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Day 932: Symphony
Oct. 8th, 2022 11:55 pmToday was smoky again, but I encouraged myself that the concert hall has excellent ventilation and would be a fine place to spend three hours (preconcert talk plus concert). I pretty much worked all afternoon, then headed downtown.
First, many of us went to the studio room for the preconcert talk. Francesco first interviewed our soloist, a pianist named Orion Weiss. Then he interviewed our composer in residence, Angelica Negron. She's the coolest. I learned about her back when Francesco was chatting with a small group of us weekly online, during the first year of the pandemic. Then I went up to my seat and passed the time until the concert. JS and BS didn't come, and I didn't have anyone to talk to, but I'd brought a book.
The first half of the concert was a short work by Negron, then the Gershwin Piano Concerto, then the second half was the entire music for the "Three Cornered Hat" ballet by de Falla. Some of it was familiar, some of it sounded like great soundtrack for a sword and sorcery film from the 1950s, and some of it was, frankly, too loud. So although I liked parts of it very much, I was glad when it was done.
Walking back to my car, I came across my friend JH and her husband (both are Russian history professors) and chatted some with her about the youth orchestra. Time to rejoin their Board?
I hope my mask was sufficient protection. If what I had a couple of weeks ago was a virus rather than food poisoning, I probably caught it at Hamilton, in the same building, but I think I was a bit more secluded today. (I have an aisle seat way off in a corner.) I do wish more people were wearing masks still.
First, many of us went to the studio room for the preconcert talk. Francesco first interviewed our soloist, a pianist named Orion Weiss. Then he interviewed our composer in residence, Angelica Negron. She's the coolest. I learned about her back when Francesco was chatting with a small group of us weekly online, during the first year of the pandemic. Then I went up to my seat and passed the time until the concert. JS and BS didn't come, and I didn't have anyone to talk to, but I'd brought a book.
The first half of the concert was a short work by Negron, then the Gershwin Piano Concerto, then the second half was the entire music for the "Three Cornered Hat" ballet by de Falla. Some of it was familiar, some of it sounded like great soundtrack for a sword and sorcery film from the 1950s, and some of it was, frankly, too loud. So although I liked parts of it very much, I was glad when it was done.
Walking back to my car, I came across my friend JH and her husband (both are Russian history professors) and chatted some with her about the youth orchestra. Time to rejoin their Board?
I hope my mask was sufficient protection. If what I had a couple of weeks ago was a virus rather than food poisoning, I probably caught it at Hamilton, in the same building, but I think I was a bit more secluded today. (I have an aisle seat way off in a corner.) I do wish more people were wearing masks still.