Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major.I fell asleep during Mozart. Bruckner's is more interesting: very powerful, maybe due to Kurt Masur's direction. He doesn't use any scores. First time I saw the orchestra layout changed.
After the concert, Masur spoke for about 20 minutes in the lobby, answering questions from the audience and musicians. Of course the audience lauded him wholeheartedly for his musicality and for his effort of keeping peace during the Leipzig demonstration in 1989. He was pretty modest but did venture some details of this pivotal event. Masur spoke highly of his wife, who's present, (that had no relation to any questions asked), Schwarz, and Seattle. He talked about the importance of keeping the spirit and music making in communities and youth programs. However, he mentioned about China having 4 million kids studying piano as an argument of western youth needs to up their music training, which seems in disharmony of his preaching of cultivating the love of art. As an 83 year old, he appears very energetic, lucid and eloquent.
Overall, one of the most memorable concerts in Seattle Symphony's history.
