What will you remember from this year's Cervantino in five years?

[SteveGinGto]

I was sick for darned near the entire Cervantino, darn it, but I did manage to catch a few events.

My memory FOREVER will be the Camerata Ireland doing Beethoven's piano concertos - all of them - over three days at Templo de Compa?ia. When the last day they did Beethoven's own adaption of his Violin Concerto - one of my top five classical pieces, one I've listened to maybe 100 times.

I was hoping they'd do it justice. They didn't. They didn't just do it justice, they freaking NAILED IT. It was the single best classical performance I've ever seen/heard. Barry Douglas was FABULOUS on the piano, and there wasn't a missed note or inflection anywhere.

Beethoven himself was maybe the best classical pianist of his day, and he wrote to show off his mastery of the instrument. Barry Douglas was able to go everywhere Ludwig went, and the chamber orchestra was with him ever millimeter of the way.

I was just flabbergasted at how good they were.

Being from Chicago, I've seen the CSO several times. Never in my visits have they done so well as the Camerata Ireland.

The Camerata Ireland was simply terrific, on all three days.

It was sublime. It was profound. It was dynamic (it was Beethoven, after all). It was transcendent.

I am still stunned.