Rhapsodié a la Russe by Holland

The Moscow State Symphony was a rhapsody of Russian elegance. Led by the great conductor, the famous Pavel Kogan, they brilliantly executed pieces by Stravinsky, one of my favourite composers.

I am very fond of classical music, especially string music. Closing my eyes, I like to let the music evoke images in my mind. The symphony's performance had a very unique sound. In one, I found myself travelling over Russian river valleys; in another, I was nearly moved to tears as I found myself recalling the tragic love story of Éowyn and Gríma, images of which played through my mind.

Many songs had a very smooth, romantic feel to them. I found my mind conjuring up images of one romance after another: Jack and Sally, from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas; Aly and Nawat, from Tamora Pierce's books; Maladicta and Polly, from Terry Pratchett's Monstrous Regiment; and Daja and Bennat, from yet another series by Tamora Pierce.

By the time the performance ended, I was awash in bliss. Unfortunately, such bliss also made me a touch sleepy, but that's good classical music for you. It also had to do with a rather Pavlovian response to the music, as I make a habit of using classical music to calm me down and help me sleep.

It was also very nice of the man who came to speak with us to answer my question about his instrument, when I asked how long he'd had it, remarking that my great-grandfather has had the same clarinet for over eighty years. He gave his best wishes to my great-grandfather, which was very nice indeed.

I know some people may find classical music stuffy, but as for me, I adore it.