William Tell Overture – Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868)
Faust Ballet Music – Charles Gounod (1818–1893)
The Nubian Women; Adagio; Antique Dance; Cleopatra Variations; The Trojan Women; Mirror Variations; Dance of Phryné
Symphony in D Minor – César Franck (1822–1890)
Lento–Allegro non troppo; Allegretto; Allegro non troppo
(N.B. Fewer observations than usual because the house was so dark that I couldn't scribble notes. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Also, it's rare to hear a live, full orchestra concert for free in NYC. I'm a lucky fellow.)
This was a first for me, hearing the William Tell Overture live. There are several distinct sections to the overture, but almost everyone is familiar with the last one. I was surprised, in a sense, that I was so much more aware of the different sections. And I think that’s because I’m used to hearing engineered recordings—no real breaks, no hearing pages being turned, no chairs/feet scraping, etc. So, while the work seemed a bit choppy to me, I guess hearing the real deal is worth it, giving me a little more insight to both the music and my listening habits.
The Gounod Faust Ballet Music was also familiar to me, though I’m not sure I’ve heard all seven sections at one time. It was fittingly Romantic (of that compositional era) and brought to mind swirling movements and pretty stage pictures. The seven sections worked well for me, whereas the Rossini didn’t quite flow as a through composed piece. It was lovely all around.
The Franck symphony was also very enjoyable with broad grand themes and a sense of urgency at times.
And we were treated to an encore (the first time I’ve heard this orchestra play one)—Dance of the Hours, from La Giocanda by Amilcare Ponchielli. Believe me, you’d recognize it. Probably as “Hello, Muddah, hello Faddah!”
ConcertMeister
No comments:
Post a Comment