# My 1st Concert: S Chang/Brahms



## Mikey350D (Mar 6, 2009)

I went to my first classical concert last thurs. (OCPAC)
Yes, I'm a recent convert.
Sarah Chang played the Brahms violin concerto 
I was not prepared for this!
She was absolutely consumed by the piece.
It was like watching an epic battle, good vs evil, that audience not sure who would emerge victorious.
I have watched many videos, but they come nowhere near capturing the complexity and emotion of the music.
I suspect I saw something that one does not see often in a lifetime.


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## rgpdown (Apr 19, 2009)

That's sound really cool, I assist to my first concert tomorrow, in a few hours (Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional del Peru). I'm very excited about this new experience.


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## JTech82 (Feb 6, 2009)

Mikey350D said:


> Yes, I'm a recent convert.


Nothing wrong with that. I'm a late bloomer to the classical world as well, though it's been around me all of my life.

I came from a jazz background, so I didn't know that much about classical up until about 3 or 4 months ago.

I don't have a lot of the listening experience like most of these forum members do of course, but I think my knowledge is getting larger by the day. I'm constantly listening, researching, and reading about classical music. It's not only become my hobby it's become my obsession. I think my Grandfather, who is a hardcore classical devotee of 60 years, is impressed with what I've learned. I think we (the younger non-WWII generations) learn at a faster rate than older generations due to the Internet, BUT he has more listening experience than I do, so therefore knows the music a lot better than I do.


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## Mikey350D (Mar 6, 2009)

As a neophyte, I listen the the "Musically Speaking" cds by Gerard Schwarz.
(Free at the library)
He explains all the hows and whys of a composers composition.
There is also a radio program out of Chicago: "Exlporing Music" by Bill BcGaughlin
This week he discussed Beethovens 9th and the effect of time; examined several conductors and how they varied time (beats per min)
I find this (audio) very helpful, e.g. hearing how certain chords produce an effect, vs reading about composition.
Anyhow, If I have some knowledge of the composer, structure of the composition, conductor and solists, I find the music much more intersting.

Regards

james


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## Margaret (Mar 16, 2009)

Mikey350D said:


> I went to my first classical concert last thurs. (OCPAC)
> Yes, I'm a recent convert.
> Sarah Chang played the Brahms violin concerto
> I was not prepared for this!
> ...


Congratulations!!

Seeing Sarah Chang in your first concert was a real winner.

There's nothing like going to a concert to hear a fine performance of a piece you love.


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

I remember watching Chang as a very young girl, maybe 8 or 9 years old. She came to the city I live in and performed well. Her maturity has proven that child prodigies can turn out to be well adjusted adults and NOT the Charlotte Church types that fall from grace and run off the rails.

Jim


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