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| Austin Symphony / Leila Josefowicz : 4 of 5 | |
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9.21.2008
3:14 PM | Link |
 At the last minute I decided to treat myself to the Austin Symphony's season opening concert, and once again I realized how much I love going to the symphony! This was the first non-opera event I've seen in the Long Center, and I was really amazed at the acoustics. I always enjoy people watching at arts events - I was inspired by an elderly woman sitting next to me, since I hope I'm still going to see concerts when I'm her age! The guest artist was violinist Leila Josefowicz, who played Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major with flamboyance and energy. She really stood out from the orchestra in her blue and gold, gypsy-like dress, and she even wrote her own cadenzas (even including tympani in one of them). The concert also included the world premiere of Field of Infinite Forms, which is a combination orchestral and electronic work that was commissioned by the Austin Symphony. I have to say this was a really bizarre piece, but the use of speakers throughout the hall was very cool (I just had a problem with all the Doctor Who synthesizer sounds!). The finale was Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, which I have listened to a million times, but it was absolutely incredible to hear it live. I'm always astounded at how much it sounds like a movie score - modern films really owe a lot to Stravinsky's groundbreaking work. I was also struck by the thought that audiences back in 1919 probably thought The Firebird sounded just as weird as the electronic piece I had just heard - maybe that's why it was chosen for the program! There's absolutely nothing like hearing a live orchestra - I think everyone, regardless of how they feel about classical music, should go at least once!
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| Austin Symphony / Andre Watts : 5 of 5 | |
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3.15.2008
10:54 AM | Link |
 I decided to see the Austin Symphony's last performance at Riverbend Center (since their next will be at the new Long Center), and I'm so glad I did, since this special night of French composers was one of the best concerts I've seen in the past few years! The program began with Francaix's The Flower Clock, which was interesting since it uses about a half-size orchestra, and because of the great solo oboe by Beth Sanders, a long-time member of the symphony. This was followed by Roussel's Suite in F, which expanded the number of musicians on-stage, and this piece was theatrical and exciting with lots of percussion! After the intermission, Andre Watts was the featured performer for Saint-Saens' Piano Concert No. 2, and I can't even begin to describe how great it was! The first movement is full of fire, and it just keeps increasing - by the time the third movement began, I was sure Andre Watts had three hands, and they were flying! Normally when the applause starts, there's the usual lag time before people start deciding to stand up. But when he hit the last note, the entire audience jumped to their feet - it was an instant standing ovation! It was certainly some incredible energy and enthusiasm for a "refined" classical concert! Finally, the program ended with Debussy's La Mer, which I've been a fan of for some time, and it was wonderful to see the orchestra expand even more for this huge piece. It's amazing that it takes two harps to pull it off! This was certainly an exciting night at the symphony, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again at their new venue!
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| Austin Symphony / Benedetto Lupo : 4 of 5 | |
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1.16.2008
9:22 PM | Link |
One of my goals for 2008 is to experience more art, so I made sure to see the Austin Symphony's first concert of the season. I've always enjoyed the symphony, since it's just amazing to me that so many musicians can perform together so precisely, and while I'm listening to the music I almost always have interesting thoughts or come up with new ideas. This concert was at Riverbend Center, so even though I had to deal with the uncomfortable pews, it was nice to have an easy drive without heading downtown (although it took me forever to find my car after the concert!). It looks like every performance this season includes works by Beethoven, so this concert began with the King Stephen Overture (which I had never heard, but it was simple and enjoyable), and ended with the Symphony No. 5 (yes, it's the one you're thinking of!). Truthfully, I wasn't too excited about hearing the Fifth Symphony, but actually I had forgotten what the other movements were like besides the first (that everyone in the world can hum), and the 4th movement was incredible! The featured performer was the pianist Benedetto Lupo, who played Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 (another first hearing for me), which was full of dark emotion that was well-explained by the program notes. Lupo was fantastic, though I wish I could have seen his hands on the keys (my seat was great otherwise!). It was a really nice evening, and I felt really peaceful just enjoying the music, people watching, and marveling at some new classical works that I'd like in my library!
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| Austin Symphony / Alisa Weilerstein : 4 of 5 | |
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3.05.2006
2:27 PM | Link |
 Yesterday I went to another wonderful concert of the Austin Symphony. Since I don't have season tickets, I just buy whatever seat I can get online, and believe it or not, I managed to snag the exact same fourth row seat that I had last time (and I got to say hello to the same guy I met before)! This time I didn't regret sitting so close, since the featured cellist, Alisa Weilerstein, was absolutely amazing! Her style was dramatic and full of energy, and it was wonderful to watch her face express what she was playing (and her good looks didn't hurt either). Seeing her up close was incredible, especially noticing details like playing an extremely high note off the fretboard of her instrument! The guest conductor, Ernest Hoetzl, was entertaining, too - he chose the program as a "panoramic tour of Austrian music" (from his introduction), and you could tell he was proud to show off the music of his home. Unfortunately, the long Schubert symphony was kind of flighty and lacked emotion, but they made up for it with several shorter works, including some polkas, and ended with the Blue Danube Waltz (which was the first time I've heard it performed live). The entire orchestra even did a short encore piece! I wonder if I'll get the same seat next month?
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| Austin Symphony / Janina Fialkowska : 4 of 5 | |
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2.06.2006
5:55 PM | Link |
Since I enjoyed the last symphony so much, I decided to go again, and I was lucky enough to get a 4th row seat just by booking online! (Now I wish I had purchased season tickets, but if I keep going it will be fun to see what kind of seat I can get.) Sitting that close was perfect for watching the guest pianist Janina Fialkowska perform the Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1, and I even had a great angle so I could watch her hands on the keys the whole time. The disadvantage to my seat was that all I could see were the strings, and I like to watch the woodwinds and percussion, too, but they were hidden to me. The pianist was really remarkable, playing with absolute precision, but I think she sounded much better in the slow expressive passages - the fast sections seemed a little mechanical, but still spectacular! The concert opened and closed with Mozart, which is always wonderful, starting with the overture to The Abduction from the Seraglio, which is up-tempo and full of percussion, and ending with the 41st Symphony, which has the incredible fugue-like section in the 4th movement. It was a really enjoyable evening, and also interesting since an older man sitting next to me was really friendly and talkative (actually, he reminded me of my Uncle Glenn because of his curiosity about my opinions on things). Going to the symphony is such a relaxing evening of entertainment, so I hope I can go again soon!
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| Austin Symphony / Nadia Salerno-Sonnenberg : 5 of 5 | |
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1.22.2006
9:58 AM | Link |
I love going to the symphony, but according to the WEBmikey archives, the last time I went (and wrote about it) was in 2000! It was definitely time to go again (as another part of my resolution), and I was lucky enough to see Nadia Salerno-Sonnenberg as violin soloist. The concert began with two Shostakovich works (as part of the 100 year anniversary, just like the recent opera), including the Violin Concerto No. 1, which is full of brooding and fire, but also great comedy in the Scherzo. Nadia was truly amazing, working up actual perspiration as her fingers flew. She was also very much in touch with the audience - when a few folks mistakingly applauded after the first movement, she just spoke up to say "It's not over yet!" During the intermission there was a huge line for autographs (which I watched from afar), including "groupies" who brought musical scores for her to sign. The final work was the Sibelius Symphony No. 1, which I had never heard before (I had to be able to identify Finlandia in college, but that was it). It's a beautiful symphony, with grand sweeping melodies that used everything in the orchestra, including two harps and lots of percussion, which I always enjoy. It was so nice to be back at the symphony - I actually remembered some of the faces of the musicians, and it's so amazing to let the beautiful sound of the orchestra wash over me. I'm definitely planning to see their next concert!
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| Austin Symphony October Concert : 3 of 5 | |
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8.01.2000
9:23 PM | Link |
 After seeing my first symphony during my college years, I have always made an effort to go. The ASO October concert featured selections to go with the seasonal Halloween theme: Berlioz' Faust (selections), Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique, and an excellent Beethoven piano concerto thrown in to highlight the featured pianist. I decided to go alone at the last minute, which turned out to be a great decision, since I was offered a free ticket by a season ticket holder whose husband was home with their sick daughter (I paid for it by listening to her talk incessantly). Fantastique is one of my favorite pieces, and the ASO did a fine job, except for one lousy tuba mistake that cannot go unmentioned. ASO has such nice strings, why can't they get some brass that will stay awake?
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