Having a little more time in the new year, I've been to the symphony several times. So far I've heard
Haydn's Symphony No. 88
Turnage's From the Wreckage
Strauss' Thus spake Zarathustra
Weber's Overture to Euryanthe
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1
Harbison's Symphony No. 6
Strauss' Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks
Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man
Tomasi's Procession du Vendredi-saint
Strauss' Serenade in E-flat
Tchaikovsky's Serenade in C for Strings
Mendelssohn's Lobgesang
Overall I've once more found that I greatly prefer older music. Harbison's symphony was probably the least enjoyable piece I've ever heard performed. It was random at best and actively painful to listen to for too much of the third (I think) movement.
Of course, that's not all I've done in January and early February. I have also
Studied hard for my part III qualifying exam
Hosted and co-hosted a couple of parties, including a Super Bowl party on Sunday (good party, though a disappointing result)
Visited New York to see Anything Goes
Worked on the papers I hope to publish soon, on battery modelling.
Now the semester is beginning, though I'm not taking a class so I will notice less than most. In a few days I'll have been in Cambridge for two and a half years, so I'm currently at the halfway point of my planned five year PhD studies.
Did you experience any Lisztomania?
ReplyDeleteNot at all.
ReplyDeleteI also think the universe punished me for complaining about Harbison by having someone bring a Harbison aria to auditions when I was accompanying yesterday.
It sounds as though you do have Lisztomania.
ReplyDeleteI see no reason for that suggestion.
ReplyDeleteConsider: "I also think the universe punished me for complaining about Harbison by having someone bring a Harbison aria to auditions when I was accompanying yesterday."
ReplyDeleteOnly a person experiencing extreme hysteria could entertain the notion that the universe is punishing them.
But surely it would be more accurately described as antiharbisonmania?
ReplyDeleteMy understanding that Lizstomania was quality agnostic - the hysteria wasn't necessarily brought on by an appreciation of the music but by the music itself, a bit like Paris Syndrome.
ReplyDeleteI actually think it's more like Stendhal syndrome.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on reaching the halfway mark, Matt.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm two thirds of the way if you just count the requirements.
ReplyDelete