BTW- I like to consider myself an expert in the last landslide.

K

I agree with ACD. Great picture of the whole structure of the piece defining the summit. Even tied to other works! I think I will try this description with the youth orchestra members. Also the bit about not only just making your part rythmically correct and the correct pitch at the right level…..sounds like a park! Someone needs to fill in with the fallen tree, old stump, the last landslide….all the details that complete the entire scene.

And the third stand 2nd fiddle thought their note was never going to be really heard! They all count toward painting the scene!

By the way, one thing I didn’t quite make clear, except possibly, by my first sentence, is that this whole cosmic-arrival-fortissimo thing is not about perfection, though we strive for accuracy and focus at all times. An accurate performance will often leave a listener cold- that’s because in the quest for accuracy, some part of tha landscape hasn’t been looked after. The best peformances are both accurate and compelling, when the landscape and the execution are both there, but there’s always room for improvement in both areas. I’m not claiming we just did the definitve LvB7- far from it. More, I was just trying to figure out why I liked the performance more than many others I do.

That’s about the most perfect description of how one achieves a proper musical climax I’ve ever read.

Bravo!

ACD