Mahler 9 – Argentina 6

This week has been a week of very little posting. Why? First of all, it’s Barenboim’s last week as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and we’re in the middle of his three farewell concerts. Yesterday’s program consisted of Elliott Carter’s Soundings, with Barenboim conducting from the keyboard, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 9. Elliott Carter delivered some gasps in the audience when it became apparent he was at the concert. It doesn’t happen often that a composer is in the audience when it’s not the premiere, but Barenboim has consistently programmed Carter’s compositions over the years, so it was a nice token of gratitude from Carter to be present—and he is 97!

Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 was breathtakingly beautiful. The warmth and fullness of the opening of the fourth movement especially struck me as wonderful. There was really something in the atmosphere yesterday; everyone at the concert knew these final three performances are historical events. Today is Bruckner’s ninth and tomorrow, the final of the final, Beethoven’s ninth.

Second, Willkommen zum Fussball! Last Saturday, I went to Sedgwick’s, as did the entire Dutch population of Chicago, to watch the game against Serbia and Montenegro. Eight o’clock in the morning is quite a rough time for a football game. Today, Argentina washed Serbia and Montenegro away with six goals and the Netherlands won against Ivory Coast. Although I couldn’t get away to actually watch anything of the game, I proudly wore my orange.

The football craze hasn’t really caught on here yet and I’m sure this week’s defeat by the Czechs didn’t help to get the enthusiasm going. I only have to think about the amount of commercials related to the World Cup in the Netherlands and Ireland a couple of weeks ago and the amount here in Chicago and the picture becomes quite clear. I’m not complaining, however, at least it’s live on television and that’s all I ask for.

This week has been an odd mix of classical music and football, even though the two go hand in hand more often than you think. Just listen to all the football fans in the stadiums sing or hum their lungs out, unknowingly, on the melody Strauss or Verdi. I always thought that was quite funny.

16 June 2006 | All things Chicago, All things Dutch, Classical Music | Comments