As this may be your home for the rest of your life, I'd say take lots of time and look at everything that you might find remotely appealing. It wouldn't do to settle for one that's pretty good when you might find one that you realize is the perfect one. Kind of like falling in love. :sunny:

Oh yeah, that's why I have dealbreakers. I'm 47 years old, so this ain't gonna be a "starter home" that I settle on until I can move on to something I like better.

Fixed. :O:





*ow, ow, stop hitting me, ow!*

That'll learn ya to mess with the Karate Queen, AKA 'Mom'. :O:

You two behave yerselves or I WILL TURN THIS THREAD AROUND. :stare: :O:

Are we there yet? :D

Last time the kids come along on a vacation... :)

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Can we stop, I need a wee. Can we stop, I need a wee. . .

Frau, please, out of curiosity, what venue, what orchestra, which conductor, and who are the principal vocalists?...

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You said it wouldn't take long.

Music Hall

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Artists:
Louis Langrée conductor
Twyla Robinson soprano
Kelley O'Connor mezzo-soprano
Dimitri Pittas tenor
Morris Robinson bass
May Festival Chorus Men of the May Festival Chorus

Thanks for the info and the links, Frau. I am very impressed with the venue; I have heard of Springer Auditorium mainly through the classical music radio stations I listen to and the recordings they play that were made in Springer. I had never seen pictures of the interior; it is one of those places just made for fine musical performances and I have always been partial to grand, historic architecture...

I have seen the 9th performed live several times, mainly here in Los Angeles. A couple of the performances were at the Music Center downtown at the Chandler Pavillion, but the acoustics there are not among the best. I have yet to see a performance at the newer Disney Hall. I have also seen the 9th at the Hollywood Bowl a few times, but, since it is a outdoor venue, the sound tends to dissipate the further from the Bowl stage one sits. One of the best performances I have ever seen was not by a world-class orchestra in a prominent venue. Several years ago, a local church hosted a performance by a lesser known orchestra and vocalists. The church is in the gothic style both inside and out and the interior has some very fine acoustics. The setting was perfect for the piece and to see and hear a performance that wasn't sort of coated with the patina of an "elite" event gave the whole piece a "humaness" I found lacking in the almost clockwork precision of the "pros". There is someting to hearing the sound of the orchestra and voices performing such a grand composition resonating in the naves and alcoves of a gothic church. Maybe it has something to do with all those Latin High Masses I attended while in Catholic school...

I hope you plans work out and you enjoy the glorious 9th...

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Yeah, it's really quite lovely. I've sat in various sections from orchestra (floor) to gallery (upper balcony) and even had box seats once for an opera and the sound seems great everywhere.

I'm sorry, but I must hate you now. :O:

Oh, I will definitely be going. Single tickets go on sale in a couple of weeks and I already have the money... I'd just do one of the "create your own series" deals and pick out 5 shows now but there doesn't seem to be an option for choosing your own seat that way, which is something I really prefer to do. I waited until November last year to get tix for last season because none of the performances I wanted to see were happening until after the first of this year, and still got great seats for all three.

They are also doing the Emperor concerto next spring, and Pinchas Zuckerman will be in town one weekend, I think he may be doing the two romanzas for violin and orchestra but I'm not sure. Those are the other two performances I will probably get tickets for (at the very least).

They actually will do three performances of the 9th, instead of the usual two, one of which will be (as I understand it) a rehearsal performance the Thursday evening before the weekend shows. I may try to get in on that as well just to see what it's like.

And as it happens, I was just now listening to a live performance of the 9th from the Royal Albert Hall in London, which was apparently timed to end shortly before the opening ceremonies of the Olympics begin today. Thank goodness I work in an office downstairs by myself away from everybody else, I'm not sure they could've endured me singing along so loudly in German no less. :dead:

At least it's not Wagner and you're not wearing a horned helmet... :D

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Half right. :03: