Piano Maestro Emmanuel Ax with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas at San Francisco Symphony

 
What a pleasure to listen to Michael Tilson Thomas conduct a series of short pieces, including Copland's "Music from the film "Our Town" (Thornton Wilder) and Delius, who composed pieces in Florida "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring (1912).  The program also included Sibelius, "Valse Triste (1903) and Rachmaninov "Vocalise, Opus 34, no. 14", ending with "Cortege de Bacchus, from Sylvia (1876).  MTT says that he plans to record these short pieces of which he is fond. 
 
The amazing moment was the Piano Concerto No. 3 in C. Minor Opus 37(1803) Beethoven played by Emmanuel Ax  .  I have never heard it played so brilliantly, fingered so exquisitely, and it appeared that MMT felt the same, as he turned and simply gazed at Emmanuel Ax, at one point, with clear admiration.   He, along with Yo Yo Ma, has achieved a stellar position in his playing. Truly transcendent.   Photo shows MTT in rehearsal. 
 
 

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