I have never seen a cheering audience jump to its feet quicker than the audience at the Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam. The Thursday evening performance of Mahler’s 5th Symphony was one of the most energetic performances of the Israel Philharmonic and the Dutch audience responded to the excitement.

The next morning we were off for a day of trains to Luxembourg; one hour to Brussels, a two hour stop, then an additional three hours to the little kingdom which is home to the European Community. In Brussels there was time for a coffee or Belgium Beer; some players even made a visit to the Grand Place.

Shabbat was spent wandering around Luxembourg before the evening concert.

Advertisement