Context is everything

I saw Joshua Bell play with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra tonight at the Orpheum. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but my girlfriend was blown away by his performance, which seemed impressive but not quite worth the extended standing ovation that the crowd gave him in my opinion. But I’m a hard one to really impress, and don’t give out praise as easily as some. My girlfriend and I spent some time mulling over why she was so taken by his virtuosity — perhaps she had seen enough mediocre violinists growing up with a family that liked to go to the symphony, or maybe I just didn’t really like the violin that much? — but in the end, we had our own opinions.

I did look Bell up though; strangely enough, I had never heard of him before until my girlfriend pointed out his concert tonight. Somehow, the world’s greatest living violinist (to some) was completely off my cultural radar. That seems strange. But it somehow connects to this Pulitzer Prize-winning article that Gene Weingarten wrote in the Washington Post, that explores the subjectivity of beauty and the contextual requirements for its recognition. Joshua Bell dresses as a schlub and plays six of the greatest works of classical music in some non-descript subway station in Washington, and is almost completely ignored by passersby. Is it because they don’t recognize great art when they hear it? Is it because they’re intent on their destinations at jobs that they can’t be late for?

At tonight’s concert, I dropped my cellphone in the darkness under the seats and for a time, thought it was lost. I spent the last several minutes oblivious to the encore Bell was playing, hoping that I wouldn’t have to replace my cellphone and mentally retracing the steps I had taken during the intermission. Had I dropped it while in the lobby? Meanwhile, he was delighting the audience who was paying attention, who had it in their mind that the great Joshua Bell was in front of them and that all focus must be placed on him. But I didn’t care — that thing was going to be a bitch to replace!