The first time I went to the symphony was in college with my best friend. We got student tickets for a pittance and had first row balcony seats for Beethoven's 9th, which for this performance included a full orchestra and a 100-person choir. I remember weeping. I remember sitting there after the performance thinking Well, what the hell am I supposed to do with myself now? There is a scene in the movie Big Night when Tony Shaloub's character, who is a chef, describes a dish that his uncle makes back in Italy. He says, "You eat it, and then you go and kill yourself. You have to kill yourself! It is so good, you cannot live." That is how I feel after the symphony.
I vowed I would try to go at least once a year, but times have been tight and going to the symphony, along with going to the ballet, has moved way down the list, after BUY SOCKS WITHOUT HOLES. Last week, though, I discovered that the Oregon Symphony had tickets left for Beethoven's Violin Concerto at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall for $23. I bought two. The woman who processed my order told me we would be in the very back of the auditorium but that that was where the best acoustics in the house were. I'm not sure if this is what she tells all the nosebleeders to make them feel better, but it worked.
 |
| The Schnitz is resplendent |
 |
| Photo taken from below where we were sitting |
Ours were the two seats in the very back row all the way over to the side. We could not have been farther from the stage if we tried. But we were surprised to discover that we loved watching the performance from that distance. Instead of taking notice of the musicians' faces or their outfits or the slightly different way that each one held their bows or moved their hands, we were forced to take in the entire orchestra as a single organism. It moved in sections, waves. We could see how the music took hold of everyone at once, and we were so moved, we wept.
