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Sonia Afroz Sonia Reviews Andras Schiff in Cappella Andrea Barca at Carnegie Hall  I had the honor of experiencing my first orchestral performance at Carnegie Hall on February 21 with tickets from High Five, an organization dedicated to exposing urban city kids to the arts around them. Unlike most others who attended, I was not savvy in classical music and thus was very fidgety. My eyes were constantly roaming, taking in the gold bordered balconies, the velvet seats, and the diverse audience present. After half an hour of this restlessness, I finally calmed. Almost immediately after, the lights dimmed. The hall was quickly filled with an audible silence. As the members of the orchestra made their way to their seats, the hall was filled with polite applause. In the first performance, I had the privilege of hearing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 14 in E-flat Major, K. 449, otherwise known as the "First Ployer." This piece had been created by Mozart for his pupil Barbara Ployer. It consists of three parts the Allegro Vivace, Andantino and Allegro ma non troppo, and had Andr‡s Schiff at the piano. The first note struck by the orchestra led the already captive audience into the Allegro Vivace. The light, quivering notes of this part created a roller-coaster of emotions that left the audience in a tangle, and as Robert W. Gutman said "the pianist navigate[d the] sea of operatic moods." Mr. Gutman also accurately described the role of the string parts -- they created a "throbbing fervor and fullness of tone and color." The next part, the Andantino, disentangled the complicated emotions with its soothing notes of comfort, and "resolved the tensions into a superb and beneficent cantilena." The ending of the first performance, the Allegro ma non troppo, witnessed the return of the quick expressive notes heard in the beginning. However, the notes seemed smoother and more organized. The next performance, Piano Concert No. 15 in B-flat Major, was again composed by Mozart, but this time for his own pleasure. It, like the first, is composed of three parts: the Allegro, the Andante and the Allegro, and was performed by Andras Schiff. The first Allegro filled the auditorium with sad, longing notes with the eminent presence of the pianist. In contrast to the quick up-beat first performance, here the notes pulled listeners down memory lane and beyond. The middle movement is similar to the Allegro yet is, as Mr.Gutman says, "...a simple and lovely hymn-like melody." It ended with a pounding and highly unexpected final Allegro. Here the notes echoed through the listener, broadcasting a cryptic message. The unified tune was composed amazingly of different instruments working together in harmony. At the end of the second performance, I, like most of the audience, was very tired. It seemed like I had gone through an intense physical experience that had completely drained me. Yet, at the same time it provided a peaceful aura. The classical performance seemed to have lightened me and left me refreshed. This experience is worth duplicating. I highly advise other students to see for themselves the wondrous affect of classical music. Many city kids like myself, are rarely exposed to cultural activities such as this for the lack of time or expense, and provided as a stark contrast to the popular music of the day. High Five offers a great opportunity by making tickets for such performances only five dollars. Thus, if you have free time, or even if you're just bored, don't hesitate to go to such a flawless and enlivening performance as this! |