Applause, Please.

Happy Valentine's Day! I read that Hungary didn't celebrate Valentine's Day until 1989. I wonder if that has something to do with the end of the communist era.

On Monday night I went to see the Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra at the Opera House. It was fantastic. They played three pieces (the last one had three movements) and an encore. I wrote an e-mail home describing the Hungarian style of composure as a bit of a war of winds versus strings. It was very climactic. There was a flute solo unlike anything I had ever heard. It began with one flautist, adding another flute and a piccolo as it went on. As a former French Horn player, I'll admit to not respecting the flute as much as I perhaps should. However, this solo was beyond belief. At the end of the piece, the concert master not only had the flautist stand, but he went back to her and took her hand. It was really touching.

I can't believe I have not written about the Hungarian method of appluading. It's fantastic. At the end of a show, the audience claps their hands in the "normal" American manner. However, somehow the clapping suddenly synchronizes into a single sound. Rather than a cachophany of sounds, there's a definite beat. After a minute or so of this rhythm, the beat suddenly turns half-time for a bit. Then the beat starts to speed up until it's going crazy fast! This might be repeated several times, meaning that the audience desires an encore. It's a really endearing method that displays unity. When a huge number of people work together to do something as cohesive as creating a beat, it's really stunning.

I have to go to class. I'll give a mathematical update later!