Mozart

I went to Rollins College Knowles Chapel to watch a rehearsal of Mozart’s Grand Mass in C minor. The music starts softly at first and then builds in intensity. I imagined a small ship lost at sea caught in a tempest, the waves swelling and the ship tossed about like a cork. A refrain of hope, a ray of light, wove it’s way through the music

I sat in the nose bleed section since I didn’t want the tablet’s glowing screen to distract anyone in the audience. Even the balcony became packed. This Bach Festival rehearsal was open to the public and free to attend. A couple in front of me cuddled the entire performance.

When the chorus joined in, the music became heavenly. At one point a trains whistle sounded repeatedly in the distance. Amazingly the sound fit in perfectly with the performance. The conductor, John V. Sinclair, commented on the accompaniment and the orchestra, chorus and audience laughed. This was different than most performances in that the audience was asked to remain silent. As a working rehearsal, the conductor offered notes and suggestions to the performers. By remaining silent the audience had a chance to learn more about how the conductor viewed the music. When there was a break in the rehearsal, most of the audience left. I remained and continued to play and experiment with color.

4 thoughts on “Mozart

  1. A couple cuddled during the performance? Why would anyone feel the need to include it in the article? Bach and Mozart would both be so disgusted, and so should be the educated, cultured people everywhere. It's a Mass, for God's sake! But I guess it's very fitting to the venue and the quality of performance.

  2. I doubt Mozart was prudish. Nor do I think God would frown on affection displayed in a Mass. This was a rehearsal, so I can't vouch for the quality of the final performance.

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