Vienna was an amazing experience for me--especially since I didn't come back with a huge scar on my shin this time......another story for another time. My favorite part of the whole trip was the concert we attended as a class; it returned to me my appreciation for classical music, and made me want to find a French horn and practice again. The first thing that struck me on Thursday when we arrived at the concert hall was the immense detail covering every inch of wall and ceiling. Frescoes, gold leaf, and carvings adorned each surface with some allusion to history or myth. Busts of famous composers even adorned the high walls of the performance hall itself. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over the room, but when they went out the focus was drawn by stage lights to the performers themselves. 
The musical selections for the night included Le Baiser de la Fée, by Igor Stravinski; Konzert für Trompete und Orchester, by Henri Tomasi, featuring the virtuoso Håkan Hardenberger; and finally Symphony no. 6, op. 74, "Pathetique," by Tchaikovsky. I definitely regressed to "band geek-dom" and reveled in the French horn soli passages. Our seats were perfect for someone like me, who was trained for years to listen for any and every mistake, because we were far enough that we received the full effect and couldn't pick out any individual sounds with ease. The performance was the best that I have ever heard! I hope that I have the chance to be exposed to more classical music in some form or another during my time here! And for now, I will just try to keep the idea of wanting to practice in my head so that when I return home, I will go straight to it!
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