The Whole Evening was a Gift - Schubert Monday, 1 October

So tonight it was some Schubert!  At Theatre des Bouffes du Nord, none the less!

But it almost wasn’t, for me anyway.  When I bought my ticket a couple months ago the concert was already almost sold out.  But I nabbed a seat I thought would work up a few steps from the floor in row G.  Little did I know how treacherous those steps were, or that there was a big post blocking my way.  Ya had to be skinny and nimble to reach it.  Neither are words that describe me!

The nice usher suggested that I wait until everyone was seated, then he convinced a row of people to squish together to make room for me on the aisle of row C.  I couldn’t have picked a better seat if I tried.  What a gift.

The first half was Schubert string quartet #15.  Then, “Death and the Maiden,” #14!

Quartet Van Kuijk is VERY good.  And the guys are very cute!  Just wow.

And Schubert!  The spectacular beauty, the power, the humor, the melodies, the complexity, the material for collaboration, the craft, his almost frightening ability to control one’s breathing, ....  One of a kind.

The crowd went wild.  Multiple curtain calls.  Euro-clapping.  Then we got an encore of Poulenc’s “Les Chemins de l'amour” arranged for string quartet. Sweet!  Two more curtain calls before we were sent out into the balmy evening.  Aaahhhhh.  Life is good!