CONTRASTING CONCERTS

Yesterday a friend invited me to her Retirement Village to enjoy Paul Broadnax (piano and vocals) and Peter Kontrimas (bass). Since Paul has been a friend for many years and I no longer get to many clubs to hear him, I was willing to drag myself out on a cold night. A few people were sitting around the room, half a side set with chairs and the other with tables (Pops-style) served beverages with a choice of white or red wine or spring water.Everything was served in a plastic cup, the size of a large thimble and filled 1/3 the way up, even the spring water which is what I drank.

The bubbly social director cutely walked into an open cove in the room and whisted like a dock worker, appearing out of the cove, quickly, asking, "Who did that?" and to my amusement, all the old people there in unison said, "You did." Since I don't yet have much of a problem with my short term memory, it stopped being cute the second and subsequent times she tried it.

Next there was a discussion about a request to start five minutes early since the musicians were ready. An ancient woman argued with a gentleman in front of me (who wanted it to start) that it was too early, it was scheduled to start at 8 PM. The argument went on for 2 1/2 minutes while the rest of the room was telling her to let it start and she finally gave in. I was told she always introduced the musicians but gave up the job only to tell her successor after a short time that she didn't like how she was doing it and was taking the job back.

Two women behind us insisted on having a running conversation through the first number while by hostess kept turning around shushing them. When the fist number ended I turned to my hostess and asked in a not to soft tone, "Are they always rude like that?" For some reason they became silent until the last number when one said, "They didn't play as well as they did last time." Her friend remarked, "That's just because you didn't know the songs!"

Tonight I went to Boston Symphony Hall to hear and watch James Levine conduct the last three symphonies (Nos. 39, 40 and 41) that Mozart wrote. As we neared the entrance there were two lines, one to for ticket holders and a very long second line of people trying to get a ticket. It was satisfying to see a full house for a change. James Levine's conducting was divine. He seems to be using his whole body and arms quite actively so that even though his back is to the audience they can see his direction.

A polite audience was quite a contrast to my night before. It was hard to believe that all the people there were healthy...there was not the usual coughing. The orchestra was magnificnet even though the principals seemed to have the night off. Mozart did not use harp, percussion, brass, or piano solo for these symphonies so the sound was less diverse. In all, a delightful evening without any of Levine's choice of atonal (using the word loosely) music.