Salzburger SchloBkonzert

Concert Review: Salzburger SchloBkonzert

After every concert we have to write a Concert Review to talk about what we liked or didn't like and basically what we found interesting during the performance. I thought I'd post it instead of reiterating what I already wrote. On Friday in Vienna we're seeing an opera!

"I wasn’t sure what to expect going into our first concert. I do not have a huge Classical music background but I knew that hopefully after this semester I would feel more confident in identifying it and having a more in-depth grasp on the culture that surrounds it.

I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the Salzburger SchloBkonzert. It was nothing what I expected but in a good way. One of the things we were told to focus on was how we felt during the performance and what details we noticed or picked up on. One of my most overriding feelings had to be alertness. I didn’t want to miss anything. I didn’t want to turn my head and not hear the piano come softly into the piece or hear the plucking of the viola. When the music started I was surprised by how pretty it sounded; like a light, it literally lit up the whole room. I think the room itself helped. The intimate setting really made the audience feel more connected to the musicians and feel as if they too were apart of the performance. The first movement really set the tone for the rest of the concert. It was upbeat, but not in an obvious way. Both musicians were focused and serious, but at the same time you could instantly see how much passion they had for their respect art forms. The woman on the viola often looked extremely concentrated, but I caught her a few times looking at the music like it was her world. They may come off of as dramatic, but being apart of the audience in a setting when we were in such close proximity to the performers, it felt that much more personal.

I know this “personal” feeling will not be the same for all of the concerts we see because some of them will be in huge halls or auditoriums, but I think this setting for my first Classical concert was ideal. Along with this feeling, I felt oddly included in the music. Instead of a situation where you are watching a movie or watching a performance from afar, I didn’t feel excluded or out of place for not knowing a lot about the art. I feel as though I could appreciate it even without an extensive musical background and I think that is essentially what it is all about. I will never be a musician but at the same time never want to feel as though I cannot appreciate someone else’s talent. We live in a world, where, with all the differences people exude, we strive to find a small place in us for it all. I hope to find a small place for this culture in myself and at the same time take the effort to absorb the history that goes with it."