A little night music
One of my favorite things about living in a European city is the availability of art. In fact, one of the ways I define a town from a city is whether or not said town has its own symphony orchestra. Stavanger has one, and I got to see them perform!
I met Ingeborg at the Stavanger Konserthus, a rectangular glass building sitting right on the water. The building actually looks a bit industrial from the outside, but once you enter the spacious lobby, the high ceilings and curved designs do a much better job of suggesting the building's function. We got a glass of wine at the lobby bar and then settled in for the concert.
When I picked our seats online, I did so essentially blindly, never having been in the concert hall myself. I placed us in the left side balcony, and we ended up sitting directly above the first violin section. I could even look down and read the notes on their page! It's always difficult for me to watch classical orchestral music be performed and not be a part of the orchestra myself, so it was pretty cool to sit so close. I also noticed that the viola section was seated directly across from the first violins, which I think was a strategic choice on the part of the conductor. The violas played a key role in each piece, so I loved hearing their alto voices so strongly.
The concert consisted of three major works. The first, by a modern Peruvian composer, was both Ingeborg's and my favorite. The piece opened with French horn and trumpet, and the composer made masterful use of the brass instruments throughout the piece. The rhythmic patterns were also quite varied, and at one point, I think there were four different rhythms layered on top of one another! When the orchestra finished, I found myself wishing the piece wasn't over yet.
Next in the program was Rachmaninov piano concerto no. 2, in c minor. The soloist was a 20-year-old American fireball who played with his whole body. I particularly enjoyed the second movement because Rachmaninov is a master of harmony. Rather than composing a sweet melody and then adding a few accompanying voices, he fills the entire space of the concert hall. He layers harmonic and rhythmic patterns on top of each other, so Rachmaninov's music is very 3-dimensional.
After a short intermission, the concert concluded with Elgar's Enigma Variations, which is quite a famous piece that I had actually never heard before. There are 14 variations, each meant to describe a different person in Elgar's life - his wife, an amateur violist friend, himself. Ingeborg and I were doing our very best to keep track of the variations, but since many of them melt straight into the next, it was a bit difficult. We both agreed Elgar spent way too little time on other people and way too much time on himself. The autobiographical finale was by far the grandest of the movements.
It was really nice to spend time with Ingeborg and enjoy Stavanger's classical music scene. I'm thankful to live in a place where art is so valued and available.
I met Ingeborg at the Stavanger Konserthus, a rectangular glass building sitting right on the water. The building actually looks a bit industrial from the outside, but once you enter the spacious lobby, the high ceilings and curved designs do a much better job of suggesting the building's function. We got a glass of wine at the lobby bar and then settled in for the concert.
When I picked our seats online, I did so essentially blindly, never having been in the concert hall myself. I placed us in the left side balcony, and we ended up sitting directly above the first violin section. I could even look down and read the notes on their page! It's always difficult for me to watch classical orchestral music be performed and not be a part of the orchestra myself, so it was pretty cool to sit so close. I also noticed that the viola section was seated directly across from the first violins, which I think was a strategic choice on the part of the conductor. The violas played a key role in each piece, so I loved hearing their alto voices so strongly.
 |
| My concert program from the Stavanger Symphony. |
Next in the program was Rachmaninov piano concerto no. 2, in c minor. The soloist was a 20-year-old American fireball who played with his whole body. I particularly enjoyed the second movement because Rachmaninov is a master of harmony. Rather than composing a sweet melody and then adding a few accompanying voices, he fills the entire space of the concert hall. He layers harmonic and rhythmic patterns on top of each other, so Rachmaninov's music is very 3-dimensional.
After a short intermission, the concert concluded with Elgar's Enigma Variations, which is quite a famous piece that I had actually never heard before. There are 14 variations, each meant to describe a different person in Elgar's life - his wife, an amateur violist friend, himself. Ingeborg and I were doing our very best to keep track of the variations, but since many of them melt straight into the next, it was a bit difficult. We both agreed Elgar spent way too little time on other people and way too much time on himself. The autobiographical finale was by far the grandest of the movements.
It was really nice to spend time with Ingeborg and enjoy Stavanger's classical music scene. I'm thankful to live in a place where art is so valued and available.
Comments
Post a Comment