Last night, I went to one of the most incredible concerts I’ve ever been to. It was the Honolulu Symphony, performing the Eroica Symphony, Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, Rhapsody in Blue, and Pictures At an Exhibition. Let me say that when I saw the program, I almost died.
We studied the Eroica in Music History this past semester, so I already knew quite a bit about it, and it just happens to be one of my all-time favorite symphonies. Very fine performance. Then the Rachmaninov. Oh my word. I am going to make the biggest statement of my life, and say that I think the 18th Variation of Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is the most glorious piece ever written. I will qualify that there are thousands of other beautiful songs, some of which I blogged about last March, linked here for your viewing/ listening convenience. Nonetheless, it has been one of my favorite pieces for almost as long as I can remember, and the stunning performance nearly brought me to tears.