Watching uTube these days

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOlc2PAiWUU
What a thrill it is to sit here and write about a performance that I can both watch and write about, while I am listening to it.  Tonight is the Brahms 1st Piano Concerto, played by the Baden-Baden Symphony Orchestra, and featuring Hélène Grimaud. 

At the opening, mostly the orchestra was featured.

It was wonderful to see German people, common people with a love for music.  Baden-Baden is not Berlin, and not any other great German City, so these are a cross section of a part of humanity that I love and have ties to.  It was nice to see these pleasing, happy faces.

I was always blown away, when I spent time in Germany, by the respect and dedication to music, both classical and beer house fun, that it seemed to me, all Germans had, and enjoyed.

Hélène is not your normal ingenue these days, with sexy gowns and presentations for their performances.

She is, though, one of these new performers that are flawlessly skilled, and completely dedicated to  their work.

How does a virtuoso performer memorize an hours performance like this without an absolute dedication to nothing else but this.  And then do it again the next night with a different  selection?

Like World Class Chess Players or Olympic Gold Winners, people like that are in a class by themselves.

I am now watching her wrap up the Rondo, and it is truly impressive.

This is spell-binding.

The bassoons in at the finale,

  a few piano trills,

    themes: clarinets, total orchestra, violins,

       majestic theme on PIANO.

AND THE AUDIENCE ROARS WITH APPROVAL