Severance Hall

For one of my fourth hour I chose to go to a performance at Severance Hall. I went with my family who came up that weekend.

The music that would be played was a piece entitled "Seven Haikus" and Mozart's Great Mass in C Minor. I must say that I was very disappointed. I thought that I would be blown away, but I was left sorely mistaken.

I am not sure why I thought I would like this concert. I know a reason that I went was to spend time with my parents, but still I am not a huge fan of classical music. But I thought since it was in a minor key I would give it a shot.

I was sorely wrong.

The piece that was played before the Mozart was called "Seven Haikus". It was awful. I was trying really hard to make out some music from it. But I failed. Nothing about that piece interested me, at all. I really tried too. I wanted to find a shred of musicality, but no luck.

The piece was mainly atonal. It seemed like it was written by a child, with no sense of musicality. I mean even the featured piano was awful. I remember turning around and looking at my mom and saying "I paid for this?". It was not good.

So after intermission I got my hopes up about the Mozart. Again I was let down. The first movement was in minor, but the rest was definitely major. It was boring. I had more fun translating the Latin text rather than listening to the music. I had trouble staying awake, I honestly tried everything. Biting my lip, fidgeting, conducting, nothing seemed to work.

Do not get me wrong, the Cleveland Orchestra is sick nasty, I would give body parts to be in it. But these pieces didn't do anything for me.

So how does this relate to life of the mind. Well for mind, I was trying to find any conceivable way to make this experience interesting. I was so bored out of my mind, that it was hard to make it work. So I really cannot write about that.

But I know what the musicians minds were thinking. A group at the level that the CO is at is astounding. They no longer have to think "how do I play this note?". They are now thinking, "how does my part affect everyone else?". This is because the mind has "turned off". Thinking is no longer an option. The adaptive unconscious takes over.

The CO knows all their parts so well that they can have their adaptive unconscious take over and play for them. I think this is why they sound so good. It is because they no longer think about playing, they know that they can play. All these musicians have to do is listen to each other. That is how they are so good. Knowing that you have a crucial note in a chord is more important that a gliss. This is why the CO kicks butt.

I realize that this is loosely related, but it will become clearer in another blog. It is very different listening to a group play music than it is to actually play it. Now that is a great concept to look at.

I am out for now.

Ian