LP XVII--Beethoven, Snow, and People

Upon exiting the concert, an all Beethoven experience at St. Martin in the Fields, I walked out into a snow filled London world. The people were acting crazy as though they had never seen snow, and I suppose it is as unusual as it is in Texas. The buses were nearly shut down and everyone was walking very slowly (that's a first) and gingerly expressing fear of falling. Many were huddled together under awnings almost as though the falling snow would hurt them. Children and fathers were making snowballs and throwing them and the world was suddenly beautiful and strangely equal for all of us. Maybe snow is the great equalizer especially when I realized that Texans act the same way!

But as much as I enjoyed the lengthy walk from Trafalgar Square back to my domain with the beautiful snow falling on my shoulders and lightly crunching beneath my feet, my mind was full of the music of Beethoven. The concert was exquisite in sound, expression, technical accuracy, and overall artistry. The seats in the church are rather uncomfortable and since it is not designed as a concert hall, the visual aspects are weak. The orchestra is on the same level with the audience causing most of the people to see the conductor or soloist and an occasional player.

Without spending great time discussing the details of the performance, I do want to mention that it was not without flaws. These are, after all, human beings performing live and even professionals have their mishaps at times. In one instance, the 1st horn came in two measures early and created a harmony problem, and in another, the bassoon player simply played the wrong key signature note. A few pitch problems and an ensemble issue hither and yon reminded us that music is meant to be performed by and for the people, with all of our goodness and, yes, mistakes.

It mattered not, however, for the orchestra was simply incredible. A golden, shimmering sound filled the hall and Beethoven was given the opportunity to glow. The Violin Concerto was breath-taking and the soloist was virtually without imperfections in his delivery. Especially notable was the remarkable use of counterpoint and inside augmentation of the theme during his cadenza in the first movement. Being that the Beethoven Violin Concerto is one of my favorite works in the repertoire, I enjoyed the performance from beginning to end.

The 6th symphony, one of the earliest examples of programmatic music, is subtitled "Pastoral" and is a tribute to Beethoven's love of nature. The work is classical in sound (aside from the expected harmonic development) and contains great moments of simplistic expression and beauty. The piece has special meaning for me due to my father singing themes from the symphony while playing guitar. I can still see him in the living room strumming and singing a nice folk-like song that he told us was written by Beethoven. The lively and fun scherzo is followed by thunder and lightning depicting a violent storm which then gives way to the gentle rocking of the last movement as the sun comes out and the world brightens. Great piece and one that continues to live and breathe in today's culture of high energy, technology, and complexity.

On my way home from the concert, as I avoided slipping in the snow, and as I gazed with wonder at the falling flakes slowly but surely blanketing the London world of streets, sidewalks, and shops, I gave a moment of gratitude to God for the music of Beethoven, for the falling snow, and for my time in London.