,,, and probably just another concert for members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, but for me, a magical night of music!
What made it so extraordinary was hearing a world-class orchestra in these extraordinary acoustics—it made all the difference.
I didn’t realize I had booked a ticket SO CLOSE—even though my ticket was listed at Row 4, sear 23, I was actually in the front row and could only see the outside seats of the violinists, who by the way, were split into first and seconds on opposite sides. That meant that the seconds were sitting where the cellos normally would sit. The violas were next to the firsts, and the cellos were then next to the seconds. The Hawaii Symphony tried this arrangement in Honolulu once and I really liked it.
Being so close made me really aware of the echo in the room, because I could hear it bounce back after the cutoffs.
Here was the description of the orchestra on its website:
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is widely considered one of the very best orchestras in the world. Time and time again, critics have lauded its unique sound. The extraordinary acoustics of The Concertgebouw and the exceptional musicians themselves play an important role in this respect. Another important contributing factor is the influence exerted on the orchestra by its chief conductors, of whom there have been only seven since 1988. Daniele Gatti was appointed chief conductor in September 2016.
The program was:
Kodály – Háry János suite
Beethoven – Derde pianoconcert in c, op. 37
Prokofjev – Oorlog en vrede: symfonische suite (versie Palmer), op. 91
Tonight’s conductor was Jakub Hrůša, and the pianist was Igor Levit, who played brilliantly and technically. Levit is 31 years old and is German-Russian. What I came away with, though, was how sensitively and quietly he played the pianissimo passages. His surprising encore was the famous Für Elise, which as you know, every beginning piano student learns to play! In fact, the audience laughed after the first three notes! But the way he played it was like it was the most sublime piece you ever heard—beginning super softly, so sensitively played and so incredibly touching. It’s something I will never forget.
I arrived to the concert early and as I rounding the corner from the tram (yes, I have been able to get around on public transportation!), I heard the sounds of street musicians playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, on … (wait for it)—violin, accordion and tuba! What a combination!
Also the price of the concert includes a before concert and intermission drink! I saw white and red wine, beer, soda and orange juice in glasses already poured, but I didn’t know about this policy until too late. Oh well, next time!
If you are ever in Amsterdam and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is playing, you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity for an unforgettable experience.
