Carnegie Hall, New York. Dress Circle (Seat DD30, $135).
After performing Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra. The concertmaster had quite a workout during the violin solo.
Program
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (1896) by Strauss (1864-1949).
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43 (1901-02) by Sibelius (1865-1957).
I have mixed feelings about the program for today. On the one hand, it's good to have an opportunity to hear a world-renowned orchestra perform two definitive pieces composed at the turn of the 20th century. On the other hand, one wonders why an organization with such a reputation would go with two standard "warhorses" from the period. To be fair, the orchestra had a series of concerts during this visit, and one should look at the totality to assess the overall program. But I suspect few in the audience had tickets to multiple concerts.
With that said, I was looking forward to the concert. There is something to be said about listening to two familiar works that are "soul-stirring." To the superficial listener, Strauss's first "movement" is worth the price of admission, and the last movement of Sibelius is so filled with tension that it's always nice to sit through.
The unfortunate fact is the concert didn't deliver much beyond the simple take-aways I listed above. Was it a good concert? Of course. The parts were easy to discern, the contrasts were clear, the sounds were crisp, the soloists were impressive (though some could be louder for those in the upper reaches of the auditorium). Yet I was listening to the performance, and wasn't in the middle of it.
Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra is a tone poem based on Nietzsche's novel where he introduces his key concepts like the "death of God," the "Superman" as a human ideal, and the "will to power." (Quoting from what Google tells me.) Even after hearing the piece many times, I still can't grasp which of Nietzsche's concepts are being put to music. I have always found it somewhat unfortunate that the dramatic part is concentrated in the first couple of minutes, even though one can the subsequent passages are a lot more thought-provoking (even without being sure what thoughts are being provoked). I did learn in this hearing that the violin solo occurs in "The Dance Song."
I heard the Sibelius symphony performed by the New York Philharmonic a few months back (November 2025). While I don't remember much of the actual performance, I did describe it in glowing terms. I am quite sure I won't use similarly glowing terms for tonight's performance. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, though. Indeed the coda was very satisfying.
Sibelius produced interesting and full orchestral sounds without using an organ and many percussion instruments. (The organ wasn't removed during intermission.)
Anne couldn't come, so I exchanged her ticket. The person who bought the ticket said Anne missed a great concert. I am not sure I would go that far.
I took the train to Penn Station and walked to/from Carnegie Hall. On the way back I stopped by Shake Shack for a burger.
