Soaking in some culture

Another week gone, another weekend approached. I decided to do something social this time around. The Chicago Symphony has a fantastic discount for students and someone asked if I'd be interested in going. As a friend of mine once said, "Say yes to everything." I'd never been to a symphony before so I was unsure of what to wear, whose music would be playing, and basically what it would even look like.

Since I didn't want to seem uncultured or give the impression of a total symphony noob, I did some googling before going out. I found out the composer was Mahler and they would be performing his 7th symphony.  He was Austrian, strongly influenced by Wagner and composed during the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. A quick check of the Chicago Symphony website told me that the director was an Italian guy named Muti, but unfortunately he was very sick with gastric problems and would not be performing tonight.

Armed with information, I left my apartment. We grabbed some dinner in HP before heading downtown.  I haven't yet had much opportunity to see the real city and was amazed at how clean it was. It was also a very mild night. Apparently it's been unseasonably warm so far this season (thank you, global warming). The symphony is right on Michigan Avenue (nicknamed "The Muti Mile," according to the sign outside*). There was an enormous poster of him on the exterior of the building, but alas, I told my friends, he was out sick. They had no idea. I felt so informed. Then, they asked what music was being played. Someone mentioned Mahler and the rest of the group was dumbfounded. Then I realized I wasn't actually uncultured and was a much bigger dork than I thought. I filled them in about Mahler and Muti and my obsession with Wikipedia and we went in.

It was pretty packed, with the orchestra up on a stage and the audience sort of below it. There were also balcony seats for the people who paid full-price for their tickets. Actually though, our seats were pretty awesome. About three rows out from the stage and to the left by the violinists. I was blown away by the music. It was dramatic and fast-moving. I don't know much about classical music or the relevant adjectives for it, but I can see that at times it did remind me of Star Wars.

One thing I wondered about and something that has always bothered me is the number of instrumentalists. There were probably 20 violinists, 10 violists, and a small handful of tuba-players, cellists, and flutes. I believe there was a lone tampani, piccolo, guitar, mandolin, triangle, tambourine, set of cymbals, and but one cowbell-player. So I was wondering: how do they decide how many of each instrument they'll have? I mean, 20 violins seems a bit much. How much does it add to the sound to have that many? How different would it be from, say, 10? Or 5?And there were two harpists. Two. Completely necessary?

Now back to the cowbell. They had a whole set of cowbells, from small ones to big ones. I never knew they came in sizes and had never seen a real musician** play them, so I was really looking forward to seeing them played. Since classical musicians always play their instruments with the utmost care, treating them like their children, I imagined the cowbellist would similarly play his "instrument." I imagined some sort of cowbell stick, sort of like a xylophone stick, that he would subtly tap each bell with. As usual, I was way off. Right at the end of the production, he just banged at them randomly, smashing them together, beating at them haphazardly. It was all sort of barbaric, and extremely noisy. At least one thing I couldn't ask for was more cowbell. All in all though, it sounded fantastic. I got lost in the music a few times and watching the director at work (though not Muti this time) was fascinating.

As we left the symphony, we ran into a few other law students who were there and heading to a birthday party at a club. We went down to the club, a huge 3-story place, but found it all a little too clubby for us. Instead we ran across the street for some deep dish (I've met my people!) and talked nerdy law-talk.


I think I might have my Halloween costume, though it's not settled yet. There is an upcoming costume party I need to get ready for. Advice is welcome.


*Probably only by symphony nerds.
**Sorry, Will Ferrell.