City Noir

Last night at the Proms the John Adams piece, 'City Noir' was played. I was at home, doing the ironing but thanks to this symphonic mastpiece I was driving down a freeway (or is it a highway) in 1950s Los Angeles, at night, going past sleaezy jazz clubs... quite possibly in the batmobile.

It was a glorious feast of a work and the applause at its conclusion suggested the RAH crowd loved it as much as I did.

However, if you read the Guardian or certain other papers this morning you'd believe the performace was lacklustre and overlong.

I'm willing to admit that one person's expereince listening to a piece of music can be wildly difference to someone else's (Too Kool To Kalypso by Klark Kent was deeemed "depressing and grim" by a pal, whereas it makes me dance all around the kitchen playing air drums) I can't believe the Guardian critic actually heard the performance I did. He certainly didn't hear the audience reaction.

Tonight Strauss's Four Last Songs are being performed. Let's see what the Guardian's guy thinks of them.

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