Magical moments in live concerts?

I suppose, the most memorable moment for me was on Dec. 8, 2007. I took a total of 5 planes round trip to see an evening performance with MTT and the San Francisco Symphony. The program was music from Hector Berlioz. The energy of Lelio and Symphonie fantastique filled the air. It doesn't get more dramatic then this, and of course MTT gave another stellar performance.

It was taped for an upcoming episode of "Keeping Score." I'm so glad that everyone will have an opportunity to share this magical moment with me.

Edit:

Yes, hfrankmann- seeing Gil Shaham at Carnegie Hall on March 11, 2008 made this a very difficult choice. (can I "box" my answers) It was truly amazing. Not only the way he masters the violin, but what incredible footwork as well!

How does he play and dance with such agility, speed and grace?

I think mine was at Zankel Hall (a smaller hall within Carnegie Hall) in NYC last January. It was an all 'Second Viennese School' concert by James Levine and the Met Chamber Ensemble. The piece that totally blew me away was Alban Berg's Chamber Concerto for Piano, Violin, and 13 Winds. This was a piece I knew about but had never before heard and the soloists Gil Shaham on violin and Yefim Bronfman on piano are two of my favorites. They not only played the difficult piece with intelligences and grace the musicians seemed so happy to be playing it together it was a transcendent experience for them and the members of the audience.

Oh, it's so hard to choose!

But I'm only allowed one, so here goes...

It was a concert of Baroque chamber music held in a tiny mediaeval church in Trondheim, Norway, where I was attending a magical Summer Baroque Music School. The highlight of that concert was when Dutch recorder virtuoso Marion Verbruggen stepped onto stage and played Corelli's "La Folia" variations.

I can't even start to describe that performance in words. "Unearthly" is about the only word I can think of that comes close to summing it up, but even that seems trite. I sat there crying as I listened, trying in vain to comprehend how a mere mortal could produce such music. She played that treble recorder as though she was possessed, and for two minutes, I was transported to something resembling heaven...

Put it this way, if all "modern" musicians had experienced that performance, no-one would ever dismiss the humble recorder as a simplistic "kiddie" whistle!

I attended that concert over 20 years ago, and I still get weepy when I think about it...

Hafwen x

rdinWhen the great pianist Arthur Rubinstein played a concert at age 88 at Col den Center in Queens, NYC: The stage was packed in addition to all seats filled. The old man came out, barely able to walk. A few magical moments: The instant he started to play a Schubert Impromptu-the Adrenaline literally was flowing throuygh all, the place transformed. Anther was when he played Sfortzando and had to raise up his body to do it in Beethoven's Appasionata Sonata- the aduence gasped, but he did it and the playing was breathtaking. After each piece, he stood up and bowed to all directions to audience, his febble little body still realizing people were cheering wildly.

Inciudentlaly: the critics panned the concert and to this day, it was some of the great playing I've ever heard...and I;ve given many concerts in my day as welkl ( I now compose musical cabaret comedy). The reason the critics were down on the coincert: he only played one major work, in their opinion, the Beethoven. I guess all the Debussy and the Chopin Etudes weren't major enough fior those idiots, who themsleves couldn't turn pagres for the likes of this master...

I've not attended many live concerto performances in my life. The only one that I can recall which I consider to be truly memorable, was when I first heard/saw the great Artur Rubinstein perform.

This was a good 40-50 years ago in St.Louis, Mo., with Vladimir Golschmann conducting the St.Louis Symphony: neither of them were very impressive in my perception.

But Rubinstein was totally so: the piece they performed was Brahms first piano concerto; not a real favorite of mine, a very droll overly long first movement, rather difficult to logically follow.

Rubinstein's stage presence and meticulous performance, was spell-binding: his composure, totally, perfect execution of each and every note and phrase was incredible.

Not a hint of "emotional, flamboyant superficiality": swooning with pretended passion like so many concert artists feign, ala Liberace.

"Absolute Perfection",

Alberich

an aged and bloated (from years of alcohol abuse) Eleanor Steber sang in an all - Barber performance. She had already given a informal symposium/talk on herself and her relationship with Barber. When she began a wave of relief came over the audience because it was her old voice (not that horrible wobbly thing that she used for a voice after she was retired from the Met.) Every nuance, even every note, no wasted emotion, technically perfect and emotionally a goose bump performance for 20 minutes .... oh did I mention she was singing Knoxville Summer of 1915

It was my very first time at a big concert. This concert was full of Ravel music; La Valse, Boléro, and Ma Mere l'oye. It was a beautiful summer evening at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. Since it was my first time seeing classical music performed RIGHT in front of me, I was overwhelmed. I almost cried during Ma Mere l'oye, and my mind was shattered by Boléro and La Valse; so intense! Oh yeah, it was with the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Osmo Vanska.

I was the first person to stand up clapping at the end. haha!

I went to Blue Lake Fine Arts camp for 2 summers in my 8th and 9th grade years. One of those years, '79 I think, the year my mother died, the Count Basie Orchestra was visiting. I auditioned for one of 2 "guest" spots (each section had 2) with the 1st violins and got one. What a great experience for a 13 year old kid. The Count was magnetic, and his sessions were loads of fun. One of those, "I wish I could go back to" moments.

I recently went to an honor band performance,

and the symphonic wind section blew all the other bands out of the water.

it was incredible.

they played Pinapple Poll,

the composer didn't even need a score to look at throughout the whole performance.

it was flawless