Monday, November 2, 2009

musically inclined.

Fall means the new season of the San Francisco Symphony! This year's opening gala featured the pianist Lang Lang, who I've been dying to see for a few years now. He performed Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 3 spectacularly (the link isn't Lang Lang (obviously) but is very good!), and even treated us to a solo encore of Chopin.

One of the coolest things about the opening gala (in addition to wearing a ball gown and pretending to be a grown up) is the Star Spangled Banner that opens the performance. The entire audience rises to its feet, and the orchestra bursts forth with a wonderfully enthusiastic rendition of our national anthem. It feels very old-fashioned and extraordinary and patriotic.

Speaking of old-fashioned, before the program there is a promenade, where guests sip champagne and walk up and down the length of the atrium, basically people-watching. I don't normally wear bright colors, but after a television appearance where I was wrangled into a fuchsia top for the first time in my LIFE, I decided it's actually a color I like. So this year I went bold:

(This was a LOT of fuchsia.)

After the show, the party continues with food and drinks and a live band for dancing (which I do NOT do)!

I'm sure I've said it before but growing up on the East Coast I feel so lucky to live in the Bay Area, and really work to make time to enjoy everything it's got to offer. Who knows where we'll be in five years? Who knows where YOU'LL be?

My friend Cathy was planning on putting together a bike ride across the country for her 60th, which is many (many) years away, and I am planning on going with her. Just yesterday, though, she questioned the timing and thought maybe we should go sooner than later - why wait? Why wait to do the things you really want to do?

But that's a separate adventure conversation we'll have. For now I'll just say that MTT always puts together a great season, but if you're going to choose a single performance the gala tops them all.