“What do you think about when you’re listening?” I asked my Mom during intermission.
We were at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Muti, Uchida & Mozart. I haven’t been to see classical music in years, but even from my nosebleed galley seats, I was reminded of the pure magic of great music.
My mom tells me what she was thinking and how her thoughts melted away into relaxation. The pianist in the first half was amazing — it was beautiful to watch and hear her play. I agreed.
I was thinking about my story and writing, and August Rush, and watching the individuals in the orchestra one by one.
During the second half I was thinking that one glass of wine during intermission really gets to my head and that staying out to ten seems a little late, doesn’t it? Maybe this means I am at the right age to be going to the symphony.
When I listen to classical music, I’m usually writing in my apartment. Music is a canvas to create a story. Watching a concert, in a way, was a license to do the same. I have never been particularly musical talented myself, so I easily pleased and impressed. When I watched a concert like the one last night, the easy amusement tips into awe.
“Without music,” Nietzsche said, “life would be a mistake.”
Life, last night, was not a mistake.
With Love,
Natalie