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Monday, May 09, 2011

Resurrection

My review of Mahler's Second at SFS is up. What a performance!
Reviewing a piece this long is challenging. You can go long, if you have extensive notes and your editor is willing to publish 3,000 words. (Mine won't, and he's right.) Or you can go short, try to hit the high points, and do your best to sum up the whole adequately. Let me say, there were way more high points - transcendently gorgeous chords, brilliant solos - than I could list. I did not quite figure out how to say that I was on the verge of tears from the beginning of "Urlicht" until the final release. How'd they do it??? If yesterday hadn't been Mother's Day, I would have gone again.
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4 comments:

  1. Patrick J. VazMay 9, 2011 at 2:51:00 PM PDT

    Oh -- I agreed with you and Joshua. I did think the soloists were not at the level of the chorus, but they were fine and I was very happy with the whole thing. I wouldn't even say I was that annoyed with that woman (well, um, maybe a bit. . . ); I was more baffled and saddened. I didn't say more because frankly I didn't have much more to say.

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  2. Lisa HirschMay 9, 2011 at 2:52:00 PM PDT

    You were annoyed. :) Nothing wrong with that! But, yeah, baffling. You paid for a good ticket to see a great work and all you can do is read email? Stay home!

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  3. Patrick J. VazMay 9, 2011 at 3:04:00 PM PDT

    I guess by "annoyed" I think "I felt so enraged the performance was ruined" and it didn't reach that point. Most of the time. OK, you're right, I was annoyed. ;-)

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  4. Lisa HirschMay 9, 2011 at 3:44:00 PM PDT

    I grade this way:

    annoyed - minor annoyance
    enraged - the performance was ruined

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