Aug 30, 2008 17:02
Saturday afternoon was music of the ballet! I have to say how much I enjoyed this program; I haven't heard a lot of ballet music played live, and I've never seen a live ballet before. Even though this wasn't a whole ballet, but excerpts from many, it was great to hear the music together, and also great to see some of it actually danced. The pas-de-deux from Swan Lake was beautiful, but the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene had me in tears. True, I'm a silly girl and I cry at every movie I see and in almost every book I read, but still! It was fantastic. I'm so glad I saw that.
I have to say, too, that I've been waiting as fast as I could to see who the new appointment for principal trumpet was going to be. After hearing newcomer Robin Doyon play prince on two concerts now, I am completely happy with what I heard! If I could make a guess, I'd say that the most noticeable way ESO audiences will hear a difference is in the more "pops"-type music. The sections from Slaughter on 10th Avenue by Richard Rogers that I heard this afternoon swung harder than I've ever heard the ESO swing before. As someone who played in jazz bands for seven years, I'll tell you that the lead trumpet has a huge responsibility with regards to the band's swing. Even if the rest of the horns are swingin' their little hearts out, it won't sound good unless the lead trumpet is swinging just as hard. I'm really looking forward to hearing more out of Robin Doyon, that's for sure.
Maybe I have this hitherto-unknown desire to become a concert reviewer, I don't know.
shows,
ssuts,
music