It may seem like the only events I participate in here are classical concerts, but I promise that is not true. Today I hiked through the Wienerwald (the Vienna Woods). It was actually the second time I walked through those woods but this most recent excursion was extra enjoyable and real purty. I felt like I was at Bard or my country house during the peakest foliage time possible.
However, I also went to another kararararazzy concert last night. Mr. Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony (how convenient, today was my pastoral day) which was nice but the conductor was way too reserved. But the second half? Mr. Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. That was just right. I was also a bit more comfortable for the Rite than the Pastoral since I stood for the former and sat for the latter.
As I've mentioned in earlier posts, I'm what some may call a "seat-grabber" as in I look for empty seats in the concert hall while standing for the first half and then during intermission, I sit in any empty seat I find. Last night, I searched for two seats together, one for me and one for Chris. The two-seaters didn't' really work out so we were forced to split up. I told him to remain calm and to sit in the 15th row on the left. I scoped out a seat a little closer to the stage, but I worked my magic, cough and all. That reminds me, I've got an awful cough at the moment and that was no different last night. Throughout the Beethoven, I did a pretty decent job of holding my coughs in. The Stravinsky...ehhh.
Apparently, I didn't do too well as the man next to me never stopped taking quick glances at me.
SO HERE WE GO: Daniele Gatti, one of the leading conductors of the day and his Orchestre National de France sat and stood about 20 feet in front of me (a giddy little 20 year old who had never seen the Rite performed before). I won't go into too much description but there was a point about halfway through the Rite of Spring when I needed to cough, I had to, there was nothing I wanted more than to let out a gigantic "KAUGHHHHOIDASDJA." Unfortunately, I was sitting next to Meanie McGee so I knew that I couldn't cough or it'd ruin this guy's night. I kept it in. I may have turned red, I'm not sure. At one point, I couldn't take it - I did the unthinkable -- I took out a cough drop from my pocket. [quick dirty look from MM] My eyes began watering. My fists were clenched. I thought of happy thoughts, or at least, I tried to. I swallowed every second to try and rid myself of this deadly urge. At another point I may have clenched my fists a little too tight because Meanie McGee turned to me and gave my yet another dirty look. I can only wonder, though, what he thought when he saw me clearly in pain, seemingly in tears. Perhaps he thought it was the Stravinsky that moved me so. It surely moved me, but that's not what was causing my tears or the hellish, indescribable pain. Somehow, somehow, I survived and it turns out the Meanie wasn't actually that mean, maybe just a tad socially awkward (he also thought the Stravinsky was awful and the Beethoven was spectacular....idiot) - hey, we all have our boiling points and problems.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqpjf65FpV0&feature=related
Here's my entertainment for the evening. Ciao fah now, children and meine elders.
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