Breaking into Mozart
This evening after work, strolled home, had a bite to eat, and then off to the Filarmonia for Mozart's Requiem - a must, and one of my favourite pieces of music. (A string quartet version exists which will just be perfect for my funeral, whenever it'll come...).
To my surprise it was sold out! Unbelievable - even standing tickets no longer existed, it seemed....so a few of us lingered by the door, but it was quite late and no-one was selling spare tickets - I missed the two that were going. The starting time came, and still people lingered, especially a lot of young people. Finally they were let in - I tried to get in with them, and was asked if I was a student. Of course I am, having just paid my huge OU fees, but I did not quite have the nerve to push it - here mature students are not very common, and I do not yet have a student ID.
So I was thrown out again....and the remainder of us wandered off...and I looked back, and there were these two young guys, who I had seen earlier, asking if I needed a ticket. Well, of course. I gave them the 30 hrivna for the ticket (about 5 Euros) ...and no ticket, but they wandered off towards the entrance. After previous experiences I stuck to them like glue, and right enough, they talked to the usherette at the entrance, slipped her some money (possibly more like 20 hrivna) and I was in, standing room only. Considering the thought of slipping her 50 hrivna had crossed my mind earlier I had done well. And it is possible to stand for Mozart's Requiem, no?
Could not see the orchestra or the soloists, which makes it quite difficult to judge the performance....Up at the back of the balcony it sounded a bit like an old recording, lots of bass but not many high sounds (or is my hearing getting that bad?). The bass singer was a bit heavy on the vibrato, and in general the music did not sound all that transparent - not much clarity, but it might have been due to my standing place. Anyway, it was a nice end to the Mozart year.
To my surprise it was sold out! Unbelievable - even standing tickets no longer existed, it seemed....so a few of us lingered by the door, but it was quite late and no-one was selling spare tickets - I missed the two that were going. The starting time came, and still people lingered, especially a lot of young people. Finally they were let in - I tried to get in with them, and was asked if I was a student. Of course I am, having just paid my huge OU fees, but I did not quite have the nerve to push it - here mature students are not very common, and I do not yet have a student ID.
So I was thrown out again....and the remainder of us wandered off...and I looked back, and there were these two young guys, who I had seen earlier, asking if I needed a ticket. Well, of course. I gave them the 30 hrivna for the ticket (about 5 Euros) ...and no ticket, but they wandered off towards the entrance. After previous experiences I stuck to them like glue, and right enough, they talked to the usherette at the entrance, slipped her some money (possibly more like 20 hrivna) and I was in, standing room only. Considering the thought of slipping her 50 hrivna had crossed my mind earlier I had done well. And it is possible to stand for Mozart's Requiem, no?
Could not see the orchestra or the soloists, which makes it quite difficult to judge the performance....Up at the back of the balcony it sounded a bit like an old recording, lots of bass but not many high sounds (or is my hearing getting that bad?). The bass singer was a bit heavy on the vibrato, and in general the music did not sound all that transparent - not much clarity, but it might have been due to my standing place. Anyway, it was a nice end to the Mozart year.
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