We were lucky in finding a parking space and to have two tickets to the New World Symphony's Viennese Musical Traditions for a program of Toch, Beethoven and Brahms.  Beethoven's Concerto No 3 in C minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op 37 was the high point of the evening although the last half after the intermission, Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68 was a fantastic closing. Toch was the Twentieth Century's contribution but he could not compare with the other two.  And, Ax was simply marvelous and was why the place was filled with old folks like us who appreciated the kind of music and talent offered by the NWS and E. Ax.

Ax is now 60 years old ;  his education in Julliard was sponsored by a scholarship of the Epstein Scholarship program of the Boys Clubs of America.  He also won the Young Concert Artists Award.  Educated at Columbia University and majoring in French did not dampen his enthusiasm for the piano on which he showed his mastery this evening.  Emanuel Ax is known for his nimble fingers and mastery of significant musical programs from the masters of the last centuries.

I am talking to you about Emanuel Ax because he really was "something" as the lady sitting next to me said.  She had met him and conversed with him at Tanglewood one summer and found him to be a mensch as well as a genius at the piano.  Carol and I totally agreed for he, although described by my neighbor as a teddy bear of a man, gave a bravura performance that had everyone standing and applauding for at least four curtain calls.

I found him interesting for I noted that he did not use music in front of him but turned to face the orchestra nodding from time to time and then, when it was his turn, he attacked the keys and sent notes flying so that he took center stage even with the full orchestra playing their hearts out.  He really was special.

We are fortunate in South Florida to have the New World Symphony and Michael Tilson-Thomas as the originator of the Orchestra and conductor for this piece and that of the Brahms selection.  We were especially blessed with the concatenation of the music of the masters, the conductor and his orchestra and the magic of Emanuel Ax.

There was a special kind of magic in the atmosphere of this concert.  It was in the anticipation of hearing Ax and watching the orchestra and the pianist working together without much direction from Tilson-Thomas.  I am glad we went and am sorry that you couldn't go, too.