Tag Archives: music

Watching a concert from literally a different perspective

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A week ago, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Cornell Symphony Orchestra concert would be a Rose event. Since I play in the CSO, it was nice to know that I would be fulfilling my rose event at the same time performing in the concert!

In the concert I played the viola and was fortunately located right at the center of the stage where I could observe all the players. Like many other concerts we have had in the past, the performance was very different from our usual practice. In rehearsal, the orchestra concentrates on all the technical aspects of each piece which drains out much of the fun and makes the music seem lifeless and repetitive.  As performers, our main goal is not to mess up during the actual concert. However on the day of the actual performance, people are no longer nervous about making mistakes because there is no use worrying about it. All the musicians can do is do their best. Even the conductor always reminds the orchestra on the day of the concert to relax and enjoy the music, and not to worry about making mistakes during the performance. This way of thinking aways works and makes the music feel alive and transformed.  In many ways, I think the performance on the actual day is special because we too (not just the audience) are able to enjoy the music .

While this performance was just another great experience, it was also a sad one for many of the musicians because the visiting conductor would be leaving after this semester. Even though he is just a visiting guest conductor for this semester, the short time we had with him has created a bond. While many musicians (including myself) did not attempt to get to know him on a personal level, almost all of the people I talked to felt sad that he would be leaving. This is quite interesting because it shows that music crates a sense of attachment between people. Since successful performance requires the conductor to understand the characteristics of the orchestra, it is necessary for everyone to understand the conductor at a deeper psychological level. Though this usually happens naturally over time, it is interesting how this deep understanding of one another can lead to an unnoticed friendship between the orchestra and conductor.

IMG-459107932While this particular performance was very exhausting compared to others, it was also a great one. I am already looking forward to next semester’s performance!

Rich culture

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Music has always been an important part of my life. As a child, I always felt inspired after a good concert or some musical event. It always gave me a sense of deep satisfaction and comfort. However for a great deal of my life good musical performances were hard to come by, for I lived in a poor small city in Japan where classical music was almost nonexistent. Unlike the United States where foreign music and art is fairly accessible throughout the country, Japan only has accessible foreign cultural events clustered around well-known large metropolitan areas like Tokyo and Kyoto-Osaka. Obscure cities like mine that are far from these major metropolitan centers are unable to afford most international musical ensembles and famous art exhibitions. The few that might come to a city like ours would usually be overpriced ( $300~) and would be mediocre performances.

When I moved back to the United States three years ago, I was shocked to see the richness and abundance of music as well as other cultural related events. After the Freiburg performance, I remembered how lucky I am to have access to such events that would be inaccessible to most people in Japan and other countries. Thank you to all who made this special event possible!

Watching a Quartet close up

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Music is something I really enjoy, especially classical. Tonight, I went to hear the Momenta Quartet perform in a professor’s apartment. At first I was surprised to hear that the performance would take place in an apartment. It just seemed that it would be too tight. And indeed, the space was too small for the quartet. The large audience sat right up against musicians who performed their intense yet wonderful music. As a violist myself, I really enjoyed sitting up close to the musicians and observing their techniques. However for a large portion of the audience, I could see that sitting up close was not a great experience. In fact, the music was probably less appealing and a bit too loud. As part of the audience, the performance felt like an intense fight between four instruments.  For me, I enjoyed watching this “fight” or interaction between the musicians. It gave me a better understanding on the importance of psychological connection between musicians. Therefore, even though the performance was a bit too intense and loud for the size of the room, for me it was nice to have the oppertunity to watch the musicians up close.