Today's musical experience

Tonight I heard Mahler's 8th Symphony (Symphony of a Thousand) featuring five local choruses and the NSO at the Kennedy Center. It was, well, Mahler... loud. The performance wasn't bad. The orchestra sounded better than I've heard them sound on some other things, though still not fabulous. The sheer number of performing forces and the power of sound required to perform the thing is so unusual that it impresses merely by being performed. Right, wrong or otherwise, that's just the way it is. So, I'll leave it at that. I've heard it live. I suppose I can check it off my list. But, there was a children's choir. And, a pretty good one at that. There is something so touching about seeing the product of an in-depth arts learning experience for children that just gets me at my very core.
Now, as usual, a few non-musical observations:
- Condi was there, back in the president's box. Poor woman. The girl just wanted to hear Mahler 8 for heaven's sake and she had to take 38 of her "best friends" with her. There were about 15 secret service officers waiting outside the president's box for her afterward. I hope she was able to forget about all of those guys and enjoy the concert. What a life. But, props to her...she keeps coming out to concerts and hearing what it is that she loves. That's more than admirable.
- I was seated in the box closest to the stage, which means I had a good view of the musicians' facial expressions. That's always interesting to watch...to see how the oboist and flutist will lean and breathe together or whatnot. However, the moment of the night was when something (I have no idea what) made a cellist crack up laughing. He was laughing so hard his cello was shaking. It was absolutely hysterical! I could see him repeatedly try to regain his composure, but it took him a good 30 seconds to recover. Priceless!