For my first concert, I took it upon myself to go with an open mind, without having any previous predispositions that would affect my reaction to the concert. I just wanted to go in there, not knowing anything about the concert, and see what I hear in the music. The concert that night was entitled "Revolutionary Music", and truthfully, I was extremely impressed, not only was the music played beautifully, it seemed as if it was telling a story. The music had me sitting on the edge of my seat. At times, I felt as if the music came o life, and I was an actual character in the story. .
My favorite piece from that evening was Beethoven's Symphony No.3 in E-flat, op.55, Eroica. What I enjoyed most about it was its uniqueness in comparison to the other symphonies played that night, or that we have listened to. Although this piece follows what we have learned is the actual structure and design of a symphony, Beethoven adds plenty of original touches and alterations which puts it in a class by itself. .
The first movement opened with loud and powerful chords which gave me a feeling of suspense, from the very beginning I had a feeling of not knowing what to expect next. I felt as if something big was to come, and it was almost like I was scared to blink because I might miss something important. Most symphonies start out with a slow introduction, but Beethoven probably altered this "rule" in order to convey a powerful tension, which is associated with war, and fighting, so the music can resemble more of what revolutions are and feel like. After that powerful introduction the theme is played back time and time again with different variations. This bringing back of the same idea, but in different ways, made me feel like he was trying to convey the story through other people's eyes. I found that similar to war, because although we all see the war, the fighting, and the killing, each person sees it in their own perspective.
