This weekend was part of a two week series of concerts in Glasgow focused on the piano. I saw four concerts with famous pianists using the instrument in various settings. Friday night, Leon Fleisher conducted the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in Beethoven's 2nd Piano Concerto and Mozart's Jupiter Symphony. I saw Fleisher conduct the Vanderbilt orchestra the past two years and was excited to see him work with a professional ensemble. Of course the SCO sounds amazing on pieces of the classical period and seem quite comfortable accompanying a soloist and in all the individual orchestral solos. Fleisher is pretty hands off with them, beautifully showing them individual phrases and not beating the pulse with dramatic gestures. The Mozart had especially eloquent phrasing throughout, every 2 or 4 bars was a gem of lyricism and expression. The Beethoven Concerto was played by Nicholos Angelich, who was a student of Fleisher at some point. His playing was sweet and lyrical but often too fast and light that some clarity was lost. Fleisher's conducting gave perfect balance to the concert and every movement had the right about of playfulness, drama, and enthusiasm. For an encore, Angelich and Fleisher played a piano duo version of a Dvorak Slavonic Dance; it was fun to watch them together and they looked like they were enjoying themselves.
Saturday afternoon was the most unique event of the weekend in a venue called the Old Fruitmarket, located in the same building as the Grand Hall where most concerts take place. The Old Fruitmarket looked like just that, open floor with market stalls around, with a small stage in the front. The concert was the German silent movie "Pandora's Box" accompanied by pianist Neil Brand playing an original score. The plot of the movie was confusing and I didn't try hard to follow it but there was a seductive woman who's outgoing nature causes problems for her and others. The pianist was quite amazing though and he did not stop playing for all two hours and five minutes of the movie! The notes for the concert say that he was playing a score that he wrote but it sounded like there was an element of improvisation in the performance as he played without music and was watching the movie closely at times. The music was not the 1920's jazz I expected in this kind of movie but mixed ideas of that style with more modern jazz and musical-theatre elements. It kept right along with the action of the movie which was really impressive and when I was drawn into a particular scene, it was neat to see the effect the music had if I stopped paying attention to it.
Saturday evening was a solo recital by pianist, Mitsuko Uchida. It is rare these days to hear a solo recital by someone so famous that they mostly perform concerti so I feel lucky that I got to hear one of the true masters in an intimate setting. The concert was at the Grand Hall and the lone piano on the stage was a beautifully personal setting amidst a welcoming audience. The program began with Schumann's Waldszenen and I was immediately drawn in by her singing melodies and emotionally charged phrasing. Every rise and fall in the music was perfectly timed and her sound was constant and smooth through changes in character. Next on the program was a set of Chopin Nocturnes and the Polonaise-Fantasie which she played with equal grace and beauty. The rubato and lyrical timing timing gave way to moments of utter timelessness where each note had its own rich quality and led appropriately to the next. Every phrase was well thought out with the melodic line balanced clearly on top. The second half of the program was Six Short Pieces by Schoenberg which went by quite fast but had great contrasts in character. She went directly from these pieces into Schubert's Sonata in C Minor which worked smoothly but was a little jarring at first. Again, the melodic line was beautifully phrased throughout and the virtuostic passage work was exciting and powerful. Uchida is tall and skinny but has a commanding presence and really takes control of the music and captures the audiences attention from the beginning. Everyone loved her and, though there was no standing, applauded enough to get a nice encore of a Mozart slow movement. It was a thoroughly satisfying concert of great piano repertoire by a renowned pianist.
The final event of the weekend for me was a lecture by Alfred Brendel entitled "The Character in Music." Though Brendel retired from performing just a few years ago he now spends his time giving talks and teaching as well as mentoring young pianists. One of the greatest pianist of the century he is also a poet and quite an eloquent speaker, even in English which is not his first language. Known for his playing of Beethoven Sonatas, among other things, this lecture focused on different characters in the pieces, how they can be highly specific and contrasting, and how they relate to form. He used musical examples throughout and though it was only ever a short section of piece, it was still amazing to see his passion and precision in every note he played. The beginning of the talk focused on form and motivic development, showing how Beethoven can create a whole piece with material from the first couple bars. He went on to show very specific moods, characters, and images associated with parts of each sonata. From the playful to the somber, from pastoral to deeply human, his ability to communicate the feelings both verbally and musically was quite amazing. Although it is often hard to find a real connection between character and structure, he concluded the talk by saying that we should try to find a place where the two meet so that the technical elements and psychological elements bring out the piece's meaning. It is all a very personal matter and Brendel really showed us that each performer and each listener can have differing opinions as long as they decide on something clear that they want to say.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
London, Oxford, Mahler 8
So this weekend marks my first time visiting London and though I was prepared to be overwhelmed with things to do, it was still amazing how much is contained in that city. Just walking up and down streets and looking around, the city really does look like one would expect. The red busses, black taxis, lots of people, fancy stories, beautiful apartment buildings, it all adds up to what I thought London would be like, and yet I still feel like I hardly know the place. But let's start from the beginning. I met my host on Friday evening when I arrived and he took me around SoHo, Piccadilly Circus, Chinatown, and the West End. Seeing the big billboards, neon signs, and theaters really reminded me of New York except smaller and flatter. At the time there were tons of people shuffling into shows and crowds drinking in and around bars. It was a quite lively and exciting introduction to London.
The next day I started at the Natural History Museum, and though I wouldn't normally visit such a place on a short trip to a new city, there was one exhibit that was highly recommended. The Veolia Wildlife Photographer of Year is an exhibit that highlights photographs from an international competition of wildlife photography. With many categories ranging from young people to professional and animal behavior to geological landscape, there were so many beautiful pictures it was hard to take it all in. There were stunning mountain scenes, the northern lights, closeups of animals, and the winning set of pictures from the BP oil spill last year. Some of the aerial shots over the gulf of Mexico show colorful designs in the oil floating on the water which is sad and yet beautiful. But overall they were inspiring and beautiful pictures of our natural world in the heart of one of the busiest cities. After this exhibit I took a traditional London walking tour from Wellington Arch through Green Park, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Downing Street, and the Parliament. Though it felt a bit touristy, it was good for me to see some of these main sites all at once and get some historical tidbits along the way. It was somewhat surreal to see all of these famous spots in person when I have seen them so many times in pictures and movies.
Saturday evening, I headed up to Oxford to visit my friend Yoni, who I had not seen in a couple of years. He is doing a one year masters there and I was greatly looking forward to reconnecting with him and to getting a tour of Oxford from a real student. Though I wouldn't really think of spending time in Oxford as a tourist, there were many visitors there and you can tell that it is a place for tourism. Luckily I was with a student who could get me in for free to many buildings that visitors have to pay for! It was certainly amazing seeing this place, probably the most famous college in the world, and thinking about all the history that has happened there for almost a thousand years. It was great to learn about the college system and how the students are divided among 35 colleges that each has its own building and community. Yoni goes to Brasenose which is right in the center by the Radcliffe Camera. It is also near the famous Sheldonian Theatre with the fence mounted with carved heads. We walked around to see some of the big colleges, through Christ Church Meadow, and around Magdalene College. There is a beautiful deer park, with lots of deer, an ornate chapel, and classic looking courtyards where you can imagine a tradition of studying taking place for hundreds of years. It was peaceful and awe-inspiring. Yoni has been involved in the rowing team which is a big deal at Oxford for all the students and so while hanging out at a bar with some of his friends, I got to hear all sorts of rowing discussions. Although I didn't understand most of it, I still appreciated their enthusiasm and thought it was cool how into it everyone seems to be there. We had our afternoon cream tea which is tea, scone (biscuit), clotted cream, and jam; it was quite delicious. I also got to eat dinner in the Brasenose Hall which was quite grand and Harry Potter like, though not nearly as big!
I returned to London Monday morning to do my personal walking tour through some of the older parts of the city Eastward toward the Tate Modern museum. From Buckingham Palace I walked toward Trafalgar Square and got a closer look at St. Martin in the Fields, a famous church known as a music venue. I went to Covent Garden, which I knew for the opera house but is also a very popular shopping destination. In addition the the high-class stores inside the galleries, there was also an antique market of the kind you would see on TV. English people wander up and down the aisles looking closely at jewelry with a magnifying glass and discussing the merits of various items. From there I walked toward St. Paul's Cathedral making sure to look for Sweeny Todd on Fleet Street. There was quite a large camp of Occupy London protestors outside the church although I think their size has diminished a bit in the last few weeks. The Cathedral itself was spectacular on the inside, in beautiful condition with all the ornate decoration I would expect to find. I walked through a bit more of the financial district to get to London Bridge so that I could cross over the Thames. I knew I wasn't going to have time to make it to the Tower of London but I could get a great view of the famous Tower Bridge while crossing on the less famous but still standing London Bridge. Once I was south of the river, I made my way to the Tate Modern museum while stopping to get a good view of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. I am not sure if it is original in many ways but it does look exactly as I saw in pictures and they do still have plays going on in the open air. The Tate museum was recommended to me by several people which is why I chose it as the one art museum I would see in London, and because I love modern art. Completed in 2000, the museum is so popular that they are already planning an addition for the next couple years. It is a massive building that used to be an electrical powerhouse and still retains the industrial look with one section completely open from the ground up to the fifth floor. One exhibit I went to was called "Energy and Process" and focused on Italian Arte Provera and American Post-Minimalism as well as other fairly recent movements. These works used a variety of materials and took on many different forms but all share opinions about the modern world and about the history of art in relation to contemporary fashions. The other exhibit I spent a lot of time in was called "Poetry and Dream" and it focused on Surrealism and later artists which used similar ideas. The surrealists focused a lot on dreams which is why their work often uses free association of objects, unspecific forms, the use of chance, and bizarre symbolism. It was great to see some classic examples from Dali and Man Ray as well as a wide range of works that continue the tradition into the present day.
Monday night was the culmination of my trip to London in a performance of Mahler's 8th Symphony at Royal Albert Hall. The hall was round and looked like the old style opera houses though it is more of a concert venue that theatre. I sat on the ground level and there were rows and rows of seats and boxes going up all around me. The giant organ held its prominent position in the front of the room and the numerous acoustical features provided color and some modern flair to the otherwise classic looking venue. Nicknamed "The Symphony of A Thousand" the ensemble for this looked like it could have almost made that number. It was simply amazing to see two enormous choirs rising from the orchestra almost to the top of the room as well as a children's choir and a massive orchestra. When the piece first started, with organ and choir, I got the chills and was immediately taken away with the sound of all those people singing. England is known for its great choral tradition and this collection of choirs did not let me down at all. The intonation and tone were strong throughout and their dynamic contrasts gave the piece waves of excitement alternating with calm and mysterious. The piece is not divided into movements like a traditional symphony, rather it has two distinct parts with different stories that all tie into the Christian ideas about redemption and love. The first part is based on a Christian hymn and is quite energetic and powerful with beautiful lyrical sections as well. This part of the piece was easier to follow and generally more exciting than the second half, which is a concert version of the last scene of Goethe's Faust. It begins softly and with lots of mystery as the story of Faust's ascension unfolds. The music keeps up the drama of the situation eventually moving into prayer for Faust's soul and the love of the Virgin Mary. Though some of this symbolism and intensity of plot was lost on me, the general idea came across and by the end I could really feel the power of emotion in love and redemption out of the lower and mysterious sounds to the glorious full major harmonies. The performers were Barts Choir, Wimbeldon Choral Society, and Berkshire Young Voices accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Ivor Setterfield. Since the choir was the center of the piece, the orchestra was often just supportive and adding color, though the brass fanfares and chorales were always exciting and easy to hear. The soloists were all good though no one really shined compared to the sheer force of the rest of the ensemble, though it was quite amazing when I could pick out the voice of the solo soprano over everything else. Witnessing this piece was certainly an experience I will not forget.
My last day in London I had a couple hours to spare before getting to the train station and so I took my hosts recommendation and went north to Camden Town and Camden Lock Market. Though I had never heard of it, I found that this enormous marketplace is quite the tourist attraction. Located along a canal and in an old stables, the are countless stalls and stores selling clothes, jewelry, furniture, books, art, food, and almost anything you could imagine. Much of it reminded me of things you wind along Venice Beach in LA or in the East Village in NYC but it still had its unique British charms and was a fun way to wander about for my last bit in London. There were plenty of colorful people and an amazing variety of styles among the clothes and decorations. The canal was also cool to see because it was the only one around and I could imagine how big of a deal it was when it was built about two hundred years ago. From Camden, I wandered through Regents Park and some gardens to get back to the train station and head up to Glasgow. I know there is so much more to see in London but I feel satisfied with the amount that I saw already and certainly love the life of the city enough to return in the future.
I returned to London Monday morning to do my personal walking tour through some of the older parts of the city Eastward toward the Tate Modern museum. From Buckingham Palace I walked toward Trafalgar Square and got a closer look at St. Martin in the Fields, a famous church known as a music venue. I went to Covent Garden, which I knew for the opera house but is also a very popular shopping destination. In addition the the high-class stores inside the galleries, there was also an antique market of the kind you would see on TV. English people wander up and down the aisles looking closely at jewelry with a magnifying glass and discussing the merits of various items. From there I walked toward St. Paul's Cathedral making sure to look for Sweeny Todd on Fleet Street. There was quite a large camp of Occupy London protestors outside the church although I think their size has diminished a bit in the last few weeks. The Cathedral itself was spectacular on the inside, in beautiful condition with all the ornate decoration I would expect to find. I walked through a bit more of the financial district to get to London Bridge so that I could cross over the Thames. I knew I wasn't going to have time to make it to the Tower of London but I could get a great view of the famous Tower Bridge while crossing on the less famous but still standing London Bridge. Once I was south of the river, I made my way to the Tate Modern museum while stopping to get a good view of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. I am not sure if it is original in many ways but it does look exactly as I saw in pictures and they do still have plays going on in the open air. The Tate museum was recommended to me by several people which is why I chose it as the one art museum I would see in London, and because I love modern art. Completed in 2000, the museum is so popular that they are already planning an addition for the next couple years. It is a massive building that used to be an electrical powerhouse and still retains the industrial look with one section completely open from the ground up to the fifth floor. One exhibit I went to was called "Energy and Process" and focused on Italian Arte Provera and American Post-Minimalism as well as other fairly recent movements. These works used a variety of materials and took on many different forms but all share opinions about the modern world and about the history of art in relation to contemporary fashions. The other exhibit I spent a lot of time in was called "Poetry and Dream" and it focused on Surrealism and later artists which used similar ideas. The surrealists focused a lot on dreams which is why their work often uses free association of objects, unspecific forms, the use of chance, and bizarre symbolism. It was great to see some classic examples from Dali and Man Ray as well as a wide range of works that continue the tradition into the present day.
Monday night was the culmination of my trip to London in a performance of Mahler's 8th Symphony at Royal Albert Hall. The hall was round and looked like the old style opera houses though it is more of a concert venue that theatre. I sat on the ground level and there were rows and rows of seats and boxes going up all around me. The giant organ held its prominent position in the front of the room and the numerous acoustical features provided color and some modern flair to the otherwise classic looking venue. Nicknamed "The Symphony of A Thousand" the ensemble for this looked like it could have almost made that number. It was simply amazing to see two enormous choirs rising from the orchestra almost to the top of the room as well as a children's choir and a massive orchestra. When the piece first started, with organ and choir, I got the chills and was immediately taken away with the sound of all those people singing. England is known for its great choral tradition and this collection of choirs did not let me down at all. The intonation and tone were strong throughout and their dynamic contrasts gave the piece waves of excitement alternating with calm and mysterious. The piece is not divided into movements like a traditional symphony, rather it has two distinct parts with different stories that all tie into the Christian ideas about redemption and love. The first part is based on a Christian hymn and is quite energetic and powerful with beautiful lyrical sections as well. This part of the piece was easier to follow and generally more exciting than the second half, which is a concert version of the last scene of Goethe's Faust. It begins softly and with lots of mystery as the story of Faust's ascension unfolds. The music keeps up the drama of the situation eventually moving into prayer for Faust's soul and the love of the Virgin Mary. Though some of this symbolism and intensity of plot was lost on me, the general idea came across and by the end I could really feel the power of emotion in love and redemption out of the lower and mysterious sounds to the glorious full major harmonies. The performers were Barts Choir, Wimbeldon Choral Society, and Berkshire Young Voices accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Ivor Setterfield. Since the choir was the center of the piece, the orchestra was often just supportive and adding color, though the brass fanfares and chorales were always exciting and easy to hear. The soloists were all good though no one really shined compared to the sheer force of the rest of the ensemble, though it was quite amazing when I could pick out the voice of the solo soprano over everything else. Witnessing this piece was certainly an experience I will not forget.
My last day in London I had a couple hours to spare before getting to the train station and so I took my hosts recommendation and went north to Camden Town and Camden Lock Market. Though I had never heard of it, I found that this enormous marketplace is quite the tourist attraction. Located along a canal and in an old stables, the are countless stalls and stores selling clothes, jewelry, furniture, books, art, food, and almost anything you could imagine. Much of it reminded me of things you wind along Venice Beach in LA or in the East Village in NYC but it still had its unique British charms and was a fun way to wander about for my last bit in London. There were plenty of colorful people and an amazing variety of styles among the clothes and decorations. The canal was also cool to see because it was the only one around and I could imagine how big of a deal it was when it was built about two hundred years ago. From Camden, I wandered through Regents Park and some gardens to get back to the train station and head up to Glasgow. I know there is so much more to see in London but I feel satisfied with the amount that I saw already and certainly love the life of the city enough to return in the future.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Two Amazing Soloists and British Theatre
So it has been two weeks since I last posted but I will share about three performances I have seen in that time. The first was Robert Levin conducting the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Levin is a pianist, theorist, and scholar who is one of the world's leading experts in Beethoven and the Viennese classics. I have used his editions of Mozart sonatas and learned a lot about him so it was really great to finally see him live. The program consisted of a Mozart Divertimento, Beethoven 3rd Piano Concerto, and Schubert's 3rd symphony, and this orchestra is particularly gifted for pieces of this era. Levin is a pianist and scholar first so his conducting was a bit awkward and silly looking but the orchestra played well with him and these pieces were not originally conducted anyway so it isn't even necessary to have a conductor in the way that larger works from the 20th century need it. Their Mozart playing is exquisite and well balanced with good taste and a wide range of expression. Each phrase was a gem and they all fit together so well. The slow movement was especially beautiful in its lyricism and serenity. The next piece on the program was the Beethoven piano concerto with Levin playing and conducting. The piano was in the middle of the orchestra and he sat facing the audience so he could be more a part of the ensemble. Even though we couldn't see his hands like is now expected, this is the way Beethoven's ensembles probably would have sat so that the pianist has a close relationship with the whole group. During the orchestra's opening, Levin conducted from his seat but didn't use any big gestures as he was also playing along with one hand on the piano. His solo playing was quite dramatic and explosive with beautiful singing lines and lots of rapid passage work. This playing is unlike the refined work of most soloists today who seek perfection and clarity; it is probably more along the lines of Beethoven's playing which was more about the passion and expression than getting every single note. The amazing part came when Levin improvised the entire cadenza, something that would have been common in the time but is very rare to hear nowadays. It was full of fire and passion and his creativity in using the themes was fresh and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed his interpretations of all the pieces on the program and felt that he breathed new life into pieces that can be thought of as old and stuck in a particular interpretation. Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert have been part of the standard canon for so long that they can be shoved in a box and played without the enthusiasm that they deserve.
Since I am in Britain I have been wanting to see a proper theatrical production and last week I saw A Day in the Death of Joe Egg at the Citizens Theatre. Written by Peter Nichols in 1967, the play was originally rejected from West End playhouses in London and received its first premier in Glasgow in the same theatre I saw it. After its success here it did get produced on West End and Broadway and has won many awards. The play is about a couple whose ten year old daughter, Joe, has been confined to a wheel chair her whole life and is basically a vegetable who cannot talk or respond to anything and experiences epileptic seizures. Over the course of one day we get to see their general attitude about the child and how things change that evening when they have some friends over. Though it is a sad situation the play is quite humorous and honest about what it is like for parents to live with a child who cannot communicate. The mother is hopeful that there will be improvements and holds on to the possibility of a better life for the girl. The father is running out of patience with both the daughter and his wife and towards the end there is a breaking point for him. Each of them spends a good deal of time talking to the audience about their experience and is often more honest to the spectators than to each other. In the second act we see the girls grandmother who often takes care of her and some friends of the parents who come over to help lighten the mood. They all take turns talking to the audience: one wants to help by sending to girl to a special school, one is freaked out by her and brags about her perfect children. It is sad to see how such a medical condition takes a toll on a family and on individuals but it is interesting to see the way people handle it. I could sympathize with the characters but really don't know how I would actually feel if I were put into that situation. The father is very good with comic relief, joking about Joe as his main coping mechanism. I really liked the production and was very drawn into the characters and their stories. It definitely is a play that makes you think about life and feel compassion for individuals living in tough situations. The interaction with the audience was quite fun and there were even a few moments where the actors were actually laughing and almost broke character. I was especially impressed with the girl who played Joe because she had to act immobile and unresponsive in a wheelchair as well as have seizures; she was very believable.
Finally for this post, is another concert I saw of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in the large Royal Concert Hall. The program began with Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture which he sketched on his travels in the Outer Hebrides here in Scotland. I have not visited this area yet but will try to before I leave if it is not too cold. These isles and mountainous areas are beautiful and lush with cliffs and mysterious caves. Though I only know it from pictures the music does a great job describing this landscape with mystery and awe. The next piece on the program was Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with soloist Vadim Gluzman. This is one of the most famous concertos in the repertoire and was my first tim hearing the whole thing. The first movement has great tunes, the second is lush and beautiful, and the third is energetic. The soloist for this was one of the best I have ever seen and I could not focus on anything but him for the whole piece, which I guess is the point. His technique was flawless and the sound flowed effortless out of the instrument. He moved in appropriate ways and his face displayed the emotions that music was giving. The violin he was playing was a 17th century Stradivarius that has been played by some of the best players in history and is the same instrument that premiered the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, among others. This kind of history is unique and just being in the presence of this instrument was awe-inspring. Its sound projected clearly over the orchestra with rich colors and vibrancy even in the soft passages. I was impressed with the whole effect of the entire work. The final piece on the program was Dvorak's 6th Symphony, a piece that is very rarely played and when I listened to it, I wondered why. The first movement has great melodies with lots of swells to excitement and back to calmness. The second movement is soothing and lyrical and develops a lot of great material. The third was fast and furious and flowed into a grand finale with all of the contrasts and excitement you expect. It sounded like typical Dvorak and was a great display of the orchestra's talents. The conductor, Thomas Hanus, gave so much of himself in the performance it was quite impressive and fun to watch. Never distracting, but always passionate with clear expression, he gave the orchestra a lot to go on. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire concert.
Since I am in Britain I have been wanting to see a proper theatrical production and last week I saw A Day in the Death of Joe Egg at the Citizens Theatre. Written by Peter Nichols in 1967, the play was originally rejected from West End playhouses in London and received its first premier in Glasgow in the same theatre I saw it. After its success here it did get produced on West End and Broadway and has won many awards. The play is about a couple whose ten year old daughter, Joe, has been confined to a wheel chair her whole life and is basically a vegetable who cannot talk or respond to anything and experiences epileptic seizures. Over the course of one day we get to see their general attitude about the child and how things change that evening when they have some friends over. Though it is a sad situation the play is quite humorous and honest about what it is like for parents to live with a child who cannot communicate. The mother is hopeful that there will be improvements and holds on to the possibility of a better life for the girl. The father is running out of patience with both the daughter and his wife and towards the end there is a breaking point for him. Each of them spends a good deal of time talking to the audience about their experience and is often more honest to the spectators than to each other. In the second act we see the girls grandmother who often takes care of her and some friends of the parents who come over to help lighten the mood. They all take turns talking to the audience: one wants to help by sending to girl to a special school, one is freaked out by her and brags about her perfect children. It is sad to see how such a medical condition takes a toll on a family and on individuals but it is interesting to see the way people handle it. I could sympathize with the characters but really don't know how I would actually feel if I were put into that situation. The father is very good with comic relief, joking about Joe as his main coping mechanism. I really liked the production and was very drawn into the characters and their stories. It definitely is a play that makes you think about life and feel compassion for individuals living in tough situations. The interaction with the audience was quite fun and there were even a few moments where the actors were actually laughing and almost broke character. I was especially impressed with the girl who played Joe because she had to act immobile and unresponsive in a wheelchair as well as have seizures; she was very believable.
Finally for this post, is another concert I saw of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in the large Royal Concert Hall. The program began with Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture which he sketched on his travels in the Outer Hebrides here in Scotland. I have not visited this area yet but will try to before I leave if it is not too cold. These isles and mountainous areas are beautiful and lush with cliffs and mysterious caves. Though I only know it from pictures the music does a great job describing this landscape with mystery and awe. The next piece on the program was Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with soloist Vadim Gluzman. This is one of the most famous concertos in the repertoire and was my first tim hearing the whole thing. The first movement has great tunes, the second is lush and beautiful, and the third is energetic. The soloist for this was one of the best I have ever seen and I could not focus on anything but him for the whole piece, which I guess is the point. His technique was flawless and the sound flowed effortless out of the instrument. He moved in appropriate ways and his face displayed the emotions that music was giving. The violin he was playing was a 17th century Stradivarius that has been played by some of the best players in history and is the same instrument that premiered the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, among others. This kind of history is unique and just being in the presence of this instrument was awe-inspring. Its sound projected clearly over the orchestra with rich colors and vibrancy even in the soft passages. I was impressed with the whole effect of the entire work. The final piece on the program was Dvorak's 6th Symphony, a piece that is very rarely played and when I listened to it, I wondered why. The first movement has great melodies with lots of swells to excitement and back to calmness. The second movement is soothing and lyrical and develops a lot of great material. The third was fast and furious and flowed into a grand finale with all of the contrasts and excitement you expect. It sounded like typical Dvorak and was a great display of the orchestra's talents. The conductor, Thomas Hanus, gave so much of himself in the performance it was quite impressive and fun to watch. Never distracting, but always passionate with clear expression, he gave the orchestra a lot to go on. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire concert.
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