Monday, September 24, 2007

Minnesota Orchestra Season Opening

If you aren't planning on seeing any shows at the Minnesota Orchestra this year, you had better think again. Jeannette and I had the opportunity to see the Season Opening this last Saturday. It was amazing. Emmanuel Ax played Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2. It was remarkably complex, and played so naturally, you forget it's a man playing an instrument. The same can be said for the orchestra playing the next piece, Gustav Holst's The Planets. Without prompting, you can tell what you are expected to feel during each planet's song. This is different then other classical music which can require a back story first, and then it's, "Oh, that's what the composer was trying to do."

The night topped off with a champagne toast with the conductor, Osmo Vänskä. If you haven't seen a show in a while, go now!

2 comments:

Cat's Staff said...

Great now I'm going to have to listen to all 7 planets before I go to bed.

JKC said...

I can't listen to the Saturn part of the plants without thinking of the end of Ghostbusters.