We went to our first concert of the season at the New York Philharmonic Friday night and it was a lovely and luscious evening. The program was the third of the Philharmonic’s Tchaikovsky Experience and featured violinist Janine Jansen playing the Violin Concerto in D major, Op 35.
The violin concerto was first on the program and the audience went wild. At the end of the first movement there was thunderous applause, there was shouting and screaming and the pounding of feet. In the orchestra people were leaping to their feet and storming the stage, articles of clothing flying through the air. From my perch in the third balcony it was an amazing spectacle. The gentleman on my right leaned over and said "If this is the first movement, what will happen at the end of the work?".
After a brief pause for everyone to calm down and contain themselves, the piece progressed. The performance was spectacular. The violinist was excellent. The orchestra played beautifully, the interaction between soloist and orchestra was almost a courting. It was an absolutely wonderful concert. And yes the audience seemed to erupt at the conclusion with more applause and yelling, a wave of people surging forward toward the stage. Several ushers and security people quickly moved to the front of the orchestra, standing between the audience and the soloist. It reminded me of nothing so much as a slightly more genteel version of The Beetles first US tour with the young girls swarming the stage. It was a rather remarkable scene.
I used to believe that the Friday night audiences at Avery Fisher Hall were perhaps a little more blasé and jaded than the Saturday night suburban crowd. Apparently not. I suppose I am just not inclined to rush forward and scream in exultation at a marvelous performance. It was very good, but it did not bring out that impulse, although George does recall the first time I heard a quartet by George Tsontakis and I moved quickly forward at the end of the concert to tell the composer how much I loved the work. Still, he was only sitting 3 rows ahead of me, and I waited my turn peacefully in a line which I felt was all too brief. Perhaps it is me, but the response seemed a bit excessive if entertaining.
G reminded me that several things probably conspired:
1. Everyone loves Tchaikovsky "even if they don’t like music".
2. She was very very good.
3. She is very pretty.
Ah, yes.
I am not even going to go there.