After Hours: Thursday Edition
Your turn, Thursday crowd. Here's the place to let us know what you liked or disliked about the Mendelssohn concert, and really, about your whole Orchestra Hall experience.
In particular, we're interested in hearing what you thought of the pacing of the first half of the show. We made a conscious decision (based largely on audience feedback from past ItC shows) to jump around more in the first half than we have in the past, spending less time than usual on the featured piece specifically and more time exploring the composer's life and music as a whole, and the way the orchestra approaches the music in rehearsal and performance. So if that worked for you, let us know, and if it didn't, tell us why, as well as any ideas you might have for future concerts.
In any case, thanks for being there - you Thursday people always have fantastic energy, and we're looking forward to seeing you again in March...
In particular, we're interested in hearing what you thought of the pacing of the first half of the show. We made a conscious decision (based largely on audience feedback from past ItC shows) to jump around more in the first half than we have in the past, spending less time than usual on the featured piece specifically and more time exploring the composer's life and music as a whole, and the way the orchestra approaches the music in rehearsal and performance. So if that worked for you, let us know, and if it didn't, tell us why, as well as any ideas you might have for future concerts.
In any case, thanks for being there - you Thursday people always have fantastic energy, and we're looking forward to seeing you again in March...
Labels: after hours, audience feedback
posted by Sam at
9:00 PM
5 Comments:
Great job, you guys. It's got to be a lot of work deciding the pace and order of your discussion topics, not to mention having to impart all that to the orchestra in just one rehearsal. Loved the Fanny bit. Roma was a good sport with the triple-tonguing explanation. I like it when individual orchestra members are introduced/highlighted during the shenanigans. Brings the entire orchestra "down to earth" for the audience, and leaves an impression on folks.
[off topic]I also attended the Bernstein Mass last weekend. It was just as bizarre, sublime, and awesome as I remember from when I first saw it in the early '90s. The Celebrant's mental breakdown/Dona Nobis Pachem - that thing was off the hook. (I don't know what "off the hook" means exactly, but I'm sure that was it.[/off topic}
Re: the Mass - I didn't post anything about it while we were in the midst of it, but I was blown away by Ray Ayers as the Celebrant. Ray has been in a lot of productions with us, but usually in smaller roles. This was his first lead on our stage, and I thought he was spectacular. His breakdown scene, as Emily said, was a heart-stopping moment.
We really liked the pacing and information about Felix that you
provided.
The section where you played the piece straight as it was written
and them showed what the musicians
add from their interpretation was wonderful.
Playing the final piece in two keys was also very revealing ...
something we would have never
thought about ... but that made
a huge difference.
You two together are TERRIFIC !!
The night was great!
I have a question about orchestra seating. I noticed that last night, it seemed like it was the traditional seating (I think) but at the previous ItC concert, the second violins were where the cellos were last night. Is there a reason for the different seating?
The seating this week was mainly a logistical issue. You're correct that the seating we used for this show is more common among American orchestras, but actually, our "normal" seating (which is actually the seating most orchestras used in the 19th and early 20th centuries) is what you saw in November, with the two violin sections facing each other and the cellos just inside the first violins and the basses in the rear at stage right.
The reason we switched it up this week was that we had the piano at stage right for the Baldwin sisters to sing with, so the basses wouldn't fit on that side of the stage. It's pretty crucial for the cellos and basses to be next to each other, so if the basses are on stage left, the cellos need to be also, and there go your antiphonal violins. Thus the switch. In all likelihood, we'll be back to our usual seating for the March concerts.
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