Symphony No. 5

This evening when I left the home of the people I babysit for, I happened to turn on the radio at the exact moment that the live broadcast of the BSO playing Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 started. Actually, I turned it on when the orchestra was tuning, but close enough. The time in which it took the orchestra to tune was enough time for me to decide that I was going to drive around the North Shore until the piece was over. It was possibly the best decision I've ever made.

Almost every piece of Tchaikovsky's music has made a deep impression on me, starting with the 4th Symphony when the VYO played it in 2006. Furthermore, I "connect" the best with music that I've played, because instead of just hearing the piece and enjoying it, I know where the nuances are, where the phrases are going, and which parts speak to me the most. We played Tchaik 5 in orchestra last semester, and the second movement with its glorious opening horn solo followed by the oboe interruption and the cello melody (all in the first section!) literally fills my soul with joy. Maybe I use that phrase both too often and too flippantly. But it's true.



(This is only the beginning section, but it's the best orchestra in the world, so I think it's ok.)

So I drove around on 128 for a full 45 minutes, reveling in the glory that is Tchaik 5. Hot dang. Every movement is practically faultless, and each one is different. Thus, I pretty much went to the BSO for free, although I got some additional static as part of the deal and by the time I got back I needed gas.