It is so important for me when non-musicians understand the impact of a live performance. When my colleagues and I discuss live vs. recorded music, it is like preaching to the choir. But when I heard the excitement from my non-musician parents as they called to tell me about their first live Mahler 2^nd Symphony concert, I knew this was the kind of impact that symphony orchestras strive for. I was so struck by her description of the concert that I asked my mom to write down why the concert was so much more enjoyable in person than just merely listening to the CD, and I’m very happy to say that she agreed. ~ Holly Mulcahy

“You must see the Mahler! It’s fabulous!” Several people told us this as the 2011 season of the Grand Teton Music Festival began.

Because both of our children became professional symphony musicians for their careers, our friends assume we are sophisticated, knowledgeable concert-goers. “You know what’s going on,” they’ve said. “You can appreciate what happens in the symphony.”

But nothing could be further from the truth. While I dink on the piano, Chuck plays the radio. Neither of us even participated in high school band and orchestra.

On the other hand, most of the audience, many of whom have some background in music, has a better grasp of symphony works than either of us. We had to learn the hard way about “movements” when we enthusiastically applauded what we considered the finale during our first concert years ago. Since then, we’ve steadily improved our sophistication to the point that we now wait for others to initiate applause.

[pullquote_right]We learned early in our kids’ musical endeavors that it’s good to listen to a piece before attending the performance.[/pullquote_right]We learned early in our kids’ musical endeavors that it’s good to listen to a piece before attending the performance. Consequently, when a friend offered to loan us a CD of Mahler’s 2nd Symphony before the date of the Grand Teton Musical Festival concert, we gratefully accepted. During a drive from Jackson to Idaho Falls one day, we slipped it into the CD player in the car. Along the way, we observed the scenery, watched for traffic, and searched for wildlife. As the music flowed in the background, we chatted, one ear toward the music, one aimed at outside influences.

“So what did you think of that symphony?” our daughter Holly later asked.

“It was nice,” I said, “But it didn’t blow me away.” I could tell Holly was disappointed with my reaction to a piece she had promised would be thoroughly exhilarating.

We attended the first night of the concert on Friday with only the expectation that we would probably enjoy the rendition. When we entered the concert hall, we scanned the stage where a few musicians warmed up. As more musicians filled the chairs, we realized that far more of them than usual packed the stage. Chairs were pushed farther forward to allow room for rows of bleachers at the rear that accommodated the choir that finally filed onto them.

The first movement proved rousing and inspirational as it enveloped us by its richness and magnitude. Riveted by its stirring conclusion, with horns blaring and drums pounding, we resisted the urge to shout out our excitement. Subsequent movements, from soft, harmonious phrases to energetic buildups, rocked our senses. We barely noticed when the choir melded into the symphony and their voices escalated with soloists to an emotional impact that lifted the audience to its feet at its stunning conclusion.

Was this the same piece we had listened to on CD? Convinced that perhaps we had inserted the wrong disc, we replayed it Saturday morning as we performed our kitchen and housekeeping duties and visited with neighbors who stopped by. Midway through, we turned off the music while we took our morning stroll. Upon return, we finished listening to the recording as we prepared to leave for the day.

[pullquote_right]Once again, while we enjoyed the CD rendition, it did not affect us or touch our emotions as the live performance had. We decided to return to attend the second and final night of the concert.[/pullquote_right]Once again, while we enjoyed the rendition, it did not affect us or touch our emotions as the live performance had. We decided to return to attend the second and final night of the concert.

In the concert hall, with no distractions, we were again wrenched to the edges of our seats by the lush greatness of the performance. We felt the vibrations of percussion and crash of cymbals, heard the blare of multitudes of brass, and savored the melodic notes of woodwinds. We witnessed flying fingers on strings and gauged audience reaction by their focused attention. We heard not one cough, not one shuffling of feet.

Sitting as one with the audience, our attention totally focused, we experienced an emotional connection with the music that we missed on the CD. Quiet passages we had ignored on the recording became expressive episodes that tugged at us and drew us into an inspirational experience. And that experience was reflected back from the expressions on the musicians’ faces.

Listening to music can be gratifying, but viewing the performance is the complete experience, fulfilling and satisfying!