Last night with Elgar and Holst

Last night I was invited to a classical concert at Northwestern University, Pick-Staiger concert Hall where Eliza Zielazinski played violin.
This time I wanted to observe musicians with their certain characteristics and listen scrupulously to each one in a harmonious orchestra. I wanted to see each tree in the forest.

It’s always inspiring to look at things from different perspectives which can stimulate our imagination tremendously. I needed the theatre to be dark enough, to release my emotions without any hesitation. The whole time a scene from Le Temps Retrouvé (Time Regained) by Raul Ruiz came to my mind where Marcel Proust listens to a classical piece. Perhaps I was in a particular mood and a certain ambiance where the whole situation tenderized my emotions!

The first piece was Concerto for cello by Edward Elgar (1857-1934) with mesmerizing cello player Russell Rolen and the second one, The Planet by Gustav Holst (1874-1934), conducted by Robert G. Hasty.
As I was drawn into the world of music, I thought how classical music can transcend humans to a higher level of understanding. It helps to see the world around us in a humane way as these pieces were composed in response to World War One.

Edward Elgar returned to his residence at Brinkwells, following the shock of war, with its unprecedented amount of death and loss. The quiet and peaceful surroundings inspired him to write this piece. It came from his heart: "simple, but deep melodies flourished forth, as if to finally heal the grief suffered during wartime."