Sunday Edition: Mozart, the Bills, and a Very Buffalo Saturday Night

A rare masterpiece, a classical cocktail -- and my first music review in forever

The Author’s view from the balcony of Kleinhans Music Hall, using her phone’s zoom feature.

I’m sending this Sunday edition a little early because tonight brings a true, Buffalo-style clash of the titans: Mozart vs. the Buffalo Bills.

On one side: the Buffalo Bills, playing the Denver Broncos, with the entire region glued to the television. On the other: Mozart’s Prague Symphony and the Great Mass in C minor — music that has outlasted every football season ever played.

Kickoff or Kyrie? “Prague” or prime time? These are the hard choices.

If you’re even just thinking about giving Mozart the nod tonight, you still have time — and I wrote a proper review, just like old times. (Click here to read it!)

As the classical music critic for The Buffalo News, I’ve been to Kleinhans hundreds of times. My life changed, however — and suddenly, it’s been years.

This weekend’s Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra concert, though, was too much to resist. It’s the first half of a two-week Mozart festival — the “Prague” Symphony, and the “Great” Mass in C Minor, which you never, ever, get to hear live. I made arrangements with the BPO to step back into my reviewer’s shoes. And on Friday morning, I went ahead with my plan.

I wrote a review, just like old times! Click here to read it. I hope you enjoy it! This is one reason I am sending this week’s Sunday edition out a little early. We are looking tonight at a clash of the titans: Mozart vs. the Buffalo Bills. In case you want to give Mozart a chance, you’ll have time.

I’m a lifelong Mozart fan, and I have never heard the magnificent, mysterious C Minor Mass live. You almost never get the chance. The BPO performed it only once before — in 1998. The conductor was our music director then, Maximiano Valdes. Valdes is in town this weekend, conducting it again.

I have to say, I loved the experience every step of the way.

Getting dressed for it. Driving to Kleinhans, admiring the snow on the trees and the houses. Kleinhans is the only world-class concert hall to be situated in a residential neighborhood — did you know that? At least that is what I have been told.

Kleinhans Music Hall is timeless. It never looks dated. It looks as fresh and elegant as it did, I imagine, when it first opened its doors in 1939. Parking for the Friday morning Coffee Concerts is still $5 — that’s good news!

It amused me, though, the things that were different.

Kleinhans is now cash-free. Cards only, even when you’re parking the car.

You go through a metal detector now when you enter the hall. Well, that beats one time at the airport when they made me go into a booth and an air jet blew up my skirt. That is another story for another day.

Here is a change I love: You can now bring drinks into the hall, in a sanctioned Kleinhans cup.

Get out, if I go to the second half of the Mozart festival next Saturday evening, I can bring in a glass of wine as I am listening to that beautiful violin concerto? What a wonderful idea! I can’t wait to acquire that official Kleinhans cup.

I bet I could have brought in my coffee for the Friday concert. It wasn’t necessary because I arrived early enough to enjoy a cup at leisure. However I love knowing that option is there!

Not that everyone has waited for permission to bring drinks into the hall. True story — some years ago, I saw a gentleman ordering what looked to be a Manhattan. There were only a few minutes left in intermission. I worried for him. How would he down that drink in time?

Then I saw I was looking at a real pro. As he approached the auditorium doors, his gentleman simply put his drink into the pocket of his suit jacket — and in he went!

God love him. I don’t think we needed to worry about him spilling his drink or disturbing anyone. He knew what he was doing.

Haha! Good times.

Again, click here to read the review of yesterday’s concert. Or click on the link below this picture. Find details of BPO concerts, tickets, and so forth at bpo.org.

A Mozart Cocktail: The Prague Nightcap

I asked Daddy-O, aka AI, for a cocktail we could sip in Mozart’s honor. Perhaps something that could be brought into the Kleinhans Music Hall auditorium in a sanctioned Kleinhans cup! Daddy-O stepped right onto the podium and raised the baton.

Vibe: elegant, luminous, a little mysterious — like Mozart writing sacred music after dark.

Ingredients

• 1 oz gin (clean, classical — London dry)

• ½ oz elderflower liqueur (for grace notes and halo)

• ¼ oz fresh lemon juice (just enough tension)

• 3 oz dry Champagne or Prosecco (the lift, Daddy-O)

• Lemon twist

• Optional: a single drop of orange bitters

How to play it

1. Chill a coupe or flute (cold matters — Mozart hated slop).

2. In the glass, add gin, elderflower, and lemon.

3. Top gently with bubbles.

4. Express the lemon twist over the glass, drop it in.

5. One tiny drop of bitters if you’re feeling Baroque.

Why it works

• Gin = clarity, counterpoint

• Elderflower = sacred beauty without sugar

• Bubbles = Prague, elegance, occasion

• Lemon = drama, because Mozart never behaved

Serving note (important)

This is a concert drink, not a tailgate drink.
Sip before the downbeat, or at intermission, preferably while saying something like:

“You know, the C minor Mass is never really finished…”

Thank you for reading!

When was the last time you were at Kleinhans Music Hall? Have you brought your drink into the auditorium? What small talk do you make at intermission? I loved Daddy-O’s suggestion up above.

Do you ever make Big Daddy’s cocktails? I made last week’s, “The Three Kings.” (Click here if you missed it. Scroll down.)