Don Quixote and Shostakovich

 

It snowed that evening.  I accidentally took the fast train -- it left 15 minutes earlier and arrived 30 minutes earlier, so I enjoyed a nice meander to the venue.  On my way, a guy who looked a little like Ben Linus from LOST smiled at me like he just couldn't help himself and it was one of those really charming odd moments you have with strangers you pass in the street.  

I was really looking forward to seeing Shostakovich's 5th.  I had been listening to it all week, I was super pumped to go and fully intending to cry my eyes out and get the feels.  I went by myself, which is fun.  I love it when I sit next to someone also by themselves when they are chatty -- I've gotten some really great music recommendations (Sibelius!), and one time the guy had this awesome barley twist carved walking stick and looked like the most dandy gentleman.  Other times, I sit by loners who don't want to talk and that's fine, too.  

I arrived early and before this show, I was looking at my little Clairefontaine pocket notebook, where I have written down different German words and phrases to practise.  The old guy next to me was blatantly staring, practically leaning over my shoulder, so I tried to strike up a conversation ("I've got my handkerchief at the ready for Shostakovich this evening.  How are you?" etc.), but then he looked straight ahead and just gave me 1 and 2 word answers and made no eye contact.  Imagine my disappointment.  He smelled like dirt, medicine, and weird cleaning products and would continue to act strangely the whole evening.  I was also seated behind the world's tallest Chinese girl, but I didn't mind (as a tiny person, tall people in front of me is usually the norm) and she smelled good.  She and the guy with her had a really cute couple vibe and I loved watching them interact.

The first piece was Don Quixote by Strauss.  The guest celloist was this charismatic Spanish guy.  The kind of Spaniard who is so swarthy, he could almost pass as Arabic, except his body language was far too Spanish.  So delightfully flamboyant!  He would gaze dramatically and lovingly at the first violinist when they did duets (it seemed extra charming because she is much older and larger than he is) and when he did this plucky duet with the first violist, they were doing this body language kind of fight where they would look at each other and pluck the string while making jerking movements towards each other; it was very much like an old-timey cartoon.  It was so fun.  

The conductor was this younger bloke wearing a slightly too tight blazer.  His dark, curly hair was swept up into a delightful pompadour, and he was really really energetic, sometimes passing his baton back and forth between his hands, sometimes standing high on one set of toes and lifting the other foot, and other times jumping up and down like a little cartoon animal.

At the end, the cello player ran over and hugged the violinist.  Then he and the conductor bowed and they had matching tiny bald spots!  The first violist is with the BBC Symphonic Orchestra and they loved him and were all pounding their feet when it was his turn to bow.  He seems a delightful mix of enthusiasm and humility and looked just a bit bashful about being the centre of attention.

Shostakovich's 5th was really good, but I was so distracted by the weird guy next to me, I didn't even cry, which is a first for me!  The weird fellow was looking at me in his peripheral vision, and I know that sounds like an impossible thing to be sure of, but hear me out -- he would make these little exaggerated movements and then pause like he was trying to gauge a reaction and kind of tilt his head in my direction.  It was very distracting.  

But I love Shostakovich under any circumstances.  He is absolutely my favourite composer.  His 5th is an interesting one because he was under political pressure to not write such defiant music, and I feel like you can tell he had that in mind.  Some people argue that his 5th is a parody, especially the very joyous sounding end bit.  It's a really nice piece, and although I feel like it is less dissonant than many of his other pieces, the opening strings are just so Shostakovich, and the Largo is very romantic, moody, and sad.  I've always thought Shostakovich is so gifted at evoking melancholy and the Largo is no exception.  At the very end of the symphony, the conductor was about to hold the silence, but someone in the choir stalls behind the orchestra couldn't hold in their enthusiasm and shouted BRAVAAAAA! immediately and the whole audience exploded in applause.  

It was nice to get out into the fresh air after the show.  It had snowed a little, so the slippery walk to the train station was fun.  Fun because I didn't slip!

Until next time.

Deine Champagner-Anarchist

P.S.  For the editors and fans of various manuals of style and usage, you may find the following pdfs interesting (I did!):

https://www.apu.edu/live_data/files/288/cmos_for_musicians.pdf

https://music.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Guide-to-Program-Formatting.pdf