Cannonball

As well as it is tradition to go to the concert at the Dom before Christmas (Berliner Weihnachtskonzert, remember ?) it is also tradition to go before New Year's Eve listening the Beethoven's 9th symphonie at the Concert Hall in Gendarmenmarkt (we are so glamourous, Darling !). And because it is a beautiful place, you're sure to meet some friends so you can decide what you'll do after the concert, and listening this symphonie is a good time. So this year, again, back to the rainy center of the city (we still haven't snow for Christmas : even if Berlin becomes warmer, it's no fun !). The hall is full, everybody's there, all dressed up for the occasion though for A. (who's there for the holidays) it does not look at aaaall this way, the musicians and the choir (on the balcony) take place and we wait for the conductor. I don't know, from the start I could feel something was wrong : the conductor looked bored or tired or hurt but he went to fast. Even if this piece is energetic, please let us breathe. Even the drums were too late, the tenor was not in the rythm, he made too much, the other two female voices were not synchronised and the choir was very busy looking down for the little show playing one floor below when every musician tried to play his part the best he could trying to follow the rythm. You could even see the violins turning the page of their book too late because they didn't have the time and then the one who turned the page indicating where the mesure was. Fortunatly all those people are professionals and they know their part very well so it went molto allegro. There was a critic-journalist one rank before us who tried to follow the partition with his book and I could sense that after a while ... he got lost turning and returning the pages. So it went quick, very quick and all and everyone arrived in a good shape at the end. The conductor left (poor girls who waited to distribute their flowers bouquets, they didn't know what to do with his) and we noticed the tuxedos were not that clean anymore, shirts were not in trousers, black dresses not so neat, hairs a bit undone and the choir just stood up and left. Although we were very happy I never knew if it was because we wanted to thank you the artists to have achieved this master piece as best as they could or because we were happy it fisnished. I'd be happy to read next week the critics in the paper. I guess everyone did his duty and wanted to join his family to eat turkey. Back home we had a simple dinner with friends who were at the concert as well and they have more experience in the classical domain than I have but they felt the same. And it made us laughed. For you the Beethoven 9th symphonie but the Claudio Abado 's version.