What is the greatest orchestral performance you've ever attended?

Greatest performance I've attended was an open air opera in (near) Rome, Italy. Giuseppe Verdi's Aida

Aside from stunning scenery and an exquisite execution of the music

... four horses abreast pulling a chariot, full gallop onto the stage, stopping very near the edge.

And then there was the poor fellow in Arabian garb who had the good fortune of being the camel wrangler and pooper-scooper-trooper. (That was memorable after thirty-something years)

Probably the high school orchestra performance of Mahler's First Symphony at Interlochen in the summer of 1966.

I had heard the phonograph recording of the symphony numerous times, but this was the first time that I noticed that the slow movement was based on Frere Jacques.

I walked back to my cabin in a daze.

I reserve the money spent on concerts to hear primarily more contemporary works I have not ever heard live. There have been a number of memorable performances.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with John Browning playing the Barber Piano Concerto (when it was a new work - I date myself.)

CSO: Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe, complete ballet.

University of Chicago, Rockefeller Chapel, U of C early music group, Britten: Curlew River. (seat was way up in the choir loft, amazing experience).

Evanston, Illinois: in a small chapel, program arranged by Northwestern University: Nikhil Banerjee, Sitar, and ensemble. Legendary musician and superb colleagues in hours long evening in an intimate setting. Apollo bless University towns!!! (Doesn't matter what you paid, you feel priviledged.)

Orchestra Hall, Chicago: Julliard Quartet; Haydn, Debussy, Ravel

CSO: Stravinsky conducting: all Stravinsky - Violin Concerto (with a young Iztak Perlman) / Pulcinella suite

Joffrey Ballet on tour; in Louis Sullivan's Auditorium Theater; full orchestra, recreated original production of Stravinsky Petruchka.

San Francisco State U. auditorium, Susan Narucki, Soprano; senior recital, songs of Charles Ives. (Eric Moe, accompanist).

Emmanuel Ax, San Francisco Symphony orchestra, a late Mozart piano concerto, Wagner's Siegfried Idyll.

SFO: Edo de Waart; Iztak Perlman, Berg violin concerto. // A Symphony of Charles Wuuronin and concert performance of Bartok Bluebeard's castle.

Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra, on tour, Orchestra Hall, Chicago. Pierre Boulez, Early Schubert symphony / Ravel Ma Mere l'oye / Debussy La Mer.

San Francisco Opera: Poulenc, Dialogues des Carmelites, Leontyne Price (!). It was worth the price of the ticket to hear Ms. Price sing just one note. It is also an amazingly effective opera as musical theater.

SFO Opera summer season: Monteverdi: Coronation of Poppea; Marilyn Horne, sang the role of the nurse - great young international (non-megastar) cast. [seriously historical inaccurate libretto - you just have to ignore 'facts']

The Berkeley Gamelon Orchestra performing classical and new Gamelon music, and the Ramayana Monkey Chant.

Vienna Phiharmonic, Vienna: Schoenberg Chamber Symphony Op. 9, & ?

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam: Berg, Im Sommerwind / Debussy, Jeux.

Kleine Zaal, Concertgebouw: Susan Narucki, chamber ensemble (including cembalom!), Gyorg Kurtag, songs.

Stopera, Amsterdam: World Premiere of Louis Andriesson's "Rosa, a horse opera." more memorable as event than a memorable piece.

Stopera: Shostakovitch, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. A stunning piece and production, great cast of European and Russian Singers.

And many others. A friend once told me those exceptional concerts are what keep us attending all the other (very good and great) concerts.

Nothing like live, is there?

p.b.

Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra, Joseph Silverstein, concertmaster and soloist. Tchaikovsky violin concerto.

It wasn't even on the program, but was a last minute substitute for a concerto which was scheduled, but the soloists didn't make it.