We went to a concert the evening of the last post…
It was lovely. The pieces chosen were two Bach and Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” concerti. They fit together beautifully, and the soloists were remarkable. Most importantly, they seemed to have a great time playing for us. And the headliner came out after the finale to play a lovely Sarabande by Bach (not sure which one) – she was very good.
And the hall was PACKED. Third tier almost full, second tier completely full… The floor almost full. Haven’t seen such a crowd since we heard the Lord of the Rings music (conducted by the composer himself!) a couple years ago.
We didn’t even try to sit in our assigned seats. Instead, we gave the usher the slip and sat in the far back. I could see better from that vantage point, and there were no people around I could have been allergic to. I was also under a light which made the crochet I had brought along easier to work on. It doesn’t take much – a spacing of one or two seats (about six-ten feet) is usually enough to mitigate the airborn problems. Of course, this is the sort of seating arrangement I initially tried to get for the year!
Tom and I still have to discuss whether we renew our tickets for next year, but given the response I received from the ticketing supervisor I have to change my recommendation from the earlier post: I think if you live close enough and can afford it, the Seattle Symphony makes lovely music. Our decision ultimately depends at this point on affordability. With the cost of gasoline so high (about 7 gallons round-trip – $26 and going higher) we have to look at every road trip with extra care. What used to be a nice treat for the family has become a VERY BIG DEAL financially.
More on costs and politics in a different post…