"Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life." ~Ludwig van Beethoven

Conductor David Robertson, who conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London, along with several other orchestras as a guest conductor, recently spoke on the relevance of classical music. “In a society where more and more things are mass produced and the rule of business is to make it as streamlined as possible, so people have to put in as little effort as can be, a classical music event is one of the few remaining bastions where you come in and largely have an unedited experience,” Robertson says. “There are pieces that are pre-programmed and pre-rehearsed, but then it stops. Nobody picks the camera angles. Nobody sits behind a mixing desk. All of this is done by you. … This is why I think what we’re doing, although it has an entertaining aspect, is the difference between art and entertainment: in entertainment you pay your money and you expect to come out of the experience essentially the same way as you went in. Something that professes to art is subtly working at changing you, and there’s no way to predict what the change will be … Entertainment is not threatening. Art sometimes is.”

Last night, Paul and I went to Montreal to see the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Kent Nagano. The program included Prokofiev's 1st symphony, Hayden's 94th Symphony and Mozart's Piano Concerto 24 in C minor. Many of you will recognize the Concerto: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqQPVDW7bkI

Teh pianist that Paul and I saw was Stephen Kovacevich who has a way with the piano and a way with Mozart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqQPVDW7bkI

Stephen Kovacevich was born in Los Angeles and at 11 had his concert debut. He moved to England for training. He has been named as one of the top pianist ever by Phillips Record Company which has issued his works in a retrospective album. If anyone would like to hear it, just let me know.

Another treat was Hayden's "Surprise Symphony". Now, I know that you have all heard it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLjwkamp3lI&feature=related

We had a great time.