Night Out

Last weekend I went to see Joshua Bell play Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.  It was really amazing.  We were given the tickets as a prize from an auction at A's preschool.  I have listened to Heifetz play this concerto for years on a CD that I have, but have never seen it live.  It was breathtaking to watch the music come through him.  His cadenzas were virtuosic and beautiful.  It's strange how much music moves me.  I'm sure this has something to do with having played the violin for so long and growing up with a father who is a music teacher.  

When he finished, he did the funny ritual of receiving applause, going backstage, and coming out again several times until finally, he played an encore.  Yet he didn't play some other great classical work, he played Yankee Doodle.  It started out sounding much like an alternate cadenza to the concerto, but then all of a sudden, you could hear the melody.  He then did multiple variations on the melody with clever use of double stops and even one using solely harmonics (a technique of touching the string very lightly).  It was great as it really showcased the violin's and music's whimsical potential.  Most would expect that classical music and the violin is monotone in it's solemnity, but he truly demonstrated how funny it can really be.  The whole crowd was cracking up.  

The night was made better by happy hour at Park Kitchen and a walk through the Park Blocks with Ariana.  Sweet relief from life's stress.  Now it's time to dust off my fiddle.