Our first Time at a Symphony

My husband and I went to a Toronto Symphony Orchestra concert tonight, the eve of our anniversary! He picked me up at work, we ate at a falafel place and arrived at Roy Thomson Hall, a marvelous venue with amazing acoustics and over 1500 seating in the heart of downtown Toronto. Contrary to our expectations the crowd was demographically diverse, casually dressed and musically engaged. The balmy night saw lots of people milling about in Toronto's theatre district, giving the evening a celebratory air.

We took our seats in the circular balcony of the packed hall directed by friendly ushers all elegantly dressed in black. TSO is a non profit organization which relies a lot on volunteers who are music aficionados and who get rewarded for their efforts, with concert tickets. The concert began on time and the whole experience mimicked western society - orderly and organized to the point of being rigid. It was also very accessible, with no associated elitism or snobbery, a North American hallmark. The orchestra was conducted with precision and the playing was technically impeccable. Underpinning the performance was a rigorous adherance to rules, tradition, and the sheets of music all of which is key to the synchronicity that a symphony symbolises. You could not hear a pin drop during the concert. When we were late reentering the hall after intermission, we were asked to sit out a piece for all of nine minutes. The focal instruments of the evening's concert were the violin and the Double Bass and the signature pieces were by contemporary American musician Edgar Meyer, who also played the Double Bass. They were superbly executed, even to my untrained ears. The orchestra of musicians were all top notch but they appeared to be tightly controlled. I am sure this varies with the temperament and stature of the conductor, and TSO's Peter Oundjian, who is well liked and popular, may be more open to input from his team of musicians, than some others.

The concert concluded to thunderous applause, which was unabashedly over the top, bordering on the sycophantic and lasting several minutes. It was amusing to watch the conductor and star musicians lap it all up, while lurching in and out of the hall for repeated bows. All in all it was a novel experience to watch the musicians play on cue, each with a distinct individual style amidst generally uniform movements and gestures. The two hours went by quickly. While I did miss the lack of predictability, minor chaos and improvisation that marks our Indian classical concerts, we could definitely take a page from the West for the organization, order and respect they bring even into art!