Last Tuesday night I attended a concert where Maggio Musicale Orchestra played Beethoven’s 9th Symphony directed by Zubin Mehta.  The concert was in Piazza della Signoria and was for free, so it was packed.  It was a very hot night but despite the sense of suffocation I was glad to be there cause the concert has been great.

After some initial synchronization problem – in the first movement where the orchestra wasn’t carefully following the director – they quickly knitted their sound and made an awesome ensemble.  I was particularly impressed by the sharpness of pizzicatos in the third movement.  Then in the fourth movement when the solo bass started to sing he took my breath away.  His voice was so powerful and determined that the walls surrounding the square vibrated and my skin was blown away.  The tenor, alto, soprano and the 100-people choir were also remarkably good while singing Ode to Joy, the amazing melody which is also famous for being the basis of the European Anthem.  As soon as the finale was over, every body stood up to clap their hands in a long ovation.

Of course, this wonderful music is even better when you listen to it in this open air space right the middle of Palazzo Vecchio, Loggia dei Lanzi, Michelangelo’s David and Uffizi.  I’m glad to live 10 minutes walk from there and it’s this kind of nights that make me glad the most.