Hodgepodge 267/365 - Bach Festival

This afternoon we attended our second (of two) concerts of this year's Carmel Bach Festival, which is currently in its eightieth season. It began in 1935 as a four-day series of concerts, expanded over time to three weeks, and in 2009 was shortened to a two-week event, with a repeating weekly program. The current artistic conductor is the wonderful Englishman (and former oboist) Paul Goodwin. It's a delight to watch him  lead the musicians.

Some years, David has performed in the Festival Chorus (for local amateurs: there's also the Chorale, which is made up of professionals). Not this year, I don't recall why. We don't attend performances every year—which, there again, I don't know why. We should! It's a top-notch musical event.

Today's program included the exquisite Adagietto of Mahler's Symphony No. 5, John Tavener's gorgeous mostly–a cappella Mother and Child, and—the main event—Mozart's rousing Mass in C Minor, K. 427. A wonderful program, and a wonderful performance with the orchestra, Chorale, and four soloists.

Here's the Kyrie from the Mass (just sound):

I was raised on Mozart. Also Bach, Haydn, Handel. But mostly Mozart. Anytime I hear Mozart, it makes me happy. The only operas I really enjoy (well, besides Carmen) are Mozart's. My father especially loved the piano concertos—and of them, especially the 21st, K. 467. The Andante was used in the Danish movie Elvira Madigan (1967), which made it famous. But for me, it was already beloved.