Beethoven at the Emirates Palace Hotel

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     Today, we went to the Emirates Palace Hotel, and watched an orchestra from Germany warm up and practice for their concert. We went with some buddies from the HENA home-school group, of which we are a part.
     We had never been inside the Hotel before, and let me tell you, it was glorious. Gold covered everything, not in a way that made it seem gaudy or like they were showing off, but more in a way that suggested a first-class expirience. After all, the ruling family of the UAE used to live there. It took us a while to find the entrance. Just inside the front doors, in the big main hall area is the famous Million Dollar Christmas Tree.

     It's like 10-15 meters high, and bedecked and bedazzled with lights, tinsel, bulbs, the whole shebang, even a few elfs. But, after all the normal tree decorating is done, they raid the jewelry store, and trim the tree with real gold, silver, diamonds, and other precious and semi-precious minerals alike. We only got to see the tree when it was normally decorated, however, and only worth a few thousand dollars.
This is a giant pearl we found on the way to the auditorium.
(It's the silver lookin' part of the statue)
It's about as tall as a palms-width.

     Anyway, some friends showed us where to go, (the place is HUGE) and we made it, without losing anybody, to the auditorium. The auditorium wasn't as big as you might imagine, but it was still impressive.
     I think the orchestra played Beethoven's Piano Concerto #1. Even though they were just practicing, they hardly stopped. It was crazy: the man who played the piano was conducting the orchestra at the same time! He would play his part, and swivel around 90 degrees to face the other musicians and direct them, while simultaneously SCREAMING across the keys with one hand, not even looking at it. It was so impressive.
 Greta and Ben were lulled to sleep.
They say they were "imaginative listening" though
After the concert, we took a photo by a small Christmas tree,
and went home.
The fountain outside the Hotel.

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 7, 2017 at 6:20 AM

    Sweet!! Please tell me they had an accordion in the band...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownDecember 9, 2017 at 1:56 AM

      Sadly, no :(
      They had like 20 kinds of instruments, oboes, pianos, thingabobs, wings and things but NO ACCORDION OR ELECTRIC GUITAR!

      Delete
    2. UnknownDecember 14, 2017 at 5:51 AM

      No electric guitars even??? What is the world coming too...

      Delete

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