones taste, that to me is perfectly understandable. I myself like some pieces and dislike others, as with all things we have favourites, this is fair enough. But this callous, dismissive attitude really got to me, to use a phrase from a friend and fellow blogger, it boils my piss (apologies for any that didn't get the in-joke).
I shall stop complaining now. The last performance by this group at the BBC Proms was in 2007, where they were cited as one of the highlights of the season and the nights performance subsequently as arguably one of the greatest proms performances of all time. Having also seen it on television, I could only but imagine the atmosphere and sheer spine-tingling joy felt but the largely unsuspecting audience that night. Then, they performed the likes of Arturo Marquez's Danzon No. 2, now one of my favourite and most easily listened to pieces of classical music having heard it performed live courtesy of the University of York Concert Orchestra as part of their spring performance a while ago. I fully recommend all watch the youtube video, regardless of musical preference as it is a truly wonderful spectacle. And with that I shall leave you to return to what is, yet again a formidable offering from Dudamel et al, albeit it this time a fully expected brilliant performance, and with it possibly stop annoying my mum with clicking of my phone keyboard...
Now I know many for whom this is not really an enjoyable evening, some even who when suggested to them it was a travesty they had not even listed it as an option for the evening viewing (admittedly not in all seriousness, given other options were Watchmen, Goldeneye and Con Air) it was immediately ruled out as "I'm not a cultural person." Now this truly saddens me, that you can rule out something as uninteresting purely because you view it to be boring through some predisposition to some childish perception of such things I find truly repuslive. Ok, fine, classical music may not be to everyones taste, that to me is perfectly understandable. I myself like some pieces and dislike others, as with all things we have favourites, this is fair enough. But this callous, dismissive attitude really got to me, to use a phrase from a friend and fellow blogger, it boils my piss (apologies for any that didn't get the in-joke).
I shall stop complaining now. The last performance by this group at the BBC Proms was in 2007, where they were cited as one of the highlights of the season and the nights performance subsequently as arguably one of the greatest proms performances of all time. Having also seen it on television, I could only but imagine the atmosphere and sheer spine-tingling joy felt but the largely unsuspecting audience that night. Then, they performed the likes of Arturo Marquez's Danzon No. 2, now one of my favourite and most easily listened to pieces of classical music having heard it performed live courtesy of the University of York Concert Orchestra as part of their spring performance a while ago. I fully recommend all watch the youtube video, regardless of musical preference as it is a truly wonderful spectacle. And with that I shall leave you to return to what is, yet again a formidable offering from Dudamel et al, albeit it this time a fully expected brilliant performance, and with it possibly stop annoying my mum with clicking of my phone keyboard...
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