Classical Musician at a Rock Show

I had the unbelievably good fortune to attend two brilliant performances today (Sunday, March 11, 2012 - although this will likely be posted on a different day). The first performance was of violinist Ray Chen and pianist Julio Elizalde performing the following works:

Mozart: Sonata for Violin and Piano in B flat major, K 454; Brahms: Sonata for Violin and Piano no 3 in D minor, Op. 108; Ysaÿe: Sonatas (6) for Violin solo, Op. 27: no 2 in A minor "Obsession"; Saint-Saëns: Havanaise for Violin and Orchestra in E major, Op. 83; and Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo capriccioso in A minor, Op. 28. Chen and Elizalde played one encore: John Williams' "Schinder's List".

Chen was vibrant onstage and moved freely and passionately. Technically he is astonishingly precise, but he also featured a mature musicality. The Brahms was the centerpiece for me; the second movement was played with an unbridled emotion that left my heartstrings tugged at every phrase. The concert could have consisted of only that movement and I would have been left satisfied. Fortunately, I was treated to the full Brahms Sonata as well as the other piece that captured me: Ysaÿe's Solo Sonata no.2 ("Obsession").

The Q&A with the artists after the show was slightly disappointing as the performers did not speak as articulately as they played. Then again, they had just performed an intense concert and were likely tired...

But the concert I attended this evening was one that will remain in my mind as one of my fondest musical experiences. In the fulfillment of a dream that was been over 10 years in the making, I finally saw my favourite band on the planet: RADIOHEAD.

I first started listening to Radiohead when I bought the album Big Shiny Tunes 2 in 1997, which was a compilation of popular hits from that year. The Radiohead song featured was "Paranoid Android". I fell in love with the rich texture of the music, the contrasting sections, the funky lyrics - I would listen to that song over and over again. Maybe a year later, when my parents finally got cable and I started watching MuchMusic, did I receive exposure to Radiohead's over songs. Through a Spotlight on Radiohead, I saw several of their music videos including "High and Dry", "Street Spirit" and "Just". A fan was born. I went out and bought The Bends and OK Computer immediately and listened to them non-stop.

When Radiohead came out with Kid A and then Amnesiac, my mind was blown. "Everything in Its Right Place" entranced me the moment I heard the opening notes. I remember listening to those CDs in my Discman and staring out a van window at a changing landscape as my family drove across Canada to visit relatives.