Violin on Crack

Last night DS and I went to see the Philadelphia Orchestra.  They were doing La Mer by Debussey, which DS apparently really likes, so we snatched up some tickets while they were on sale for $10.  Whoo! to that.  They opened the program Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta.  It was interesting, kind of creepy in the beginning.  Then the conductor's own Violin Concerto was performed.  Before the concert, DS was reading the program and said, "This sounds like it's just going to be the violin showing off."  Which sounded kind of cool.

And then it started.  Truer words were never spoken.  You guys, there is no doubt at all that the soloist was amazingly talented, but attempting to play every note at once on the violin does not a good piece of music make.  Seriously.  It was all over the place, with no anchoring theme except that the violin was on crack the whole time.  The only thing even kind of cool about it was the third movement, and even then only for a few minutes.  I felt so sorry for the rest of the orchestra.  Most of them just sat there looking bored.  DS said he caught people making faces at each other.  I think maybe, MAYBE, each person played for a minute and a half total.  Most of that was very spread out.  It was a 30 minute piece you guys.  *sigh*  I feel bad that I didn't like it, because I thought I liked contemporary stuff for the most part.  But this piece just didn't speak to me at all.  By the time La Mer started, I was getting sleepy.  I liked bits of the first movement, and the third movement, but I don't even remember the second...

Also, I would like to take a moment to brag.  Last night I wore a dress that I bought in high school.  It's a size 6*.  It was kind of amazing.  I must be burning a heck of a lot of calories with the exercises and climbing I've been doing lately, because I've been starving all the time and basically stuffing my face constantly, and yet I'm not gaining weight.  I'm most excited about the quantifiable changes, like going up a climb with ease when just last week I was struggling with it and falling a lot.  Some of that is practice of course.  A lot of climbing is just knowing how to move your body.  I love that there's so much thought in it, and not just strength.  But truly, I feel stronger every day.

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*I can only pull something like that off in a dress with a flared bottom.  I've always had a pear shape, and my hip to waist ratio is kind of absurd...  I'm still wearing size 10 pants. :P  But I will take this victory!