And just like that, the new season is underway!

The first concert I had on my calendar for the 2025-26 season had been for September 27, but the opening New York Philharmonic series, which began on Thursday, has been gnawing at me. I don’t have press tickets, and I just wasn’t willing to pay $200 to sit in the back row of the top tier. I mean, I understand it’s the opening series and it features superstar music and artistic director designate Gustavo Dudamel, but come on!

That said, try as I may, I can’t say no to the opportunity to hear Ives’ Symphony No. 2 in what I am hoping is going to be a dynamite performance, on the same program with Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3 – with Yunchan Lim, no less. Since his 2022 victory at the Van Cliburn Competition (the youngest ever gold medal winner, at 18), Lim has been one of the most-sought-after pianists in the world. Several times, I have tried and failed to get tickets to his concerto and recital performances. I know he’s bringing the Bartók to Philadelphia in a few weeks, but his appearance in New York only sweetens the pot for a trip in to hear the Ives.

THANKFULLY, I checked the prices for the few remaining tickets again this morning, and they appear to have fallen by a few bucks. Still higher than I ordinarily pay (tickets are listed at nearly half the price for next weekend’s concerts), and a trip in to New York is always an investment, but I’ll pack my dinner and maybe take the train. I know where to park for nothing at that hour and traffic will probably be light on Tuesday, but there would still be the gas and tolls and Manhattan’s insult-to-injury “congestion relief” tax to contend with.

By contrast, when you take the train, you only have a vague idea of when your subway will arrive at Penn Station from Lincoln Center and how long you’ll be standing there watching the monitors, waiting for New Jersey Transit to announce a departure for Trenton. Then, once you’re on the train, there’s the interminable wait at every stop, since at that hour there is no express.

But… bring a good book and don’t sleep through your stop, and you’ll be okay. It’s possible the travel gods will be merciful and no one will be blaring their cell phones, and your burnt offerings will obscure the pervasive scent of marijuana.