On Saturday evening I attended a concert of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
There were two guest artists, Tianwa Yang, a brilliant, young violinist from Germany.
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| Photo Credit: VSO website |
The other was the dashing and expressive conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto of Mexico.
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| Photo Credit: VSO website |
The repertoire consisted of :
Bach/Stokowski
Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor
Paganini
Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor*
Beethoven
Symphony No. 8 in F Major
I opted to get to the concert early so I could hear a presentation. The speaker gave an overview of the concert pieces and a little history on each of the composers who wrote them.
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| Pre-concert presentation and explanation of the night's program. |
People relax in the lobby before the concert.
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| Small audience at the pre-concert presentation. |
I personally found it quite chilly in the venue. I am recovering from a chest and ear infection so the slight breeze coming in through the open entrances to the outdoors, was enough to make me shiver. Concert doors (to the outdoors) in the city are usually kept open until just before the concerts are about to begin. I guess this helps make the flow of people into the building go much faster.
I only had a thin sweater over an equally thin top as I'd forgotten to take a wrap with me in my haste to get to the presentation on time.
I bought a coffee to warm up but finished that before the 20 minutes presentation was finished. I was still getting chilled from the breeze so purchased a glass of wine. I was surprised to learn that the venue now permits drinks in the concert theater (thank God for that). The only stipulation is that the beverages cannot be in a glass container.
I bought a coffee to warm up but finished that before the 20 minutes presentation was finished. I was still getting chilled from the breeze so purchased a glass of wine. I was surprised to learn that the venue now permits drinks in the concert theater (thank God for that). The only stipulation is that the beverages cannot be in a glass container.
It took the entire concert to finish the small glass of wine. It did in fact help to keep me warm. Each time I felt a chill taking hold, I had a small sip of wine. These small sips were plenty for me as it had been hours since eating a late lunch.
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| Some of the VSO members practicing. |
Beautiful architectural details of the Orpheum Theater
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| The performance was very well attended. |
I was very pleased to attend this concert especially since I received a complimentary ticket.
I enjoyed the concert so much and I'm now thinking I might attend the New Year's Day program.
What about you dear reader?
Do you attend the symphony or do you prefer other forms of music and the arts?
Joining with Our World Tuesday
18 comments:
You have a very elegant concert hall. Yes, the information on the music gives you much more enjoyment.
What a beautiful building. I haven't been to a concert in years.
My husband and I attended a tour of the Orpheum many years ago. I have not seen a concert since 2008 when we saw David Byrnes (Talking Heads fame") at the Queen E. in Vancouver.
Such a lovely building! Great photos of this event! :)
What a magnificent hall ! I would also have gone to see the presentation and get a better idea of the artists performing. I'm glad you managed to warm up eventually. Thanks for sharing. It all looks so elegant.
sounds awesome
I am glad the wine kept you warm throughout the concert. I have not been to a concert before. The hall looks very impressive.
The venue is gorgeous, so glad it was al wonderful evening even if it was a chilly one.
Hugs,
Meredith
The interiors is GRAND!
Must be great to watch them live!
Beautiful concert hall!
The architectural details of the Orpheum Theater are beautiful.
What a fun evening. My wife and I love to see our local symphony (the Colorado Springs Philharmonic) - a couple of weeks ago the program included Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto (with Joyce Yang on piano), Sibelius' second symphony, and Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain; this weekend is Shostakovich's 10th symphony. They do a great job, especially considering that we are a relatively small community to support a full symphony orchestra.
I really like the idea of a pre-concert presentation to explain the music. to make it even more meaningful and enjoyable.
wow, that´s a beautiful Theater, I think I might have been busy studying the Theater instead of listening to the music :)
I used to love the symphony and may go again. We had a child. He is 17 now so it may be time to start going back.
Hi Joyful, Nice post with lots of good photos. The hall looks elegant for sure. Yes, I do enjoy going to concerts like this. I should take a look and see what is coming up in Seattle. Thanks for sharing this post.
It must have been wonderful to listen to beautiful music in those beautiful surroundings! I really like the idea of the lecture beforehand to learn more about the music and its history. That would be very meaningful.
What a beautiful concert hall!
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