Boston Symphony Orchestra

The Dancing Orchestra by Holly Moniz

            “It’s important to remember that it’s all a dance,” Ms. Timberly Canale explained at Man in a Case’s post-performance question and answer last Wednesday evening at the Hartford Stage in Connecticut, and as I watched the Boston Symphony Orchestra perform yesterday evening, I believe that she couldn’t be more right. Sitting in the Boston Symphony Hall, listening to Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, Thomas’s world premiere of her Cello Concerto No. 3, and Saint-Saëns’s Symphony No. 3, I was mesmerized by the orchestra’s music, but I couldn’t help but feel that I was watching them dance too.

             From the moment the first instrument vibrated through the air and the sound snaked its way into my ears, each performer bobbed and weaved in unison to the music they were making. At certain points in the performance, it was as though they themselves were a part of the air and the music vibrated through them too.  The cellists seemed to pick up their bows in preparation with the same flick of their hands and the violinists appeared to treat their instruments with the same delicate care as they played; it all just looked so choreographed!

Even conductor, Christoph Eschenbach, leading each instrumentalist looked like he was preparing to dance, arms moving in perfect formations as arms move in a ballet, body leaning from side to side as a body sways to and fro during a waltz. During the last movement of the final piece, Saint-Saëns’s Symphony No. 3, I even caught Mr. Eschenbach jump up and down once or twice to the power of the organ and the crash of the cymbals.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s sense of togetherness was also notable in their playing. I felt as though I was listening to one extremely loud violin as opposed to twenty-something separate violins throughout the entire performance, and the same goes for each other instrument. Their sound was simply breathtaking and had brought tears to my eyes by the end of the night.

If you’re looking for a show to see, the Boston Symphony Orchestra will give you the best of both worlds: classical music and dance. Instead of picturing a ballet in your head to the music, you’ll have the ability to watch a seated one unfold before your eyes.