Friday, April 30, 2010

Went to the California Academy of Sciences. Cool green roof, beautiful airy space inside, nice marine exhibits with corals. The A/V in the planetarium was busted, though, so didn't get to see that show. And the architecture was quite graceful, but I missed there being substantial supports holding up the roof. I felt a little bit uneasy with so much open space with apparently so little holding everything up.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Boston Philharmonic concert last night was all 20th-century music:
Revueltas Sensemaya - engaging, rhythmic, cinematic music, and brief
Ginastera Harp Concerto - impressive virtuosic playing, but meh overall
Stravinsky Rite of Spring - I don't think I've heard this performed live before and I understand even more why people would respond so strongly to it almost 100 years ago at its premiere -- lyric then brutal, delicate then overwhelming, frightful then briefly calm -- and essentially unrecognizable as classical and romantic music of the time, yet still engaging and moving. Wow.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Heard the BSO Chamber Players at Jordan Hall with B.

The Barber Summer Music woodwind quintet was familiar and much more interesting to hear after not hearing it for such a long time. I noticed many more of the lines and their development and relationships to one another after listening to an audio course on Beethoven symphonies.

The Bolcom Serenata Notturna for oboe and strings didn't grab me. Nicely played, but nothing brought me into the piece.

The Beethoven Septet Op. 20 for winds and strings was the draw to the concert for me. I really like the piece: charming and fun. I also hadn't really noticed before how much the piece really features the violin. I'd recalled it as more of an ensemble piece. In any case, it was lovely and well-played.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

The Taming of the Shrew at The Atlanta Shakespeare Company's The New American Shakespeare Tavern was fun. I hadn't seen The Taming of the Shrew since college, from which I only remember a bit of one scene (but that I remember that much means it made an impression on me). This performance was played large and not subtle, bawdy at times, and quite fun. It has me keen to see more Shakespeare soon.

Thursday, April 08, 2010

BSO's Open rehearsal of a Harbison Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra and Mahler Symphony No. 7 was pleasant enough. Nothing grabbed me. I'm still trying to get my arms around what it is about Mahler that so grips people. Oh well. Glad I went in any case.