Fancy

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go a performance at the Seoul Art Center and watch the Royal Concertgerbauw Orchestra of Amsterdam - say that 5 times fast.  I've been to more than a few concerts such as this, my father being a classical music enthusiast, I was taken along many a time to see concert pianists, violinists and orchestras.  I have a memory from when I was about 9 or 10 and I was so excited when the crowd started cheering when the music stopped.  I remember thinking, ahh finally, it's over - but no, it was only the end of the first piece.  To a child a 15 minute musical piece seems like a lifetime and unfortunately, nothing has really changed for me.

I've said it before and i'll say it again, I'm not a huge music person.  Not to say that I don't love listening to it, or to say I don’t have favorites, but i'm just not one of those people who seeks out new music or new artists --i’m just not savvy in that way.  And live singing makes me uncomfortable so that counts out the whole concert part of things.  Aside from the live singing though, I'll basically listen to whatever and be satisfied.  A solid chunk of music on my ipod is still there from high school, so that should show that it's not a huge concern in my life.  With that said, I was still looking forward to going to this concert.  I figured that at my older, more mature age i'd be capable of focusing and enjoying the music.  I seemed to have forgotten that though I am older, I still have the attention span of a goldfish, that's been a constant since elementary school.

Through the first piece I was relatively focused.  The orchestra played 'William Tell' Overture, which is about 12 minutes long. Very doable.  By the second piece i'd noticed myself fading a bit, but I was still able to bring myself back and maintain some sort of grasp on my purpose for being there, but by intermission I was losing it and had to give myself a pep talk.  Once outside I peeked at my program to see how long the last piece was.  Brahms Symphony No. 4 was up next and the approximate length: 42 minutes.  I quickly walked to the bar and got a glass of wine.

When I settled into my seat for the marathon ahead, I was thinking about how silly it was that I couldn't focus on this music -- it's beautiful, a person my age should be able to sustain some sort concentration.  I vowed that during these next 42 minutes I would listen and absorb everything, I was looking to have an emotional experience.  Thinking c’mon Brahms, make me feel something here, I really want to enjoy this.  Then the conductor, Mariss Jansons, took his place and then began the strings...

I doubt I even lasted a minute before my thoughts took off.  Ahh that’s really pretty.  Ok Lydia just stop thinking and listen.  Alright listening. I’m listening. I’m listeni...wow their hands move so fast.   Gosh I wonder how fast their hands are moving.  Really fast.  Like really really fast.  Race car fast.  Ohh yeah the Formula 1 racing was just here in Seoul! I really wish I’d gone to that.  Wait, I don’t even like racing.  Yeah, I’m glad I didn’t go to that.  Very glad. Very glad I didn’t go. Oh tickets were free though! Ahh maybe it’d would have been fun to go.  Yeah it would have been fun...just to go. People watching ohh!!! I wonder if people who watch Formula 1 are like people who watch Nascar.  Well mullets are kinda everywhere in Europe anyway so....Ah PAY ATTENTION! Yes yes. Listening to the music....totally absorbing this....I wonder if Seoul has performances like this a lot? I bet they do...I mean the G20 summit was just here...Ohhh the President was here! No wonder there were so many cops around this week.  I wonder if Obama drove by my apartment!!! I doubt it because I would have known.  They have high security for that kind of stuff...they don’t want another Kennedy situation.  I wonder who really killed Kennedy...I bet somebody knows....God that’d be cool if I knew who really killed Kennedy.  Actually I don’t want that kind of knowledge, cause then they’d probably kill me...yeah I don’t want to know who killed Kennedy. Christ!!! LYDIA! Pay fucking attention! Yes.  Ahhh i’m terrible....Ohh I’ll look at the instruments. Yep that’s what i’ll do. I’ll just look at each of the instruments....wait...where is the tuba?! I remember when I played the tuba!!! Well the sousaphone....it was the marching band version...but we never actually marched with it...HA! Almost got me there! Still focused on the music....or something music related.  Watching. Listening.  Listening. Watching.  Pay. Ing. Attention....Why does that trumpet player in the back look like he’d rather be at home playing World of Warcraft? Christ, how did he make the band?  I bet he’s related to the owner or something. Yep definitely nepotism.  Yeah he is for sure the child of somebody important.  He’s slouching...like a stoner in the back of the classroom.   Buck up, guy.  Dear God.  Stop it and listen!  Shoot. I did it again. Ok for real this time. Listen. Listening. Ohh that’s pretty.  I think I recognize this...ohh I dooo!!! It’s from a Disney movie! Which Disney movie? Ahhh....It’s not Cinderella....or Beauty and the Beast....noo...neither of those. Wait, doesn’t Disney make all their own music for their movies? Yeah I think they do. Wait did I just make that up? I totally just made that up.  Umm...Maybe I didn’t?....I don’t know. I’m def gonna Google that when I get home.  UNBELIEVABLE!  Is it really that difficult to shut your head up for more than 15 seconds?!  Hey! I can pay attention to a lot of things for more than 15 seconds!!!! I do sodoku all the time...well I did that in class so I wouldn’t space out...but seriously I focus on a ton of things...like when i’m cooking I focus on cooking...or when i’m reading I focus on re......Christ. I give up.  


In that 42 minutes I made roughly 4 life decisions, set a dozen or so goals, settled on 6-7 other countries  that I’d like to visit and figured out how I’d solve a couple of the world problems.  It was incredibly productive, but did not change me musically.  This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy myself.  I did. Very much so.  But when it ended, after 2 encores, my palms were tired and so was my head.  The back and forth i’d been having with myself was pretty exhausting.

Aside from the performance there is one thing I do have to ask....Is a partial standing ovation worse than no standing ovation at all? Because there was a partial standing ovation at the end and I have to say that it was awkward. I mean really awkward.  There we were...on our 5th concecutive minute of clapping. Loudly.  Then a couple people decide to go for it and start the Standing O...but only a couple.  You could see everyone kinda looking around...assessing the situation.  Seeing that the Standing O had been initiated, like an open invitation to follow and raise up, but no...the majority of people stayed seated.  It was kinda like...yeahhh I see your Standing O...but I do not agree with your Standing O...so I will stay seated...but I WILL clap more enthusiastically.  Just some food for thought.  I definitely think no Standing O is better then a partial Standing O.  Yeah, no, I would not want a partial Standing O.