"Only the pure in heart can make a good soup"

-Ludwig van Beethoven

Last night I went to the orchestra. My sister and I made a night out of it. We went and picked up tickets at Orchestra Hall. UBS is a sponser of the Minnesota Orchestra and their way of saying thank you was a private concert for UBS employees and clients.

After we picked up tickets, we made our way over to Brit's Pub for dinner. After a couple of Strongbows and a delicious steak sandwich, it was off to the show.

Led by Osmo Vänskä, the first half was made up of Symphony 2 and Symphony 7 by Ludwig van Beethoven. I was reminded how amazing Beethoven's work is. The man was a musical genius. His music is simply beautiful. That in and of itself is enough to leave you in awe. When you try to process the idea that he was deaf, it takes that awe to a whole new level. How does someone who can't hear put notes together to make such brilliant harmony? How do you know how dramatic the difference between piano and forte is? I realize he didn't start losing his hearing until his twenties but still...it's remarkable. The orchestra did a beautiful job. Osmo himself was a treat to watch. In a word, he was animated. I love watching conductors who really get into it.

Beethoven's works were followed by an intermission. Essentially it was a big dessert bar in the lobby from Lunds/Byerlys. The lobby was packed to the point where it was almost impossible to move. It was good getting to see some of the people from the old Minnetonka office.

The second half of the show got a little long. They never actually told us what the musical selections were. Of course it was good but again, it got a little long. It was well worth it considering the tickets and parking was free. Plus I got my culture for the week :)