I really had a lot respect for Mr. Maazel, who appeared to be an unstoppable ball of conducting fury. According to the program, the man had accomplished more by the age of 7 then I likely am to do in my entire life. Conductor began to seem like a really good gig to me; it must be a real power trip to have an army of musical gods at your disposal, waiting to do your bidding with the flick of a wrist. I would probably use the power for more nefarious purposes, but unfortunately my musical talents never really advanced past a few years or piano and the recorder in middle school, an instrument which I could only coax into producing a sound so hateful and strained that it could only serve to annihilate, rather than uplift the human spirit. So perhaps conductor is not in the cards for me.
The Philharmonic was a nice departure from the doldrums of the dreary workaday world, and I felt like an elite Manhattanite for the night. Schubert didn't do it for me, but I really enjoyed the Bruckner symphony, which featured a triumphant brass section and one massive, glorious cymbal clap of justice at the end, which I was certain I could have played. I imagine after that, conductor -- and the world -- would only be a matter of time for me.
