Leningrad
Went to a very noisy concert last night, the Leningrad symphony by Shostakovich (his 7th symphony), which has been blaring in the house for days. There was some confusion over the seats, eventually I got a good place right on the front row next to the orchestra. A lady violinist winked at me as she walked on stage. Tried to sleep through it all but really not possible, especially when it all went mad at the end. Apparently Shostakovich wrote the symphony during the Nazi siege on Leningrad in 1941, and by the sound of the snare drum it was obvious what the piece was about. The ending was so noisy, and the audience reaction, that I got up and sort of took a bow, wasn’t sure whether they were applauding the orchestra or me for being such a good guide dog.There was also an old Russian lady sitting near me who could actually remember the 1941 siege, she was quite emotional about it and talked a lot, even durinng the symphony which I thought was a bit off. anyway the LPO did a great job, though I was glad to get home as my ears were jangling a bit.I’ve pleaded for a Shostakovich ban on the CD player for a few weeks and hope some gentler music will be played….
