Killer performances this week

I've been avoiding blogging all day because I don't even know how to sum up the last 24 hours - it has simply been too overwhelmingly awesome. 

Firstly, the Vienna Philharmonic. Best concert I have ever been to. Period. We had seats in the front row, which was a little interesting, because being three seats from the end of the first aisle meant I became very familiar with the backs of the second violins' heads and the conductor's profile. But it meant I could watch their every move and it meant that I heard everything with perfect clarity. 

The first piece they played was Mozart's Symphong No. 33 in B major. Mozart is one of those composers whose music I always recognize almost automatically, and I suppose if I was a music student I could say that about more composers, but Mozart pieces have all sort of sounded the same to me before. This isn't a bad thing, but before this concert I don't think you'd find me saying I'd enjoy listening to Mozart for eight hours straight. After this concert, I became convinced I could listen to the Vienna Philharmonic play just that piece over and over again for a whole month. The strings were so tight; their precision was so impeccable that it was like the richest, fullest single instrument possible...except it was twenty. Their playing was so sensitive to every change in articulation and dynamic that the playfulness, complexity, and beauty of the piece was magnified beyond what I thought Mozart's music was capable of portraying. As soon as the piece was over, I was in love. I was so blown away I didn't even have any words to describe how incredible this group if musicians was. I just sort of opened my mouth at Dr. Powell and squeaked. And then the Brahms violin concerto. Oh my god JOSHUA BELL. I wanted to die it was so perfect. The first movement was mostly just Josh shredding like nobody's business, bullet-dodging-style back bends and bow hairs flying included. I was smiling like a crazy idiot the whole time and couldn't stop because it was surreal how incredible it was. This may sound terrible, but the thought popped into my head that if I was a kid dying of cancer and I could have a wish granted by the Make a Wish Foundation, it would be to have the Vienna Phil come to my house and play me to sleep. That's the sort of thing that would allow me to die happy. 

I could continue to talk about the Vienna Philharmonic, but I believe others will be gushing about it as well, so I will continue on to report on the Mass at the Salzburg Dome. Being raised Catholic, this was a particularly interesting and meaningful service for me to attend. From the moment the first note of the organ was sounded, it was clear that this cathedral was made for this kind of music. We couldn't count how long the sound reverberated through the space because it was so long that the priest would start talking every time before the ringing had stopped. The orchestra and choir were in the organ loft (I should mention that there are five organs; four are at each corner of pillars near the alter, and the main one is in the back), and they were--surprise--incredible. The soloists were clearly not pulled off the street; having grown up in a church where the choir was clearly sub-par, I finally felt like I was hearing what church was supposed to sound like every Sunday. The orchestra also was comprised of wonderful players, and their balance with the choir in that large space was perfect. And that cathedral? Even though the mass was entirely in German, I would go back every Sunday if I could just so I could enjoy those acoustics weekly.

Because it is late and I'm tired, I will let others tell the tale of the great monetary hike, and I will leave you with a picture of the view below!

The majority of my pictures I take on my camera and will load after the trip when I have access to a computer, but I wanted to share this one I took on my phone of the view from the monastery right before it got dark. Between the castle overlooking Salzburg, the city lights reflecting in the river, and the alps peeking through the mist in the background, I don't know if I could imagine a more magical view. Well, maybe it would be even more magical if there was a unicorn...but I'll settle for this for now ;)