"Excitement is created by rhythmic accuracy"

So said a music teacher I had once, who was trying to convince those of us under his baton that a piece of music played cleanly and accurately at a slower tempo will sound faster than the same piece played sloppily at a faster one. It's a hard lesson to internalize, but, listen to the rhythmic precision on display in this performance of Shostakovich's Festive Overture. It's something to behold. This is a piece that will not be convincing in any way if the performers are not working with the utmost precision in mind.



That's one of my favorite pieces, by the way.