A long post on music

Went to a concert at U MAss last night. The first piece was Verdi's overture to Nabucco. The performance was brilliant; both the orchestra and the conductor, a visiting artist named Ng, deserve much credit. The overture is full of powerful themes and great changes in mood.

The second piece was Wagner's Siegfried Idyll: five minutes worth of music spread out over 20 minutes of notes. Less repetitious than Ravel's Bolero, but not by much. He composed it as a birthday present for his wife and then used it commercially. Some present. Kind of like me giving my wife a derivation of Maxwell's equations as a gift.

The last piece was Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, one of the great achievements of civilization. The performance was pretty good, but the music itself is beyond words.... however I'll try below.


 Last night reminded me that there is good music and great music and then there is Beethoven. Works by Bach and Mozart appeal to the intellect, works by Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky delight the senses. Dvorak and Brahms touch the heart... but Beethoven's greatest works enter the soul..... you feel them in the very marrow of your being.


The program notes were interesting. I reproduce them here. 

The text is informative but the material in the side bars is truly astounding. Note that Verdi sets the record for precocious composers, having written Nabucco, his third opera, fully 42 years before he was born.

Wagner, according to the text, lived in the fast lane. However according to his dates, he apparently exceeded the speed of light and expired prior to his birth.

BTW [ see how up to date I am] they were both born in 1813.