Peter and Claire go to the Symphony...

Friday morning is snowy, but the streets are still black late into the morning. Andy calls from on the road somewhere in Connecticut, on his way from NYC, where there was four inches on the ground early. No big deal, looks pretty benign here.

I meet Claire in Somerville and we head for Symphony for our 1.30 performance. Brenda, Claire's nanny, comes along and we drop her off when we get to Symphony Hall.

The whole scene is so classic Boston. Snow falling quietly, elegant buildings around Symphony Hall. At the parking lot the attendant asks if we are going to the symphony. We look the part.

I don't think Claire has ever been to Symphony Hall....we walk around the ground floor level. The crowd is sparse now, and there are a couple of musicians on the stage. We decide to find our seats on the second balcony right. When we get there Claire is impressed that we are high up, but with a good view of the stage. You wouldn't want to fall over that railing. The lady next to us strikes up a conversation with Claire, who is confident and comfortable talking to adults.

It really is a grand setting, the high hall and the golden glow of the stage, the audience slowly gathering, the hum of noise. The orchestra...more of an ensemble, not the full orchestra for these pieces today...and the conductor comes out. Claire likes the conductor, James Levine. He's big and burly and active, but sits rather than stands, the result of injuries and chronic ailments.

The first piece is Mozart. It's accessible and listenable. I tell Claire there are four movements, so she can keep track of where we are. She likes my binoculars...good for seeing the stage and for people watching the audience.

The second piece is Berg, very difficult and inaccessible and long, with two soloists, piano and violin. The pianist has a page turner. I can see he is almost through the pages when suddenly he flips back. What the hell! Later I read there's an optional repeat in the music, and he picked up the option!

At intermission we have candy bar and a beer. Walking to the men's room I cross paths with the violinist, an intense looking young German woman. She's playing a 300 year old Stradivarius. Those things are worth millions I think.

After intermission they play a Brahms piece. It's lively and great to listen to and not too long, with five brisk movements.

After the snow is falling more thickly. We walk a couple of blocks back to the parking lot, talking to people about the performance, what we liked best, did you notice this. Then home through the snow. I hope we make this a tradition. It is fun to be the grandfather with the charming granddaughter.

Later to the Harvard Yale hockey game with Aidan and Ned.The Yale goalie has a disastrous night, 6 to 1, but the game is entertaining, with weird goals and fights and the Harvard band having a lot of fun.